Work Text:
School Rivalry
"An extra study session?" Momo smiled as Shouto moved into the common area of their dormitory. "That's unlike you." She shuffled papers and notes to make room for him at the table.
"I heard a rumor our class rep offered to help us prep for the exam." He shrugged and sat down next to her on the cushioned bench seat. On the side where she'd just moved everything. She gathered her notebooks and shifted them to her right.
"Oh, I-I mean, I offered. You don't usually need help, though."
"Everyone needs help sometimes." He pivoted towards her; heterochromatic eyes met hers - bright, and so mesmerizing. The skin pricked along her arms.
Momo dragged her gaze away. "Of course! I just, that is, didn't expect you—" A faint knocking sound. She frowned and strained her ears. "Did you hear something?"
He shook his head.
"So, did you just want to go over notes? Or do you have a particular topic you wanted help with?"
Shouto shuffled pages in his lab book. "I was having trouble with something. Which page was it?"
Long, nimble fingers caressed the paper as he searched. Momo found herself studying his outline. His right side, ice, faced her; a slight chill hovered between them.
'I thought that only happened when he used his quirk?'
Short pieces of white hair glistened over his ear. A scent like cedarwood and sage caught her attention. She smiled. Such a pleasing-
"Here." He pointed to a spot in his lab book. Momo tried to get a glimpse at the page, over his shoulder. His well-muscled arm kept her from leaning too close. She caught her hand before it came to rest on his sleeve - as if he'd permit such a casual touch. And yet, something about him pulled her closer. She wanted to be-
"Page three thirty two." Shouto glanced at her; his eyes fixed on - her chin? Her mouth?
Her breath caught. Momo forced her attention down to her lab book. She leafed to the appropriate page.
"Oh, this proof was a little tricky. It is a parallelogram." She set about working through the steps of the geometric proof.
His left hand came to rest on her page. Warm breath dispelled the prior chill in the air. Momo bit her lip and closed her eyes against the electric lumps that sizzled in her stomach.
"Hm. Looks like I just missed a step."
"Yeah, you have to substitute," her eyes skimmed over his page, and she stopped. "You worked it out correctly." She pointed at the proof in his book. "Didn't you know the answers are printed in the back of the syllabus?"
"Oh, uh."
"If you weren't certain you got the right answer, you can check there."
He nodded, but didn't look at her. Shouto turned a few more pages. His knuckles skimmed against the back of her hand. Momo bit back a gasp.
"Three thirty six," Shouto said and leaned his elbow on the table. She turned to the same page and nodded.
Momo spread the lab book in front of them and shared her answer; she pointed to the first step in her proof. His knee brushed her thigh. "Shouto…." His jean-covered leg pressed against hers.
"Yeah?"
He leaned over her shoulder. She glanced up and got caught in that bright, burning fire in his eyes.
Shouto bent forward. Momo's body trembled.
Zzzzzz! The lights flickered. The loud pop! of electricity.
Her classmate growled.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," he mumbled. Shouto took her hand and placed it on his shoulder. He leaned in, again, and pressed his mouth to hers.
The kiss was quick. A soft brushing of lips.
"Oh."
He lifted an eyebrow. "Is this ok?"
Blood rushed to her face, but she nodded. "I, um, yes."
Shouto surged forward; his hand tangling in her hair at the same time his mouth came down on hers. She returned his kiss, her arms slipping around his neck. His tongue touched her lips, and she opened to him.
The room swirled, hot, cold, electric, hazy. His mouth moved; his lips and tongue insistent. She found herself staring up at him, Shouto hovering over her where she lay against the cushioned seat. His blue-grey gaze smoldered.
Cra-ack!
Momo shot up. Shouto groaned; he didn't move.
"Dammit, Todoroki!" Kaminari's voice bellowed from the doorway.
"Was the door locked or something?" The class rep felt her face catch fire all over again. 'That's against school policy - males and females aren't allowed to be in locked rooms together!'
"Go out with me?" Shouto gave her a smile. The skin crinkled around his eyes, but his breathing sounded ragged; his left hand crumpled his lab book.
"Of all the dirty tricks, you-you jerk!" Splash splash, thud thud thud.
'What on earth?'
Shouto's hand caught her chin. She met his eyes.
"Momo, please. Go out with me."
"Oh, y-yes, of course. I-I'd like that." The crazy, swirling sensation from when he kissed her returned. Air buzzed in her ears and the tumult reached her head. He leaned closer.
"Gah!" A choked, male exclamation sounded in the room.
Momo pulled away. "What is going on?" She glanced behind Shouto and noted the thin casing of ice, almost see-thru, coating a portion of the floor. Kaminari lay on his backside staring at the ceiling.
