Stay with me!

Chapter 7 - Kiwi skies - I

"You sure little bro, I can just make him into a grilled chicken."

The line crackled as Todoroki shook his head. "No, Touya."

"Yes."

"No, I just wanted your advice, I will be fine."

"If that's what you think. If you change your mind, give me a text. I'm fine breaking out of jail and dipping back. These fools won't notice a thing."

"Sure." He ended the call with a soft smile at his older brother's commitment to helping. He won't let the arsonist take action but the thought was smile-inducing.

It was on his mind for days, the experience with his friend, one which always put others above himself. It was only fair to repay the favours to Midoriya. It would have been quicker to punch Kirishima but to respect Midoriya, he won't go to that level. How he responded had to be calculated and throughout these days, such was done. Lots of thinking and advice until he agreed with himself for what he planned. This day would be ideal so he would wait for a convenient moment.

Uraraka adored the attention Midoriya was giving her, more than ever as he drifted away from others. Firstly, Bakugo and then his other classmates. She did her best to comfort him but he wasn't willing to stress her with the extent of his decline in mental health over the past week. Instead, he used euphemisms and smiled even if it was sometimes borderline forced. She didn't notice and the two continued. Impatient to confess her attraction to him, she used the break time as another chance, if she's more direct then surely he will realise. She took him with her for a walk and they ate their snacks on a bench underneath the aged oak tree that whistled through the wind. A pigeon stole the discarded bread nearby, flying away with their new lunch. Uraraka's eyes glowed like honeycomb as the sun glazed them, they trailed to Midoriya's puffed cheeks as he struggled to chew. He was poor with concentrating as he ate and would occasionally take bites larger than was comfortable with. If she could take a picture and frame it in her dorm, she would instantly, no second thought.

He noticed her watching him intently and blushed. "Uh, sorry! I got distracted again, a lot has been on my mind." He nervously chucked.

"Mm, there is something on your cheek, Midoriya-kun." Her eyes fixated on the spot as she licked her own bottom lip.

A loud clapping of wings by the nearby pigeons as they flew over the two. Midoriya blushed again with a soft "oh" as he wiped his left cheek with his thumb.

"No, over here." She twisted her waist, leaned close to the boy and paused. With a deep breath that Midoriya could feel on his face, she pushed her tongue against the spongey surface of his right cheek. Soon after, retreating but with a close distance so she could feel his raspy breaths hit her own cheeks. He almost became a real life tomato with how red his face became, stuttering upon words.

"I- eh?"

She lecherously interrupted, "there's food on your lip too."

Leaning forward with her damp tongue, she was pushed back and her eyes opened to take in that Midoriya was using his own arms to push her away.

"Please, Uraraka. This isn't right." His voice was back.

"You don't want me, Izuku..." She parted her lips.

"I don't- I don't- want this."

He abruptly stood, slinging his bag around his shoulder as he left Uraraka behind. Her calls for him silenced, the more steps he took. His eyebrows fell in fustration with a creased forehead. The recent interactions made more sense, proving that it wasn't a villain and that Uraraka was indeed the girl that pushed Midoriya past his comfort. At a first thought, he wouldn't consider the moments as romantic gestures but in context to now, it has a completely different meaning.

Todoroki walked over to the group Kirishima was sitting with and tapped on the desk to get the group's attention. Bakugo - as predicted - spoke first. "What do you want, Icyhot?"

He looked at the barking boy and replied, "a quick conversation."

Kaminari shrugged and Mina giggled at the idea of it being romantic. Bakugo flipped her off and grunted as he climbed off his seat. The two went to a private area and Bakugo leaned against the wall with crossed arms.

"I'll get to the point, what has Midoriya done to you?"

"Deku?! What hasn't he done." His husky voice retorted.

"I am not in the mood for any jokes. If you haven't noticed, he is in a poor mental state because of something he did to you and I would like to figure out what it is so I can help."

Bakugo's menacing grin disappeared with a harder to read face. "What...? He has poor mental health?" The words didn't sit on his tongue right, sometimes he forgot that the greenette was just as human as anyone else. But the fact Bakugo had a part to play in it confused him majorly.

"Indeed."

"Seriously, Halfie. I have no idea what you mean, me having a part in this shit?"

"You have no idea?"

"None, no bullshit."

"I see. I appreciate your honesty."

"Stop! Where the hell are you off to?" Bakugo held onto the taller teen's arm.

"My next lesson, I have to see them earlier so my work is checked."

"You can't just piss off now! I need to know what's wrong with Deku."

"Ah, you should ask him. Perhaps, that will be best as it is not my place." He retreated his arm, dusted the blazer and walked deeper into the corridor.

"The hell--," Bakugo's mutter echoed in the empty room.