#(oh and little thing is the green mix color in Honest’s eyes are his heterochromia)

[2001blue]

Almost forgot Mayor Honest's secret... Him & Horus ... The potential for being bestiez ✨️... AND my personal HC that Honest even gives his gold election cane to the mummy for their walking disability... It has a sword inside... I was so righttt

I drew them as little MySims… 🤗 SO CUTE

[i-d-k-man]

If I’m Being Honest

[Tododeku, BNHA]

A03 Link

2.  No, you hang up~!

It took two flights of stairs for Todoroki’s own post-workout stench to pierce through the cloud of mild panic surrounding his brain.

It took the next flight of stairs for Todoroki to decide that he didn't give a single shit, and that his one and only goal at this point was to retreat to safety of his room so he could think.

On the fourth flight of stairs, Todoroki finished the last of his water, throat clogged like a BP pipeline as embarrassment over his incident with Midoriya resurfaced.  He screwed the cap of his bottle back on clumsily.  Just focus on getting back.  

Only the fifth flight of stairs remained between Todoroki and victory when it was cruelly yanked out from under him, in the form of three chattering figures entering the stairwell.

“- only has a shelf life of like a week, but he still ate the whole bottle!  Oh, hey, Todoroki!”  Ashido greeted enthusiastically.

Right behind Ashido, Uraraka waved with a friendly smile.  Tokoyami, somewhat unexpectedly, rounded out the trio, nodding cooly at Todoroki.

“What incident has befallen your face, Todoroki?”

“...Hello, Tokoyami.  And I got punched during training today.  Nothing exciting.”  The girls oooo’ed sympathetically.   Please just let me go, Todoroki prayed, eyes flickering nervously over the trio.  

“So, Uraraka and I were having a debate, and we need your opinion.”

Todoroki’s eyebrow twitched, ever so slightly.

If Ashido noticed, she didn’t care.  “ Uraraka here thinks - very sadly, in my opinion - that a Frosty is better than a McFlurry, and I need you to be the voice of reason here.”

“Alright, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here…”  Uraraka countered, before Todoroki could even respond.  “I don’t appreciate the way that you just assumed  Todoroki would choose the McFlurry, and how you insinuated that it was the ‘reasonable’ answer.”  Her voice raised with genuine conviction.  “Need I remind you that a Frosty is only 99 yen?!  Hell, you couldn’t find a better deal than that if you -”  

The doorway to the fifth floor taunted Todoroki as he tuned the conversation out; just mere meters away.  He even tried inching towards it, until Ashido grasped his forearm with surprising strength.

“Please, Todoroki,”  her eyes blazed.  “You’re like, one of the smartest dudes in class.  Set the record straight, once and for all.”

Ashido’s grip tightened.  Todoroki frowned slightly.  “Why can’t you just ask Tokoyami?”  

Both girls scoffed in unison.  “As if!  That weirdo gets salads at fast food restaurants.”

“I don’t enjoy grease,”  Tokoyami stated, arms folded primly.

“See what we’re dealing with!  You gotta help us, Todoroki.  Which is better, the McFlurry or Frosty?”

Todoroki opened his mouth, fully intent on just picking one at random and retreating upstairs, but what came out instead was:  “I have never had either.”

Twin gasps echoed up the stairs.  Even Tokoyami appeared shocked.  “Todoroki, what kind of depraved life have you been leading?”

“A lonely one,”  he blurted truthfully, yet again.   What is wrong with me?   Todoroki really needed time to think, not -

“Todoroki, I vow to save you from your tragic depravity!”  Ashido declared passionately, clasping his hand.  

- not this, this chicanery .  Todoroki shook off Ashido’s grip.  “I’m afraid that I must decline.  “I’m…”

‘busy’.   Nope, the word refused to exit his mouth.   ‘tired’   and ‘sick’   met a similar fate.  Todoroki startled as his left temple throbbed.

“...sweaty,”  he finished quickly, lamely.  “I, um, still need to shower.”

“We just learned that you’ve never had a McFlurry or  Frosty, and your mind is on showering?”  Uraraka looked affronted.

“Yes?”

“Well, then, that’s just too bad.”  Uraraka crossed her arms resolutely.  “Because you’re gonna come join us on our fast food run, right now, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Besides instantly freeze all of us in place,”  Tokoyami muttered.  Uraraka glared at him.

