Archive of Our Own

Todoroki didn't need to hazard a guess as to why Bakugou is fuming with literal steam coming out his ears when the blond barrels his way inside Todoroki’s room, all gnashing teeth and clenched fists. He scoots over and pats the spot beside him on the futon, quietly observing his boyfriend as Bakugou plops down on the empty space, looking like an angry kitten. A kitten with enough power to demolish a whole city if he wanted to.

"They got you too, didn't they?"

Bakugou's answering growl is enough for him to confirm that yes, they're in the same boat, and yes, they're both displeased by the outcome.

The blond ruffles his own hair in frustration, letting out an aggravated sigh as he very nearly bangs his head against the wall. "I can't fucking believe it! The damned idiot brigadeㅡHow dare they! Blackmailing me to go to some dumbass holiday party!"

Todoroki scrunches his nose up in sympathy.

The Bakusquad has been hounding everyone in the dorms about the Christmas party that they're planning to throw this weekend, and no one has been able to escape their clutches. Most of their classmates were more than happy to attend, but the less social ones (Bakugou and Todoroki specifically) were not too thrilled about the prospect and have been rejecting them since morning.

He thought they would've left it at that. But apparently, their invitation turns out to be more of a demand than a request. And if they didn't comply with said demand...Well. The devious teens (minus Bakugou himself) had a backup plan.

Which includes coercing whoever turned them down by way of blackmail, and Todoroki happens to be one of the unlucky victims of this plan.

He refuses to even remember the photo Mina sent to him a few minutes after his outright rejection, but it was enough to make even the seemingly unmovable Todoroki Shouto sweat nervously as it would cause some inconveniences for him if word ever got out of it.

And that is how Todoroki's plans of staying in and celebrating privately with Bakugou got thrown out the window due to an unplanned visit from the ghosts of his past.

Bakugou is also a victim to his friend’s schemes, unfortunately.

He's curious, though.

"What do they even have on you?" he asks, gaze flicking to the rosy tint on Bakugou's cheeks that rises after the question. "And how did they even get it? I thought you 'idiot-proofed' your room already."

"I don't wanna' talk about it," Bakugou retorts hastily, and Todoroki frowns. He planned on at least telling Bakugou about his photo, but if Bakugou’s going to be so untrusting of him then Todoroki’s not going to say anything as well. "And I don't fucking know! Those sly bastards have gotten smarter, snooping into my shit and everything. When the party's over, I'm gonna' make them regret this!"

Recounting the last time Bakugou went ballistic in his room, Todoroki reaches out a hand to run through the unruly, spiky locks of his boyfriend's hair to soothe him before the explosions happen. He's filled with a pleasant thrum when the boy besides him visibly relaxes, the murderous intent in his eyes slowly beginning to fade.

"Let's hope it won't get too wild this year," Todoroki says. Bakugou snorts and rolls his eyes, leaning in just enough to rest his head on Todoroki's shoulder. Though the sentiment is meant to be reassuring, the words sound hollow even in his own ears, knowing how much of a lie it is. Considering…

"That's fucking impossible. I bet you the extras would come up with some dumb, chaotic shit. Everyone's too damned rowdy."

Yeah, that.

Unfortunately, there's nothing they can do about it other than to persevere and grit their teeth through the party.

It's not that Todoroki is opposed to the idea of spending Christmas, a holiday typically known for a time to hang out with friends, with his classmates. They're wonderful people (most of them at least), they went through hell together, almost died in the war and survived together, going through thick and thin. He knows that he can trust them, and that they trust him too. He didn’t mind last year’s party, it gave him the opportunity to talk more with everyone and eat some good food.

But something about social events just unnerves him.

Seeing that his family situation makes it nigh impossible to celebrate any holiday properly, he's never gone to an actual party outside of that one in Heights Alliance. There are things he’s still unsure about, how to act and what to say on such momentous occasions. He just can’t muster the appropriate amount of energy to get as excited as everyone else during Christmas. To him, it’s just another holiday to celebrate in the comforts of his own room.

That's one reason. And the other is…

"Bakugou, do you have any idea what to give for the secret Santa?" he asks, because Todoroki has never gifted anyone anything in his life and he's completely stumped.

Bakugou groans, burrowing his head further into the crook of Todoroki's neck, arms wrapped loosely around his waist. He knows that Bakugou’s chasing the warmth he’s emanating from his left side, so he cranks up the temperature slightly until Bakugou nestles in comfortably by his side. "Fuck, almost forgot that was a thing. 'Course not, it's annoying and I'd rather not spend my money for something they’ll forget in just a few days or so."

A beat passes, before Todoroki asks another question.

"Are you my secret Santa?"

Bakugou lifts his head to throw him a dry look. "What makes you think I'll tell you, you damned half and half?"

He shrugs nonchalantly. "I was just asking."

The older teen shakes his head, sitting up straight but letting his palm linger by Todoroki's hip, andㅡOh, this is nice. Bakugou’s hand is constantly warm, even against his right side, and Todoroki can't help but to lean into the touch as well, his fingers resuming their journey of patting Bakugou's hair. "It’s not you, obviously," he pauses. "But I got you something, too."

Todoroki raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Just come to my room once it's over."

Now that successfully piqued his interest, and Todoroki’s slightly more enthusiastic for the weekend to come, just so he can see what Bakugou has in store for him. "Okay," he says, smiling faintly as he rests his head on top of Bakugou’s.

And the smile fades as soon as it comes when Todoroki realizes he hasn't gotten Bakugou anything in return, guilt settling in his stomach where it was previously filled with anticipation and excitement.

