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Momo doesn’t remember when it started. All these strange sensations — the fluttering in her chest, the tingles running over her skin. That weird mix of joy and apprehension that sparks within her. Just where did they come from?
She wonders even now, as she sits up in bed, sleepless yet again. She’s been tossing and turning, restless — mind running over the unusual way she’s been acting, the way she’s been feeling. Momo hasn’t been this disconcerted since she first started exhibiting changes…since she presented as an alpha. As much as she struggled with that, even more with being the sole female alpha in the whole class, at least she knew why. For as much as the hurt and awkwardness of second puberty was silently anguishing (all while still dealing with first puberty, oh goodness), Momo was assured in her actions, unfamiliar as they were at the time.
Now, though? Her head has been in the clouds, and Momo has never let herself be so distracted, even while in pre-rut. She’s been reprimanded more in the past few weeks than she ever has in her entire academic career — something Momo recalls with shame. For some reason, her gaze always drifts before it can reach the board… Her eyes stuck on a beautifully pale nape, curtained by wisps of white and red.
Momo smacks her burning cheeks with both hands, shaking her head to cast aside those inappropriate thoughts. That’s another thing that keeps popping up! As well as the way she’s more prone to blushing than ever. And the way she can hear her heart beating with how loud it is, whether she’s alone or when–
Or whenever she’s near Todoroki-san.
Thankful for the darkness, Momo feels her face burn once more. Well, maybe she does know the cause. It’s just that… Oh, why did she have to start feeling this way now? Momo flops backwards onto her pillows with a muffled sob, resisting the urge to kick at her blankets (which would be completely ungraceful).
Todoroki-san is her friend! Someone she admires! He’s a wonderful fellow upcoming hero, and just because he’s an omega doesn’t mean she should be so presumptuous! It wouldn’t be right… Momo’s eyes wander along the wall, biting her lip in shame. Todoroki-san is one of the people she truly, deeply admires. Not just because he believed in her when she herself couldn’t, but when he presented early — even as the youngest in their class, Todoroki-san still leads the class in many ways — he acted the same. Steadfastly, paying no mind to things that would deter him from his goals, even when the others were awkward with him for months. The awkwardness was even worse when they interacted with the public. Judgment was felt even if not explicitly said. Momo used to wonder if he secretly felt any hurt or shame about his designation, something she is ashamed to admit she still feels about herself.
Momo didn’t expect to be an alpha. Her father comes from a long line of alphas, and there are several on her mother’s side too, but female ones are so rare… It’s something she should be proud of, but she can’t help but feel… not lesser than, but definitely different. So far, no other girl in her class is an alpha. She sticks out in ways she never expected to. Just like Todoroki-san, who may not be the only male omega in class, but coming from a prominent family, is always cast in the limelight. Their class is respectful and ever kind and friendly, but Momo can’t help but feel that divide between them all sometimes.
There is a loneliness that she is ashamed to feel that lingers in her despite it all. She’s an alpha, and therefore blessed in her designation! And yet… She misses her omega friends casually hugging her, her beta classmates being able to look her in the eye without that strange deference, even being able to feel competitive outside of her instincts constantly screaming for others to submit. Even her scent changing caused a minor crisis, she is ashamed to say. To smelling like nothing to oversteeped tea, bitter and astringent…. Momo couldn’t drink her favorite tea for a few weeks. It’s getting better with time, of course. It took the class a moment to get used to the ever growing cloud of scents and the strange instincts surging within them. Even she doesn’t hate her scent as much; it’s mellowed out much since. Yet still, that wall between them exists when it didn’t before. But, for Todoroki-san, it’s like that wall was never there.