“No,”  Todoroki added more firmness to his voice.  “I’d really rather not, right now.  Besides, if I don't shower I'll gross people out.”

Ashido scoffed.  “As if you  could gross people out.  Besides, body odor is practically celebrated at fast food restaurants.”  She put her hands on her hips.  “Have you even had lunch today?”

“...No.”

“Aren’t you hungry, then?”

Of course, Todoroki’s stomach took that precise moment to grumble loudly.  Todoroki sighed.  “Yes, I am.”  Damn traitorous organs.

“Betrayal often comes from those closest to us, perhaps even from ourselves.”  Tokoyami noted, sagely.  

Ashido blinked.  “What?”

“If we’re going to go, then let’s get on with it,”  Todoroki interjected.  Seeing no way out, he had no choice but to embrace his plight and adapt.  Now, his goal was expediency.  

Uraraka and Ashido cheered, grabbing Todoroki’s hands and dragging him down the stairs.  Tokoyami followed, murmuring something to himself about knives and backs.

Just stay calm, Shouto.  It’ll all turn out fine.

 Blessedly, their destination was a mere five minute walk from campus, no trains required.  Todoroki felt relieved, especially considering the obnoxious passengers that morning.  The sun warmed his back pleasantly as he walked, and he inhaled deeply.

It was still a beautiful day, if nothing else.  

Uraraka traced his line of vision, landing on the feathery clouds.  She smiled.  “Do you like the summertime, Todoroki?”

“I do.”  The sun broke from behind its cloudy gate, and Todoroki had to redirect his gaze to the road.  “A lot of people complain about the heat, but I can just keep myself comfortable with my quirk.”

“That’s so awesome!  And so unfair!”  Ashido pouted.  

Todoroki shrugged.

“The only thing that makes life unfair is the delusion that it should be fair.”

Ashido rolled her eyes.  “Shut up, Tokoyami, you have a freaking invincible shadow bird living inside of you.”  

Despite himself, Todoroki found a smile pushing at the corner of his lips.

Golden arches cast an imposing shadow on the foursome, shimmering in the sunlight.

“Oh, I understand now,”  Todoroki muttered, mostly to himself.  “The ‘Mc’ in McFlurry is a reference to McDonalds.”

Uraraka eyed him warily.  “I mean, yeah... How has someone as smart as you never put that together?”

Todoroki hummed.  “Probably because I’ve never been to McDonald’s.”

“WHAT?!”  

The synchronized shriek literally scared birds from their roosts on a telephone wire, wings flapping wildly.  A flight-type quirk suddenly seemed very appealing to Todoroki.

“I said, I’ve never been to McDona-”

“Yeah, yeah, we got that.”  Uraraka threw her hands up.  “How not, though?!  Were you raised under a rock?”

“No.  I was raised in my home.”

Uraraka simply gaped at him.  

“What a mad banquet of darkness,”  Tokoyami supplied.

“Hey, now, we need to look at this as an opportunity!”  Ashido threw her arms over Uraraka’s and Todoroki’s shoulders convivially.  “We get to be the ones to see Mr. Blue Blood here pop his fast food cherry.”  Todoroki cringed at the comparison, shaking off Ashido’s embrace.  “Uraraka, Tokoyami, we have truly been blessed on this day."

“You’re right!”  Uraraka smiled.  “Let’s go, then!  We should make Todoroki eat a McRib.”

Blessed, huh?   Todoroki braced himself as they approached the restaurant, the vast unknown lying just behind smudged glass doors.  

The first thing to hit Todoroki was the smell, a pungent mix of delight and horror.  He could practically taste the grease in the air.  

“So, Todoroki,”  Ashido nudged his side.  “First impressions?”

Mismatched eyes scanned the spectacle before him.  “The space is somewhat��� cluttered, yet also efficient.  The smell is also quite thick.”

“Ahh, that’s the golden aroma of their ‘World Famous Fries’.”  Uraraka clasped her chest.  “They’re heavenly.”

A bold claim, certainly.  Todoroki turned his attention to the menu boards.  And was promptly stunned.  “Holy hell, everything is so cheap!"

“Wow, Todoroki, that might be the most emotion I’ve heard in your voice, like, ever,”  Ashido joked.

Uraraka was delighted.  “I know, right, Todoroki?  It’s perfect for a broke high school student like me.”

Todoroki made a tactical decision to not mention his vast checking account.  

“So, what do you think you’ll get?”

