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The moment Shoto finally accepts that he’s in deep shit is when he’s lying flat on his back with snow seeping through his pants, blinking upward into the gorgeous eyes of one Momo Yaoyorozu, and hoping to god that the frigid air is enough of an excuse for his red, red, red face.
Three months previously
Shoto doesn’t really notice her walk into the class, nor does he pay one iota of attention as she settles her things at a desk right up front and then walks up to the board.
He still doesn’t think much of it when she picks up a piece of chalk and begins writing, but now she’s garnered a fraction of his attention. He glances up and eyes her long, dark ponytail, watching as she writes out what looks to be notes for today’s chemistry lecture in neat script. Over the several minutes she spends writing, Shoto grants her more and more of his attention, until the cat video on his phone has been left ignored for at least thirty seconds.
He wonders whether she might be a teacher’s assistant or something.
But that can’t be right. She looks like she’s his age. Aren’t TAs supposed to be graduate students? Or at least upperclassmen? Perhaps she is older than she appears.
Shoto shrugs and returns to his business.
When their professor arrives for class, Shoto learns that the girl with the ponytail is indeed their new TA (is she older than he thought, then? Or some kind of genius prodigy who skipped a few years?). She obliges the professor by stepping in front of the class to introduce herself. She walks up gracefully, her dark hair bouncing slightly in her wake. Then she turns and -
The world stops when he looks into Momo Yaoyorozu’s eyes for the first time.
Well - no, not really. But he experiences some kind of sensation, not like anything else he’s ever felt before.
His insides seize. His fingers tingle. His heart skips a beat.
It’s as if all his bodily processes suddenly halt and then reset. Like he’s embarked onto The Other Side of some momentous occasion in his life.
Which is utterly ridiculous, of course.
She’s pretty, he must admit. The symmetry of her face, the curve of her lips, the depth of the obsidian of her eyes...
Alright, she’s gorgeous. She might even be the most gorgeous girl Shoto’s ever laid eyes on. But that isn’t any reason for such an overreaction.
He must be getting sick. That’s the most reasonable explanation. The season's starting to change, after all. That must be it.
(Because there isn’t such a thing as love at first sight).
Shoto struggles to shake this newfound sickness as September shifts into October, which brings with it colder air and freezing rain. He decides to pursue a professional opinion at the campus clinic when his symptoms not only persist, but worsen, to now include: Distractibility and decreased concentration, dry mouth, and difficulty breathing at times.
He recalls experiencing all of these symptoms at once on an occasion in chemistry when the TA swept from desk to desk, handing back a graded assignment - which is odd, considering he’d caught the scents of vanilla and citrus, which are typically quite soothing to him. And he received excellent marks, so it wasn’t like he had anything to be nervous about.
For some reason, the attending physician fails to identify a physical cause for Shoto’s symptoms. She instead suggests it may be possible that they are attributed to anxiety, as is quite common among university students.
Shoto finds this to be a reasonable conclusion, just as he suspected, though he cannot help but acknowledge how strange all of this is. Why would he suddenly be experiencing such a level of anxiety now when past semesters have been more challenging? And why in only the one class? He typically does quite well in chemistry, too, so it just doesn’t make sense.
Mind-boggling.
The physician recommends some ‘self-care remedies’ that include joining a social organization, something Shoto has considered before and decides wouldn’t be the worst thing to try. He identifies the least unappealing club he can find - a community service organization that meets weekly during his free night - and decides to join. Fortunately for him, he finds he even already knows someone else in the club, recognizing the trademark ponytail of Yaoyorozu, his chemistry TA, from across the room during the first meeting.
Shoto tries the club out for about a month before deciding that it’s a bust. Surprisingly, he finds that he experiences just as many of his symptoms as intensely (if not more so) during meetings than in chemistry class! It comes to a head when one day he and Yaoyorozu (who he learns is his age, and something of a chemistry genius) are grouped with a few other students to do a trash pick-up around a section of campus. Despite the absence of harsh sunlight, he finds himself flushing constantly and struggling immensely to concentrate on the task at hand. And here he was thinking that being outdoors is supposed to help with anxiety.
Truly mind-boggling.
By the time November arrives, however, the novelty of his symptoms has worn off and Shoto finds it easier to live with them, more or less.
That is, until he receives back his chemistry midterm with average marks.
He doesn’t understand it. He is usually a stellar student. He hasn’t ever received marks this poor. He has struggled a bit to take in and understand the class lectures recently - due to his illness, of course - but he worked hard to study for this test, even making sure to take part in a study group and ask the TA for assistance -
And that’s when it hits him.