He acted like he always did — with her, with everyone. Even when others were outright rude, he dealt with them as he always had, ignoring them completely or making them regret their words with his abilities. Even if alphas were more cautious around him, he was as direct with them as always. Seeing him carry on like always, Momo felt comforted somehow. Like, maybe things don’t have to change. Maybe she’s still herself, alpha or not. It let her lower her guard enough to try to close that gap she’s been tiptoeing past, only to find others across the way, arms wide open. Her friends still care for her, and her classmates still think of her as the same Yaomomo — rich and naive, trustworthy and dependable. All thanks to Todoroki-san, who’s still the same, omega or not. Whether Todoroki acts with bravery in mind or not, Momo couldn’t help but be caught up in his wonderfulness, his determination. He’s as inspiring as ever.
Todoroki-san is so amazing… that’s why Momo can’t be in lo– she can’t admire him like that. Not after he endured past all the biases against him and is still fighting! He’s an omega, yes, but… He’s so much more than his second gender! Just because he’s handsome and smart and considerate and oh so capable doesn’t mean she should– should covet him so?!
Momo internally screams at the admission, even if she only whispered it in her mind. Because she truly does. Todoroki-san… he makes her heart thunder to the point she couldn’t hear his hello this morning, completely enamored as she is with that smile. So small but so bright — a familiar sight she feels blessed to know. The way his eyes crinkle just so as he smiles, the careful way he arranges his pencils on his desk, the way he blows heated fog out in the midst of battle — this and every thing of note of him, Momo can’t stop thinking about him. She can’t stop the way her heart flutters, and the way her alpha instincts scream at her to court him already.
Lately, it’s like a mantra that just won’t end, no matter how preoccupied she might be with something else. Endless embarrassing thoughts burst in her mind whenever he catches her eyes (unfortunately constant) or whenever she catches a hint of his marshmallow scent (unfortunately rare). Make him smile even more. Keep him safe. Make him feel loved.
Momo has tried to appease that annoyingly loud desire by being the best friend and teammate she could be for Todoroki. Defending his back during missions, bringing him tea whenever he seemed weary, lending an ear to whenever he felt open and safe to talk about his troubles, giving him scented items for his nest at his request… Momo does it all happily, as a friend! Even if her heart says differently. She’s ashamed to realize that now. The loudest of all them, though, isn’t as easy to appease.
Make him yours.
Momo stares at the ceiling, a hand absently rubbing over her heart. It hurts a little… like she misses someone.
Oh… So that was what that feeling was. Make Todoroki-san hers? If only.
Momo tries to act as normal as possible around Todoroki after the unfortunate discovery of her feelings. She tries to lock up those chaotic and aching feelings tight, acting like the proper classmate and friend he deserves. It’s worth the secret pain of being near him but not with him, of not touching him, when he acts so happy around her. That small smile, that fleeting burst of marshmallow — it’s like Todoroki patches the very same cracks he unknowingly carves in her heart. Being just his friend hurts, but it’s definitely worth it.
Even when she handed him a cup of tea in the common room, and he tilted his head back onto the couch to meet her eyes — which not only showed off his frankly devastating eyes with his bangs falling away but also the dizzying contrast between the sharp curve of his jaw and the fragile line of his neck. That alone was enough to ratchet her heart into a worrying bpm in an instant, but no — it was the way he thanked her, all soft. He’s always so soft, but in that moment, he seemed completely relaxed and content in his cream sweater, bundled in a thick blanket that carried the scents of all his closest people, including her.
It was like a peek into Todoroki-san being in his nest, and for a moment, Momo could imagine what it felt like to be his alpha. To be the one to make him feel this completely blissful, to be the only one to see, smell, and share in the beautiful joy he was positively radiating. As his fingers grazed hers to take the cup (which was thankfully not shaking despite the tremble Momo felt in her limbs) and his charming mouth shaped the most lovely thanks (it was just the words “Thank you, Yaoyorozu,” but still!), Momo chuffed… For the first time. It took her an embarrassingly long moment to realize what that incessant rumbling sound was and even longer to realize where it was coming from. The second she did, though, she choked off the sound (and maybe choked a bit for real) and all but ran away, face completely aflame, hoping against all hope Todoroki-san did not notice. Or mind, if he did hear — which she knows he did. Later, as she hides under her pillows, trapped with the never ending flashbacks of her embarrassment, she can’t help but remember the quirk of his smile and the trail of sweet marshmallow that followed her all the way to her room. Waving away the delusional thoughts and even more delusional whines of her alpha instincts that sprout at the memory, Momo’s glad of one thing — at least he didn’t look upset.