Todoroki scanned the menu once more.  “I’m still deciding.”

“Take your time,”  Ashido nodded reassuringly.  “Nobody’s first time should be rushed.”

“Mine was,”  Tokoyami said, and was met with complete silence.  

“I think I’m ready to order,”  Todoroki declared, strategically.

Uraraka ordered a Big Mac, a ‘splurge’ in her words, which made Todoroki even more secure in his decision to not draw attention to his finances.  Ashido took the road less travelled by ordering McNuggets, and Tokoyami stuck true to his values by ordering a salad.  

Todoroki stepped up to the counter, inexplicably nervous.  He had faced countless villains, defeated the infamous Hero Killer, even taken two freaking knives to the arm, yet here he was, stumbling over the order he had rehearsed 7 times in his head.

“A, um, quarter pounder with cheese.  Except, can I take off the onions, mustard, and onions?  Fuck, I meant - ah shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to cuss.  And a small fountain frink - drink  - please.”

Todoroki wanted to die.  The cashier, a girl about his age with bright green eyes, smiled benevolently.  “Don’t worry about it.  So, no onion or mustard?”

“Yes, please.  And no pickle.  Please.”  The girl’s nametag read ‘Suzuki’, decorated with little squiggles.

“So demanding,”  she joked, eyeing Todoroki.  “But I can make it happen.  Has anybody ever told you that you have incredible eyes?”

Behind him, Uraraka stopped munching on her fries.  “Yes,”  Todoroki replied.  “One of my doctors said heterochromia affects less than .67% of the population, so I was an ‘incredible’ case.”

Suzuki giggled, much to Todoroki’s confusion.  He’d been serious.  “So, you’re quite a standout, huh?”  She leaned onto her cash register.

“Statistically, yes.”  

“Mmm,”  her own green eyes flashed, and Todoroki found himself enjoying their color.  Old habits.  “What’re the stats on me getting your number, then?”

Todoroki stared down at his order ticket, #73.  “I’d say 100%.  Don’t I need to give it to you to get my food?”

Ashido choked on her drink.  

“Well, yes,”  Suzuki soldiered on.  “But I was more talking about your phone number.”

“Oh.”  Green eyes occupied Todoroki’s attention again, but this time they didn’t belong to Suzuki.  “I’d, um, prefer not to.”  

“Aw, damn,”  Suzuki sighed, but good-naturedly.  “I can’t say I'm surprised, though.  Already got a special somebody?”

A spotlight may as well have been shone on Todoroki.  No signs of movement were evident behind Todoroki, and he could practically feel Uraraka, Ashido, and Tokoyami’s eyes on the back of his head.  

Todoroki may not have any idea what the hell was going on, but he knew questions initiated what the kids called a Bad Time.  Sure enough, a godforsaken throbbing emerged in Todoroki’s temples, and he stiffened.

“I, um.”  Todoroki unconsciously crumbled his order ticket in his fist.  “That depends on what you mean by ‘already got’.”

“Ahh.”  Suzuki winced sympathetically.  “You stuck in the friend zone?”

Crap, another question.  And a painful one, at that.  “It...seems that way,” Todoroki forced.

“Well, I think they’re missing the hell out, whoever they are.  They must be crazy to pass up on a .67 in a hundred guy like you.”

Suzuki was smiling, and the sincere kindness in her green eyes made Todoroki sigh - a little close to home .  “‘Crazy’ isn't too far off, actually.”  Midoriya’s mad grin at their first sports festival flashed through Todoroki’s head, and fondness traced the fairest hint of a smile on his lips.  “Thanks.”  

“No problem.”  Suzuki winked, and handed him a bag that was practically dripping with grease.  “Try not to get diabetes too quickly, now.”  

Unexpectedly, Todoroki made it a solid four bites into his burger before the interrogation began.

The first introduced Todoroki to the surprisingly delicious taste of the famed Big Mac, and he give himself a split second to surrender himself to the lovely flavor of grease before switching gears to more pressing matters.  

Bite two was marked by the illumination of a mental lightbulb.  His inability to make excuses, his adverse reaction to avoiding questions...there was no way it was just coincidence, it couldn't  be.

By bite three, Todoroki was convinced - as crazy as it sounded - that he was unable to lie.  He didn't know how, or why, or even if his theory was correct, but the puzzle pieces seemed to point to that, if not a very similar, picture.  

