maneuvering through

Hot N' Cold

The dinner went well, as Shouto tried to convince himself.

He tried his best to look as enthusiastic despite his face. And he would like to think Momo did, too. She was actively avoiding topics around who or where she had most been.

He couldn't help but overthink the odd little things he noticed about her. Why did it take her quite a while to put a morsel of food in her mouth or how fidgety and uneasy she would get? Or why she endlessly offered him an apology for random things she shouldn't be sorry about. Something was eating her up, but he didn't want to press her about it, then piss her off, and eventually caused her to walk out. It probably had something to do with her appointment later. He felt the need to tell her everything would be alright, but his voice couldn't get through the thickness of the silence.

"Seriously, Todoroki-san.." She refused for the third time, but for the third time, as he reiterated, he wasn't busy.

"Yaoyorozu," he said in a deep baritone. Persuasion wasn't his strong suit.

'Why are you so engrossed in driving me away?'

"I'm not. You're not a nuisance. Never you ever will."

The air was considerably cold that night. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his coat. She gazed face down.

"But-"

"Don't think about it."

A cab pulled over.

He opened the door for her and guided her inside.

Instantly after he told the driver their destination, everything went silent except for the soft, muffled hum of the engine from the outside. Momo folded her hands modestly together on her lap, where he chose to fix his gaze, temporarily. He wished he still had that nonchalance that often stunned his former classmates. He was quite sure a remnant of his former self still lingered within him, he just needed to knock it awake.

"You nervous?" He called out, craning his head to peer at the girl.

She turned a bit slightly. "A little."

"Just think about home, Momo... You'll be fine.."

That seemed to calm her, but not him.

'What's wrong?'

Fortunately, the ride to the city hall didn't take long. He sighed, primarily because he felt he would suffocate at how constricted the air was during the cab ride. Momo seemed fine though.

The two were led to a narrow, inner hallway. The hallway was harshly bright and immaculate, it felt like he was walking the path to holiness. The lady opened the frosted double doors and gestured to their entrance. She smiled shyly, bowing low before she left them.

It was a wide, tiled space. The left side was populated with cubicles, and a set of black, leather couches leaned on their right. Another private space was walled in glass, frosted in the middle.

Momo cleared her throat.

"Are you okay? You need me to get a glass of water?" He offered, despite having zero ideas where to get one. He sighed in relief when he spied a water dispenser in a corner.

"No. I'm fine.." She wet her lips. He noticed movements behind the frosted glasses, discernible only by their black coats. And Momo clenched her fists even more. He dared reach for them when she opened her mouth again.

"On the contrary, Todoroki-san, I think I might need a glass of.. water.." She looked at him, closely for the first time since they arrived.

He nodded. Yet, ironically hesitant to leave her there even for a second. The movements became prominent, as he stepped closer to the glass door that led to the room. It swung open, revealing first a senior woman followed by another younger-looking woman. He hadn't even thought for a bit about stopping, but he did when a voice sought him out.