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It took Todoroki an embarrassing amount of time for the actual idea to form. Instead of hitting him all at once like lightning, it came to him in pieces, a part of the puzzle here and another there until it formed a picture. Once the idea was in his mind, he couldn’t let it go. There was something so perfect about it that it almost made him smile just thinking about it (which probably should’ve been when he knew that this was different). With the idea created, he realized what he had to do.
No, he knew what he
wanted
to do. He had spent his whole life living by what he had to do that he sometimes forgot that he could do things simply because he wanted to do them. There didn’t have to be some grand reason or life or death situation. If he wanted ice cream, he could get it. He didn’t have to wait to reward himself because he accomplished something in class, won a mock-battle, or defeated a villain. He could just do things.
Even if those things were extremely petty.
He didn’t say they had to always be good things or nice ideas.
The first piece of inspiration had actually come from Bakugou, who had been telling his friends a story about how he’d stuffed cotton balls in his ears so that his mom’s yelling was muffled. Then, after laughing, Ashido had added that she sometimes wore her headphones when she was on the train even when her iPod was dead so that guys wouldn’t talk to her. They were such small things that Todoroki couldn’t help but take note of upon overhearing them in the common area. Apparently, Bakugou’s mom had been so pissed upon finding the cotton balls that she had quit yelling and left the room, just as he’d wanted.
The second piece of the puzzle came from Momo. Blushing, she had told people that she’d upset her mother over the weekend by wearing purple to some fundraiser her parents’ were throwing instead of the assigned red and gold theme that were her family’s colors. It was such a dumb, little thing, but it had apparently infuriated her mom, who didn’t always agree with Momo’s decision to become a hero. She was very close with her parents, but they didn’t always get why she was so willing to put herself in danger all the time. They didn’t know her like their classmates did.
Still, the fact that Momo had done something so small to get back at her mom was...eye-opening. Whenever Todoroki had tried to get back at his father, it had usually been something on a much grander scale, such as refusing the fire half of his quirk for years or trying to become a hero with only the half of his quirk that he’d inherited from his mother. He had always been a “go big or go home” type of person. Maybe it came with the nature of his powerful quirk.
After coming to U.A., he had figured out that sometimes much more subtle jabs were more efficient, like the time he’d slurped his food during whenever his father had tried to talk. The shock and frustration on his face had been utterly priceless, but because Todoroki hadn’t done anything really, he couldn’t say much without looking like a total idiot.
The third and last piece seemed so random compared to the rest and it had taken him a day or two to piece them all together. On the rare occasion that they had a break, Todoroki had gone out with a group of his classmates (his friends) to blow off some steam at the mall. By the time they left to get something to eat before going back to the dorms, everyone had bought something - except for Uraraka. Her thriftiness was by now known to everyone. Even if she was saving money by no longer having to pay rent, she kept a very tight budget, a habit she couldn’t break.
When they stopped to eat at a restaurant, she’d hesitated and then ordered the cheapest meal. No one else had noticed it, but he certainly did, especially when he ordered what might’ve been the most expensive meal. He hadn’t done it intentionally - it was simply the best-sounding one on the menu - but he couldn’t miss the way she had stared almost dreamily at his food when everything arrived. When he had asked if she’d wanted a bite, she had blushed furiously and insisted that she was fine. She avoided him the rest of the night, embarrassed at having been caught. Being considered poor didn’t bother her, but she didn’t like to bother her friends with it.
A week later, with the plan in mind, Todoroki sat at the couches in the common area with his friends. They were supposed to be doing a study session for Present Mic’s exam, but to be honest, he wasn’t paying attention. Iida and Deku were the most involved, trying to help Ashido and Sero, both of whom were lamenting about the class. Their scores had begun to improve once they’d started doing these sessions, but the cost was high apparently. Todoroki had studied English as a kid with his mother, the only reason why it didn’t seem so difficult to him.
Uraraka sat on a large cozy chair with her textbook and notes in her lap, chewing on the end of a pen as she read through them. If she wasn’t careful, it was going to explode in her mouth like last time and get ink everywhere. She’d looked like she got into a fight with a giant squid and potentially lost. Not that she lost many fights these days. Now near the end of their second year, her technique with her quirk had grown into one of the strongest in the class. Just the other day, she had helped them win a mock-battle in their hero course. He wasn’t sure they would have won without her.
Once the session ended, everyone got up and started to head off to spend the little free time they had left before bed. Uraraka didn’t seem to notice everyone leaving, too absorbed in her notes, until Iida put a hand on her shoulder. Startled out of her reverie, she smacked him in the chest and he floated quickly to the ceiling. “Oh, I’m sorry!” She pressed her fingers together. “Release!” When Iida crashed onto the couch unceremoniously, she cringed and pressed a hand to her mouth. “Oops, should’ve given you a warning.”
“It’s quite alright,” Iida reassured her, adjusting his glasses as he pushed himself up. “I just wanted to make sure that you don’t stay up too late. Pulling all-nighters to study has been proven to be detrimental to scores.”
Uraraka smiled. “Okay, Dad, thanks. I won’t.”
Instead of getting upset over the teasing comment, Iida nodded his head and then walked away, his job done. That left only Todoroki, Uraraka, and Deku at the couches. While Uraraka went back to looking over her stuff, Deku was slowly gathering his things together, lost in thought about something. Todoroki glanced at him. Normally he didn’t mind if the other boy was around, but for some reason, the persistent feeling that he wanted Deku to be gone kept creeping on him.
He didn’t know why. It wasn’t like this was a big deal or anything.
After placing his mostly ignored notes in his backpack, Todoroki slung it over his shoulder and walked over to her. Scratching her head and sticking her tongue out as she wrote down a sentence, she didn’t look up. It wasn’t until he said, “Uraraka,” did she pause and glance up at him.
