maneuvering through

As though it never happened

Another day of work concluded for Shouto.

It was a deafening change not to have Momo's name registered even as a missed call, rereading her sweet and concerned messages did a bit to lift his mood. Joining Jirou and Kaminari again, out of habit, and her name in speed dial, he almost tapped to call. Realizing belatedly that she was somewhere else on the face of the planet. He couldn't hold a candle compared to her dreams, could he? Momo wasn't one to blame. He was there once. Sharing her dreams, and he was in no position to stop her. But still, it was needless to put an end to what they had. A plan he could never find himself agreeing to, and now here he was. Scrolling through his cell phone again, for possibly the fifteenth, twentieth time, thumb hovering above the gallery of her pictures.

Jirou across him was busy tinkering with her phone, grinning now and then. Sometimes he envied how she and Kaminari had coinciding schedules to enjoy their free time spent together. He only had the chance because he was the privileged son.

Kaminari next to her was playing with his game again, saying the event was about to end after an hour so he needed to grind. Whatever that means.

"Oh helloooo there Yaomomo!" Earphone jack sang, wholly aware of him just sitting across her. He spied the purple head throw him a grin before focusing again on the small screen of her phone.

"Hello, Kyouka-san"

Came her sweet, soft flowing voice, which immediately puts him attention, making his heart full in an instant.

"My! The view! So pretty!" Jirou said again wearing now a genuine smile. And he was more than tempted to snuck his face to see what Jirou was fortunate to see.

He balled his fists so tight his knuckles turned white.

Kaminari briefly paused his game, "Is Yaomomo on?" Asking innocently, the blond hasn't known yet about the breakup.

"You should bring me there sometime Yaomomo!" Jirou went on ignoring her boyfriend. While he kept his focus on her voice seeping from the apparatus every after question.

"So, how's New York? Have you settled yet? What about the agency? It's been weeks Yaomomo! Do share!"

"I'm... I'm doing well...have a lot going on lately..."

"Oh! Good thing you can go on tours now!" Jirou replied excitedly, and Shouto had his gaze direct unseeingly at her, gripping his phone a tad bit tight. Too intense he hadn't noticed Kaminari waving his hand at his stunned face, he was deadly focused on hearing her voice again.

"Yeah...my mom... Kind off brought me to..."

"Ooohhh...Mommy Yaoyorozu is there? Say hi for me!"

"Not as we speak, she was out for errands..."

Jirou let out a scoff, "Mommy Yao, doing errands? Puuhhhlease..."

'Kyouka-san, of course, she's still a housewife...'

"Not your ordinary housewife..."

"Anyway, who are you with? Is Kaminari-san there?"

At the mention of his name, Kaminari flashed next to Jirou, grinning at the small screen, and he couldn't do anything but stay in his seat like an obedient dog. The blond was dense enough not to realize he hadn't said nor shared the same viewing position as him, but it's only a matter of notice he would.

"Say, Yaomomo!..." Jirou conspicuously leaned closer to her phone as if to whisper a secret, she stole a glance at him first before continuing, "Any cute guys there? Bet they're taller than any of our Japanese men, aren't they?"

Oblivious to Shouto and Momo's parting of ways, Kaminari joined in the subtle teasing. "Yeah, Yaomomo! Any dude much good-looking than Todobro here?!"

Jirou didn't nudge or pierced a jack to her thick boyfriend, probably to keep the separation between a small number of people. Besides, Kaminari had the loudest mouth to rival Present Mic's yell. The silence that echoed from the other line was unnervingly long. He gulped.

'Why on earth he doesn't want anyone to know she broke up with him?'

'They're fine... I guess...' Shouto breathed a long, deep sigh. 'Who knew he had been holding his breath?'

"Heeeh? Not anyone as dreamy as Todobro?"

Shouto ignored the small flare of thrill blossoming in his chest. As much as he appreciate the indirect compliment, he didn't want his name to cause Momo any discomfort.

A pause.

"You're definitely right, Kaminari-san..."

"Of course! Birds like us flock together! Right! Todoroki?" He proudly says gesturing at him, "What'cha doing dude?! Come here! Don't you want to see Yaomomo babe?"

