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“I do wish he wouldn’t go so hard on you.”
“I don’t mind. I prefer it to him holding back.”
“I suppose I can understand that.” She paused for a moment before shaking her head lightly and getting back to work.
When Momo had first received his text, she had dropped the book she had been reading, and immediately rushed to the locker rooms. “I’m here! Are you okay?!”
There she found Shouto Todoroki, the strongest person she knew, a fierce competitor and one of her best friends, sitting alone on a bench in the middle of the communal locker room fumbling with bandages, but no obvious missing limbs or open wounds.
He looked up at her, and his eyebrows furrowed when he saw the concern on her face. “Are you alright?”
At first she had just stared at him, but eventually, after discerning that no one was dying, she simply pulled out her mobile device and showed him his text.
KnockoffZuko: “Locker room. I need help.”
He frowned as the two of them looked at the message. “I suppose I could see how my wording might have been lacking.”
Momo knew if any of the other girls had been there, this would be the part where the sound of a facepalm would echo throughout the empty room.
But she wasnt the other girls, so she simply shook her head and sat beside him on the bench. “What happened?”
“Sparring with Bakugou. I miscalculated and one of his blasts knocked the wind out of me. Normally I would just do it myself, but I can't reach.”
She nodded in understanding.
Out of all their classmates, it seemed to be that Momo had the nimblest fingers and the gentlest touch, and since Recovery Girl had retired earlier that year, she had become a sort of default nurse for smaller injuries.
“On your back?”
He nodded in confirmation and turned his body to face away from her. He pulled his shirt over his head slowly and stiffly, and Momo gasped as the bruise was revealed.
“Oh Shouto…”
She worked in silence to patch him up, making sure to take care to avoid causing any touches that led to flinches or sharp inhales or breath. She had to lean in close, and she caught a whiff of something underneath the unavoidable smell of training. (There was no point being embarrassed, as hero students, they were all more than familiar with it, but this was different)
Cinnamon. Wait no...spearmint? That can’t be right. The two are completely different, how could she possibly mix them up?
Unless...
“Shouto...” she spoke lightly and cautiously, unsure if her question was too invasive. “Are you aware that you have two different smells?”
He froze and she winced. Oh dear, I’ve crossed a line, haven’t I?
“Do I...smell?” The bi-colored boy’s tentative voice cut through her panic.
He turned to look over his shoulder at her and she was relieved to find no anger in his eyes, only curiosity and a little bit of confusion. His eyebrows were raised skeptically, and her whole face lit up pink as his eyes found hers. “Oh no- that wasn’t what I meant, Shouto! You’ll have to forgive my wording, it left much to be desired.”
His head cocked slightly, and she flushed an even darker shade of red, even as she continued.
“I only meant that...well your left side has a distinct scent of fresh spearmint, while your right side smells of cinnamon...”
Shouto just stared at her, watching as she floundered around searching for the right words.
“I meant no disrespect, I was only asking if you were aware, out of curiosity! I apologize if I overstepped my boundaries!”
“Momo.”
Once again, his voice cut through her panic, and she found herself relaxing as well upon seeing his calm demeanor.
“You didn’t overstep your boundaries, I was not aware of that fact. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.” He bowed his head slightly as a thank you, and when his face lifted, his eyes were sparkling with humor, and the corner of his mouth was quirked up slightly ( about as close to a smile as the stoic boy gets ). Momo beamed at his reaction, and returned a gracious head nod.
Realizing she had been staring, she moved to get up from her position. “Well...I suppose you can wrap up by yourself, so I’ll be on my way!”
She wasn’t expecting a response, and she didn’t receive one, so she walked over to where they had placed the first aid kit on the bench, and put the materials back neatly, while still leaving the lid open for Shouto so he could finish whatever else he needed. Quickly and efficiently swiping up the discarded wipes and such, she moved toward the waste bin when her quiet partner reached out with no warning and grasped her wrist surprisingly gently.
She startled and turned to face him, noting that he wouldn’t look at her.
“Chamomile.” He muttered, barely audible, as he continued his staring contest with the floor.
Her eyebrows furrowed. “Pardon?”
His head lifted and there was a strange sense of determination burning in his eyes. “You smell of chamomile.”
Shocked, she found herself unable to respond, and they held eye contact for a moment before she laughed lightly. “Oh is that all? You had me worried there, Shouto-kun!”
The stoic boy nodded silently and released her wrist softly.
She smiled softly as she looked down at him, and in a moment of startling braveness, she bent down and turned his cheek a bit with her hand before leaning forward and giving him a soft peck on the cheek.
“Thank you” she whispered with a smile, and flushed when she realized what she had done. She stood up quickly, gave a small bow, and ( politely, of course ) bolted from the room in a hurry.
As she walked quickly away from the locker rooms, her blush burning all the way to the tips of her ears, she tried to control the frantic beating of her heart.
Cinnamon, spearmint and chamomile…
Her lips turned up slightly. How bizarre.