Ah.
It’s her.
Shoto's mind whirs excitedly as it all comes together.
It makes perfect sense. This is the only class he struggles in. It can’t be the instructor, because Shoto had him last semester as well and did perfectly fine. And it likely isn’t the subject matter, because Shoto’s never had a problem in chemistry before.
No, it must be Yaoyorozu. He always seems to feel more nervous and uncomfortable anytime she is nearby. Granted, he didn’t feel well the one class day during which she was absent, either, but he also hadn’t slept quite as well as usual, if his memory serves him right, so that’s negligible… And even though he did seek out her help when preparing for the exam, he didn’t feel he took much away from it. It was like his mind was too fuzzy to do anything productive during their meeting.
Is it possible that she’s been sabotaging him on purpose? No...no... Yaoyorozu isn’t like that. He can tell that she is wholeheartedly devoted to learning and supporting her peers.
She must be unaware of her effect on him.
Even so, what is it about her that is causing him such distress? Could she be using a soap or perfume that he has an unknown allergy to? Is he the only one affected? He’s witnessed others in the class acting strangely around her, primarily the male students, but nothing that necessarily proves that his affliction is shared with them.
Hmm... He'll have to investigate further.
About two weeks into Shoto's so-called 'investigation', he is forced to admit that he's hit a dead-end. Though...it isn't necessarily because there isn't information to be garnered...moreso that...he is struggling with acquiring said information...
He just can't talk to her.
Every time he tries to strike up a conversation, his symptoms overtake him and he turns into a bumbling mess.
He doesn't understand. They've spoken before. Why should it be more difficult now? He assumes it must be the nature of the conversation he hopes to initiate. Whereas before they only discussed school-related things, Shoto has been trying to talk to Yaoyorozu more casually, to find out about her likes or dislikes, or the primary ingredients of her shampoo, for example.
He acknowledges some discomfort with the task. But it isn't like he dislikes speaking with Yaoyorozu; quite the contrary, actually. The more time he spends around her, the more attention he pays her, the more he learns that she is a truly kind and caring person. If he could just get a handle on this strange reaction, maybe he and Yaoyorozu could be good friends. He'd like that.
During a long weekend, Shoto decides to seek advice from his older sister while visiting home. Maybe, as a schoolteacher, Fuyumi's run into a problem like this before.
"Sure, I'd love to help," Fuyumi says with a smile after handing Shoto the last dish to be dried from dinner. She wipes her hands and turns to him. "Shall I make tea?"
Shoto explains the situation as Fuyumi busies her hands heating water. She nods along as he explains how it all started and when he realized that Yaoyorozu must be integral to his problem.
"It's frustrating," Shoto sighs, accepting the cup of tea his sister offers him. "She's a nice girl. I don't want her to notice my behavior and think I'm rude or that I don't think she's a good TA."
For whatever reason, the grin that Fuyumi has been wearing for most of Shoto's explanation stretches wider. "She's a nice girl, huh? Tell me more about her."
"Huh?" The question catches Shoto off guard and causes a tightness in his chest. "Well," he says, wracking his brain, and then finding that there are just too many things he could say, "She's very prompt. Always comes to class early and gives us our assignments back quickly. Uh...and she always makes personalized comments of encouragement on our quizzes," Shoto says. His chest squeezes tighter as he recalls seeing the 'Excellent work, Todoroki!' on his previous quiz, when he redeemed himself after the disappointing midterm.
"Mhm hm." Fuyumi nods, all the while smiling. "What else?"
"She does quite a bit of volunteer work," Shoto replies easily. "She likes hot teas and cake. She wanted a kitten growing up but never got one, though she hopes to get one after graduating... Oh, and she seems fun and talented, too. Apparently, she's a very good player on the girls' volleyball team." Shoto stops, realizing that he's learned far more about her than he originally thought from simply listening to some of the things she tells the class or says in passing. But, unfortunately, he doesn't think that any of these things will help him ascertain the root of his problem.
"Like I said, she's a nice girl," Shoto mutters. "So it would be better if this issue didn't come between us. We could be friends...maybe even spend more time together." Shoto stares at his lap, musing wistfully about the possibilities.
"I see. And is she...pretty?"
Shoto looks up, his eyes widened. He flushes and stumbles over his words before saying carefully, "She is very pretty...but I don't see what that has to do with this..."