“Hey!” The smile from earlier reappeared on her face, the only difference was that it was less teasing. “You were quiet all night. Well, you’re pretty quiet normally, but not that quiet. You good?”
“I’m fine. Thank you for asking.” Todoroki gazed down at her. Now that he was here, he was having trouble actually saying what was on his mind. It didn’t help that Midoriya was still around, but it wasn’t like he could ask him to leave. Besides, it shouldn’t have been an issue. They were friends. He’d hung out plenty of times with just Momo or Midoriya and he and Uraraka had become better friends over the past year. So he might as well just say it. “Do you want to get dinner with me tomorrow?”
Uraraka turned bright red. “Eh?”
There, the question was out. He felt a lot better, even with her looking at him like he’d grown an extra head. She had a habit of looking down on herself and he knew that he tended to be distant, so maybe she’d thought that they weren’t actually that great of friends. They were. He simply had a difficult time showing it. He was trying to get better about it though.
“Do you want to get dinner with me tomorrow?” Todoroki repeated. Behind him, he heard Midoriya cough. It could’ve been for any reason. Maybe he was catching a cold. Whatever the case, Todoroki didn’t mind him as he stayed focused on Uraraka. “I’m kind of mad at my dad right now and figured I could spend some of his money”
“So you...want me to have dinner with you...to get back at Endeavor?” Uraraka asked slowly.
Todoroki shrugged his shoulders. “Essentially, yes, but the place I was thinking of has a dessert special that you’ve mentioned really liking.”
Uraraka’s eyes practically sparkled at the mention of dessert. She had an insatiable sweet tooth, somehow worse than Natsuo’s, one that she bemoaned on a frequent basis whenever she was trying to eat healthily. Maybe it was a low blow, mentioning the dessert since he knew how much she loved sweets, but then he had thought of her when he’d looked up the menu. He hadn’t been there in years, not since he’d been forced to attend business dinners with his father, but the food had always been exceptional and he didn’t think she’d ever been.
“You don’t have to go if you’re busy or uncomfortable,” Todoroki added for good measure.
“No, no! I’ll go!” Uraraka rushed to say, waving her hands in the air. “Um…” She put a finger under her chin. “What time?”
“How does seven sound?”
“That’s fine. It gives me time to get ready after my gymnastics training with Aizawa. Ugh.” Everyone was trying to build up their strengths in unique ways. If it seemed unusual, it probably helped in some unpredictable way. “Is there like a dress code or something? We’re just gonna get some food, right?”
“Yeah, wear whatever you feel comfortable in.” That was what he was going to do at least. He liked to think that he had a better style than, say, Midoriya, but he wasn’t overly concerned with fashion either. Besides, it wasn’t like he expected her to wear an evening gown or something like that.
“Okay.” Uraraka’s cheeks were still pink and the smile on her face was nervous for some reason, but she didn’t look bothered that he’d asked her to hang out. He had worried that he might come off as weird or annoying, but then she had always been very friendly and warm. “This will be fun!”
It would certainly be interesting. Todoroki nodded his head in agreement, bid her and Midoriya goodnight, and left for his dorm. Midoriya wore a bright, wide-eyed stare and it took him a beat to respond. He wasn’t sure why his friend looked so shocked, but it didn’t matter. Dwelling on it was pointless and he was tired. He had a lot to do tomorrow if he was going to slack off at night.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Todoroki spent the next day focused on his training. He had grown stronger and more capable using both sides of his quirk at the same time, but it was still draining. Instead of focusing on the overwhelming power of his quirk, he’d started to figure out how to use it in more subtle ways. It had proven more difficult than he’d expected, but the sole focus of his training for so long had been on strength. His training was also an excellent distraction. He didn’t even think about dinner until five o’clock rolled around, his stomach an even excellent reminder.
After showering and changing into black slacks and a casual, white button-up shirt, he meandered into the common area to do some light reading. A few of his other classmates were lounging in there as well. It was very rarely empty during the day on the weekends, at least one student occupying the space. None of them bothered him, which was fine with him. As he sat in a large chair, he held a book in one hand and twirled his father’s black credit card absentmindedly in between the fingers of his other.
His father had told him to use it if he thought it necessary. Besides essentials, the last thing he’d used it for had been on fixing up his dorm to his liking. To be honest, his old man hadn’t done anything awful, especially not when stacked up against the massive list of his past transgressions, but Todoroki was irritated just enough to want to do something to piss him off in return.
This was an entirely necessary expense.
“Oh, um- hey, Todoroki.”
Midoriya’s familiar voice cut through Todoroki’s attention on the book, making him lower it and turn his gaze on his friend. “I thought you were visiting your mom this weekend.”
“I did!” Midoriya responded cheerily. He was smiling, but it looked more anxious than anything. He’d gotten better about his anxiety over the past two years, but it seemed like it would always be a part of him. “I was just… Well, I was curious. You don’t have to say anything, of course. I’m not trying to pry. Okay, I guess I am.” Todoroki stared back at him and waited as he tried to gather his thoughts. He still had a habit of talking them out loud. “Are you...excited about tonight?”
Todoroki furrowed his brow. “Excited?”
“Yeah!” Midoriya said. “You know, about going out for dinner with Uraraka.”
“I suppose so,” Todoroki replied evenly. He didn’t think excited was the right word. He was looking forward to it. The food was excellent and Uraraka was always good company. She was cheerful and never seemed to mind filling in the gaps of his silence, like they were there for a reason. Besides, they were good friends, but it’d be nice to get to know her more since the two of them were close with Midoriya.
