Suicidal Todoroki x Midoriya | What it Means to Love

8 | "My love for you is not a lie"

Izuku Midoriya

By the time I step out of the pool, dripping with water like a wet dog, my skin looks a bit soft and wrinkly. I fetch a towel from the stack Yaoyorozu brought outside with her and start to mop up the excess water breaking off of me and slapping the hard patio like nails. It's fairly cold outside, but the adjustable temperature of the pool was set to keep all of us warm. Now that I'm standing wet and practically half-naked in the cold night air, I shiver violently and walk over to Todoroki, who's slumped over a table.

That position looks really uncomfortable, Shoto, I think as I step closer to him and see that his eyes are open, staring vacantly at the swirling squiggles of white and blue being cast along the ground from the water and light. He looks up at me and sits up into a stiff, perfect posture.

"Come here," he tells me with his alluring voice. I nod, and as I do he stands up and takes a step to my left. I'm not quite sure what he's doing, but I stand in place as he closes in the gap between us and wraps his left arm around my neck.

At first, I'm astonished because Todoroki is hugging me, but I'm double astonished when I feel a soothing heat permeate the air and penetrate my shivering body. I'm not being burnt alive and scorched by thousand-degree flames, but instead, I'm treated to a delightful hug that spreads an even warmth throughout my entire body. I feel completely relaxed and at ease in Todoroki's arms, which Todoroki positively reacts to.

"You're cute when you drop your guard around me," Todoroki teases me, somehow knowing all the right buttons to press to get me to blush. "I love the way you cling to me," he whispers, and although his words seem sincere, the way he says them seems less genuine.

Cuddled up in a towel and slowly being dried by warmth alone, I smile and hug Todoroki like a koala. "St-Stop... Shoto, w-what if they hear us?" I peer out over to the pool and see that Kaminari is giving us a coy smirk.

"Is Shosho your portable radiator?" Kaminari chuckles, drawing in the attention of the others to us. "Hey, Baku! Can you do the same thing with your quirk?" He looks at Kacchan.

Kacchan shakes his head. "Not unless you wanna be exploded like a balloon," he spits, crossing his arms. "Don't you two dare think for a damn second—"

As if their minds are perfectly in sync, both Kirishima and Kaminari cling to Kacchan until he starts to sink from their weight being added on top of him.

Yaoyorozu shakes her head while Iida scolds the two for potentially drowning Kacchan, even though Kacchan himself nearly drowned Todoroki.

"I'd say this is enough water for one night," Yaoyorozu sighs, climbing out of the pool. "I'd never forgive myself if any of you were seriously injured from my lack of responsibility as your class rep." She plucks a towel from the neatly folded pile of them and rolls it out, almost like a carpet.

Todoroki catches a glance at Yaoyorozu from behind me. "Yaoyorozu," he calls out, immediately captivating her attention. "I suggest you refrain from creating such high stakes for yourself if you're going to think like that. One of your votes for class representative was from me." I didn't know Shoto could console others! H-He's really trying to change. Still, even when he acts kindly like this, he just looks...sad.

Blushing in a hot red, Yaoyorozu steers her attention to the ground. "You voted for me? I feel so honored, Shoto! Th-Thanks so much." She plays with a strand of her long, wet black hair that's clinging to her shoulder.

Once we've all dried off and changed into our comfortable clothes and pajamas, Yaoyorozu guides us to the large area where we'll be sleeping. The room is practically void of all objects and furniture, save for a chandelier dangling from the ceiling, a sofa, coffee table, and a massive flatscreen TV mounted on the wall.