"Hm. He's a nuisance."
"He's our classmate?"
A frown, then cold tipped fingers brushed hair from her shoulder. "He's interrupting."
"That's no reason to freeze the floor. I did say I'd tutor-"
"Yeah, and he spent the day bribing people not to show up."
"What? Why?"
Kaminari brought his hand down on her, uh, new boyfriend's shoulder. Several pieces of blond hair stood on end.
Shouto shrugged him off.
"Todoroki! I'm talking to you! How can you just sit there and ignore people?"
"He wanted to ask you out."
"Uhhh." Momo's chest tightened and made it hard to breathe.
"You froze the door to keep me out, you cheater! I wanted to ask her-"
Shouto stood up and faced his electric classmate. "I didn't know there were rules."
"Well, not official ones. And I suppose someone like you wouldn't subscribe to the bro code."
"Bro code?"
"But! You knew I liked her, and you just!" His normally good-natured features darkened. "You could have any girl in school. Did you do this just to spite me or what?"
"I'm sorry. If that's how it appeared, that wasn't my intent. Someone pointed it out to me that you could have stated your interest in anyone else, and I wouldn't have been bothered." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "But when you said that about Yaoyorozu. It irked me. And I couldn't let it go. I like her, too."
'Well, this is weird. It would have been nice if he confessed his feelings to me and not his, uh, rival? Of all the stubborn, competitive! Ugh, boys!'
She grumbled. "Um, do I count at all in this?"
"Yeah?"
Kaminari hung his head. "Yes, ma'am."
She stood up and moved between them. Momo placed a hand on Kaminari's shoulder. "I'm really flattered. To have two such attractive and heroic classmates expressing an interest in me, personally. Kaminari, I hope there's no hard feelings. You being here before Todoroki wouldn't have changed my answer, but, I look forward to our future as friends and pro heroes."
"Yeah, I get it." His shoulders slumped and he looked away. Momo felt her heart twist.
"Shouto."
"Yeah."
She crossed her arms. "Freezing the door so that we were locked in together is against school policy, caused unnecessary damage, and hurt your classmate's feelings."
His jaw dropped. "But! I apologized, and-"
"You'll both need to clean up this mess."
"Tch." Shouto scowled at the sizable water puddles spanning the floor. "Dammit. I'll go get a mop."
Momo smiled at the sulking expression on his face. Warm, electric bubbles filled her chest. "I'll get it. That'll be my contribution." She turned and headed for the closet in the back corner of the room.
"Aw man! She's so bossy. Do you know how much I need that in my life?"
"Shut up."
"Can't you just use your heat to dry this up?"
"I don't think our class rep will allow it. I'm still not as precise with my fire as my ice."
Momo shook her head; she retrieved the mop and made her way back towards the front of the room, near the door - where the mess began.
"It was impressive. How thin you were able to keep the coating on the floor. If I wasn't so mad at you, I'd-"
She handed the mop to her boyfriend.
"Momo." He caught her arm. "After we clean up; can I? I thought we could go for a walk. It's nice outside."
"Hello? I'm still here." Kaminari waved a hand and pointed to himself. "Heartbroken?"
"This doesn't have anything to do with you. I'm trying to ask my girlfriend on a date."
Momo smiled. "That sounds lovely, Shouto. And it gives you an opportunity to confess your feelings to me this time - instead of to Kaminari."
"Uh, yeah. Okay, then." He frowned. "Sounds good."
"I'll go get ready." Her heart raced in her chest, and every step seemed light, even as the world continued to spin around her.
Momo exited the dormitory common area and leaned into the door. Water rippled against the toe of her boot. 'I'm sure Kaminari will move on to the next girl, tomorrow.' She sighed. 'But, Shouto….' Her stomach performed an expert flip-flop maneuver that left her breathless. 'I was beginning to think my feelings for him were hopeless.'
"Someone pointed it out to me that you could have stated your interest in anyone else. But when you said it about Yaoyorozu. It irked me. I like her, too."
'Why do I feel like there's a mess somewhere else that needs to be cleaned up?'
"What does she mean by 'get ready', I wonder."
"Dammit Todoroki! It's 'cause she's a real woman." The zap of electricity.
"Careful. You wouldn't want to electrocute yourself with all this water around."
"Well, this is UA. Where the best pro heroes in the country come to study being heroes. No one really teaches us about love."
Momo started towards the elevators. After a few steps, she paused and looked back at the door. The memory of Shouto's kiss stung her lips.
'This is one thing we'll have to learn together. But, I think we're both up for the challenge.'
"Now that she's gone, just boil the water away! Consider this a training exercise."
"No."