“Oh.” Midoriya scratched his head, but shrugged his shoulders. “Well, have fun!”
It wasn’t long after he left when Uraraka showed up. As soon as she spotted him, she froze, her cheeks pinker than normal, but then walked in his direction. The smile on her face looked anxious too. It made him want to frown, but he didn’t. He didn’t think he was as intimidating as he’d been before. Maybe he wasn’t the most open person in their class (and he never would be), but he had been trying not to shut people out as it tended to give them the wrong impression. Inasa had taught him that over a year ago.
“Hey there,” Uraraka greeted, all warm and sweet. She waved a hand at herself. “This okay?”
Todoroki slipped the card in his wallet and set his book aside to give her a brief lookover. She was wearing an outfit similar to her school uniform in a way: a modest black skirt, black tights, and brown boots with a thin, snug brown sweater to match. “You look perfect.”
Uraraka blushed even further and stammered out a, “Tha-thanks,” before hastily adding, “You look great too!”
At the couch where Kirishima and Bakugou were playing video games, Bakugou snorted and lightly scoffed, “Fuck, could you get anymore awkward?” without looking away from the television. Uraraka whipped her head around to shoot him a glare that he must’ve seen out of the corner of his eyes from the way he smirked.
“Ah, don’t mind him, Uraraka,” Kirishima said, pounding his friend on the back. “He’s just jealous.”
That did pull Bakugou’s attention away from the game as he indignantly responded, “I am not--”
“Go enjoy yourselves on this lovely evening!” Kirishima interrupted, somehow managing to wave at them even as Bakugou dropped his controller and moved to attack him.
Honestly, Todoroki didn’t know what all that was about, but he wasn’t going to ask either. Bakugou was sometimes hard to understand and then incredibly simple to read. Glancing back to Uraraka, Todoroki asked, “You ready?” and she nodded. He left the book at the table. It wasn’t like anyone was going to steal it and he wanted to read a little more after they got back from dinner.
They left without any fanfare, everyone distracted by Kirishima and Bakugou’s rough-housing. He had made sure to get permission to go off campus beforehand, so leaving wasn’t a problem. Uraraka did seem unusually quiet, but then she might still be tired from her extracurricular training. It was maybe a little uncomfortable, simply because of its strangeness, but he didn’t mind the silence. By the time they reached the train station, neither one of them had said much. He got the feeling that something was on Uraraka’s mind, but she was too distracted to notice that she wasn’t talking.
“Are you sure you wanted to come?” Todoroki asked. He wasn’t nervous about it. If she had said no or that she was busy, it wouldn’t have upset him. It wasn’t like she had to join him on this little, petty adventure. He supposed that it was an unusual and out of the blue request. Maybe she thought it was weird. She had a pretty loving and close relationship with her parents. He’d managed to rebuild his with his mother, but it wasn’t the same as hers. “If you had other plans, I would’ve understood.”
“Oh, no!” Uraraka jumped in to reassure him. “I wanted to come. I was just, um…” She rubbed the back of her head and chuckled. “I was surprised, is all - that you asked me to join you - for dinner, I mean.” They had never really hung out one-on-one before so that was understandable. They’d been paired up before in groups and sat next to each other while eating, but they had always had their other friends around them. “Were, ah, Deku, Momo, or Iida busy?”
“I don’t know,” Todoroki responded honestly. “I asked you first.”
Uraraka’s face did a funny thing, like she didn’t know whether to smile or look confused. In the end, she settled for neither, going with a pleasantly surprised expression. “Oh. Well - thank you.”
“It’s nothing.” Todoroki turned his attention to the map, taking note of which stop they would have to get off. It had been a while since he’d eaten at this particular restaurant, but he remembered where it was well enough. This was the area he’d grown up in, after all. “I didn’t want to eat by myself and I figured you would appreciate it the most.”
“I do like to eat,” Uraraka laughed.
“Besides, it’s a bit like a ‘thank you’ for what you did this week in class. We would’ve lost without you.”
“Nah, you would’ve pulled something out of the bag,” Uraraka insisted, waving a hand at him. “You’re way strong.”
Holding onto the handle over his head, Todoroki gazed down at her. “You’re a lot more incredible than you give yourself credit for. That win definitely belongs to you. Take it.”
After gaping up at him with her lips parted and her eyebrows raised for a few seconds, Uraraka wiped the slightly stunned look from her face, replacing it with a decidedly much more determined one, and nodded. There, that was better. He liked it when she was more confident in herself. He knew that he was strong, but it felt good to help other people see that in themselves. Maybe her quirk wasn’t as flashy as others, but it was hers and he knew that she was going to accomplish so much with it.
“So where are we going anyway?” Uraraka asked, her curiosity taking over. Just like that, any tension between them evaporated. Her grip on the pole she held to keep herself from falling loosened as she leaned against it.
“Just some place I used to go when I was younger,” Todoroki told her.
Uraraka waggled her eyebrows. “Oo, a surprise then. How exciting!”
A faint smile quirked at Todoroki’s lips in the face of her silliness. “I thought it’d be more fun.”
“Aw, I knew you were hiding a more playful side under that calm veneer,” Uraraka teased.
A few minutes later, their stop was called out and the train came to a stop. The two of them swayed with the other passengers, Todoroki bumping into her lightly despite his tight grip on the handle. He murmured an apology, but she pressed her lips together and shook her head. They waited for a few people to get off before pushing their way off the train. She followed him without question as they started to walk on the sidewalk.
“I’ve never been to this part of town before,” Uraraka admitted, looking at the tall buildings around them. “How much further?
“We’re almost there.” They walked another block, took a left, and then Todoroki pointed at the restaurant a block down. “That’s it.”