"...Oh, Bakugou, I didn’tㅡ"

"Don't apologize," Bakugou cuts in before he can finish, clicking his tongue and turning his head away, a clear sign of embarrassment. "I don't need anything, alright? Just wanted to do it, I guess."

It's not very consoling and Todoroki feels inadequate compared to Bakugou in their relatively new relationship, but at least it gave him a slight ease of mind that he doesn't have to try too hard. Anything that comes from the heart will do.

The hand in Bakugou's hair trails down to tangle with Bakugou's fingers instead, squeezing lightly. Todoroki's gaze softens. "If you say so," he mutters quietly, to which Bakugou only responds with a huff, and an answering squeeze.

"Then, do you want to come with me to search for presents tomorrow?"

"Eh, why the fuck not. Might as well get this over with. What’re you lookin’ for?"

“I was planning to get them a lifetime supply of soba.”

“Are you fucking kidding meㅡ”

Not only were the pair practically blackmailed to attend, their classmates had the audacity to ask them to wake up at early hours and help set everything up.

Bakugou was very unwilling to cooperate at first, as expected, and all Mina had to do was show him something on her phone (which Bakugou still refuses to tell to him) to miraculously bring a very reluctant Bakugou on board before he stomps his way to the kitchen, seething with rage and vengeance burning in his eyes.

Despite all his complaining, Bakugou had gone straight to work once he’s there and barred everyone out unless he deemed them a worthy pair of helping hands, Todoroki not included.

"Wouldn't you need someone to taste the food?" Todoroki had asked, and Bakugou barked out a round of sharp laughter before quite literally kicking his boyfriend out the kitchen.

"Your tongue isn't even qualified, ya' damned halfie," Bakugou replied, "Now piss off and stop bothering me, the sooner I'm done with this shit the less time I need to spend with these extras."

And there you have it, Todoroki is officially banned from ever setting foot inside the kitchen until prep is done.

He tried to wheedle away from having to actually help and sleep through the whole thing (because it's so unreasonable, who'd wake up at 7 AM on a weekend just to hang Christmas lights?), but Uraraka caught him before he can slip inside the elevator and here he is now, making small snowflakes out of ice to stick on the walls of the common room with all his other classmates.

So much for getting some more rest.

"Hey, Todoroki! Aren't you forgetting something?"

He looks up from the current batch of snowflakes he's frosting to meet the animated gaze of Kaminari, the blond teen grinning from ear to ear with his hands behind his back wearing a baggy Santa outfit.

Whatever it is, it's definitely not anything good.

Todoroki's bland reply barely makes it past his mouth before his vision goes dark as something is slipped on top of his head. He pushes the rim up with a small frown, and judging from the soft material against his hand, he can say for sure that the thing Kaminari just forced onto his head is a Christmas hat.

Oh, wonderful.

"There you go, lookin' better already! If we're going to celebrate Christmas, we gotta’ do it the right way! Don’t take it off or we’re not letting you join the party!" Kaminari announces, and he’s actually tempted to do just that if Mina isn’t holding him hostage with, ah...Sensitive information.

"Aaand, for the finishing look." It was then that Todoroki noticed the large sack sitting at Kaminari's feet as the other boy pulls out a bundle of red and white fabric wrapped neatly in plastic. It doesn't really take a genius to figure out what's inside.

Todoroki's stomach sinks.

He stares at the bundle, then up to Kaminari’s beaming face, then looks back down at the costume again.

And promptly turns away without a single word.

“Oh, no. You're not going anywhere!”

Some of the iced snowflakes clatter to the ground when Kaminari tugs him back by the scruff of his shirt, and Todoroki almost whines for failing to escape (again).

"You're going to take this costume and wear it! Come on, show some Christmas spirit, Todoroki!"

Todoroki huffs. "The only spirit I have is the spirit to sleep."

"Hah, that's funny! I'm sure you're just as excited as the rest of us under that poker face of yours."

He's not. And he wasn't cracking a joke.

Kaminari shoves the bundle into his arms and more snowflakes fall off again. "Remember: no costume, no entrance." He pats the bundle, and Todoroki tries to convey just how much he's annoyed by the blond through the sheer force of his glare.

Great, now he'll have to remake the chipped sides of the fallen snowflake.

Uraraka suddenly bounds up to them from where she was busy making paper cut-outs with Iida, presumably to check up on Todoroki, but then she got distracted by the new hat that he's sporting. “Ooh, nice hat! It even matches your hair, Todoroki!” she says with a laugh, and Shouto leans out of her range before she can poke it again. “I wonder what mine’s going to look like!”

“Wonder no longer, Uraraka, because I’ve also got yours right here!”

Kaminari pulls out another hat and gives it to Uraraka, the floof dangling from the tip frayed at the edges to give it a fuzzier look. She makes a noise of delight as she puts it on and Kaminari gives her a thumbs-up.

“Cute! Yaomomo did a really good job on these!"

"Definitely! Now, I need to go back to my important task of making everyone a proper Santa! See you guys at six!"

And with that, Kaminari hefts the sack onto his shoulder, bounding towards the kitchen to distribute the rest of the costumes and hats while leaving the pair to resume their decorating.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

Uraraka’s still fiddling with her hat as Todoroki picks up the snowflakes and counts them to make sure he can call it a day. There’s enough, as requested, and Todoroki turns to Uraraka to inform her about the good news.

But of course, fate hates Todoroki and decides it still wants him to suffer.

Uraraka beats him to it when she finally has her hat on right, instantly quashing his hopes of catching up on some Zs when she exclaims, "Oh, right! Todoroki, the girls said they needed you to make some ice sculptures! They're waiting for you at the front door!"

Todoroki lets out a heavy sigh.

This is going to be a long day.

