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“Does anyone have any questions?” Momo asked, looking around the table. The grim yet determined looks on her friends' expressions answered her question without even need to be said. She nodded and straightened up. “Alright, everyone. We have one week to prepare. I expect nothing but your full focus. This may or may not determine if we can end this. So...let’s give our plus ultra spirit.”
Everyone filed out, chattering amongst themselves leaving Momo and Shouto alone. He stood up, watching as his girlfriend started to gather her things, and said, “Momo, are you coming to bed?”
Momo smiled, “I will. Just give me a few minutes, I want to make some tea before bed.”
Shouto nodded, walking over to her and taking her things from her. He kissed her sweetly much to her surprise, she didn’t mind it though. “Don’t take too long, okay?” He whispered while stroking her cheek.
“I won’t,” she replied, kissing him on the lips once more before he left the room.
Momo’s smile vanished as soon as she was alone, her shoulders slumped as she tried to hold herself up against the kitchen table. Her breathing was quickening and the guilty feeling in her stomach grew. Was she really doing this?
Forcing herself to walk on wobbly legs, Momo crossed the threshold from the dining room to the kitchen and mindlessly started to make tea. Going through what was supposed to be comforting motions of boiling water, gathering her teacup, milk, and sugar.
She froze when the sound of someone shuffling behind her filled the empty room. Turning over her shoulder, she was relieved to see it was just Midoriya and Bakugou. She nodded at them in greeting, “Bakugou-san, Midoriya-san.” Then went back to her tea, staring at the empty teacup.
“We know what you’re doing,” said Bakugou.
Momo took a sharp intake of breath, lifting her head as she stared out the window into the night sky. Gulping, she quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Bullshit,” hissed Bakugou, the sound of his heavy steps getting closer to her until he was leaning against the counter beside her. She heard Midoriya make his way to her as well, pulling up a chair, taking a seat.
“Why such vulgar language?” tried Momo, she kept her voice even and her eyes fixated on the stove fire. “I assure you I don’t have a clue–”
“You’re sacrificing yourself, aren’t you?” interrupted Midoriya. His voice was soft and accusing.
The teapot whistled along with an awkward pause amongst them.
Momo said nothing as she pursed her lips together. She turned the stove off and picked up the kettle, pouring it into her cup before setting it down. She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. “And what if I am?”
“Do you really think we wouldn’t notice?” hissed Bakugou, peering at her with a harsh glare. “Since when did you think being stupid suits you?”
Momo didn’t flinch, slowly turning as she gazed into his ruby eyes. “I don’t have a choice–”
“Don’t give me that bullshit. We all have a choice. There must be another way to do this.” The blonde looked over at his equally intelligent friend but was greeted with a grim look on his face. Bakugou’s face faltered for a second.
Momo gave a small sad smile, keeping her gaze on her friend’s face. “There isn't another way...right, Midoriya?”
Midoriya didn’t answer right away, his big green eyes were still full of hope. He clenched his fists and sat straight up. “We will find a way. We can’t let you do this–”
“I’ve tried to think of other strategies, other operations...and all of them have the same outcome,” Momo explained. “It won’t work unless one of us stays behind to successfully seal the forces they have away.” Her voice wavered toward the end of the sentence. She was terrified, she didn’t want to do this, she didn’t want to leave him, but…
“It may seem like that, but there is still a chance where we can defy the odds and get everyone out. Including you, Yaoyorozu.” Midoriya persisted. “I have proven it once before, there is a chance I can prove it again.”
“A chance…” Momo repeated, giving out a humorless laugh. She leaned back on the counter, her hands clutching the countertop as she looked at Midoriya. “A chance we cannot take. Like I said, Midoriya-san. This may be the last chance we get. I cannot allow any failure, not after we lost so much. It’s my job as a leader to see this through, even if I can’t be there with you all in the end.”
“Are you being fucking serious right now?” Bakugou scoffed. “Why are you wanting a dramatic end? You must be insane to think that we will let you do this. If...If Todoroki will allow you to think like this–”
“Shouto doesn’t need to know about this,” Momo said in a serious tone, the gentle look on her face gone and now replaced with the same expression her friends had. The face of exhaustion and the need to protect the ones they loved.
“Have you been keeping this from him?” Midoriya asked, gazing into her onyx eyes. Momo broke the connection, averting her gaze to look out the window again. She tried to hold the tears in, she tried to bite the tremble of her lip. But she knew her friends could see through her breaking facade. “How could you do this to him? He loves you so much, Yaoyorozu.”
“Which is why he must never know,” Momo snapped, lifting her head, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Who do you think we are? We won’t ever let you go through with something this stupid. We are his friends–”
“–and as his friends I expect you to make sure he carries out his mission without me,” Momo demanded, surprising them with the determination in her eyes. She took a moment to look at each of them, proving her point and how important this was. “I looked at this several times and as I said, there needs to be someone who is capable of sealing the gates. I can do that. Can you?”
“I can easily do it,” Bakugou protested, “Let me do it. End of story–”
“I can’t have that,” Momo hardened her gaze. “You, Midoriya and...and Shouto all have your roles to play. We need the three of you fresh for when the time comes.”
“Just who do you think I am? Do you think so little of me?” Bakugou hissed.