Jirou had her widened eyes rolling. His guess was right. "Oh shut it, Denki!"

"Wut? Kyouka-bae? Aw!..."

"Is... Is Shouto there? Kyou--?"

"You know what Yaomomo, we better get going, my shift is about to start in....five minutes..."

***********

"How are you doing, Momo?" Her mother peered through the narrow opening of the door. Momo looks up from wiping her mouth.

"I'm fine... I guess..." Moving away from the sink and into the door, her morning sickness had calmed down for the meantime.

"You're pale..."

"And nauseous..." She added. "My nose is so sensitive I even hated the smell of my lipstick..."

"It'll soon pass, peaches." Her mother said, stroking her back. "You'll gonna watch out for the next trimester though..." She notified with a gentle smile. Momo wasn't at all ignorant but circumstances could differ for every expecting woman. And as the books said, the second trimester, as observed in most pregnant women, would be when the cravings would take their full force. Just the thought of it was making her anxious. She hopes her unborn child wouldn't crave something bizarre or impossible, biting her lower lip at the thought that she might be fulfilling her cravings on her own.

"By the way, Momo, Jirou was requesting a video chat with you. I messaged her to wait just for a while. Are you well enough for a video chat?"

"I'm..." pausing to give way for a burp, "I'm fine. Besides I miss them..." Padding towards the living room where a laptop was placed.

"You'll be fine alone? I'm going to prepare some food. Is there anything you fancy?"

"Anything without the strong smell please..."

"I should have known." Her mother smoothed a hand on her forearm before leaving her in her devices, sitting before the ready laptop, and requested a video call with her best friend. It didn't take long and Jirou's exuberant face have taken the most of the screen. Momo had taken note of the streamers and colorful balloons adorning her background, so as the hovering voices of their friends. And by the looks of it, they were celebrating something.

"Yaomomo!" Jirou squealed, extending the phone at arm's length and moving it around for any friends she could gather. "Hey, guys! It's Yaomomo!"

Her laptop was then filled by her friends, alternately replacing the other to greet her warmly.

"Yaomomo!" Kaminari greeted, all too happy as always, "Can you get me the limited edition Typhoon's running shoes? They've run out of it here! My size is 10! I'll pay you! Please!!"

Momo didn't stifle her delight when Kaminari's pouting face was shoved aside by Jirou. Shaking her head, "Sorry about that," pausing, as if waiting for the blond to leave the proximity, before returning to her, "I can't believe I'm saying this but, Yaomomo, could you grant even just that..." Her voice drifted into a thin whisper, "It was supposed to be my gift but... As he said, they've run out of."

"Of course, Kyouka-san." Making a mental note of the request. "Is there something you wish for yourself? I missed your birthday too."

She waved her hand vehemently, "There is no need for that!"

"But I would love to..."

"Hey! Share Yaomomo with us!" It was Mina's voice swelling over the conversational noise, her pink face filled the screen. "Yaomomo!" She greeted, noticing the pink heroines' plump cheeks, "So sad you didn't wait until my baby shower!" She pouted, "But you can make it up to me by owing the bassinet!" winking through the screen.

"Of course, Ashido-san...er-I mean..."

"Oh, Ochako's here! Hello, Ochako!" Mina waved at the said newcomer, overhearing the squeal of the Gravity heroine over the speakers, " It's Yaomomo!" Mina announced, pointing at the phone "Everybody was almost here!" The screen left her face and was shown Uraraka's bubbly, round face, smiling widely at her, "Yaoyorozu-san! Can't believe you left us again!" pouting adorably at her, Mina's face squeezed through the small screen, "Hey! Hey! Yaomomo! Our friends are here!" showing her their batch mates sitting comfortably on the couch, some on the plastic chairs. Rounding their faces for her eyes, each waving and throwing her a greeting. "Oh wait!" Mina interrupted, remembering something.

"Is lover boy Shouto here?"

"Wait, Mina-san..."She gasped, panic accelerating by a second, not quite ready to face him.

"He's right here!" Came the muffled voice of Sero that seemed to be chewing something.

"Oooh. He's right there! Wait! I'm going to give it to pretty boy...Hey! Todoroki! Yaomomo's online!"

*A short chapter, sorry 😢