By the time his classmates have finally deemed his help satisfactory, it's already close to noon and Todoroki is more than just exhausted, physically and socially.

While he no longer minds and sometimes makes an effort to be friendly with everyone, Todoroki still has limits and talking has never been his forte. He has difficulty picking up on certain social cues, misses jokes because of his weird sense of humor, and can barely keep a conversation going because he has no clue how to small talk.

The party hasn't even started yet and his social battery is already drained.

He's sitting on the couch with a glass of water, taking a breather until they call him again to make even more ridiculous decorations that are impossible to do (like infusing fire inside of the ice without melting it, he’s not a miracle worker, thank you very much). He's taking the occasional sip while scrolling through his phone, laid out on his back and sweat dotting his nape below his turtleneck.

He faintly hears footsteps approaching, and dread creeps in at the thought that someone's fetching him much faster than he expected. Todoroki looks up, pleasantly surprised to instead find Bakugou’s sharp, red eyes staring down at him. He’s frowning (of course he is) with a hand on his hip, the other carrying a black food container that he sets down on the coffee table.

“Damn, Halfie. The hell did they do to you? You look like you just got fucking mauled.” Bakugou says, none too kindly, but his blunt honesty is exactly what Todoroki wants to hear. He senses the slight worry in Bakugou’s voice, and that is enough to make his shoulders sag and a tiny smile to curve on his lips. The hell he went through is immediately pushed to the back of his mind at Bakugou’s oddly soothing presence.

“With how excited everyone is, I feel like they did just that,” Todoroki replies, sitting up to peer at the container that Bakugou brought with him andㅡOh. It’s cold soba. His stomach grumbles in response, and it dawned on him that he hadn’t eaten anything since he was dragged around to hang little ice decorations all over the place. “Bakugou, you didn't have to,” is what he says, but he’s already picking up the box and the chopsticks laid besides it.

"And let you starve to death?" Bakugou scoffs, "Screw that, I'm not gonna' take care of your sorry ass if you get sick. 'Sides, if I have to suffer through this dumb party then you gotta' suffer with me," he says with a huff, which is Bakugou speak for 'Yes, I do care'. The blond plops down besides him with his arms crossed, and no matter how many times Todoroki's looked at Bakugou's eyes his heart still does flips when those burning pools of red are fixed on him very intensely, to have his sole attention on Todoroki whenever he does anything.

"Thank you," he murmurs, pointedly staring down at his soba to avoid having to stare at Bakugou.

They sit in comfortable silence, a norm between them that the couple doesn't mind (and appreciate about the other), the only sounds being Todoroki's occasional slurping and Bakugou shifting on the couch, muffled conversation in the background as everyone rushes around them to set up for tonight. Tsuyu hops past with her tongue wrapped around a full box of lights and streamers, waving at them shortly before she disappears around the corner. Jirou and Kirishima are fussing about with the speakers by the windows, and Todoroki hears Bakugou snort in amusement when Jirou yells something and almost pokes Kirishima in the eye with her ear jack.

It's weird, Todoroki admits. Though he feels tired, and slightly (re: very) reluctant to join in the festivities in the first place, witnessing the hustle and bustle in the dorms fill him with warmth. A comforting, homey atmosphere, the complete opposite of the tense, suffocating air in his own home. They radiate joy in a way that his father's presence can never replicate, a sense of belonging, to be accepted as a part of them. A classmate. A friend. To feel like he's not alone, not when so many people have his back. To feel like it's finally okay to start being himself.

It's kind of nice.

The snapping of fingers in front of his face pulls him away from his thoughts, and Todoroki blinks rapidly before he turns to face Bakugou who's staring at him like he's grown two heads in the span of five minutes.

"Oi, Earth to Todoroki fuckin' Shouto. Stop spacing out and smiling like a total idiot, it's disgusting," Bakugou snaps. Huh, he didn't even feel himself smile. He must have done it unconsciously.

One corner of his lips quirk up higher. "You say that, but you still love me even when I look 'like a total idiot'," he teases, blue-grey eyes glimmering with mischief.

"If I knew you'd be back to being a smartass, I would have slipped five chili peppers in that damned soba of yours to shut your fucking trap."

"Five? That's overkill. You wound me, Bakugou." The dramatic flair is lost in his monotonous voice, and Bakugou kicks his shin lightly in retaliation.

"Whatever. What were you thinking 'bout, anyways?"

"Oh...Nothing." Todoroki looks back at the half-decorated room, barely registering a shriek and things crashing down from somewhere, followed by Midoriya's panicked yelling. He should probably help them once he's finished with his break.

He smiles again, placing the container down to lean back against the sofa and look at Bakugou properly. "I'm starting to think that maybe this party isn't such a bad idea."

Bakugou's eyebrows shoot up in disbelief. "You're shitting me. One of those extras must have brainwashed you or something. There’s nothing fun about this party."

"I'm not. Besides, I think you don't actually hate this all that much either." Todoroki points out, and Bakugou glowers at him menacingly. Unfortunately for him, any intimidation tactic he uses against Todoroki no longer works. Maybe something's wrong with Todoroki's brain after hanging out with Bakugou for so long, but he finds Bakugou’s ferocity quite endearing.

"Hah?! And how would you know?"

"You could've just made whatever food you want and the others would've had no choice but to eat it, but you actually put thought into the feast and tried to make it as Christmas-y as you can. In conclusion, I think you’ve got some holiday spirit left in your heart, Bakugou."

Bakugou sputters and turns his head away. So he's right.

"No, I don't! I don't half-ass anything, even if it pisses me off. I don’t want to hear complaints from anyone because the food tastes like crap. Not that that’s ever gonna’ happen, I’m a kickass chef and Iㅡ"

Satou suddenly walks up to the pair before Bakugou can finish his sentence, looking harried and extremely nervous. "Bakugou, Sero just burned the gingerbread cookies."

