Work Text:
A love song, one I never thought would even get published in the first place, has reached the top of charts all over the world. Simple enough and coming straight from the heart, people must truly feel a connection to it. Soft guitar plays in the background and Todoroki joins me at the front of the stage, knowing this song is about him - the surprise on his face when he first heard still has me blushing. Though, I blush at him either way.
“Well, you done done me, and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks
And now I'm trying to get back
Before the cool done run out
I'll be giving it my bestest
And nothing's gonna stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn
To win some or learn some”
A smile crosses my face as I remember back to that day, the first time I showed it to him and said how I felt.
It was a warm day in fall, the perfect time for a hike with some of our former classmates. After getting back for lunch, everyone gathered in the living room of our shared flat. Uraraka and Tsuyu had finally convinced me to share the song with Todoroki. They even made sure I played it live for them with my guitar instead of just playing the recording like I had originally wanted to do.
“But I won't hesitate no more
No more it cannot wait, I'm yours
Hmm (Hey, hey)”
They all sat on the couch and Tsuyu placed a kitchen stool in front of the tv so I’d be the center piece. It took me nearly five minutes to stop fidgeting and freaking out over what I was about to do. Todoroki just sat silently with the others and confusion was written across his features while waiting - probably wondering why it was so difficult to start.
“Well, open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and, damn, you're free
And look into your heart, and you'll find love, love, love, love
Listen to the music of the moment, people dance and sing
We're just one big family
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved, love, love, love, loved”
His eyes widened when I began singing, soaking up the song like a sponge and maintaining eye contact through the first few verses. He finally broke it when I got to the second verse when I mentioned love. My eyes began to water with tears, fearing rejection and barely holding out on running back to my bedroom to cry.
“So I won't hesitate no more
No more it cannot wait, I'm sure”
Looking back I’m proud of myself for staying and enduring for the rest of the song, unknowing to what Todoroki’s thoughts were and a second away from leaving the room with tears streaming down my cheeks. It was because of this small decision that brought us to where we are today.
“There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours
A-do you, do, do, do you, but do you, do you, do, do, but do you want to come on?
Scooch on over closer, dear
And I will nibble your ear
A-soo da ba ba ba ba bum
Whoa, oh oh oh
Whoa, oh oh oh oh whoa whoa whoa
Uh-huh, hmm”
I closed my eyes and just let myself feel in the moment, drowning in emotions and overflowing with sincerity. This song was one I rarely ever practiced or played in general, but it was one that I’d written just after coming to terms with my feelings toward the heterochromatic boy in the first place. Way back when I was finding myself and risked my life to help him find a solution for his own problems and everything in his past. To say I had a crush on him would be an understatement - only he didn’t quite know that.
“I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and I laughed
I guess what I've been saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue”
Halfway through, I opened my eyes again and looked over the faces of each of my friends, Iida and his glasses, Uraraka and her rosy cheeks, Tsuyu and her big and observant eyes, and Todoroki with his neutral expression used to mask the things inside. The girls sway and nod along with the beat of the song, drinking it up as it flows out around us. Iida is smiling at me and offering support and Todoroki is hiding behind his perfected dismissive mask. I don’t know what’s going on inside his head, but something about being in the moment with my friends around me makes me feel invincible to whatever is going to happen.
“But I won't hesitate no more
No more it cannot wait, I'm yours”
I’ve waited so long to share this song with him, it feels like a dream to be sitting on the stool and strumming the guitar strings. It’s almost if there’s a bubble around us in this moment and the world outside has been placed on pause for these precious seconds. Breathe in, sing a set of lyrics; breathe out, feel the power behind my words. A shift in movement and the girls are standing, rocking back and forth in a slow dance trance around the room. Iida taps him foot and drums his fingers against his knee and Todoroki leans forward ever so slightly.
“Well, open up your mind and see like me (I won't hesitate)
Open up your plans and, damn, you're free (No more, no more)
And look into your heart, and you'll find that (It cannot wait)
The sky is yours (I'm sure there's no)
So please don't, please don't, please don't (No need, oh, now now)
There's no need to complicate (For the reggae, our time)
'Cause our time is short (Is short, this)
This oh, this oh, this is our fate (Is our fate)
I'm yours, ha!”
My song is reaching its end, but I don’t want this to stop. I want this to continue on, this calm and peaceful space to stay with us forever - to stay with me forever. I don’t want to know what Todoroki is thinking, I don’t want the girls to get tired of spinning each other around and hugging tightly while swaying back and forth together, I don’t want Iida to stop humming to the sound of the lyrics, I don’t want any of it to stop. But like anything good, it does.
“Brr da ba mmm da ba bo mmm day
Na ch doo, doo ch doo, doo ch doo doo mmm doo doo
(Hey, hey) Oh, I'm yours, oh-oh, I'm yours
Oh-oh-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh
Baby, do you believe I'm yours?
You best believe, you best believe I'm yours, hmm”
It’s like the calm before the storm when I finish the song. My hands stop and rest on my guitar and my eyes meet each of the friends around me. Applause erupts around the room and a whop calls from Uraraka as I sling my guitar around to my back using the strap. Iida sits up straight and sends me a thumbs up and Todoroki just slowly stands. I meet his eyes as he steps closer, the girls moving to the side and everything going silent. Eye contact doesn’t break this time, and a soft hand cups my left cheek. It guides my head upwards and Todoroki leans in, connecting us through touch and kiss.
It’s like a breath of fresh air after being concealed in a office for hours on end, like the warm sun on your face as you lay in the sun, like the smell of your favorite candle or meal, like everything you’ve ever longed for coming together at once. That’s what it felt like, and I absolutely melted into the feeling.
Todoroki slowly broke away and pressed his forehead to mine, whispering the same words he does in the present at a loud concert in front of thousands of fans.
“I’m yours, forever and always.”