And even when she eventually conquers the need to hide from him because of said chuffing incident, and they spend more and more time together (with him inviting her most of the time — how could she deny him?), she keeps her head. Even when Todoroki-san leans closer into her space — to point out a notable moment in the manga he’s lending her or to adjust her fighting stance as they trained one-on-one, ever flouting expected decorum, she grits her teeth with a smile and tries to relish it as innocently as she can. As much as her heart lets her, which isn’t much. All it takes is a small touch and for her eyes to meet his (she secretly thrills at being the same height now) for Momo to feel overwhelmed by her love for him. Even when it takes everything in her not to lean right back into him, it’s so so wonderful to be close like this… even this far apart.
So, yes! Momo’s quite confident in her ability to be a good (albeit not completely honest) friend to Todoroki-san. …Who she may be falling in love with more each day, but still! A little pining won’t do her in. She has a handle on it, her feelings hidden away entirely. Other than the unavoidable hiccups (have Todoroki-san’s face be a few centimeters away from your own – it’s truly impossible to not feel something), Momo only acknowledges her secret shame when she can’t sleep – when she has no choice. When the ache of holding back when all she wants to be is closer is just too much (she wants and wants and wants) and all she can do is stare up at the ceiling. She lets that burning need seep out, just a little. She lets herself imagine, lets herself wonder.
Make him yours.
Momo lets herself dream. In the morning, she’ll be a proper alpha. She’ll be a good friend — one who only wants the best for her friend, what’s right for him. She’ll hold back and hold still, pretend the itch in her fingers aren’t there. Act like her heart isn’t aching, not at all. That’s tomorrow…
For now, Momo lets herself dream.
The class must be in quite a flurry — Momo can hear them from the stairwell. She wonders if it’s because someone suggested yet another… snowball battle, was it? The last ended with Bakugou-san and several others having to shovel snow for all of the Heights Alliance dorms. She hurries to make sure they don’t go too hard again.
Oh. Momo tilts her head. No one is congregating in front of the doors, armoring up in winter coats. Instead, she sees a bunch of her classmates huddling in the kitchen, raucous laughter and chatter spilling out into the common room. Momo realizes it's just the girls, with the exception of Satou-san who’s helming the stove. Along with the happy, bubbly scent of everyone is the smell of sweet chocolate. How curious.
“Oh, Yaomomo! Come here, join us!”
Momo smiles and walks closer, taking in the way everyone is excitedly mixing what looks like chocolate batter and what looks to be the aftermath of a food fight from the streaks of cocoa powder on Ashido-san and Jirou-san’s cheeks.
“What’s this?”
Tsuchan-san giggles. “We’re making chocolates for Valentine’s Day, kero! Would you like to make some too?”
“Oh!” Momo blinks, totally having forgotten the holiday was nearing. She’d like it if it was because she was knee deep in her studies, but the reality is too embarrassing to admit to herself, even now. Doubly so actually… Valentine’s Day – a day to celebrate love. The concept itself makes a certain someone pop into her mind, but Momo waves them away quickly.
“Kero?”
At the concerned sound, Momo blinks her eyes open to see that she’s really did try and wave the thoughts away. Face burning, she yanks her arms down and tries to ‘play it cool.’
“Oh, ahh, sorry! I thought I saw a mosquito,” she laughs, waving her hand in front of her face. She hopes it sounds more genuine than it feels.
“I see.” Tsuchan-san doesn’t sound convinced. “Still, would you like to join us? We have another apron for you, kero.”
Momo looks around and sees welcoming grins from everyone. Warm joy blooms in her at the sight, reassured yet again that they still feel comfortable around her. She can’t help smiling too widely, too openly, eyes darting over the counter.