And that was all it took to light Bakugou's almost non-existent fuse.

"He WHAT," Bakugou roars, startling the others that are in the vicinity. He shoots up to his feet, looking ready to murder a certain tape hero with sparks already crackling in his palms, teeth bared and eyes glinting dangerously. "I thought I fucking banned him from the kitchen! Why the fuck did you let him in?!"

"I was off to get some more sugar from my room! He's trying to fix it, but...I think he's just making it worse."

"Motherfucking Soy Sauce Face!" Bakugou growls, already trampling towards the kitchen and forgetting all about his conversation with Todoroki, blinded with fury. "I'm going to blast a fucking hole in his room and kill him dead!"

Normally, Todoroki would stop him and at least try to reason with Bakugou that punching his classmates is never a good thing, but he's feeling merciless today so he just watches as his boyfriend storms away.

Besides, Sero kind of deserves it for partaking in the blackmail scheme.

As Todoroki fetches his phone again, he spots Bakugou pausing midway, doing a complete one-eighty and marching back towards the couch. He's still furious, but the intensity of his rage lessens when they settle on Todoroki's form.

"Don't let those extras boss you around too much, ya' hear me? They say something stupid, just knock their teeth out and go," Bakugou says, and Todoroki can't help himself from chuckling at the concern masked in threats of bodily harm.

Typical Bakugou.

"I'm not going to punch anyone, Bakugou. And don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Todoroki says, patting Bakugou gently on the cheek. The spiky blond boy stares at him for a second longer, as if to make sure Todoroki won't suddenly collapse or something, before he nods curtly and hurries back to the kitchen after squeezing Todoroki’s shoulder one last time.

Now that he's alone again, he remembers the commotion that he hears prior and decides to check it out. He's rested enough, and he feels energized after eating Bakugou's home cooked meal.

Back to work he goes.

The party is already in full swing by the time he and Bakugou come down to the common room.

Festive Christmas songs are blaring from the speakers he saw this afternoon, the room filled with idle chattering and the excited singing of his classmates as they mingle. Twinkling lights of red and white dot their surroundings, interwoven with wreaths and grape vines and the snowflakes that he made, complete with more intricate decorations he managed to do with his ice. The Christmas tree is set near the speaker set, glowing with bubble lights and draped in a mess of garland and tinsel and little ornaments hanging off the branches. There's also a small table filled with snacks and a bowl of...Some unidentified drink, but it's probably a mix of something fruity and non-alcoholic, nothing to worry about.

And though Todoroki still thinks the costume is cheesy (and stuffy), he doesn't feel so stupid when he sees everyone wearing the same thing.

All in all, it's a very lively start to what would undeniably be a rowdy celebration.

"There you are, bros! Merry Christmas!" Kirishima's voice rings loud and clear from behind as he slings his arms over the both of them, getting shoved immediately by Bakugou while Todoroki simply accepts his fate. His red hair is the same shade as his hat, the spiky tip dangling in front of his face as he offers them a bright grin, guiding them to the middle of the commotion and pointedly ignoring Bakugou's very vocal protests. "Thought you'd suddenly ditch us or something! And Bakugou, button up, man! The black shirt is killing the vibe!"

"Piss off, I'll wear this fucking thing however I want!" Bakugou growls, shoving Kirishima off a second time and glaring heatedly at the other boy. "And stop clinging onto me, dammit!"

"If only we could actually ditch," Todoroki mutters under his breath, giving a short wave to Uraraka and Midoriya as he passes them by the snack table.

"Anyways," Kirishima continues, still dragging Todoroki along with Bakugou in tow, "You're right on time! We’re going to start trading gifts, so find your partners and give 'em your presents! Then it’s gonna’ be dinner time, and a Christmas party isn’t complete without some good ol’ Christmas movies!"

"Gross," Bakugou grumbles, and Kirishima only laughs before clapping the blond on the back, earning him another dirty look.

"Oh, come on! Lighten up a little, I'm sure you'd enjoy yourselves! Now, get out there and have some fun!"

Kirishima pushes them forward, gives them a thumbs-up, before he lets himself get pulled away by Kaminari to join the rest of their squad at the couch to awfully belt along to the music.

Todoroki and Bakugou exchange looks once they're left alone, and Bakugou clicks his tongue as he shoves his hands into his coat pockets.

"Least I don't have to deal with a loud extra," Bakugou says, scanning the crowd for a moment before his eyes snap back to Todoroki. "See ya' at dinner, I guess."

"Alright," he says, watching as Bakugou rudely shoves his way to whoever his secret Santa is and garnering a lot of complaints from his other classmates, shaking his head fondly as his boyfriend's rough yelling rises over the cheerful music.

He would have stayed longer to see who Bakugou's partner is, but amongst the small, yet very enthusiastic crowd, a tall figure wading his way to him catches his attention and Todoroki's grip on his neatly wrapped (Bakugou's handiwork) present tightens in anticipation. He's a familiar presence, one that he's actually close to and shares many similarities with.

"Todoroki!" Iida's booming voice greets him before the boy himself gets close, smiling widely with a box in his own hand. "Good to see you! It seems that I was assigned as your secret Santa this year!" he announces, his hand waving about mechanically as usual.

"Yeah, I'm glad. At least I know what to get for you." A huge lie, but what Iida doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Bakugou helped him pick out a gift since Todoroki’s ‘too fucking clueless’ in his words, but he's the one giving it to Iida, therefore it still counts as his present.

Doesn’t change the fact that he’s nervous, though, he’s worried that Iida might not like it despite his best efforts to be considerate.