"Shoto." Fuyumi tilts her head. Her smile softens. "Do you...like this girl?"
Shoto stares, wondering why Fuyumi has that strange look on her face. "Well, yeah. That's what I've been saying. I think she's a good person, so I'd like to have a positive relationship with her."
For the first time since they started speaking, Fuyumi frowns and her eyebrows drop in confusion. She blinks once, twice, thrice.
"No... No, Shoto, I mean, do you like this girl? As in, would you want to date her or something?"
Shoto's eyebrows fly up. He really wasn't expecting the conversation to derail that much. Why would Fuyumi ask that?
Heat rushes to his face and his chest constricts as he says, "Dating your TA is against the school's rules, though."
Fuyumi's smile is back. "That isn't an answer."
Shoto averts his gaze and tries to ease the shift in his breathing with a cough into his fist. "I...dunno... I haven't really thought about it before," he says quietly. He's certainly thinking about it now, though. And it isn't an unwelcome possibility.
"So I guess...you think this has been happening because I...like her?" Shoto asks shyly, while his mind conjures an image of Yaoyorozu smiling and waving excitedly, happy to see him. The resulting squeeze in his chest is answer enough for him.
"Definitely."
"But..." Shoto frowns. If this is the answer he's been looking for, then...what can he do about it? "It's not allowed. She - we - could get in all sorts of trouble. I can't...like her..."
Fuyumi's lips flex into a sympathetic grin and she lays a hand over his. "Sorry, little brother. But your feelings don't really care about the rules."
Shoto wakes at the usual time on Monday but doesn't hasten to prepare for the day as usual. He glances out his window to be greeted by the first major snowfall of winter, blanketing the campus all in white. He prefers the cold, so normally such a sight would lift his spirits and make him want to get out even more. But right now all he can do is sigh and turn his gaze back on the bundle of blankets covering his lap.
For the first time, he contemplates skipping class.
"Ugh." Shoto kneads his knuckles into his eye sockets until he's seeing stars. "You can't skip the rest of the semester, you know," he growls under his breath (though part of him considers it for a good few seconds).
With a defeated sigh, he throws the blankets off of his body, stands, and reluctantly moves to dress for class.
Once outside, Shoto breathes in the crisp, cold air. Despite himself, he smiles.
Maybe today won't be so bad.
Ten minutes later
Shoto lands hard on his back with a pained, "Ooof!" He blinks up at the cloudless gray sky as he wonders what just happened. The snow beneath him served to cushion his fall a little, but it quickly soaks through his pants and hat, leaving him far colder than before.
"Todoroki!"
Shoto's breath catches at the sound of the familiar voice and the crunching of quick footsteps. Yaoyorozu then leans over him, her dark hair hanging in curtains around them. "Are you alright?"
. . .
Oh. Yeah. That's right. Shoto was approaching the building for class when he spotted Yaoyorozu walking with another girl. He was taken back by how remarkably cute she looked all bundled like she is, in a big, puffy jacket and a knit toboggan over her loose hair.
Unbeknownst to him, his feet simply kept going while he was enjoying the view.
And then Yaoyorozu looked up and spotted him. Shoto flushed heavily when she smiled and began waving - and that's when he tripped over the bike rack in front of the chemistry building and flipped onto his back.
Shoto's eyes widen when Yaoyorozu's face appears above his. He opens his mouth to assure her of his well-being, but a tickle in his throat has him coughing instead.
"Oh dear, you're bleeding!"
Shoto stifles his cough and frowns. He touches the back of his head, but his mitten comes away clean. Bleeding?
"What do -" Shoto starts to ask, but then he tastes copper. A deft poke of his tongue tells him that his lip is likely cut - perhaps he bit into it as he fell?
"We should get you over to the clinic," Yaoyorozu insists, "You should be checked for injury."
Huh?
Shoto blinks, still slightly disoriented. Before he can protest, Yaoyorozu and her friend are pulling him up.
"I'm - I'm ok," he manages, pulling back to stand shakily on his own. He suspects that his lip and the soreness in his back are the worst of it - well, physically. Averting his eyes and feeling the burn of humiliation in his cheeks, Shoto mutters, "I don't need to go to the clinic."
"Nonsense! You need to take proper care of yourself, and I am going to ensure that you do just that!"
Shoto turns and is surprised to see how fiercely Yaoyorozu is looking at him now. The shine in her eyes is completely different than usual. The effect is disarmingly attractive.