“Not at all. I believe in all three of you, and I know you three can end this,” Momo said, her gaze never wavering as she stared into the blonde’s. She could see the denial in his eyes, but the realization was slowly taking over. “I will be satisfied to know I did my part in making sure you all leave safely. When I am gone, it wouldn’t matter. ”
“That's not true...That’s not true at all,” Midoriya said. “You are our friend, you have led us through every mission making sure we got out of there alive. What makes you think we won’t do that for you?”
“Your boyfriend will not make this easy,” Bakugou scoffed. “Do you really think he will just let you go?”
“He has to…”
“No,” Midoriya said as he stood up. He startled Momo when he grabbed her by the shoulders, gently shaking her. “Don’t you see how ridiculous this is? Why haven’t you talked to us about this? We could have figured it out!”
“I–”
“Why are you so determined to end your life here? There are people who care about you, Yaoyorozu. We care! We are your friends!” Midoriya continued, with every word he said the tears in her eyes were almost making it impossible to see him, making her vision blurry. She closed her eyes, turning away from him as she dug her fingernails into the palm of her hands. “Don’t you...don’t you love Todoroki?”
“I do!” Momo sobbed, not lifting her head as her hair shrouded around her face. “I love him and I want to be with him, but I’ve already accepted that maybe our love was just not meant to be. Not in this life.” She lifted her head to see the shocked expressions of her friends. She gently took Midoriya’s hands off of her before she continued, “I do not want to leave him, it hurts to think about every time.”
“Then why do it?” Bakugou whispered.
“The thought that I was able to make him happy even for a short amount of time, comforted me.” Momo sighed as she played with the little promise ring Shouto gave her not too long ago. How stupid was she being? She was giving up her dream of being happily married to the man of her dreams and starting a family with him. Why was she doing this? She was doing this because that smile she fell in love with every day deserved to stay on his handsome face, it deserved to reach his beautiful eyes and should always remain there. “He’s an amazing man...He deserves to be happy. And in order for him to be happy is if we stop this. He can have what we dreamt of with someone who will love him the same.” She exhaled, “If it has to be someone, it has to be me. Please, Midoriya-san, Bakugou-san. As my friends...and as Shouto’s friends...I need you to promise me that you watch over him. Make sure he keeps going even without me.”
Silence.
Bakugou sighed, surprising her as he pushed Midoriya out of the way. He grabbed her shoulders like he did and looked into her eyes. “I’m still going to try and get you out of there, I’ll tell you that now.”
The corners of Momo’s lips twitched upwards. “I’d like to see you try.”
Bakugou scoffs, blinking briefly as he continues, “I’ll make sure your IcyHot bastard will follow through. And...I’ll make sure we end this, for you. For everyone we’ve lost.”
A new wave of hot tears leaked out of her eyes. She reached up, squeezing Bakugou’s wrist, and nodded. “Thank you, Bakugou.”
“You can’t be serious, Kacchan?” Midoriya demanded, staring incredulously at Bakugou as he retracted his hand off Momo’s shoulder. “Yaoyorozu, please keep an open mind about this! We will come up with another way. You can’t do this!”
“Can’t do what?”
The three of them gasped in surprise, each head whipping over to the threshold to see Shouto, standing there with his hand in his pocket and his head tilted. His heterochromia eyes narrowed suspiciously at his two friends and girlfriend who was seemingly behind them.
Bakugou cleared his throat, hardening his gaze into the usual sneer as he pushed his hands in his pockets. “What we were saying was Ponytail can’t mix tea leaves in a fucking hodge podge dish!”
“You were discussing that this late at night?” Shouto asked, his eyebrow arched as he walked closer.
“Erm, yup! We were thinking about what to cook tomorrow. You know, we have to make sure we use up all of the ingredients we have in the house already,” Midoriya chimed in, much to Bakugou’s surprise.
Shouto’s face remained expressionless, eyes scrutinizing them. “Momo? What are you doing there? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Shouto!” Momo said as she emerged from the two tall bodies of her friends. She forgot how small she was compared to them now. She thanked their quick thinking as she was able to wipe away the tears with them as a cover. “What are you doing down here? I thought I told you I wouldn’t take long.”
Shouto wrapped his arms around her waist, reaching up to brush a strand of hair away as he studied her face. “I was getting worried.”
“Well...Bakugou-san and Midoriya-san were keeping me busy.” She replied, straining a smile. “Let’s go to bed, my love.”
Shouto seemed unconvinced but soon nodded. He kissed her softly, making Momo’s heart flutter. Though the previous conversation still stuck in her mind. She pushed it out of her thoughts, refusing to think of her last days with the love of her life filled with such things. Pulling away, Shouto said his goodbyes to two behind him and started to pull her away from the room.
She held his hand tightly. Her eyes traveled up his arm to the back of his head. The warmth of his hand in hers, his gentle kisses...Could she really do this?
Yes, she had to.
“We all have a choice!”
Well...this was hers.
They finally got to their room. Shouto smiled, opening the door with one hand while the other pulled her close. Their lips found each other again as they stumbled into the room. She held onto him closely, allowing him to carry her further, shutting the door behind him for a night of bliss.
They made love.
Soon after as she laid in his arms, the moonlight spilling into the room illuminating his white hair making him appear even more beautiful than ever. As he slept, she stared at his ethereal features. She used her fingertip to trace his strong jawline, his scar, and his soft lips.
She tried to memorize every detail of his face.
I’m sorry, Shouto.