They’d been searching for hours. Dusk gave warning to sailors at sea, streaking the sky a bloody red that sent chills through Yaoyorozu’s spine. Shadows lurched and spread from buildings, making it difficult to see through alleys and narrow streets. She had to find him.
In the distance, she could hear her classmates screaming Todoroki’s name; some of them sounded panicked, while others sounded worried. Some both. Yaoyorozu, however, couldn’t bring herself to voice his name.
She’d never forget the ache of longing in his eyes. She’d met his gaze only mere seconds before he fled school grounds. If she didn’t know any better, she could have sworn his entire body and not just his left side was engulfed in flames. The exam was going well - he was at odds with Bakugo for some time, trading blows that could split the world at it’s very core - until suddenly he...stopped. He just stopped; shut down like a phone with no battery. She remembered Bakugo restraining his fist, catching his hand midair before he could land what would have been a devastating blow; remembered the glimmer of fear in Todoroki’s eyes. It was as though he had seen a ghost.
Shaking the exam from her thoughts, Yaoyorozu ducked into an alley to her right and stole into the shadows. That’s when she saw him. Todoroki was there, crouching at the end of the street, where a towering wall brought the passage to a dead end. He was holding his face in his hands, trembling, his head bowed. Though she could tell he was mumbling, Todoroki’s voice didn’t quite reach her ears.
“Todoroki?” she whispered, approaching with practised caution. “It’s okay. It’s me. Come back to Yuuei with me.”
He didn’t speak.
Inhaling deeply, Yaoyorozu knelt to place a hand on his shoulder. Todoroki swung around instinctively, his hand connecting with the side of her neck. There wasn’t even time to scream. She yelped. The pain was blinding. Something hot seared through her skin, the smell of burning flesh filling the air; the stench alone was nauseating.
Tumbling back into the wall as he pushed her away, Yaoyorozu slid her fingers into the gap between the bricks and forced herself upright, gasping from the sudden shock. Todoroki was staring at her, his eyes wide. His right hand, she saw, was coated in flames.
“It won’t stop,” was all he said. “It won’t stop. I’m going to end up like him.”
“Todoroki-”
"Don’t come near me!” He shouted.
Yaoyorozu winced against the pain in her neck and eased herself off the wall. Forcing herself to approach him, she dropped to her knees on the ground beside him, sliding an arm carefully around his neck. He kept his hands in the air, away from her face, and let out a miserable sound as she embraced him.
“You are Shoto Todoroki,” she said.
His breathing was labored, his muscles tight as he kept his body tense. “Your neck…”
Yaoyorozu combed her fingers through his duel colored hair. “Listen to me,” she said. “You are Shoto. You’re a member of Class 1-A. Together, we’re going to become pro heroes. You’re going to use both ice and fire to save people’s lives. You’re strength is growing; you’re quirk is developing further. That’s a good thing. You’re going to be your own hero. You’re going to help so many people. You are destined to do great things.”
His breathing slowed; he was calm once more, and after a moment, his hands moved to her back. Neither of them burned. In fact, they were a pleasant warmth that made her heart flutter at the comfort of being held.
“You’re not alone,” she told him, wanting desperately to reassure him that everything would be all right.
A heartbeat later, Todoroki was pushing Yaoyorozu away, his hands firm on her shoulders. He stared at her neck, which still throbbed with painful heat. His right hand hovered along her skin, moving to the junction where her neck and shoulder met, spreading a chill throughout her body as he used his cold side, smoke rising from beneath his hand. His icy touch soothed the burn, but the pain was still a phantom in her mind.
“It’ll leave a mark,” he said, mostly to himself. “Damn it. That bastard is always...no.” Todoroki’s heterochromic eyes snapped up to meet hers. “No. It was me. This was my fault. I’m so sorry, Momo. Your skin is-”
“I have plenty more,” she cut him off. “Besides-” she held a hand up to the burn scar on the left side of his face, lightly tracing it with her fingers, “-what kind of hero doesn’t have a few scars here and there?”
He tried to resist a smile. They stared at each other for a moment, seeking comfort in the silence. She’d wear the burn with pride. It was proof that she’d done something to help him. She had reached out and helped someone she cared about. That was enough.
“I found Shoto!” A voice yelled from above.
“He’s with Yaomomo,” Another voice came behind them.
“Way to go, class rep!”
“YOU BASTARD!!!" Bakugo, she realized. “You don’t just walk away from a fight!” Footsteps approached them, echoing in the narrow alleyway.
“Everyone was looking for you,” Yaoyorozu explained. “They were worried about you.”
“What about the exam?” he asked. A hint of guilt touched his eyes as the question was asked. Yaoyorozu smiled to herself.
“For us, Shoto Todoroki is far more important.”
~~~~~
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This was the very first sketch I ever did of Yaomomo's burn, which is kind of why it's in black and white because I didn't trust my coloring capabilities just yet 😛
So basically, to explain what was going on with Shoto, his quirk is kind of developing more. Quirks are like muscles; they can get stronger. So he'll basically be able to use his ice and fire with both sides, and not just his left and right. Don't know if that clarified anything, but it'll be explained later down the line, hopefully better than this. I hope you guys are enjoying the story 😊