“Oh, but I’ve never made chocolates before–”
“Even better!” Ashido-san yells, waving her whisk in the air. “Satou-kun is an amazing teacher! Come on, please, Yaomomo!”
“Yeah, please!”
“Please!”
“Please with a cherry on top!”
At the chorus of enthusiastic calls and puppy dog eyes, Momo doesn’t have the heart to say no. It’s not exactly a struggle either. Every time the girls treat her the same, like she’s a treasured friend, even when two of them are omegas, it always induces a surge of relief and gratefulness that never fails to make her tear up (in private, of course). The familiarity, this closeness — Momo’s heart broke to think she could lose it. She sends a secret thank you to the man that inspired her to not let herself sink into those thoughts.
“Okay, if you would please walk me through it.”
After a few minutes of careful listening, Momo finds it’s not so difficult. When she admits it’s one of her first times cooking, the girls no longer gape at her. They’ve all gotten used to her upbringing and the admitted shortcomings that go with it, even though none of them ever shame her. Instead, they guide her through the process of making fudge with winks and gentle instruction. Momo giggles along to their stories and ducks whenever a dirty finger tries to swipe at her cheek.
She’s so thankful for her friends.
…Until they mention the prospect of gifting these chocolates to their crushes. Momo chokes on the piece she was taste testing, coughing too long and loudly to not make her burn in shame. Or maybe it's just the lack of air that's causing the burning sensation.
“Oh god, are you okay, Yaomomo?!”
She feels heavy pats on her back, and someone hands her a glass of water which she gulps down with haste. After gulping in some air, the choking feeling passes, thankfully.
“Are you okay, kero?”
After a few small, more refined coughs, Momo nods. She hopes the flush in her cheeks can be blamed on the traitorous chocolate rather than the topic of discussion.
“I’m f-fine, truly,” Momo sputters. She wipes her mouth with the back of her wrist and tries to pull herself together, clenching her eyes shut. It’s hard, though, when her mind keeps getting stuck on the image of her gifting the very same chocolate she can still taste to Todoroki-san — of making her feelings known. Telling him she wants him—
Oh gods! She can't even finish the thought! Inside, though, her heart aches with the echo of it.
“What's wrong?” Uraraka-san asks from her side. The others have gone back to their stations, but Momo herself is still frozen.
She hesitates, wondering if she should be honest or not. In the end, the curiosity is just too much. “It's just…” Momo starts and stops, biting her lip as she anxiously wipes the edge of her bowl with a towel. “Are you really going to… offer them like gifts? Um, like that?”
Uraraka-san tilts her head, blinking up at her from her periphery. She’s still too flustered to look at her directly (or anyone else really). “Like what?” she responds, after a moment, her voice completely genuine.
Flushing once more, Momo ducks her head. “Like… like love confessions?”
“Oh. Oh!” She starts mixing her chocolate batter more enthusiastically, flushing as well. “Well, some of us are thinking about it, but it’s not really like that! Most of this is going to be giri choco, but if we do give them to that s-special someone, I’m not sure if anyone’s planning on saying outright that they’re confessing. I-I think, at least.” Uraraka-san stops, a finger resting against her chin in thought. “Maybe if they want to give the choco in private, that could be the perfect time. Why do you ask—”
Momo freezes like a deer when she feels her eyes scan the side of her face. “...Oh! Oh!” She winces at the mix of knowing and surprise in her voice. “...Do — do you have someone you like? Um, if you don’t mind me asking! I don’t want to–”
She nods without thinking, eyes clenched and face flushed all over, before her friend could send herself into a worry spiral. Momo stills in shock the instant she realizes what she has done, and she feels Uraraka-san do the same.
“That’s! Oh, that’s so wonderful, Yaomomo!” Uraraka-san yells as quietly as she can. Her hand is warm on her own, as she takes it and gives it a gentle squeeze.