Uraraka’s jaw dropped. “Todoroki! You can’t be serious!” She spun on him, eyes blown wide with panic. To be honest, that was one of the last reactions he’d been expecting. Maybe shock or excitement, but not full-blown panic like she might start hyperventilating at any second. “You’re joking, right? We’re going somewhere else. You can’t possibly be taking me there.”
“Why not?” Todoroki didn’t see a problem. “I used to eat there like once a month when I was younger.”
“Because it’s incredibly expensive!” Uraraka burst, waving her hands frantically before pressing them against his chest and shoving him back around the corner. He was surprised by her action, but didn’t stop her, not even as she held him there. It was like she was embarrassed to be seen by the restaurant. “I’ve never even been to a one michelin star place. But two stars? Oh my god, Todoroki, this is insane. I’m so underdressed. I look practically homeless compared to their usual clients.”
She did not. It was an absolutely absurd statement and overreaction. “You look fine.”
Uraraka shook her head. “They won’t even let me in.”
“They’ll let you in,” Todoroki reassured her.
Biting her lip, Uraraka peered up at him. There was nothing slight about the anxiety on her face now. “How do you know?”
“Because you’re with me,” Todoroki said before taking one of her hands from his chest and pulling her back around the corner and toward the restaurant.
Maybe she believed him or she simply didn’t have it in her to fight him, too stunned to do anything but let him guide her to the front door. She made a quiet half whimper half groan sound when the doorman eyed them strangely but let them inside anyway. By the time they made it to the host stand, she was practically hiding behind him, using him as a shield even as she gawked at everything.
The maître d raised an eyebrow at them and politely said, “I believe you have the wrong establishment.”
“No, we don’t,” Todoroki responded evenly.
That politeness took a sharp turn, even as he smiled. “I’m afraid this is not a...teen friendly place. I can recommend somewhere more in your price range for a date.”
“I’m well aware of the prices.”
“Then you must also be aware you need a reservation in order to eat here.”
“Yes, hence why I made one yesterday.”
The maître d actually laughed. “You made one yesterday? It takes weeks to get in.”
“It should be under the name Todoroki.”
He went from laughing to pale and shocked in less than a second. As much as he hated the fact that his name was irrevocably tied to his father’s, Todoroki couldn’t deny that it came in handy sometimes. He very rarely used it, if ever, but he hadn’t even tried when making the reservation here. When he had called and asked if it was possible, even though he knew it was on such short notice, the person on the phone had practically tripped in trying to help him, even asking him if he had a specific table, server, or special that he wanted.
“I- I’m sorry. Yes, of course, here you are. Follow me, please.” The maître d was flushed as he shakily gathered two menus. He couldn’t even look Todoroki in the eyes, his own darting to the side whenever he tried. Behind Todoroki, Uraraka was gripping his shirt as they made their way through the restaurant to their table, but there was a much less nervous energy about her. She wasn’t acting like she had to hide from everyone.
“It’s fine, just a misunderstanding.” Todoroki didn’t particularly care about the mix-up. Two teens walking in here was a strange occurrence. Not many kids ate here. He’d been one of the very few to frequent here and only because he was with his father. None of his siblings had been here, as far as he knew. His mom had come once or twice, but that was it. He barely listened as the maître d explained the special, eyes flickering to Uraraka when she mumbled that she’d like a water when asked what she wanted to drink.
With that ordeal over, Uraraka picked up the menu and outright gaped. “This is insane.” She shook her head and set the menu down. “You can’t pay for this. I can’t let you do that. I’m not…” Her cheeks seemed to have taken a permanent red tinge, hiding her typical pink spots. “Todoroki, some of these meals are almost much as my rent.”
“Like I said, I’m not paying for this.” Todoroki pulled the black credit card out of his wallet and set it down on the white linen table. “My father is.”
Uraraka gawked at the card like it was some ancient artifact that might be cursed, but slowly, her expression began to mellow out. She was still staring at it when she asked, “So this is to just get back at your dad, right?”
“Yes, and to hang out with you.”
The smile on her face was strange, almost tremulous as she bit her lip and looked up at him, but then she nodded and picked up the menu again. From all the blushing she’d been doing, her face had to be as warm as his left side felt after using his quirk. “Okay.”
“Is it?” Todoroki asked, wanting to make sure that she truly was okay with this. Maybe he should have told her where he was taking her first, but it hadn’t seemed like a big deal to him, not when the whole plan was to spend a boat load of his father’s money anyway.
“Well, I mean, I am super hungry and we’re sitting down already,” Uraraka joked. He opened his mouth, but then she jumped in to continue before he could say anything, “It’s not like I’m ever going to get this chance again. Thank you for asking to help you with this. If this is you being passive aggressive, I could get used to it.”
“We can go somewhere else next week then,” Todoroki suggested, a restaurant down the street coming to mind. Or maybe they could go to the mall. She hadn’t bought anything there when they had all gone last time, even though he’d seen her eyeing a dress forlornly after trying it on.
Uraraka laughed and teased, “Slow down there, cowboy. We haven’t even ordered from here yet.”
Once their server appeared with their drinks, Todoroki ordered a few aperitifs. Uraraka had giggled over the fancy word for appetizers, which had made their server raise her eyebrow, but she hadn’t hesitated over the price at least. It was the meal that he was more concerned about. When he’d asked her what she was thinking about getting, she brought up the least expensive meal on there, which admittedly was still far out of her normal price range.
“Ignore the prices,” Todoroki told her and she sighed. It was easier said than done. “Think of it this way: the more money you spend, the happier I’ll be.”
“When you put it that…” Uraraka mumbled, hiding behind the menu again.
