Skater Boy

Familiar Faces

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Saturday morning, Todoroki sat in the coaches room examining the clipboard for his newly acquired class in the fifteen minutes limbo time of an ice-cut.

A small class, to his delight, only four people to handle, plus, older adults were usually more skittish on the ice so he didn't have to worry about them skating off and dying.

Letting the papers fall back into place, he tucked the clipboard under the bench next to the rest of his stuff and stood. Feeling a little chilly, he stopped to stretch out his shoulders before stepping into the crowded rental/registry area and heading out to the ice.

As he stood, grasping the latched door for stability as he removed his guards, a familiar pair of beat up white skates adorned with a small rhinestoned heart toward the heel, skidded to a stop in front of him, intentionally spraying ice all over him.

"Hi Yaomomo," Todoroki acknowledged his best friend of seventeen years as he stepped onto the smoothened ice, grabbing a stack of mini-cones used to divide the rink into class sections. "Where've you been? I've barely seen you here,"

"About that..." Momo began, laughter tickling her playfully sheepish voice as she took half the cone stack and began setting them in place. "I just graduated-"

"Oh, congratulations," Shouto interjected, briefly flashing back to his one year of college with a shudder.

"Thanks, but that's not it," she continued, biting her lip with excitement. "I got my first apartment!"

"Ah, I see," he managed a little grin and sneaking a look at the clock. "That's great Yaomomo-"

"Yes, it's been nice, anyway, anyway, Aizawa's about to open the doors, we gotta go," she nodded toward their higher-up, undoing the door latch, the only thing keeping the students out. "Alright, I'll catch you later,"

"Bye," with a little wave, he skated to his sectioned off ice, beckoning the day's final round of student over.

At least adults were manageable.

Three, unsteady people conjoined around him, followed by a familiar freckled face. To be honest, he was a little surprised to see the guy, but carried on anyway.

"Welcome to the class, would you mind introducing yourself?" He noticed a little rush of pink cheek against the icy air, realizing he'd never caught the boy's name.

"Hi, um, I'm Midoriya," Midoriya, as he was now known, gave an awkward smile as the three others returned a greeting and name.

"Well, we hope you enjoy your first class, Midoriya," Recomposing himself, he began the class as any other, running through a mental list of skill he estimated this group could work.

The new boy turned out being better than he'd remembered, well, at least until it was time to try backwards, that was less than a success.

The other adults were naturally a little better but Midoriya seemed able to keep up, it probably didn't help that he was wearing rentals– seriously they never sharpen those.

After class, Todoroki checked off completed skills and bid goodbye to them, deeming this first class a success.

Pulling his guards back on, he did an awkward one foot hop, leaning against the wall as the left one created an unnecessary struggle.

Finally, he managed to tug it back over, surprised to look up and see a familiar sweatshirt.

"Oh, hello there Midoriya, I was about to come looking for you, can I help you with something?" He asked, casual tone smoothing over the discomfort of unattainable eye contact.

"I was just going to say thank you for recommending that class, I never thought I'd be one to enjoy skating," the dusty pink of frigid air against warm skin softly flushing his beaming cheeks.

"I am glad you enjoyed it," Todoroki replied, surprised with how easily the words fell from his lips.

"Why would you be looking for me?"

"You did good today; I see potential in you, your skating I mean,"

"Wow, um, thanks, thank you,"

"Do you,,, would you consider doing privates lessons? I could be your coach..." he trailed off, faltering for any further words, eyes once again wandering from contact. "I'm sorry if it's a jarring question, you've only just started
today—"

"Actually," Midoriya fixed, tugging on the sleeve of his sweater. "I think I might enjoy that, can you do Tuesday mornings?"

"Certainly,"

"Thank you," a pause few softly between them "I, I'd better be off,"

"Oh, yes, of course,"

"See you Tuesday," with that, he trodded on, ducking through the swinging door with a spritely hop.

"Tuesday," the word rolled off his tongue, different, sweeter, smoother, suddenly, it was pleasant to utter the day's title.

It was in that murmur that he'd realized a little mistake, they hadn't set a time, and he hadn't gotten a number either. Cursing mildly, he pushed into the lobby, scanning fruitlessly for the already long-gone boy.

In a state of neutral defeat, he returned to the coaches room to collect his things, and go.

Yaomomo was in there when he arrived, her skates loosened as she was splayed across a bench, texting while she ate a granolas bar.

"There was a guy looking for you, he ducked in 'n left something with your stuff," she informed through a bite of snack bar.

"Oh, thank you," a small post-it in fact sat upon his bag scrawled with neat black pen, 'What time? Xxx-xxx-xxxx'

"So, who is he?"

"New. Hoping he'll do privates with me, has potential," he bulleted off pieces of information, knowing she'd get the gist even if he'd left it at one word.

"Cool. You headed home?" Momo bit off a piece of granola bar, turning her attention back to her phone.

"Mmhm, good seeing you, it's been empty in the mornings,"

"I'll be back soon, don't worry." She playfully chucked a piece of ice at his feet as he collected his bag. "Later alligator,"

"Bye Yaomomo,"

"Buh-bye,"

Todoroki scribbled a messy signature onto the paper atop a clipboard outside of the coaches room, one thought, one word scrawled into the forefront of his mind. Tuesday.

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