Balanced Out // TodoDeku (On Hold Until My Writer's Block Swallows a Toaster)

A Day For Me (Todoroki's POV)

My eyes are open. I have a gentle headache. Midoriya's gone. There's a knock on my door.

"Todoroki! Todoroki, open up!" I hear a familiar voice call to me from behind the door. I do as they ask and see Asui standing before.

"Hello. Can I help you?" I ask, looking down at her.

"Toru and I wanted to take a walk with you. Is that okay?" she tells me. "We figured since we don't know you that well, we may as well get to know you better. It may help us work together better in future when we're pros. What do you think?"

"Um...that...I guess that sounds like a good idea. Sure." I say, looking off into the space behind her. Hagakure is standing there as well. "Are we going anywhere specific?"

"Not really, but Tsu was talking about maybe going to this new restaurant across from her place that opened up. Does that sound good to you?" Hagakure explains excitedly.

"Mm...sure. That sounds fine." Something about this arrangement is off-putting. I ignore that nonetheless and follow them outside after getting ready. We head out. Hagakure tries striking up small talk with me.

"So, Todoroki...what do you do all day when we're out of school? I always see you leaving your dorm room in the mornings, but you don't usually come back until late, why is that?" she asks, walking backward in front of me.

"You're...observant. I...just...take that time to get away from here, I guess," I reply, tilting my head down and placing a hand on the back of my neck.

"But where do you go? Like...you're definitely gone a while," she presses, giddily bouncing and twirling.

"I go to hang out with a friend or visit family. That's...pretty much it."

"Where really is there to go to hang out during the school year?"

"Places that involve a walking distance from campus."

"Toru, you should probably stop pressing him. We need to build a positive relationship if we want to become closer friends, right?" Asui tell her, placing one finger on her own face, just off to the side of her lower lip.

"Yeah, true. Sorry..." Hagakure pouts.

"It's fine..." I respond, closing my eyes for a few seconds.

We walk with Hagakure's occasional attempt at conversation. She asks a lot of questions about my siblings and a lot about Midoriya for some reason. Not that it bothers me or anything.

"So...what's it like being the Number #1 Hero's kid? Is it awesome or what?" she asks, putting her hands behind her head. Since she's wearing a lot of clothing due to her style for casual clothing, it's easier to know what she's doing.

I flinch. I knew I'd run into a question like that at one point so I'd already prepared an answer for it.

"It's...complicated, to say the least," I reply without looking at her.

"Complicated? How so?"

"Toru." Asui glares at her.

"Sorry, sorry..."

"I'd rather not talk about him today."

Definitely not today.

"Awww, bummer. Oh, look! We're here!" she shouts, pointing to the restaurant gleefully.

"Oh. I suppose we are. Come on, Todoroki," Asui says, looking back at me. She looks me up and down and keeps a blank facial expression.

"Coming," I mutter, walking a little faster.

We enter and take our seat at a booth, Asui sitting directly beside me and Hagakure across from us.

We order and talk to each other for a bit while we wait. While Asui's showing me pictures of her siblings, I catch a glimpse of a familiar dark purple through the corner of my eye.

"Kyoka! Kyoka, hi!" Hagakure exclaims, waving to Jirou.

"Hm?" Jirou lifts her stare from the ground. "Oh. Hey, guys. What're you doing here?"

"We were just hanging out here, what about you?" Asui explains.

"I like this place, I come here every Saturday. I have since it opened," she tells her.

"Didn't it open a month ago?" I ask, cocking my head.

"Yeah, but I've already made it a habit," she laughs.

I grunt in acknowledgement and lay my forehead on the table.

"Come over here!" Hagakure exclaims, gesturing for her to approach us.

"Yeah, come join us, Kyoka," Asui adds.

I just look at her, waiting for her to walk up to us.

"I...okay...." she agrees, fiddling with her earphone jacks. She sits beside Hagakure and waves shyly.

"How are you?" Asui asks her.

"I'm fine," she replies, making eye contact with me. "Are you alright? You look tired, Todoroki,"

"I suppose I'm a little drained, but I have enough energy to function, so that should last for a while," I tell her without lifting my head.

Jirou smiles, but it looks odd. I pay no mind to that though.

Our food arrives and Jirou orders. Asui is constantly checking her phone.

"So, what's the update?" Hagakure whispers, not as quietly as she'd hoped.

"Just a few more to put up and they'll be ready for us to return," Asui murmurs back.

I grunt and begin to eat what was given to me.

We all finish our food within a matter of 20 minutes, say our farewells to Jirou, and head out.

"That was soooo good! What'd you guys think?" Hagakure remarks energetically.

"Yeah, that was unexpectedly tasty," Asui replies.

"I guess it was better than what I'm used to," I say, not wanting to sound ungrateful for what we're given at the school.

"Right? Anyway, it was really nice getting to talk to you guys!" Hagakure enthusiastically tells us.

"Yeah, this was a fair idea," I say.

We arrive back at the dormitory building.

They race each other inside while I casually enter after them.

All the lights are out so I can't see anything in the common space. I feel out the wall for the light switch so I can see. I find and flip it.

"Happy Birthday, Todoroki!" A crowd of my classmates shout in front of me. The common space is decorated with very colourful decorations dedicated to the theme of a birthday.

Bakugou, Kaminari, Uraraka, Ida, Asui, Hagakure, and Ashido are standing in a row. Midoriya is standing front and centre, smiling at me. I gaze around at everybody, confused.

"Ah...thank you...what is going on right now?" I ask, glancing around the room a few more times.

"Well, um...you're 17 now, so...we threw you a party," Midoriya responds. "You know, to celebrate!"

"I don't usually...celebrate...my birthday..." I tell him. "But..." His eyes look expectant now. He's smiling still, but it's weaker.

"But?" Ashido repeats.

"I...think this may be a nice change..." I finish with a small smile.

"I made you some Taiyaki as well," Midoriya tells me, pulling out a tray of golden brown Taiyaki pastries, one with a lit candle in the form of the number 17 place in the centre of it. "I couldn't find any azuki beans at the store earlier so I just filled them with custard." He laughs a little. I hate how much I love his laugh sometimes.

He holds the tray out for me to take one.

I take the one with the candle and whisper something random to it before blowing it out.

"You're all I want...so let me have you..."