"Here," Todoroki gives him the box wrapped in deep blue colors before Iida can give his present first. He should get this over with to save himself the shame and embarrassment. "Merry Christmas, Iida."

"And Merry Christmas to you as well, Todoroki," Iida replies, to which Todoroki allows himself to smile as he receives his own gift. "I do hope you find my gift satisfactory. I am not the best when it comes to choosing presents, so I had to go with my gut feeling about this."

"Neither am I," he admits openly, holding the box in his hand and feeling out the weight. It's rather small, and kind of heavy for something of its size, big enough to fit some sort of accessory inside with a little green bow on top. "I'm sorry if you don’t like."

"Nonsense! I am already grateful to receive something from you, so long as it’s not a gag gift.” Iida chuckles, nodding his head towards his present to Todoroki. “So, would you do the honors, Todoroki?”

He blinks.

“OhㅡYou should go ahead, Iida. You’ve done a lot as our class rep, I think it’s only fair you get to open yours first.”

“How about we open them simultaneously, then?”

Not what he had in mind, but Iida doesn’t seem like he’s willing to budge, so Todoroki just nods and swallows the lump in his throat.

“Fair enough.”

Sitting by the Christmas tree with their respective presents in their laps, Todoroki makes sure to unwrap his at a slower pace than Iida, stealing glances every other second , inhaling sharply when the wrap is neatly put away and the only thing left is the wooden case nesting his present for Iida. His own fingers pause, his pulse picks up as Iida brings the box closer and cracks it open.

The heavy weight on his shoulders alleviates once he catches sight of Iida's astonished expression. His jaw is slack as he takes out the item ever so carefully from its velvet perch inside. It's a pair of glasses, the square frames a rich dark blue dipped in white at the ends. What makes it special is the accented white tips beside the lenses, curved back into two horns followed by small grey lines forming three pipes reminiscent of Iida's own hero costume.

Yes, it's a pair of Ingenium-themed glasses. And now that Todoroki thinks about it, it's actually kind of tacky. Nevermind the effort he went through to get it custom-made and finished on time (with the power of Endeavour’s credit card), it's all worth it seeing the gracious sparkle in Iida's eyes.

"Todoroki, this is…!"

"I know it's kind of predictable to give you glasses," he blurts out before he can stop himself, "but I tried to make it something that only you would have." He's not sure how to explain it given he's not the best with words, he just hopes that Iida understands that he wanted to give him a present that the class rep would cherish. "Um, you can try it now, if you want to. I asked for your prescriptions from Recovery Girl."

Iida doesn't have to be told twice. He removes the glasses he's currently wearing and dons the new pair proudly, head held high and a grin on his face. It suits him perfectly as he turns his head this way and that, fits right at home at the crook of his nose. Iida’s joy is infectious, as Todoroki can feel a smile tugging at his own lips while his classmate thumbs at the accents, feeling out the horns and the pipes.

“I can’t express enough of my gratitude, Todoroki. Not only is it stylish, but to have glasses modeled after me…” Iida trails off, still at awe and hanging on to the frame tightly, as if it’s something precious. From the way he’s acting, it probably is. “This is the first time I’ve received such a wonderful gift, I have no idea where to begin with.”

It’s going swell, and Todoroki is relieved more than anything that he’s done a great job of making his friend happy on such a joyous occasion.

“I’m happy as long as you like it. I’m looking forward to seeing you wear it tomorrow,” he replies, earning a hearty laugh from Iida.

“Why wait for tomorrow? I’m already wearing it now, it would be a shame to take it off. Midoriya and Uraraka would be ecstatic to see it!”

He doesn’t expect to feel this content after giving his gift, the rush of dopamine is...Exhilarating, for a lack of better words. If this is how it is every time he does something nice, maybe Todoroki should consider playing Santa all year round if it means he gets to experience the same rush while also having a reason to max out Endeavor’s credit card.

Now he wonders if he’s going to have the same reaction to Iida’s gift.

He decided he had denied himself of his own curiosity for too long and should probably get on with the unwrapping, tugging at the ends of the bow and opening the lid of the box.

Todoroki raises his eyebrows when he sees two smaller boxes inside instead of an object.

"Did you give me two by accident?" he asks.

"Oh, no! Both of them are for you. I suppose it counts as a gift for you and Bakugou, but nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it."

Curiouser and curiouser.

He opens the one on the left and is practically blown away with what he's seeing.

It's a digital military watch, made out of silicone in dominantly green and orange colors, the numbers lighting up in neon orange as the seconds tick by. There's a compass inside and everything, very practical, as expected from Iida. The three dials on the right are shaped like mini grenades, and the inspiration for the watch instantly clicks.

If this is Bakugou, then the other one must be…

He opens the second one, and true to his assumption, the other box houses the very same watch in an opposite color scheme, a mix of red and white with blue numbers on the display. What's interesting is the subtle outline of flames on one side of the face, and jagged ice on the other.

Iida got himㅡthemㅡa pair of couple watches.

Todoroki's cheeks are tinted a slight red at the implication, taking out the Bakugou watch to observe it more closely. It's beautifully made, and captures all aspects of their hero identity.

This is too much.

"Iida, you didn't have to go through all this trouble. It's kind of unfair, considering I only gave you one."

"It's quite alright! I did not want to appear lazy by going the cat route or the soba route. I was looking for something practical and thought it was only right to buy a matching pair."

Todoroki slips the Bakugou watch on, and it's a snug fit on his wrist. He can't stop staring at it, the colors popping out against the velvet red of his sleeve. And it's kind of romantic, now that he thinks about it. Like he's carrying around a piece of Bakugou with him.