With the arrival of their aperitifs, all of which Uraraka nearly drooled over, they ordered their main courses. Well, Uraraka was stuck choosing between three different meals, so Todoroki just ordered all three. Problem solved. Both the server and Uraraka had gawked at him, but the server said nothing as Uraraka sputtered incoherently. It wasn’t that big of a deal. His father might blow a gasket after he got his company credit card bill at the end of the month, but just seeing the way Uraraka’s eyes lit up after trying the food made it worth it.
“Is it good?” Todoroki asked.
“Good?” Uraraka repeated with a mouthful of food. She swallowed. “I’m pretty sure this is what they serve in heaven. Did I die in our last hero class? Are you an angel?”
“I don’t think so,” Todoroki told her, a faint but amused smile appearing on his face.
“Honestly, you’re my hero,” Uraraka told him before she tried something different. He knew it was a joke, but she sounded so earnest that it almost made
him
blush. He didn’t know how to react to that, but her pure joy was infectious and it wasn’t long before he was happily eating the food as well.
By the time the plates were empty and cleared, she’d stopped paying attention to anyone staring at them, be it rudely or subtlety. The conversation flowed effortlessly throughout the entire dinner. As usual, Uraraka carried it for the most part, her friendly nature overpowering his reticent one, but when she asked him questions, he responded without hesitation, even asking a few of his own.
He explained to her how he knew this restaurant and why he’d picked it, but he also told her about why he was angry with his father and wanted to get back at him. She was sympathetic, but didn’t pry when it was obvious that he was leaving some details out of the story. Some of the others in their class might be pushy, but Uraraka seemed content with whatever he decided to tell her. She was easy to talk with, her brown eyes warm with understanding but her words never too presumptuous. It helped that she was so happy and excited. When their food arrived, she insisted on sharing everything so they could enjoy it all.
“Don’t forget about dessert,” he reminded.
Uraraka gave him a mock-offended look, laying a hand over her heart, and told him in a very serious tone, “Todoroki, I never forget about dessert.”
The food was as incredible as he remembered, if not more. Perhaps the different company made it better. Uraraka was a much more pleasant person to eat dinner with than his father or his agency sidekicks. Her laugh was warmer than the food sitting in his belly, her smiles brighter than the crystal glasses they drank from. Somehow, by the end of the meal, their chairs had scooted closer together as they picked their way through the food. Whatever they didn’t finish, they could take back to the dorms. Uraraka was a waste-not type. She was already excited about leftovers, which he found silly since they hadn’t even finished eating yet.
Before he could even order the dessert, however, their server appeared at their table and set it down in front of them, proclaiming, “Compliments of the chef.”
Todoroki shook his head. “I can’t take this for free. Put it on the ticket.”
“He insists,” the server said.
“I insist more,” Todoroki countered in a cool tone. “I want to pay for the hard work you all have done in making this an enjoyable experience for us.”
When the server left, admittedly awkward, Uraraka burst into muffled laughter, hiding her face on his shoulder so that no one else in the restaurant would see. “You’re not even paying for this.”
“I’m not going to use my father to take advantage of this establishment,” Todoroki pointed out. She laughed even harder and he managed a little grin.
When the two of them dug into the dessert, it was just as Todoroki expected. Not only was it delicious, but Uraraka nearly melted into a puddle when she took the first bite. If they hadn’t been in such a fancy place, she probably would’ve moaned a little from how much she loved it, but she promised that she would contain herself. Instead of shoveling it in their mouths, they ate the dessert slowly, savoring every bite until finally the plate was empty.
Having eaten a ridiculous amount of food, the two of them slumped in their seats and rested their arms over their stomachs. Todoroki couldn’t remember ever eating so much all at once in his life. His father had kept him on a strict diet growing up so that he was in tip top shape. The food here was so rich though and not just price-wise. Uraraka wore the most content expression he’d ever seen, eyes closed with a pink face and her lips tilted up in a dazed smile, resting her head against his arm. He had the strange urge to wrap his arm around her, but he kept still and soaked in the warmth of the physical contact.
“Todoroki?”
“Hm?”
“I said it before, but… Thank you. This has been one of the best moments of my life.”
He glanced down at her at a loss of what to say. She didn’t seem to mind his sudden movement, still leaning against him. A powerful warm feeling surged inside of him, almost like an adrenaline rush. Indeed, she looked incredibly pleased. She was a happy person, but the fact that he’d done something that made her this happy struck him as special. It was different than complimenting someone or saving them. It was kind of addicting if he was honest. Could he do it again? Could he repeat this feeling for others? For her? For him?
Would she go out to dinner with him again if he asked her?
“I’ll take the check, please,” Todoroki told the server when she came to clear the very empty plate. Uraraka jumped when she realized that they weren’t alone, scooting away from him and clearing her throat. Before she could look at the check, which he knew she would try to do, he plucked it from the server and slid the black credit card inside without even looking at the total. Endeavor’s pro hero agency could cover this expense. He owed it to his youngest son and more.
Upon getting the receipt back, he made sure to edge away so that Uraraka couldn’t see it. He had a feeling that she had calculated the total in her head anyway, judging from the way she was chewing on her nails. After making sure to put down a ridiculous tip, he waited for the server to come by before handing the black book. He knew how badly she wanted to look at the ticket, but he wouldn’t let her. It wasn’t about that.
Okay, that was kind of a lie. It
had
started out as spending a shit ton of his father’s money, but it turned into something more. It wasn’t just about blowing money; it was about making Uraraka smile too.
Standing up from the table, he helped pull her chair back and held out a hand to help her out of the chair, even though she didn’t really need it. After all, it was the polite thing to do, especially in an establishment like this. She didn’t blush or flail about in embarrassment. Maybe he should’ve noticed that neither one of them let go of each other’s hands, but it simply slipped his mind, the feel of her small hand and padded fingers in his almost natural.
