Even After Everything [Remake]

C. 02

About a week had gone by and I couldn't help but fall deeper and deeper in love with the brunette that I was so thankful to have as someone that I could basically call my best friend at this point. She truly was amazing. She was brave, talented, outgoing, and so sweet and considerate. However, I forced myself to focus on my studies. So much to the point where I nearly forgot that she existed for a while. An example was when we had that training where we had to get to the bomb before the "villains" could detonate it. I was so focused on Kacchan that I nearly completely forgot about her even though her safety was still a priority of mine since Kacchan is reckless and extremely destructive.

But something about these scattered thoughts of the angel before me and studies and training and honestly just whatever else stood out to me was left behind as one rather dim thing made its way up from the back of my mind. There was one person I haven't addressed and yet he's always been wandering and watching with a low gaze and sticking to the dark corners of my head. Todoroki Shouto's presence lingered in my mind since day one. He stood out with his bicoloured state. But it wasn't only his appearance. How he acted struck me as odd since I saw him in the entrance exams. Of course, then I was frazzled and wasn't paying much attention, but that didn't make him any less noticeable. He was truly a strange being in plain sight, like the brightly shining moon in a sea of blackness with stars invisible due to cloudy light pollution. His eyes always held some sort of secret, some other side of him that he would never let the world see. They did always say that eyes were the windows to the soul, didn't they?

Momo Yaoyorozu stood by him quite often. She seemed to be just about the only person that he would talk with on a friendly and regular basis. If it wasn't for the fact that he gave her the same monotone voice and dead look that he gave everyone else, I would've suspected that he liked her. Todoroki doesn't seem to be the type to know much about love, though. But I'm not either, so who am I to judge? I barely had a grasp around the concept of a crush until my late years of middle school. However, I would never truly be one to know about what he knows, what he thinks, what he sees at home. Todoroki Shouto, the son of Endeavor. I thought that it would be cool to have a pro hero as a father as I never even really had a father that I have memory of, but Todoroki's actions and voice seem to contradict that thought. But maybe it wasn't because Endeavor was a pro hero. Maybe it was something else....

Todoroki looked at me. I shook my head and looked at my lap. I didn't even realize that I was staring at him. He's just so mysterious. He's not someone that one can just look at and read. His feelings are never on his sleeve unlike someone I know. Since I was younger, my feelings were always known to the world. One glance at me and you were able to tell what I was feeling. If I was upset, I was usually crying. If I was happy, I would have a massive smile spread across my freckles with my eyes bright.

"Deku?" I was roughly tugged away from my thoughts once more by the familiar voice of the girl that I secretly longed for: Uraraka Ochaco. She was really close- physically- to me for some reason. I panicked, feeling heat rise from the back of my neck and to my ears, spreading like wildfire across my face. I quickly covered my face to hide my bright blush with my arms instead of just my hands for some reason. I felt her smaller hands lightly grab at my sleeves to get my arms away from where they were around my head, but I refused to budge. Her hands felt warm even through the fabric of my long sleeved shirt, and I swore that I could feel that warmth transfer from her hands, to my arms, and right back up into my face. (At least it wasn't going somewhere else y'know what I'm saying-) She then kind of took the hint that I wasn't going to move my arms and took her hands away from me. It immediately felt colder, and I imagined what it would be like to get a warm hug from her small figure. The thought quickly fell from my mind when she began to speak again. She always left me speechless when her soothing voice found its way into my ears.

"Deku are you doing alright? I couldn't help but notice that you were staring at your lap. Is there anything you want to talk about?" I watched her lips move from between a gap in my arms. Everything about her was so nice. It was incredible. Just looking at her could make someone breathless, but I shook my head at a fast pace that nearly left me light-headed and replied as quickly as I could.

"Y-Y-Yeah, I-I'm fine, Ura. Just a l-little tired is- is all." I wanted to slap myself for stammering so much, but I genuinely couldn't help it. How do you simply keep composure when an angel is standing in front of you and worried about you nonetheless?

"Mm. Okay. Well, if you need to talk about anything, I'm right here, alright? Welp! Class is about to start. I'll talk to you more at lunch, Deku!" And with that, she walked back to her desk, pulling out the appropriate book and pencil. She was so perfect. I mumbled an 'Okay' in response under my breath even though she was no longer near me. I followed her lead in placing my book and pencil upon my desk as others began to do the same. However, unlike her, as soon as I had my things in place, I put my head down in my arms that found themselves crossed over the book. I felt myself sigh heavily, and finally Aizawa walked in to get everything rolling for the day.

***

I jolted in my seat at the sudden sound that filled my ears. I hadn't kept track of the time so it caught me off guard. Sometimes I wished that Aizawa would warn us when class was about to end so I could prepare myself for it. I was just way too lost in thought. To be honest, I can only sometimes remember what exactly is happening around me. My mind is too loud I guess. I dragged myself from my seat and began to pack my things up as everyone else was doing. Before I could put everything away, a bubbly girl bound my way from where she previously was, and I could feel my heart begin to race. Luckily, my face temperature remained as it was. I needed to get control of my emotions, and right now I wasn't doing a very good job of that.

"Hi Deku!" Her tone matched her personality: bubbly and always happy, excited even. "Feeling a little better now that the day has gone by a bit?" she asked. I absentmindedly nodded as I looked into her eyes. Eye contact made for better conversations. I think. To avoid possibly making things uncomfortable, I looked away for a second and verbally replied because I knew she wouldn't take just body language.

"Yeah, I'm doing a little better. I don't feel as tired. I'm more ready to continue the day," I replied, keeping my voice light and aware. Not too loud, not too soft, not too jumpy, not too calm. Just act normal. As if she was any other girl. As if she wa-

"That's great! Really! I'm so happy you're ready for the rest of the day. I heard we're gonna do a little rougher training later today! The Sports Festival is coming up and I'm so pumped!" She was bouncing as she spoke. Cute.... Her eyes glowed when she talked about things she loved or was excited about. Just like this. I gave her a large grin and nodded, pushing a thumbs up in her direction, matching her energy.

"I'm excited, too! Though kind of nervous, I'm ready!"

"Oh, you're always nervous about something, you dork," she teased.

"Am not," I teased back, in a pouty sort of tone that made her giggle. I could feel my ears begin to brighten a little at the sound.

"We need to head to lunch." A strict voice sounded from behind Uraraka, and I thanked All Might that Iida appeared before she could notice my red ears. I began my way out with them leading in front of me as Uraraka teased him for being so strict in which he replied in the same strict demeanor. You think he would be at least a little lighter around us now that it's been a couple weeks. Almost a month. Wow, time sure flies by, doesn't it? I smiled to myself and looked at the ground before I straightened my posture and continued walking. When I swung my head back up, I thought I saw a glimpse of Todoroki looking at me as I left. His bicoloured eyes met mine for less than a second. But maybe I just imagined it. But if I just imagined it, then why did my heart run just the slightest bit faster? 

1620 words, not including A/N

Hi, babes! Been a while, huh? School's kicking my ass, tbh. Currently updating this A/N because I've backed out of the Twitter AU until further notice. I just don't know what to do with it in all honesty. I'm not deleting the account, but I will be privating it if you would still like to follow. I'm currently trying to work on a new chapter literally a year and a half later, oml. However, writing style won't change that much and I'm hoping to get more stuff out. Reading Sundrop fanfiction is getting gears turning LMFAO Okay, byeeeeee

~Astro <3