Chapter Text
No one was surprised by how Todoroki became attached to Midoriya after the sports festival. They were, however, a bit concerned by his attachment to Bakugou. The first made sense. Midoriya went above and beyond to push Todoroki to embrace his own power and free him from himself. Bakugou just screamed a lot and tried to literally explode him for not doing so quickly enough. Regardless of their classmate’s thoughts on the matter, Todoroki had decided to stick by both of them. Not that Midoriya and Bakugou had grown any closer.
Today was Tuesday, and Todoroki was having lunch with the Dekusquad. He sat pressed firmly against Midoriya’s side as he slurped soba noodles and tried his best to nod and agree at the proper times in the conversation going on around him.
“Todoroki,” Midoriya said softly, handing him a napkin. Todoroki took it and went to place it across his lap, pausing when Midoriya shook his head.
“Your face,” Midoriya said.
Todoroki nodded and dabbed at the drops of broth he hadn’t realized were making their way down his chin. He looked across the lunchroom and saw Bakugou glowering at him. He dropped the napkin and waved, oblivious to Midoriya’s resigned sigh as half the napkin fell into his bowl and began soaking up broth. Midoriya reached over and moved the napkin to the edge of the table.
“Oh, sorry,” Todoroki said.
“It’s fine,” Midoriya shrugged.
“Um, what are you doing?” Uraraka asked, staring at Todoroki’s still waving hand.
“Saying hello to Bakugou,” Todoroki replied, as if it were obvious. He looked back toward the Bakusquad’s table to see Bakugou’s frown deepen.
“He doesn’t seem to reciprocate your greeting,” Iida pointed out.
“He’ll wave back,” Todoroki said.
“He’s mouthing something at you,” Uraraka squinted, trying to read his lips.
Midoriya glanced at Bakugou and immediately knew, “He’s saying fuck off.”
“He’ll wave back. You’re supposed to wave back when someone waves at you,” Todoroki insisted.
“How long are you going to do this?” Midoriya asked, in a way that made it clear he hoped the answer would be something like, ‘It’s clearly not working, so I’ll stop now’.
“It’s clearly not working,” Todoroki looked at his own hand as Midoriya slumped in relief. “I must not be doing it right.”
Midoriya shoved his tray forward and dropped his head on the table as Todoroki switched from a casual, relaxed wave to a stiff, formal parade wave where he alternated the movements of his elbow and wrist as if passing by an adoring crowd.
“Oh, my god,” Uraraka whispered.
“OH MY FUCKING GOD!” Bakugou screeched from his table.
“Am I still not waving right?” Todoroki wondered.
“I don’t think that the execution of your wave is the issue here,” Iida arm-chopped anxiously. “This is becoming a scene, Todoroki. I insist you stop waving!”
Uraraka gently pulled Iida’s arm down and leaned forward, grinning, “Don’t listen to him. You’re doing amazing, sweetie.”
“Don’t encourage him,” Midoriya groaned against the table.
“I must not be doing it right.” Todoroki abandoned the parade wave and let his wrist go limp, hand flopping back and forth as he waved his arm around higher overhead. Uraraka clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle her delighted giggling.
“I don’t think—I can’t do this. I need to go.” Iida stood with his tray and hurried away as quickly as he could while still technically walking.
“You’re getting better at this, Todoroki!” Uraraka crowed.
Midoriya finally lifted his head and took one look at Todoroki’s current style of waving before pulling his phone out of his pocket, calling Bakugou’s contact and holding it up to his ear.
“Fucking what?” Bakugou answered, his voice reaching through the phone and from across the cafeteria.
“He won’t stop until you wave back,” Midoriya said.
“Not my problem, Deku,” he replied before hanging up.
Midoriya called right back. Bakugou held up his ringing phone while staring over at them in rage and disbelief. He looked straight at Midoriya and denied the call. He turned back to his lunch and the phone rang again.
“I’m gonna blow you to fucking bits if you don’t leave me alone, asshole,” he answered, though not so loudly that the entire room could hear this time.
“Counter offer, Kacchan. I’ll watch him on Saturday and Sunday if you wave back.”
“…The whole weekend?” Bakugou sounded tempted, still watching Todoroki’s embarrassing, limp wristed, flailing wave out of the corner of his eye.
“No, he’s still your responsibility on Friday. But I’ll take him Saturday and Sunday, the whole 48 hours. Just, for the love of All Might, wave back.”
Bakugou nodded once, shoved his phone into his pocket, and gave Todoroki a short, unfriendly wave with zero eye contact. Todoroki lowered his hand to his lap and nodded, once, to himself.
“Are you, done?” Uraraka asked, sounding a bit disappointed.
“Yes. And I’m glad to know how to wave properly now. I think I’ve been doing it wrong for years. It’s not meant to be so uptight,” He said, looking pleased before returning to slurping up soba noodles and being mostly oblivious to the happenings around him.
Midoriya buried his face in his hands and refused to come out before the end of lunch no matter how many times Uraraka asked him ‘is he really going to wave like that from now on?’