It— it is wonderful, Momo realizes. Her friend’s gentle words are overwhelming, making her blink against the rush of emotion she’s been holding back for so long. She’s in love, and it’s wonderful. She squeezes her hand right back.
“You like someone!” Uraraka-san whispers in awe and glee, which she feels mirrored in her own chest.
“Wait– what?!”
They both start and turn, seeing the girls (and Satou-san) looking at them in varying states of shock. Uraraka-san jolts and looks at her with guilt, but Momo just smiles. It’s alright. It’s wonderful.
“OMG, really, Yaomomo?!”
Momo looks back at everyone, and sees their excitement and unbridled joy — for her. She looks and feels, yet again, just how much everyone here cares for her.
“I do.”
The relief and joy of admitting it aloud is heady enough to cover up the not-so-small embarrassment of saying it, and the answering cheers are just too loud for Momo to hear any internal screaming. They rush at her, pulling her into a giant group hug. The purrs and giggles are like another hug of their own, their happy scents — sweet and comforting — as familiar as her own.
“That’s amazing!”
“Oh hell yeah!”
Momo nods, filled to the brim with joy. “Thank you, everyone!”
When they break apart, someone whispers the unspoken question. “Are you going to confess?”
Momo doesn’t answer at first, and walks back to her station. She looks down at the little brownies cooling on the tray. She lets herself dream once more. It’s easier now, having said it out loud and having such incredible support. Still, the answer is always the same. “I… I don’t think I should.”
“Why not?” Hagakure-san asks, and her voice cracks like she knows just how much saying those words aloud has hurt Momo.
“I don’t…” Momo bites her lip. The ache seems even more painful now, too. “I don’t think he’d like it.”
“Why not?” Jirou-san cuts in, twiddling her ear plugs. “You’re a total catch!”
Hums and declarations of agreement immediately sound off. Momo smiles (and hopes it doesn’t look too sad) with a shake of her head. “I’m just his friend — I shouldn’t be feeling this way.”
“No way! The best love stories start that way!” Hagakure-san yells.
“Totally, kero!”
“Plus, this person probably feels the same! Now, now—” Ashido-san cuts her off before Momo could even open her mouth. “You're a beautiful, kind, and incredible person!”
“Mhm mhm!” Hagakure-san cheers. “And super smart and strong too! And rich! And pretty!”
“An amazing friend, kero!”
“A super cool alpha,” Jirou-san adds with a soft smile.
“The sweetest alpha!” Uraraka-san yells with a whoop.
“And super graceful! And did I say rich?”
They all turn to Satou-san, who stutters at their heavy stares. “I- I agree with all the above!”
“See!” Ashido-san huffs.
“Everyone,” Momo cries into her hands, overcome by the endless compliments — which she knows her friends mean from the bottom of their hearts. She tries to hide her raging blush, but her chuffing gives her away anyway.
“Still, I fear, I may like him for the wrong reasons,” Momo admits, her secret shame muffled into her palms.
“No such thing.”
“But-”
Jirou-san comes closer, and flicks her on the forehead with each word. “No. Such. Thing.”
She shakes her head as Momo rubs her forehead with a pout. “It's one thing to not want to confess. I get that. Like, if you’re not interested in dating right now. But, if it’s because you think this person doesn’t like you back or that you’re somehow a bad person for liking them in the first place… we’re telling you you’re wrong.” Her smile is absolutely knowing, and Momo flushes some more.
“But, there’s no way…”
“There totally is!” Hagakure-san cheers, her bracelets swinging in the air determinedly. “Plus, don’t you wanna know for sure? Heart beating like crazy all the time, hoping that every smile means more because yours does, that every sweet gesture they do screams ‘I like you’ — just like everything you do for them! Wouldn’t it be amazing to find out if they like you right back?”
Momo pets over her heart, which is just thundering at the prospect. Todoroki-san returning her feelings… Breathlessly, she says, “It would be.”