"Oh...ok..." Shoto answers weakly.
Yaoyorozu turns to her friend and asks her to inform their professor of what has happened, then she takes Shoto by the arm and begins leading him away. Shoto stumbles after Yaoyorozu, a little taken aback by her forcefulness. He sees now that he underestimated her passion for caring for others.
Yaoyorozu drops his arm as Shoto falls into step beside her. "Can you tell me your name?" she asks.
Shoto flinches and looks at her. Did she really already forget who he is?! She called him by his name before!
Yaoyorozu glances at him and smiles sympathetically. "Please, humor me. I'm concerned that you might have hit your head."
"Oh. Shoto Todoroki," he replies dully, blushing at not having realized what she meant.
"And do you know who I am?"
"Momo Yaoyorozu," Shoto says. He tries to ignore the flutter in his chest as he utters her name. "Chemistry TA. You like tea and cats."
To Shoto's surprise, she giggles. "Wow. You've been paying attention in class, haven't you?"
"Mhm." Shoto tries to conceal his smile at having made her laugh, though the corners of his lips still perk up.
"And where are we?"
"UTokyo," Shoto responds easily. He smiles, unable to help himself in the face of her persistence. "Honestly, I think I'm fine. There was a lot of snow. And my hat provided some cushion as well." He watches Yaoyorozu worry her lower lip between her teeth for a beat before adding, "But I'll get checked out if it will make you happy."
Yaoyorozu turns to him with raised brows and a blush across her cheeks. "It's not that -" She stops and fixes her gaze on the ground again. "It's just... I'm sorry. I wanted to be friendly and say hello, but I think you were distracted by my greeting, and that's why you fell."
Shoto's eyes widen. She noticed that?
He tries to swallow back the added embarrassment of her knowing that he fell because he was staring at her. "Don't worry about it," Shoto forces out. "It wasn't your fault. I should have been paying better attention."
Shoto peers over at Yaoyorozu and, after a moment, she's smiling again. He hears a hum and then she turns toward him, eyes bright as can be. "You're a very kind person, Todoroki. Do you know that?"
Shoto blushes again at the compliment. "So are you, Yaoyorozu," he mutters back, turning to look the other way.
For a moment, a part of him wants to say more, but he knows it wouldn't be right.
(At least not right now).
It's the very last day of the semester. Shoto completed all of his finals, so his break has already begun. But there's one more thing that he wants to do.
He knocks on the ajar door to the TA office, inadvertently pushing it open a little more. His heart leaps when he spies a spiky ponytail inside.
"Yes?" She turns and, upon seeing him, smiles. "Oh, hello, Todoroki. How are you?"
"I'm well," he says, pushing the door open further and taking a step inside. Just as he had hoped, she is still hard at work. And, conveniently, she's alone in the office.
"And you?" Shoto asks.
She throws a tired grin at the paper-strewn desk in front of her. "I wanted to get in some last-minute work on a research project I'm doing with Professor Namase before I visit home."
"Right." Shoto looks around the office, hands fidgeting in his pockets. "Uhm, so, grades have been finalized."
"Mhm. You did really well, Todoroki. You should be proud."
"Thank you."
Shoto hesitates, a heavy flush covering his cheeks, neck, ears...
"Is there something I can help with?" Yaoyorozu asks.
"Your duties," Shoto grits out, "As our TA? They're officially completed?"
"Well, yes," she says, blinking. "Why? Was there a problem? Please, I'll be happy to assist with -"
"Ah, no," Shoto says, raising a hand to stop her. "No, there were no problems." He coughs and looks away for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "Actually...I'm here to ask you out."
Yaoyorozu's eyebrows rise and her lips pucker into a surprised 'o'.
"So, will you?" Shoto asks, forcing himself to maintain eye contact despite the embarrassing amount of blushing he's done. "Uhm, go out with me, that is?"
Yaoyorozu blinks at him a few more times, obviously surprised by his proposal. Then her lips form a warm smile.
"I'd love to."
Shoto sucks in a breath as he processes her answer. A weightless feeling flows throughout his body. "When?" he blurts. Then, gathering himself, he asks, "I mean...when are you available? I'm guessing...you'll want to wait until after the break..." He swallows, trying to hide his disappointment at the thought of waiting. It isn't a long time, but he's been looking forward to this. And now that she's said yes, his yearning to spend more time with her has grown at least two-fold.
"Well." Yaoyorozu cocks her head as a shy blush spreads from the apples of her cheeks. "...I'm free now."