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A snowflake gently fluttered through the air, kissing Todoroki's nose as it landed. Todoroki scrunched his nose at the ticklish feeling, humming to himself. The sounds of screaming laughter echoed down the mountainside as skiers and snowboarders rushed down it. The class had been taken to a ski resort for some recreational time, as the current weather wasn't suitable for training.
At least, the teachers said it wasn't suitable. Todoroki found he had no issues with the cold, as his body could easily compensate for most weather problems. For example, his left side was currently letting off steam as every snowflake landed atop his skin there. On his right, the snowflakes were perfectly intact. He could see their delicate designs if he looked close enough.
A pair of arms wrapped around his torso, catching his attention. If it had been anyone else behind him, he might've jumped, but a certain Denki Kaminari had never really been known for his stealth.
“Shouto!” Denki laughed, extending the final ‘o’ farther than he needed to. “My man! You're so warm dude! Mind if I chill here for a second? Pun intended.”
“Perhaps if you had chosen a better jacket, you wouldn't need to,” Shouto hummed. His tone was cold, but the humor lacing it gave him away. It always did.
“C’mon man! Not you too! Bakugou already beat my ass over it!” Denki wailed, throwing his head back dramatically. The blonde pulled at the jacket in question, a thin windbreaker that was fuzzy on the inside. Certainly far from suitable for the current weather.
Shouto exhaled sharply, his own version of a laugh. Denki grinned at the sound, quickly jamming his hands into the other boy's pockets. Instead of fighting him or pulling his hands out like anybody else would've, Shouto simply patted his arm and returned his attention to the top of the mountain.
“Kirishima is about to descend,” He hummed, gesturing up to the bright red speck in the distance.
Denki snickered. “Twenty bucks he eats snow.”
“Deal,” Shouto huffed.
In the distance Kirishima began to board down the mountain. Shouto could hear the boys hoots and hollers as he swerved around slower skiers, kicking up snow as he went. Kirishima was about halfway down the mountain now, and Shouto could see his sharp grin from here.
A low rumbling echoed through the air, catching his and Denki's attention. He turned towards the sound, mourning the loss of Denki's hands in his pockets. A large figure stomped onto the ground just below the ski lift, making the ground shake with the force.
“Are those UA students? Perfect! Prepare to be squashed!” The villain bellowed, launching a giant fist towards the two. Shouto leapt to the side swiftly, bracing his shoulder to roll back onto his feet.
The ground trembled beneath the villain's hand when it made impact, throwing Shouto off his balance. He shot out his right hand, freezing the villain's fist to the snow. An explosion sounded above him and he glanced up.
“Bakugou!” Shouto yelled, sliding across his ice towards the villain's face. If the explosive boy put a well-timed blast to the face right after Shouto stuck the villain down, maybe they could knock him out.
“Don't tell me what to do, IcyHot!” Bakugou roared, a feral grin stretched across his features. The blonde rocketed towards the villain's face, shooting a blast right by his ear. “Come and get me, big guy!”
The man yelled, waving his free hand in the air. “Damn pest!”
Shouto slid beneath the villain's legs, slapping his right ankle as he went. Ice spiraled up his leg and stopped just above his knee, locking the joint in place. Just one more limb, that's all he needed. He turned sharply, sliding towards the man's other leg.
Except, the villain was too big. The force of his movements alone caused the mountain to shake and rumble, the trees rattling as they struggled to hold on. Screams of terror echoed through the resort as people fled the mountain, the snow beginning to tumble down.
“Avalanche, everybody off the mountain!” Kirishima screamed in the distance. The redhead could be seen escorting people down the side, the snow shifting above them.
Above Shouto, an explosion rang as Bakugou taunted the villain. Just one more limb, that's all he needed. Just one more. He picked up the pace, reaching his hand out to touch the villain's other ankle. A whisper of air was between them, just a touch.