Still, it’s terrifying to imagine the other, very real possibility. “But if he doesn’t feel the same, I don’t know what I’ll do.” The words barely leave her lips, her chest shuddering at the thought.
“Often, it’s the scary things that are the most worth doing, kero,” Tsuchan-san says gently, coming to hold her hand tight. “Isn’t that what Aizawa Sensei said?”
Momo smiles — he might have. She has a point. Should she really?
“Plus, we're heroes, aren't we?” Ashido-san grins determinedly. “Being brave, risking it all — we do that everyday. Why not in love?”
Uraraka-san nudges her gently. “And just maybe this person is waiting for someone like you. Maybe they want to make you as happy as you want to make them happy, the way you do make them,” Her voice is completely confident, almost knowing. Momo flushes when she realizes, of all people here, Uraraka-san would know Todoroki-san’s feelings most. Her inner alpha perks up, blooming with each of her friends declared beliefs in her. “Isn't it worth finding out?”
Jirou-san jabs her finger in the air, like a rockstar. “Isn't it worth fighting to make them yours?”
Momo’s heart lurches in her throat. The answer is clear as day, when they say it like that. She looks at her brownies once more.
Make him yours.
The thought is ever present as always, but this time Momo welcomes it. Would it be worth it? Terrifying, yes — but that’s not the question, is it? Momo tilts her head back, meeting her friends’ eyes. She sees the way their grins grow bigger when they see the fire in her own and the glint of her determined smile.
“It is.”
Momo feels like falling through the floor, when she calls Todoroki-san outside, onto the porch. It doesn’t help when the cellophane bag sitting in her coat pocket feels like a lead weight, tugging on her heart and pulling her nerves even tighter.
It's beautiful outside, the snow fluttering down lightly. With the noon sun out, the entire grounds glitter in the light. It doesn't compare to Todoroki-san though. He's as handsome as ever, the wind fluffing his hair just so. With the winter sun glowing against the snow, his eyes shine so beautifully – like arctic jewels. Momo's quite thankful for the cold right now. It gives her an excuse for the embarrassingly loud flush in her cheeks. Maybe the nervous twinge she has can be mistaken for shivering too.
It is very cold, though, even at the tail-end of winter. The alternative is to do it in the dorms somehow, and… As much as she appreciates her friends for all they’ve done, she’s too shy to do this in front of them. Or to risk the chance of being overheard. Afterall, Todoroki-san might reject her still–
She takes that thought and blasts it away with an imaginary cannon. Be confident, her friends said. So she shall.
“Sorry for keeping you out in the cold, Todoroki-san.” Momo hopes her voice isn’t cracking, but she can’t really hear it. Not over the thundering beat of her heart. Not when Todoroki is this close.
“It’s fine, Yaoyorozu.” Todoroki’s smile is so small yet blinding, and really, her heart must be stronger than she thought with all the trials she’s been putting it through.
It doesn’t help when Todoroki-san steps closer — much closer — to keep her warm, but she can’t be ungrateful, not ever. He leans against the porch railing, to her right. She feels the way he activates his quirk without a word, and shivers against the warming air. She resists the urge to press her arm against him completely, to bridge that gap between them. They may be bundled up in winter clothes, but the joy of getting to touch him would be worth it. The thought makes her chest flutter even more. His sweet scent drifts over and blends with the frost of winter, making her heart melt and squeeze all in the same breath. She really hopes he’s not doing this just because he’s a gentleman, but because he feels the same longing to be closer that she’s felt all this time.
She slides her hand into her coat. It’s time to find out.
“I’d like to give you something.”
When he simply tilts his head in question, Momo lets that rush of cute aggression drive her into pulling the pink cellophane bag out. “I made something — um, actually, cooked. I hope you like it.”
She doesn’t look away when he reaches out to take it from her, no matter how much her nerves urge her to. No — she needs to see this, wants to memorize every flicker in Todoroki-san’s eyes, every twitch in his lips. No matter what he says in answer, Momo wants to hold this moment — of her heart at a standstill, at the edge of more or nothing, with the snowflakes drifting onto Todoroki-san’s hair — forever.