Their server swung by one more time to thank them, tears in her eyes, and the maître d apologized once more and bid them a goodnight on their way out. This time, Uraraka wasn’t hiding. She waved pleasantly to all the employees, thanking them and asking if they could tell the kitchen what an amazing job they did. Even though they’d been scoffed at, she wasn’t insulted at all and was still friendly. She was a good person like that.
It made him feel warm in a pleasant way, not the kind he felt if he overused the fire side of his quirk, to the point where the cool early spring air barely bothered him. Still, he made sure to switch their leftovers to his other hand so Uraraka was walking at his left. He reached down to grab her hand again and pulled her in close so she could stay warm. The sweater and leggings provided her warmth, but it was easier to gently use his quirk. With the sun having set, it had gotten dramatically colder. She smiled up at him and leaned in, like it was entirely normal for him to allow people this close to him on a regular basis. It wasn’t, but he found that he didn’t mind.
His heart content, mind settled, and stomach full, Todoroki couldn’t find much to complain about. He’d made the right decision when he had invited her. His father would get pissed. Uraraka got a great meal. He was able to strengthen their relationship. It was the best use of his free time by far. He could get used to this feeling. Hopefully she would want to do something like this again. He wouldn’t mind spending more time with her. It was...nice, very nice indeed.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
There wasn’t a huge change between them after the dinner, but Todoroki did notice the shift. Back in his first year, he might not have paid attention or even cared, but he could recognize the difference in his behavior when his eyes would drift to Uraraka in the room. It wasn’t that they were around each other more often. No, it was more like he noticed her more or maybe he found himself next to her more.
When they caught eyes with each other across the room and Uraraka shyly smiled at him, warmth would spread through him without even using his quirk. When he did a study session with her, Midoriya, and Iida, he would sit next to her, their heads coming close as they worked out problems together. Nothing really changed. They were more familiar with each other and he was more prone to talking to her now, but honestly, it didn’t feel different. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been there before.
He didn’t know what it was. All he knew was that it was
more
and he didn’t mind it at all.
“Hey,” Midoriya said as he wiped his face off with a hand towel, “so, uh, I forgot to ask you how your dinner with Uraraka went last week.”
“Did you ask Uraraka?” Todoroki asked, picking up his water bottle and opening the top.
Midoriya smiled. “I did. She said that she had a lot of fun.”
“There’s your answer then,” Todoroki replied before taking a large gulp of water.
One of the best parts about living with his classmates was that they could work out and train together. It had always been such a solitary thing he hated before and did out of necessity. When he’d decided to stop using his fire quirk, he worked overtime to make sure the ice half of his quirk was as strong as a whole quirk, if not more. Everything had been in spite and anger. It was better now. He liked training with others. It forced him to look at his quirk and himself in a different way. Plus, it honestly wasn’t bad having someone to talk to during it.
“Well, I know what she thought about it,” Midoriya said with a chuckle, used to his straightforward behavior. “I was asking about you - how do you think dinner went.”
Todoroki pushed the top back down as he considered Midoriya’s words. How did he think dinner went? He’d had a lot of fun too. Uraraka had been pleasant, funny, and kind. She had been a little silly over the money thing, but then he knew she felt guilty whenever she went over her planned budget. He had done more than that. Blowing money like that went against her very nature. It had been fun though.
He had felt good afterward, so much so he hadn’t wanted it to end. It wasn’t often that he didn’t want to stop hanging out with someone. Normally he needed time to recharge after a night like that, but parting with her had left him kind of bereft. Still content though.
“It was a really good night,” Todoroki decided on saying. “I had a lot of fun with Uraraka. I was really frustrated with my dad, but she cheered me up.”
Midoriya looked more than pleased with that answer, but there was still a curious gleam in his eyes. “So are you planning on doing it again?”
Todoroki shrugged his shoulders. “If she wants to. I wouldn’t mind.” He tossed his water bottle back onto his gym bag. “It was nice spending one-on-one time with her. I don’t know why we never did before.”
For some reason, Midoriya looked like he wanted to laugh, biting his lip to stop himself, although it didn’t stop the grin from appearing on his face. “I’m glad you were able to do it. I could kinda tell you were in a down mood, but I didn’t want to intrude.”
“Really?” Todoroki asked. He hadn’t been aware he had been obvious about his disgruntlement with his father. He used to be a lot better about hiding how he felt. Maybe others were getting better at reading him.
“But you’ve seemed a lot better this week!” Midoriya continued cheerily. “And you made Uraraka’s week. I heard her gushing about the place to Mina.” He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Who knew the way to her heart was through her stomach?”
“Well, she likes to eat, but she always spends so frugally,” Todoroki pointed out. Midoriya didn’t hold back a laugh at that comment. He might’ve hit the nail on the head with that one. They were all familiar with her thrifty ways, some of which had caught him off guard when he’d first heard her talk about it.
“I remember when she joked about how she didn’t always eat dinner when she lived on her own before moving into the dorms. I don’t think it was entirely a joke. I thought she might enjoy it and I wanted to spend time with her.”
Midoriya dropped his towel on the bench. “I don’t think she’d be opposed to doing something like that again.”
“You think so?” There was a new restaurant they could try. It had popped up a few weeks ago. Momo had taken Jirou there on the opening night so she could introduce Jirou to her parents.
“Oh yeah, but don’t tell her I said that,” Midoriya said, nodding his head. “Although I think you spending so much money on her stressed her out, so maybe don’t blow so much?”
