Work Text:
Wet strands became even darker after being showered, now smooth and cool between your fingers as you ran them through Todoroki’s hair, gently massaging his scalp with your nails, hearing an occasional grunts of content escaping his throat. It was hard to tell how long were you sitting like that in silence, his back resting against the edge of the bed you sat on with legs on either side of his frame, the comb in your hand and a head full of thoughts about the special event which happened today.
“Congratulations!” you greeted him once he came back home from the official announcement of him becoming the number one hero. “I’m so proud of you.”
At first he seemed to be awestruck and it was not very often when you could observe this kind of emotion on his usually grumpy face. Perhaps he was surprised that you were waiting for him so eagerly or maybe it was the bottle of cognac and the box of kuzumochi you bought him as a present to celebrate—or something completely else, you were not sure and he did not elaborate. Few hours later, after eating dinner together, Todoroki briefly announced that he was going to take a shower and when you heard the bathroom door closing, a sudden wave of worry washed over you.
Although he has just achieved his greatest goal, he seemed more troubled than ever.
You waited for him to go out in the bedroom and when he finally did, his hair were all wet and down, longer strands covering his ears and a middle part giving him somehow funny look, since he did not bother to comb them yet. He was wearing only a simple, black briefs and even though the towel thrown over his shoulder suggested that he used it already, you could still spot the droplets in between the hair on his chest. His toned body surely must have been a work of art, a sculpture worth Michelangelo’s attention and Adonis’ envy; perfectly carved arms and thighs, broad shoulders and sharp jaw, now wholly exposed with no flame beard covering it. It was impossible to look at him and not be intimidated whether by his appearance or the stern look he was giving.
And yet, you reached for the comb from the bedside cabinet and called out to him.
“Come here.”
Todoroki did not say a word but eventually sat on the floor between your legs and allowed you to brush his hair with gaze ghosting over the walls looking for nothing in particular.
“Were you stressed?” you asked to break the silence, now that the dark strands were neatly combed back. “People are usually very nervous about public audiences, especially that important ones.”
“No,” he muttered and cleared his throat. “No, I was not.”
“It honestly impressed me,” you continued. “Really. Everyone was sweating to make the best speech and yet, yours was the most memorable one. Although, Hawks should have spared this whole play, kid’s getting really bold sometimes.”
“He was always like that.”
“I bet.” Your fingers traced the shells of his ears and then, when you finally considered your job done, you placed the comb on the sheets next to you. Now his hair was slick and smooth but you knew that the next morning he was going to wake up looking as if the lightning stroke him.
You bent down and placed a soft kiss at the top of his head.
“Do you want to talk about it?” you suggested, for he was still more silent than usually.
“About what?”
“About whatever’s bothering you.”
Todoroki huffed, as if offended by your perceptivity and yet rested his cheek against your thigh. His stubble scratched your skin slightly but you did not move, on the contrary, still played with his hair, aware that no matter how hard was he going to deny it, he appreciated this kind of affection a lot.
Still, he did not give you any answer.
“Does it have something to do with Shōto?”
Nothing—a clue in itself.
You sighed and cursed internally. The whole subject of his family was touchy, the one often not worth mentioning if you did not want to ruin his mood and yet, you were certain that it occupied his mind more often than he was showing. You have eventually learned about his past, partly from himself, partly from Fuyumi, and although you surely were not prepared for this kind of truth, it still did not scare you off. Perhaps you were foolish, perhaps simply deeply in love.
Your palms rested against the nape of his neck and then followed down to the shoulders. Now that he was relaxed and his muscles not flexed, they felt much different under your touch—softer and almost plush. It was always comfortable to rest your head against him, the overwhelming warmth and the smell of his body lulling you to sleep like nothing else.
“You know,” you started slowly, carefully choosing the next words, “lately I found out that people tend to have an issue with understanding something very simple. The world is always either black or white in their minds, you’re always either a villain or a hero. But that’s not true. Sometimes good people can do bad things and it doesn’t make them any more evil than a good deed made by a bad person would suddenly make them a saint. Life is much more complicated than that. We all make mistakes and I believe that it’s what you’re doing after that truly defines their weight. How do you act while facing them and therefore yourself.”
If not for the gentle rubs of his thumb against your ankle, you might think that he has fallen asleep. However, Todoroki was as awake as possible, staring at the tatami and spotting a single straw standing up, which must have been a victim of the cat’s sharp claws. Fluffy predator always knew how to slip into the bedroom without getting noticed.
“You’re a wise woman.” Was his answer.
“I’m just stating my mind. Everyone makes mistakes, big or small, but they don’t define who we are. Nobody comes there omniscient; human race is flawed as it is by the need to learn after committing a deed—rarely before. It’s unfair to expect anyone to be able to predict what the future holds.”
“Maybe I should have.”
“Then you’d not only be the best hero but also an oracle.” Gently, you massaged the circles on his shoulders, hoping to reveal at least a little bit of stress accumulated there. “I don’t want you to torture yourself further anymore, Enji.”
“Then you’re one of the few.”
“Don’t say that. I’m going to fight anyone who dares to threaten you.”
“With those little feisty fists?” Although you could not see his face, you heard by the tone of his voice that he lightened up a little.
“I can also bite.” You leaned to him and kissed his cheek.
“I never doubted it.”
Todoroki turned his head so he could steal a kiss from your lips, too, now his hand wandering mindlessly up your leg, reaching the knee and then back down. He could never get tired of the way your skin felt under his touch, just like he could never get enough of you whole. It could be the sound of your voice, the way you smiled at him, those funny snorts you accidentally let out after hearing something particularly hilarious, your little pokes in the arm as a warning before slamming a whole pillow on his face when he was snoring too loudly, the fact that you knew how to brew the most delicious tea, the way you never rolled your eyes at him whenever he asked you for an advice on which tie would fit him better and even how you always stuck your freezing feet or hands to his sides to warm yourself up.
How could he possibly not adore you with all his heart?
You hummed when he broke the kiss and licked his lips, savouring your taste for just a while longer. When you straightened your back, his gaze was once again turned from you and his voice a little bit quieter.
“Speaking of Shōto,” he started hesitantly, “I was wondering if I could ask you for a favour.”
“Of course, whatever you like.”
Todoroki nervously scratched the back of his head before continuing.
“Can you… Could you show me how do add him to my friend list?”