Fucking sap, he can hear Bakugou saying in his mind, and internal Todoroki shoos imaginary Bakugou away as he places the watches back in their respective boxes.

"Thanks a lot, Iida. I'll give this to Bakugou after the party."

"Both of you are under no obligation to wear it, but it is much appreciated!"

Bakugou has told him on multiple occasions that he dislikes wearing matching outfits and/or accessories, but dammit if it makes Iida happy he's going to force Bakugou to wear these watches with him, even if it means he’s going to get the one-week silent treatment.

He hopes his eyes are enough to convey how much he loves the presents because his face refuses to cooperate with him, his smile ending up a little awkward when he tries to smile wider.

Iida grins at him, too, radiating pure joy as he offers his fist to Todoroki.

"Here's to another great year ahead of us, Todoroki. I do hope we get the chance to strengthen our friendship. Should you ever need any help, know that I am always available for you."

Todoroki nods, bumping his fist with Iida's. A form of solidarity between two comrades.

"The same goes to you, Iida."

He was hoping to at least sit with Bakugou during dinner, but the last time he's seen his explosive boyfriend he's screaming his throat out and throwing small explosions left and right as his so-called friend group drag him away to sit with them on one end of the table, and while Todoroki does want to spend his time with Bakugou, it's outweighed by his reluctance to get his ears slaughtered by endless shouting and pointless arguments.

It's alright, they can still talk during the movie. For now, he should focus on having fun with his own friends. He's hardly seen them since everyone was so busy during prep.

Uraraka's waving him over with a bright smile on her round face, and Todoroki sits across from her next to Midoriya, who also perked up once he realized Todoroki's presence.

"Oh, Todoroki! Merry Christmas!" Midoriya greets cheerfully, warm and full of joy as usual. He's pulling his oversized hat back to prevent it from covering his eyes, grinning up at him with the force of a thousand suns.

"Merry Christmas, Midoriya," he replies, and the delicious fragrance of fried chicken and roasted ham assault his senses the moment he sits down. Everyone's already got something on their plates, so Todoroki quickly grabs whatever's in sight and helps himself to some orange juice.

"Our friends in the kitchen did a splendid job!" Yaoyorozu chirps by his side, picking out slices of ham and a serving of potato salad. "I didn't expect them to whip up such refined cuisine!"

Bakugou must be the one behind the menu. Like he'd let anyone tell him what to cook.

"We also ordered some KFC and pizza if anyone wants it," Tsuyu points out, and he sees it, big buckets of chicken wings and boxes of pizza placed in random intervals on the table. Uraraka grabs a slice, humming in delight as she stretches out the cheese before eating the rest.

"Mmm~! This takes me back to family dinners with my parents! We'd always get two boxes and stuff ourselves with as much pizza as we can!"

"Oh, that sounds fun! Mom and I usually order some chicken and call it a day," Midoriya responds, laughing lightly as he takes a bite out of his salad. "We always stick to really simple celebrations, as long as we have fun together."

Todoroki can't relate with any of their stories.

He stares down at his plate, nibbling on a chicken before he lets his heterochromatic orbs sweep over the other contents of the dining table.

Growing up in a traditional, Japanese household, most holidays were spent eating traditional Japanese food. Having this much of a variety laid out in front of him is a new experience, and he doesn't know the taste of most of them. Heck, he's not even sure he likes what's on his plate, but he's willing to give it a shot.

Afterall, he's never gone wrong with Bakugou's cooking.

"Sooo, Iida!" Uraraka starts while Todoroki takes what looks like a shrimp dish and eats it in one bite. Oh, delicious. "Congrats on the snazzy new glasses!"

Iida is still proud of the gift, puffing out his chest and making a show of fixing them. "Why, yes! I have to thank Todoroki for being the one to give it to me!"

Midoriya's beaming as he leans forward in his chair to get a closer look, his mouth hanging open in fascination. "Really? That's cool! Wow, Todoroki, you really stepped up your game this year!"

He shrugs, trying not to make it a big deal. "I just happened to think it would be a great idea." Half of the credit goes to Bakugou, if he’s being honest.

"That's very lucky, I got a gag gift from Kaminari!" Uraraka complains, puffing her cheeks out. "He did give me a real one, but I can't believe he'd trick me at first!"

"Is that so? I got Tokoyami as my secret Santa, and I'm surprised that he didn't give me anything dark! It was a wonderful sweater, it's not anything I'm used to, but it's good material!"

The rest of the conversation turns into everyone talking about their partners for the exchange, and Todoroki sits back and eases in to his habit of simply listening. He's naturally quiet, and his comments are usually just little things here and there that don't contribute much. They don't prompt him to talk if he doesn't do it out of his own volition, which is great, honestly. He doesn't mind, he’s always been a better listener than a speaker.

Hearing their stories is enough to make him feel like he's involved, even when he’s simply nodding along and laughing where it’s appropriate. It livens up the dinner atmosphere, and being so absorbed in how Midoriya almost got his hand stuck in the Christmas tree and Tsuyu batting away naughty hands from the snack table, he doesn't even notice that his plate’s almost empty.

Not only does hanging out make him content, it turns out it's also making him ravenous.

The chatter dies down after a few minutes as everyone breaks off into little conversations of their own, Uraraka and Iida having a debate about whether turkey is Thanksgiving or Christmas food, Tsuyu and Yaoyorozu talking about...Something, he's not sure. But judging from their hushed whispering it's probably gossip.

Something nudges him on the shoulder, and Todoroki turns to face Midoriya, the greens of his eyes twinkling in a way that suggests he knows something that Todoroki doesn’t.

"You seem like you're having fun, Todoroki," he comments with a grin. Todoroki raises an eyebrow.

