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The soft hum of a tea kettle filled the kitchen area as Yaoyorozu leaned against the cool counter, her eyes glancing towards the small light that illuminated from the cable box of the television, flashing it’s time tauntingly.
3:42 a.m.
She could feel the heaviness in her eyes as she so desperately wanted to succumb to the idea of sleep. But her mind, it seemed, wouldn’t cooperate with the rest of her sensible body. She decided to brew some tea, thinking it would help ease her mind into a dream-like state and she could hopefully get some rest before the sun’s early morning rays seeped through the clear windows.
“I am happy I’m not the only one who is awake at this ungodly hour.”
Yaoyorozu had not expected anyone else to be awake at this time, so she was taken back by the new voice. However, she felt a slight wave of relief wash over her as she recognized Todoroki’s face reflecting from the moonlight, making her way towards her. She quickly glanced at her tea kettle before her eyes settled back on Todoroki, a small smile making its way across her face. “I wasn’t able to fall asleep.”
Todoroki had taken a seat beside her, a few strands of his hair gracefully falling onto his face as he reclined against the back of the chair. “I wasn’t able to either.“ He closed his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh.
“Well, I am brewing some tea which I believe may help in our current situation. Would you like some?” she offered.
There was a brief moment of silence before he responded. “That would be nice. Thank you, Yaoyorozu.”
The smile that was already present on her face widen at his response as she made her way towards the cabinets in the kitchen, grabbing two tea cups and placing them on the table in front of him. Todoroki had opened his eyes then, observing her movements curiously. She looked up at him, noticing his inquisitive eyes. Slowly, she pushed one of the tea cups towards him, clearing her throat.
“Did you want to say something?”
That seemed to have startled him slightly as his appearance changed from curiosity to shock, which then morphed into his usual neutral expression. He gazed at her with a blank stare which to her almost felt like an eternity, until he finally decided to open his mouth and speak.
“Why do you like tea so much?”
It was her turn now to appear shocked as she processed his arbitrary question. The question itself seemed so straightforward, but the randomness of it kept her from coming up with an answer on the spot. Todoroki must’ve noticed her agitated state as he elaborated on his statement. “I’ve noticed that you drink tea a lot. And you seem to get excited whenever new tea is shipped to you from your parents. And I was curious to know if there was just some specific reason as to why you like it so much or if it was just something you really enjoyed.”
She let out a small laugh, her eyes shifting towards the brewing tea kettle. “I’ve never really been asked that question before.”
“I’m honored to be the first then.”
She laughed again. “I suppose tea is something I’ve always enjoyed since I was a child. I would always throw these little tea parties, and my mother, or one of my servants if she was unavailable, would provide the tea. And as time passed on, it became sort of a custom of mine to just drink tea leisurely.”
A smile graced its way onto Todoroki’s face as he listened to her speak. Yaoyorozu couldn’t
help but return the sentiment.
A question then sparked into Yaoyorozu’s mind. Silently, she gestured towards the chair beside him, asking if she could sit down. Nodding his head, she placed herself down next to him turning her head towards him. “Is there any particular reason as to why you like cold soba?”
She watched as Todoroki stared at the table in front of them as if he was searching for the right words to say. She decided to add on to her own question to help relieve his anxious state. “I have also been curious. Plus, I had never heard of anyone eating cold soba before and it sparked my interest even further.”
Todoroki’s gaze shifted from the table to the tea kettle and she noticed his lips twitch downwards into a frown. “The first time I had soba it was scorching hot. I wasn’t a fan of heat at the time, but I ate it anyway to satisfy my father. The next time my family had soba I placed the bowl of soba in the fridge, saying that I wasn’t hungry at the moment. I waited until it was night time to take it out of the fridge, and ate it. I had enjoyed it much more that night. At first I thought it was in spite of my father, but then I realized I just liked it better cold. So, like your tea, it’s something I grew custom to like as time went on” she nodded her head, folding her hands together as she took in his story.
“That is quite the backstory.” She couldn’t help but laugh at her own comment. Todoroki unconsciously nodded his head, seemingly in his own world. She decided not to press on with his story and accepted his answer, and the silence that followed.
Yaoyorozu wasn’t sure if it was from her sleep deprived state, or the way Todoroki’s face lit up from the natural moonlight, but she felt compelled to inch her face closer to his as he stared into the darkness of the kitchen. Her slight movement must have snapped him out of his small trance as he turned his head towards hers. They had locked eyes with each other, and she was able to gaze into his heterochromic eyes without even realizing how little space there was between them as they unknowingly began to move their heads closer together until their lips faintly ghosted over each other.
A sharp noise erupted from the tea kettle, pulling both teens away from each other abruptly. It was in that moment where Yaoyorozu realized why she had come down in the first place, and out of embarrassment, she quickly stood from her spot and rushed towards the stove.
She turned off the heat then created an oven mitt to hold onto the boiling kettle. She made her way back towards the table in a flustered haste, pouring the tea into each of the cups without making much eye contact towards him. Todoroki thanked her silently as she placed the pot and her mitt on the table, settling back down in her seat. There, she stared at her cup of tea in an attempt to hide the light blush that began to form on her cheeks.
The tension was slowly getting to her, and out of her own distress she picked up her tea cup, lightly blowing on the hot liquid before taking a sip. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Todoroki do the same, a light hum following soon after.
“This is quite delightful, Yaoyorozu.” he complimented. “You must be an outstanding cook.”
This caused her to burst out in laughter almost immediately afterwards, gaining a confused glance from him. “I apologize if that may have come across as rude, Todoroki. But I am no where near the standards of an outstanding cook. Or even an adequate chef.”
“But, you were capable of creating a pleasant cup of tea. How can you say you aren’t near the standards of a chef?”
She delicately traced her finger over the cup, an amused smiling spreading across her face. “Well, I’ve grown up in an atmosphere where I didn’t have to learn how to cook anything. But, I taught myself how to make tea since I loved it so much.” She giggled as a memory crossed her mind. “Although, my mother and I tried to bake cookies one time when I had that small study group at my house after the midterm exams if you recall. The reaction I had gotten was...as I suspected, but it was the thought that counted.”
Hearing the deep chuckle that came from Todoroki helped put Yaoyorozu’s mind at ease, feeling the awkward tension between them begin to disappear. She let herself laugh as well, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. “Well, I’m almost positive you’re a better cook than I am.”
Todoroki cleared his throat, his eyes glaring at the tea kettle in front of them. “I had once set water on fire when I tried to boil it.”
Yaoyorozu continued to laugh, but upon seeing the seriousness of his face, she ceased her actions. “I see. Well, I suppose not everyone is of a professional chef level of expertise.”
“Unless you include tea, which on your behalf I believe you have reached that level.” He turned to her fully with a small smile, which she happily returned.
The two continued their conversation, exchanging laughs and moments in their lives that would have never been shared before until then. Even as time passed, and the sun began to rise, their conversations continued on, and neither of them seemed too concerned about the sleep they had missed out on. As some of the early risers began pouring into the kitchen, noticing the two settled at the table, Yaoyorozu had mentioned with a laugh that they had lost track of time and Todoroki had said it was worth not getting any sleep. Although some had resorted to playful teasing after his comment, which Todoroki didn’t fully understand the reason for, it left a smile on Yaoyorozu’s face, one that had lasted for the rest of the day.