Uraraka
had
panicked about that more than once. He didn’t have to go all out the next time they hung out. After all, the main goal wouldn’t be to piss off his father then. He’d already dropped a boat load of money, so that had been accomplished. Maybe they could do something smaller, like go to the movies or ice skating. Those were cheaper and he knew she enjoyed both. They could do something that she wanted.
“You’re right,” Todoroki agreed. “I was so focused on myself that I didn’t fully consider her feelings.”
“Nah, no need to be so harsh on yourself,” Midoriya dismissed. “Like I said, she had a fun time. You might’ve caught her off guard, but you didn’t upset her.”
“Good, because that wasn’t my intention at all,” Todoroki said. “Uraraka is a good friend.”
Midoriya gave him an amused look, but said, “You’re absolutely right,” and then walked back over to the center of the mat. He got back into a fighting stance. “Rested up enough?”
It was a lot nicer to train with someone else. For so long, it had just been himself or his father. Training had been grueling before. While it wasn’t a walk in the park now, Todoroki didn’t mind it nearly as much. He didn’t train in anger. He could actually focus on himself. It wasn’t just about becoming the best. It was about becoming better, which somehow felt different but good. Still, as Todoroki returned to the mat, his thoughts drifted to Uraraka. He was really pleased she’d had fun. It made him feel like he wasn’t making up things in his head.
*
It wasn’t until after he and Midoriya had finished up at the gym and he’d taken a shower did Todoroki realize he had a message on his cell. He saw it blinking, but didn’t bother checking it as he toweled his hair dry. Only when he returned to Heights Alliance and dropped his stuff off in his dorm did he check it, immediately halting and staring down at his cell when he saw his father’s name. After unlocking his phone, he pressed on the text to open it.
The message was quite simple:
Shouto, we need to talk.
Todoroki considered the text, then locked his phone and slid it into his pocket. They could talk later. He wanted to read to cool down before going to bed. He’d known that this call would come today when his father’s debit card statement came in the mail, but he didn’t feel like dealing with it right now. He was still in a good mood from the week and wanted to keep it going.
By the time he reached the common area, his phone had buzzed twice in his pocket, which made him consider putting it on silent. Maybe he should’ve just left it in his dorm room. He sat down in his usual chair, set his phone aside, and started to read.
Most people would be tempted to check the messages, but it wasn’t like he didn’t know who they were from or what they were about. As much as his father made being the number one hero and owning one of the largest pro hero agencies, the amount of money Todoroki had dropped on that dinner had been enough to raise eyebrows, maybe more. He didn’t care. His father could get mad all he wanted. It wouldn’t phase him one bit, especially when he thought about the way Uraraka’s eyes at had lit up that night.
So absorbed in his reading, Todoroki didn’t notice when other people entered the room or the way his phone began to buzz repeatedly as a call came in. However, when a tentative voice asked, “Um, are you going to answer that?” he looked up and spotted Uraraka standing at the couches, hugging a textbook and a jumble of notes against her chest and wearing a slightly anxious expression.
“Hm?” Todoroki glanced at his phone right as it stopped ringing. “No.” Uraraka raised an eyebrow. “It’s my father.”
“Oh.” Uraraka bit her lip, her brow furrowing even further as she stared at the cell. Even from a few feet away, he could feel the anxiety radiating from her. Slowly, she lowered herself down onto the couch and set her stuff down, spreading out her notes and opening the book up to a study guide. “Any particular reason you’re ignoring him?”
Todoroki shook his head. “Nothing happened.” She immediately relaxed, her shoulders easing down and tension bleeding out of her body. A little smile even appeared on her face. “He probably got his bank statement.”
Uraraka’s cheeks reddened. “Oh!” She fiddled with her hands in her lap. “Do you think he’s mad?”
“Probably.” Todoroki certainly hoped so. That had been the point in the beginning.
“You’re seriously not worried at all?” Uraraka asked, peering at him carefully.
“No.” Todoroki had seen his father truly angry - had been at the other end of that rage more than a few times. This was nothing. Even better, Todoroki knew that he couldn’t do anything. He could get mad at him for his behavior, throw a fit of the ridiculous spending, or have a conniption. There was nothing he could do that would make Todoroki afraid or wary of doing something like that again.
Uraraka pressed her hands against her cheeks and admitted, “I kinda am! He’s the number one hero and he’s really intimidating.” She laughed nervously. “I mean, I know he’s not going to come up here and yell at me or accuse me of being a golddigger or something.” A
what
? Todoroki almost choked on his tongue. “I don’t know why I’m worried about him being mad at me, to be honest. He’s an ass. Maybe I’m worried he’ll think I influenced or used you some way. I don’t know!”
Todoroki couldn’t help but smile faintly at her rambling, but also the way she casually called his dad an ass. It was true, but hearing other people say it always made him feel good. “You don’t need to worry about him.”
His phone began to ring again, dragging their attention back to it.
“Maybe you should answer it,” Uraraka said. “That way he’ll at least stop calling.”
She had a point.
Before the call could end again, Todoroki picked up his phone and answered it without checking the caller ID. “Yes?”
His father immediately started in, very obviously irritable: “Where have you been? I’ve been calling-”
“I was busy,” Todoroki interrupted flatly.
“Busy?”
“Yes, with school,” Todoroki continued, a hint of a sharp edge in his tone. “You know, the thing I’m in so I can become a hero.”
He hadn’t been busy. Earlier he had been, but right now, he was reading for pleasure. His father didn’t need to know that - he didn’t need to know anything about his life, as far as he was concerned - but bringing up U.A. and his goals to become a hero were two quick ways to shut him up quickly. Todoroki wanted to end this conversation as fast as possible. There were about a hundred other things he’d rather do than talk to his old man.