"Do I?"

Midoriya nods quickly. "Yeah! Your eyes look different." He tilts his head at an angle, eyes glued onto him, carefully observing every shift of his expression, every movement. "They're not dull anymore."

Ah, so it is true. While his face is as immovable as stone, Bakugou's said to him that Todoroki is quite easy to read if people took the time to look at his eyes.

"I guess I am having fun," he admits, finger tracing random patterns on the table. "It's...My second time celebrating Christmas, afterall."

Midoriya chuckles. "I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself! I thought I heard that you didn't want to come at first?"

Flashes of the accursed picture comes to the forefront of Todoroki's mind and he quickly stuffs it away before it can present itself clearly. He averts his gaze. "I changed my mind. After gathering here with everyone, I feel…" he pauses, racking his brain for the right words. Midoriya waits patiently for him to continue, even as Todoroki takes more than a few seconds to think.

"I don't know how to say it, but I guess I feel...Excited? Happy?"

Like I actually have a home. Like he has a bunch of comrades he can rely on.

“Like I’m welcomed.”

Midoriya's face softens, mellowing out into one of relief. "I’m happy you feel that way, Todoroki. At least now you know you’re always going to be a friend to us."

He's right, maybe that's why Todoroki feels so at ease, even as the rest of the table erupts into a mix of cheers and groans when someone tries to steal a whole pizza box, even as some Western singer continues to sing about the joys of Christmas while everyone tries to tug the pizza box away from a whining Sero.

He gazes fondly at everyone at the table, letting his eyes sweep over every single face, lets his heart expand with the overwhelming feeling of satisfaction.

It’s chaotic, but it’s his mess.

Finally, finally, he feels like he has family.

Though Todoroki can be dense at times, he hasn't forgotten the promise he made with Bakugou prior to the party. The blond had slipped out quietly from the common room the first chance he gets, Christmas movies be damned. Todoroki takes it as his own cue to leave before the rest of their classmates notice and follows Bakugou back to his room.

He only has to knock once before the door swings open with the owner standing in the doorway, already sans costume. He clicks his tongue and snatches Todoroki's hat off his mismatched strands.

"Just take it off already, halfie. Your hair already screams merry fucking Christmas. I've seen too much red and white to last me a fucking lifetime."

"Too bad, you're stuck with me for a little while longer."

"Yeah, yeah, a big shame."

Todoroki counts it as a win when he catches Bakugou holding back a grin as the blond turns back inside, Todoroki at his tail and closing the door after him.

"So, my gift, right?"

"Obviously."

He doesn't immediately spy anything different in Bakugou's room, carefully scanning every nook and cranny there is for anything that resembles a gift box, barely holding back the urge to peer below the bed and under his desk.

His curiosity rises even more when Bakugou opens the glass door leading to his balcony, the taller teen peering over his shoulder with his head tilted to the side.

"We're going outside?"

"Gods, why the hell are you so impatient?" Bakugou hisses out the most hypocritical sentence to ever come out of his mouth. "JustㅡJust stay there and stop asking questions!"

He doesn't want to annoy Bakugou even further, so he does as he's told and backs away from him. He observes wordlessly as Bakugou crouches and holds out his hand to the tree branch that happens to grow right beside his balcony.

And then he suddenly started going pspspsps.

Todoroki has so many questions right now.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, and Todoroki wonders if Bakugou would be so cruel to play a prank on him on Christmas for something Todoroki did in the past. His boyfriend is very petty, and he wouldn't put it past Bakugou to do such a thing out of spite.

The sound of rustling leaves breaks the strained silence, and Todoroki hears a distant meow.

His breath catches in his throat.

There's even more rustling by the branch as something moves through the thick greens, Bakugou still doing the cat thing as he waits for the creature to come.

The leaves part, and amidst them a cat runs out and hops onto the balcony right in front of Bakugou, nudging his hand and letting out another small meow.

Todoroki's eyes widen at the sight, every inch of his body screaming at him to touch and pet the feline that is strangely attached to Bakugou.

He's absolutely speechless.

The cat is a full grown, grey tabby, and it looks well-cared for despite being a stray (Probably? They’re not allowed to have pets in the dorms except for Koda, so), chubby with a fluffy coat. When it lifts its head, he sees a pair of electric blue eyes looking back at him with a long scar cutting through its left eye.

In a way, the cat kind of looks like him.

“Bakugou, whatㅡ” Todoroki starts, but fails to finish his sentence as his brain short-circuits and the only words running through his thoughts is cute cute cute cute let me pet please please. He stays completely still, fingers twitching because he badly wants to touch the tabby, but he doesn’t want to startle the lovely kitten and scare it away.

“Found him in an alley when I was out for groceries. Really fucking skinny back then, didn’t look like he ate for days.” Bakugou explains, taking a food dish and water bowl hidden by the corner, filling it with more cat food. “Gave him a few jerkies and let him eat the rest before I went back home.” He offers them to the cat, its tail raised and its eyes shining brightly as it approaches the bowls and starts to eat. “I went back a few times to make sure he’s fine and give him some food. Didn’t expect the little guy to follow me all the way here.”

Todoroki is struck by two things at once. One is the fact that, apparently, Bakugou has a soft spot for animals. Two, knowing this side of Bakugou is unearthing memories of the day that Todoroki realizes just how deeply he’s fallen for Bakugou, how the sight of Bakugou fondly staring at the cat is making him feel as if he’s reliving that time of his life once more.

Ah, he’s hopeless. Absolutely helpless.