He unties the bag efficiently yet almost reverently, and Momo sees it all in slow motion — his fingers her entire world in this moment. Her breath shakes, fogging in the air, as he takes out a single brownie. On it is something written in red icing.
Be mine?
“I–” Momo starts. She gulps and tries again. “You don’t have to eat it, if you’d prefer. Or accept it at all–”
“Do you mean it?”
Momo halts, the air taken from her at his whispered question. She trails her eyes aways from his fingers, which give a little twitch, up to his beautiful face — slightly flushed but serious. The way he nervously bites his cheek has her facing him in a daze.
“Do you?” he asks again, and it feels like Momo is seeing him for the first time. It’s like his eyes are open like they’ve never been before — revealing every single thought. Nerves and excitement swim in his eyes, and she helplessly nods.
He deserves the best, so Momo clears her throat. “I do.”
“Are you sure?”
It comes out nonchalant, but the way Todoroki’s eyes flit away betrays just how much it isn’t. It’s a loaded question, and Momo aches once she understands. Even if he doesn’t show it, maybe Todoroki is… Maybe he feels as unsure as she is about who she is now. Maybe he feels as unsteady as she does sometimes.
“I am.” She smiles and presses close. Her face is a hand's breadth away from his. “Very much so,” she whispers.
He returns the brownie back into the bag. But, before Momo has a chance to panic, he tugs it in front of his face quickly, hiding behind it. His ears are completely flushed — even on his fire side. Momo is spell-bound at the cutest thing she's ever seen.
“I’m glad,” Todoroki-san whispers. Momo hears it and feels her heart squeeze like nothing before. Shakily, she exhales, joy flooding in her lungs, leaving no room for air.
“W-will you…?”
Be mine. Please.
He lowers the bag just a tad, so she can see his eyes once more. They’re positively glowing, mirroring the happiness she’s overcome with.
“Yes.”
It’s just a word, but Momo feels everything shift. Her heart steadies — finally — even as it aches with love. His smile is purely incandescent, bigger and more open than she’s ever seen. She made him happy — her pride surges, intermingling with all the rushing joy in her chest.
He clutches the bag close, and its crinkling sounds like a party popper in her ears. She smiles proudly at her work, hoping he does eat it and finds it delicious. After all, her omega — she screams internally — deserves the best. She blinks when she finds that he’s red down to his fingers. Seeing that, she snaps out of her stupor and makes him gloves on the spot. They’re a light gray to match his coat.
He smiles at her kindness, albeit still shy. “I don’t feel the cold much, you know.”
She feels him power up her quirk. Hmm, she doesn’t want him to have to exert himself when he doesn’t have to. Momo feels that alpha instinct rise, and maybe she’s braver now than she was a few months ago. Ever since before, when Todoroki himself inspired her to speak her mind.
“Still, I like doing this.” She presses her lips for a second, dragging her gaze from his hand to meet his eyes. “I like doing this, for you.”
He thanks her fully, but he surprises her by taking her hand and pocketing the gloves.
“Thank you, but… I like doing it this way too.”
His hand feels like a small sun in her palm. Like her whole being is falling into him, into that look in his eyes. She feels his wrist slide against her, and a rush of tingles flood through her, even if their glands are covered by scent patches.
“Would you like to go on a walk? I’d like to share this with you, if that’s okay.” Todoroki-san clutches the bag like it’s a treasure, holding it to his chest.
She glances back at the dorm then at the pristine snow covering the yard and beyond, and feels like running into it — into the unknown, now feeling no fear, knowing Todoroki-san is by her side. Knowing he feels the same.
“Yes, please.”
Even though it happens a few days later, Momo will always remember that her first kiss tasted like dark chocolate and roasted marshmallows; that it felt like winter nipping on her nose, like the sun was holding her fingers back. Maybe because, even now, Shouto-kun’s kisses still feel like that.