A flash of yellow caught his attention, making him turn his head. Denki was guiding a woman down towards the resort cabin, when a man behind him fell. Denki turned, running towards the man. The snow cascaded down above them, too fast, too hard.
“Denki, look out!” Shouto screamed. He launched himself up the mountain as the avalanche beat them down. The force hit Shouto like a truck as the powdered white slammed him back down to the ground.
He tumbled down as the snow moved around him. Shouto attempted to grab onto something, anything, for some kind of purchase. The only thing around him was snow, dense and cold. His fingers latched onto nothing as nature tossed him around like a shirt in a washing machine.
Finally, everything stopped. Shouto grunted against the weight of the snow around him. He cursed to himself. Why had he run forward? He could've stopped this whole thing. He was right there. All he had to do was grab the man's ankle.
The image of Denki flashed through his mind, and his heart stuttered. Where was he? Shouto shifted and managed to move his limbs enough to crawl through the snow, squinting his eyes against the flakes as they tried to dig into them.
“Denki! Denki can you hear me?” He yelled. A beat, and another, and there was nothing. His chest squeezed with worry and he began to dig more desperately. Shouto needed to find him. He needed to know he was okay.
The two-toned teen was so focused on digging that he almost missed it. A sound, so soft and frail, emanated from the snow below him. A sound that immediately sent relief coursing through his veins.
“Sho?” Denki's voice was soft and trembling. “Is that you?”
Shouto gasped, shooting his head around. “Den- Chargebolt, it's me. Where are you?”
“I, I don't know,” Denki said softly. A moment of silence passed that made Shouto's heart leap. “I can't see anything.”
“Keep talking, I'll dig my way to you. Can you move?” Shouto's hands immediately kicked back into gear, shoveling away the snow below him as he followed the sound of the other boy's gentle voice.
“N-no, not really,” Denki stuttered, louder now as Shouto approached. “I think I broke something.”
Shouto's hand burst into a pocket in the snow, and he poked his head in. Sprawled in the little gap was Denki, his head laid back against a pile behind him. His right arm was bent at an odd angle, and the rest of his limbs were tucked beneath the snow around them.
“I've got you, Chargebolt,” Shouto wiggled his way into the hole, careful to dance around Denki's broken arm as he made his way in. The gap was small, so he had to practically lay on top of Denki in order to fit.
“You always do,” Denki chuckled, sniffling. The blonde's nose was a pinkish hue, and his teeth chattered as he spoke. He'd already been cold before the snow crashed down on them, he must be freezing now.
Shouto frowned as he rested his body atop Denki's. He'd normally apologize for being in such close quarters, but there were more important things to worry about. Denki's lips were already a concerning shade of blue, and due to his arm, there's no way he could climb his way out of the snow.
“Stay still,” Shouto instructed, peeling off his jacket. “I'm going to warm you up.”
Denki nodded and watched as the other boy put his coat to the side. It was wet, soaked all the way through. Otherwise it would have made a good blanket to cover the blond with. In this condition though, itd just make him worse.
Shouto wrapped his left arm over Denki's middle, cranking up the heat slightly. Denki practically melted into it, tucking his head under Shouto's chin as he chased the feeling.
“Thanks man,” Denki sighed, sniffling again. “Do you think you can melt us a way out of here?”
Shouto shook his head. “I don't know how much snow is above us, or whatever else could be up there. This is a dense type of packing snow, so as long as I don't disturb it too much this hole will stay intact and prevent us from being crushed.”
Denki nodded, looking around. “We won't freeze in here?”
“Not if we don't fight it. The snow will insulate us until help shows up,” Shouto hummed, glancing around his arm. The biggest risk right now was running out of air, which was elevated with the added heat and extra set of lungs. He didn't mention that part, however.
“Guess we gotta chill here then,” Denki stammered, chuckling at his own joke. Shouto rolled his eyes, shifting his head to place his chin more comfortably on the other's head.
He just needed to keep Denki warm until someone dug them out. Once the villain was under control Shouto was sure their peers would notice something was off, if they hadn't noticed already. He scanned Denki's figure quickly, noting his soaked clothes. They'd have to take care of that later.