“ㅡSuddenly heard something scratching at my door. No idea how he managed to sneak in here, but well.” Turns out, Bakugou is still talking and Todoroki must have tuned out in the middle of it, the boy trying to reign back his focus lest he suffer his boyfriend’s wrath for not listening, not when Bakugou is showing so much vulnerability in front of Todoroki. “Kinda’ hard to ignore when he keeps meowing at the balcony every night. Guess I’m stuck with him for God knows how long.” He doesn’t sound too bothered by it, though. In fact, he actually sounds quite happy with it. Content, maybe.

The cat seems to understand and responds with a purr, jumping into Bakugou’s lap when it’s done eating and nuzzling against his wrist as the boy scratches behind his ears.

Todoroki itches to take a photo, but he doesn’t want to shatter the peaceful atmosphere, so he settles to making a strange noise at the back of his throat and nodding stiffly as he just. Stares.

As heartwarming as this is, he still doesn’t see how this has anything to do with why Bakugou invited him in the first place.

“And this is related to my gift...How?”

“I was just about to get to it, pretty boy,” Bakugou rolls his eyes, though he doesn’t stop the motion of his hand as he takes a deep breath. He lets his eyes drift to the lush forest in front of them, avoiding staring at Todoroki head-on. He seems nervous, scratching the back of his head as he says, “See, I’ve been thinkin’. I don’t go out a lot and I’m usually here most of the time if the little guy needs me. But he doesn’t leave right away after I feed him. The thing I’m worried about is what’ll happen to himㅡAnd meㅡIf Aizawa-sensei finds him. Can’t let him go back to the streets now, yeah?” Todoroki absolutely agrees and nods fiercely. Bakugou swallows heavily, eyebrows furrowed, like he’s going through some internal struggle to get the words out.

“That’s where you come in, Todoroki.”

This time, Todoroki thinks he actually did stop breathing.

What.

“First of all, it’s practical in case something happens. Second, it’s gonna’ be harder to find him if we take turns hiding the cat in our rooms. And third, you’re literally obsessed with cats, I’m assuming you know a thing or two about caring for one.” Todoroki’s not sure if he nods or not, still trying to process what’s unfolding in front of him. Bakugou gently scoops the tabby up in his arms and holds it out to Todoroki, the grey cat cracking its healthy eye open and blinking up lazily at him, regarding Todoroki with a tilted head. It meows at him expectantly.

“What I’m trying to say isㅡ” Bakugou opens his mouth, closes it again, and ends up growling in frustration as he quickly blurts out the rest of his sentence. “Let’s be fucking cat dads together. OrㅡOr something like that. Just take care of this cat with me, dammit!”

Oh.

Oh.

Oh dear God.

Todoroki’s going to combust from giddiness.

He’s tempted to pinch himself to make sure this isn’t a dream and he didn’t imagine Bakugou saying ‘cat dads’ and admitting he wants to share ownership of a cat that’s not actually his, but might as well be with how attached it is to Bakugou.

He doesn’t think he can love Bakugou more than he already does, but Bakugou always, always proves him wrong.

Todoroki stands there, paralyzed, his thoughts struggling to catch up with the fact that he now has a cat with Bakugou, eyes as wide as saucers as he gazes down at the cat, heterochromatic meeting brilliant hues of blue. Ever so slowly, Todoroki lifts his hand and gingerly offers it to the grey tabby, waiting with bated breath as it nudged his hand, sniffing it once, twice, and Todoroki soars to cloud nine when it purrs and licks his hand.

“I love you.” It slipped out before he could stop himself. Whether he’s saying it to the cat or to Bakugou, he’s not so sure himself. Maybe it’s for both.

Bakugou’s reaction is immediate, face flushed and sputtering as he shoves Todoroki by reflex. “What the fuck, you don’t just say shit like that out of the blue! You’re unbelievable, you half n’ half bastard!” he growls, getting even more embarrassed and muttering even more swear words when Todoroki only smiles fondly at the pair, gathering the courage to pat the tabby’s head while stepping closer, only a hair’s breadth away from Bakugou.

“Sorry, it just came out.” he says, not sounding apologetic at all. His heart hasn’t calmed down since Bakugou first asked him, and he can’t help cooing when the cat willingly jumps into Todoroki’s arms. He holds it close to his chest and continues to pat , already thinking of what toys to buy and how he’s going to spoil it as much as he can. “I don’t know how to thank you, Bakugou. This is…” He doesn’t even know what to say, no words can fully encompass how grateful Todoroki is for making this the best holiday celebration ever.

If words can’t express his feelings, then perhaps his actions would speak louder for him.

He cups Bakugou’s cheek, and leans in for a chaste kiss. It’s tender and soft, Todoroki pouring in all his affection as his lips move against Bakugou’s own. He’s not one to wax poetry, but the gesture makes electricity dance over his skin, the beating of his heart hammers loudly in his chest, and he can’t stop smiling even as he pulls away from his boyfriend.

Bakugou doesn’t look as disgruntled anymore when Todoroki leans back, the sharp edges of his eyes lessening as the red hues glimmering with as much tenderness, tilting his head up for another quick peck.

“Well, instead of standing here sucking faces like some horny teenager, help me pick out a name for the little guy. I can’t keep calling him ‘the cat’ in my head.”

Todoroki actually laughs at that, the sound muffled by the hand that comes up to cover his own mouth. “To be fair, you kissed me back.”

“What did I tell you about being a smartass?”

“That you love me for being a smartass?”

Bakugou shakes his head, but he’s grinning as he steps back into his room. “Cocky bastard.”

“Your cocky bastard.”

“A fucking shame.”

He ends the day with a family, a lover that he’s even more infatuated with, and a new pet to dote on.

Truly, he couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas.

“...Oi. You do know how to take care of cats, right?”

“Somewhat.”

“Whaddya’ mean somewhat, you damned halfie?!”