“You certainly weren’t busy with school last Saturday night,” his father pointed out.
Ah, there was the shoe dropping. “No, I went out.”
“I saw,” his father continued stiffly. “I got the bank statement.” He was so frustrated in his attempt to goad Todoroki into talking about Saturday, but he wasn’t going to do it. “That was a lot of food for one person. I hope you didn’t waste food.”
“Mm.” Todoroki’s eyes flickered to Uraraka, who was watching him with a guarded expression. He didn’t want to say that she looked afraid, but he wasn’t used to seeing her try to hide how she felt. “I took someone out.”
“Who?”
“A friend.”
“Who?”
Todoroki fought the urge to snort. “I’m sure you can just call the restaurant and find out yourself. I know they’ll be more than happy to tell you who I took since you need to know everything.”
His father sighed. “I thought I told you to use that card for necessary expenses only.”
“It was very necessary.”
“Taking some girl out for an outrageously expensive dinner is not-”
“Who says it was a girl?” Todoroki countered.
For a moment, there was silence on the other end until his father prompted, “Was it a boy?”
Todoroki huffed out a begrudging, “No.” He knew full well he wasn’t truly aggravated over his father’s assumptions about his life. He didn’t like getting the third degree about every little detail. It wasn’t his life. Todoroki could do as he pleased. Okay, it was his money, but his father should’ve considered that before being, as Uraraka said, an ass.
“Then who-?”
“Someone important, okay?” Todoroki cut in sharply. He glanced at Uraraka again. Her cheeks slowly began to turn pink again, but she didn’t look away. She looked more concerned than anything, probably noting the way he was becoming irritated. He just wanted this conversation to end. He didn’t owe his father any answers. “She’s someone very important to me. That’s all you need to know.”
“Someone important enough you thought it necessary to spend an inordinate amount of money on,” his father concluded.
“Yes,” Todoroki ground out.
Silence fell between them. Even if he couldn’t see him, Todoroki could picture his father thinking over their brief argument. It wasn’t really that bad of a fight. He could see Uraraka fiddling with her fingers again as she tried to busy herself with her homework, but he knew she wasn’t focused on it. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and relaxed his muscles. He was getting worked up for no reason. His father wasn’t trying to say that Uraraka wasn’t important. His irritation didn’t have anything to do with who he had taken out for dinner. It was with him.
“Was this about our discussion last week?” his father finally asked.
“What do you think?” Todoroki replied flatly.
“I suppose…” His father let out a breath. Prone to being hot-headed and jumping into arguments, he was trying to calm down as well. Sometimes, it pissed Todoroki off how much they mirrored each other at times. He didn’t want to be anything like him - and yet… Endeavor
was
the number one hero and his father. “This is your life.”
Todoroki sank back in the chair. “Yeah.”
“You’re free to make your own decisions,” his father said, “including who you see.”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Try not to spend so much money the next time you take her out on a date, will you?”
Todoroki froze. A date? His gaze went back to Uraraka for a third time. Having seen him relax and deciding he was okay, Uraraka had started to dig into her homework in earnest. Had she thought it was a date? Had it been a date? He didn’t think she did, but then again, it did explain a few things. Midoriya’s questions, Momo’s excitement, and Bakugou’s irritation with him. Uraraka hadn’t changed her behavior with him.
“Shouto?”
“Hm?” Todoroki blinked, seemingly realizing he was still on the phone with his father. “Yeah, yeah, got it. I’ll be more aware of my spending habits. I’ve got to go.”
Without waiting for a response or to even find out if he’d answered the right question, Todoroki hung up the phone and set it aside. It must have been abrupt because it caught Uraraka’s attention and she looked over at him again. “Everything alright?”
He meant to tell her yes - he meant to nod - he meant to do or say something that would reassure her. Instead, Todoroki stared at her intently and asked, “Did you think I asked you out on a date?”
Uraraka blinked and sat up straight, clearly taken aback. “Um…” She began to nervously twirl a strand of her hair around a finger. “No? Well, the place was so fancy that I was worried it might be, but then you said it was basically to piss your dad off, so I thought...it was maybe...as friends...”
“Did you want it to be a date?” Todoroki asked.
“I…” Uraraka blushed. “That’s a strange thing to ask.”
Todoroki frowned. “I suppose it is.”
Now that he thought back on that evening, it kind of had been like a date. They’d gotten dressed up. He had taken her to a very nice restaurant. He paid for her. They split a dessert. She had rested her head on his arm when they were both so full. They had even… Well, it had been to help keep her warm since the temperature had dropped drastically, but they had held hands. It had been nice. Physical affection was something he was slowly getting used to more these days, but he hadn’t minded it at all. It had felt natural. It felt nice - really nice.
Uraraka clicked her pen repeatedly. “Did you…?” She shook her head and set her pen down, pulling her finger out of her hair. “It was fun. I had fun - hanging out with you, I mean.”
“Do you want to go out next Saturday?” Todoroki asked her. “We can do whatever you want.” Uraraka’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but then he cut in quickly, “Don’t feel pressured to say yes.”
“No, I-” Uraraka cut herself off and Todoroki fell back, disappointment echoing in his chest. “I mean, yes, I do. I don’t feel pressured.” As quickly as it came, the feeling went away, replaced by something good and hopeful. It made him wary, but he felt like he could trust it. She smiled nervously at him. “As friends or…?”
“A date,” Todoroki said decisively. “A proper one.”
Uraraka giggled. “Pretty sure that last one, if it was a date, was the fanciest date I will ever go on.”
“I’m sure I have room to improve,” Todoroki pointed out. “That was only the first one.”
She shook her head. “So determined.”
When he knew what he wanted? Todoroki smiled back at her. Most definitely.