The silence ate at Shouto viciously. Normally he'd be content with some peace and quiet, but this wasn't peaceful. Worry filled his bones and made his heart pound in his ears. He needed to hear Denki's voice, to know he was alive and breathing. The fear of otherwise was beginning to swallow him whole.
“S-so, how's the weather over there?” Denki joked. It was as if he'd read his mind.
Shouto snorted. “Cold.”
“What, no way. I'm toasty over here!” Denki giggled, turning his head up to look at Shouto.
“Hm. I wonder why,” Shouto glanced down at him, a small smile dancing on his lips.
“It's probably my amazing jacket,” Denki grinned, poking Shouto's chest teasingly.
“Not quite,” Shouto hummed, glancing at the jacket in question.
“So you're saying it's my amazing good looks then!” Denki huffed, wiggling slightly to crane his neck back. Shouto could get a clear view of his face now, and the bright gold eyes that shone into his own. “I always knew I was hot.”
Shouto sighed, shaking his head. A warm feeling rushed through his skin, coming from his heart. It chased away all the bitterness and cold that could possibly touch him. He hoped, distantly, that Denki had the same feeling.
He could hear Denki's breathing stutter slightly and he bit his lip. Shouto wasn't entirely sure how long they'd been down here, but he worried it might be too long. His own chest was starting to feel tight as the little air they had began to disperse.
Shouto exhaled slowly, letting his eyes close. He needed to remain calm. Freaking out would not only cause Denki to panic, but it could also take the air they did have away from them faster. He just needed to control his breathing. In, and out. Just like his therapist had taught him.
Rustling above them dragged their eyes away from each other. A hand poked through the top of their little pocket, digging around some. An eye poked through the new gap, green and bright.
“I found them!” Midoriya called out from above them, his eye disappearing as he moved away from the hole. “Shoji, can you help me dig?”
“Midoriya,” Shouto called up. He waited as Midoriya's eye peeked back through the hole, looking at him. “Denki's arm is broken. The rest of him is buried under the snow.”
Midoriya's hand punched back through the hole in the snow, his thumb stuck up. “Got it! Down worry guys, we'll get you out of there!”
After several minutes of careful digging, Shouto was pulled out of the snow by Shoji's extended arm. He watched as Denki was pulled and carefully cradled between the taller boy's arms. They'd discovered while digging that one of Denki's ankles was also broken, having been crushed under the weight of the snow.
Shouto watched as Denki was carried towards the cabin, the blonde smiling as he spoke to Shoji. His cheeks felt sore from his small smile, but he didn't acknowledge it.
“So,” Midoriya hummed, knocking Shouto's shoulder with his own as they walked after the two. “Denki, huh?”
Shouto looked towards him, brows furrowed. “What?”
“You called him Denki,” Midoriya grinned. A devilish look stretched across his features. “I didn't know you were on a first name basis.”
Steam rolled up from Shouto's left side, his cheeks flushing. “I have no idea what you're referring to.”
“Come on, you can tell me anything!” Midoriya teased, laughing as he elbowed the other boy in the side. “I just didn't think you were into blondes!”
Shouto sped walk away from his friend, arm stiff at his sides as he all but ran away. “You must be mistaken.”
“Hey! Come on man, I just have a few more questions!” Midoriya called after him, laughing as he started to give chase.
Denki turned his head to watch as Midoriya chased Shouto, admiring the small smile on the dual haired teens face as he fled. He could feel Shoji shift and set him down gently on the cabin couch as they made their way inside, but he was entranced.
His stomach still felt warm from when Shouto had wrapped his arm around him in the snow. Denki considered himself lucky enough that Shouto hadn't seen the blush on his face when that had happened, probably just chalking it up to the cold. Deep down, some part of him hoped he accidentally got buried in snow again. Despite the cold, somehow the whole ordeal had made his heart feel warmer.