A picture where Todoroki was trapped with two talkative classmates and a shadow demon’s host in a fast food chain, unable to dodge questions or rely on trusty old Awkward Silence.

Bite four was quite hard to swallow.

Now - cue the interrogation.  

“Sooo, Todoroki…”  Ashido grinned, dangerously, and Todoroki could already hear his funeral bells.  “You like someone, huh?”

He forced his bite of burger down.  “Yes.  And wasn’t the whole point of this trip to make fun of my reaction to a cheap burger or something?”

Yes, change the subject.  Easy.  He could do this.

“Originally, yeah.”  Ashido leaned forward.  “But now, more pressing matters have arisen.”

Damn, he couldn't do this.  

“You mean you haven’t noticed before?”  Uraraka rolled her eyes.  “You just saw a perfect example of Todoroki’s social prowess, and you think he’d be able to hide a crush?”

Ashido burst out laughing, spewing bits of chicken nuggets.  “Oh my god, your little eye statistics.  My abs were aching .”

“I, too, felt I underwent a satisfactory abdominal workout.”  Tokoyami - that traitor  - pitched in.  

Todoroki frowned.  “I’m right here, you know.”

“...No offense.”  Uraraka patted his arm.

“Uraraka makes a good point.”  Tokoyami dapped at the ranch on his beak with a napkin.  “Todoroki does not interact naturally with people, like oil suspended in a sea of water.”

The burger in Todoroki’s hands sagged.

“The both of you are right,”  Ashido nodded.  “Which is why we need to help him!  Todoroki, who do you like?”

Todoroki panicked, dropping his burger with a wet flop.  Like hell he was going to tell this peanut gallery.  Knowing Ashido, she'd probably take it upon herself to lock Todoroki and Midoriya in a closet until they made out, or something.  A definite no-go.  

“Someone in our class.”  Alright, no pain jumpkicked Todoroki’s skull - vague answers seemed to check out.

“Well, duh.”  Ashido flapped her hand.  “Do you even keep up with anybody our age outside of U.A.?”

“No.”

Wow, this quirk was kind of -

“Any friends from childhood?”

“...No.”

-depressing.  

“Oh, ok!”  Ashido tried to recover with awkwardly forced enthusiasm.  “I'm glad that we get to be your first friends, then!  You've had fun, I hope?”  

“Once I got past the initial awkwardness, yes, I have made many fond memories,”  Todoroki babbled, then inwardly groaned.  He was oversharing.  It must be part of the condition.

Uraraka raised an eyebrow.  “What initial awkwardness?”

“During first year, I had absolutely no idea how to interact.  Once, I accidentally called Kouda ‘Gouda’, like the cheese, and I was too embarrassed to talk to him again for 4 months.  That's just one example.”  

“Oh my god,”  Uraraka whispered.  “He always asked us if we thought that you were trying to intimidate him.”  

Todoroki groaned - outwardly, this time.  “I'm the worst.  How am I ever supposed to become close with M- er, my crush if I can't even flirt with a random cashier?”

He didn't know why he was actively slapping his heart on his sleeve like this - maybe it had to do with his current predisposition towards honesty - but he allowed himself to continue.

“I'm just, I never have any idea what the hell I’m doing, and they're so, so incredible , so far out of my league that it’s laughable.  I don't even know how to begin.”  

Uraraka patted his shoulder.  “I can't be sure who you're talking about, Todoroki, but that cashier was right.  You can't sell yourself short.  And I don't just mean appearance-wise,”  she teased.

“You'll always have good ole Twitter as a confidence booster,”  Ashido added, sagely.  

“Inner beauty is great, but a little mascara never hurt.”

Todoroki blinked.  “But I don't even wear make-up?”

“I think,”  Uraraka chimed in,  “what Tokoyami was trying to say is that you're the whole package, Todoroki!  Whoever it is that you're interested in, you should tell them how you feel!”

“Yes!”  Ashido balled a fist in conviction.  “Love is the spice of life!  What have you got to lose?”

“A meaningful friendship, a large chunk of self-confidence, the relative ease of interaction between my crush and I, and a huge amount of sleep.”

“Well, alright, it sounds pretty dismal when you put it that way.  But between you and me, Todoroki,”  Uraraka leaned over to whisper to Todoroki.  “If it’s a certain green-eyed dude with no sense of self-preservation like I think it is, then I wouldn't worry about it at all.  If I were you.”  

Todoroki’s heart bungee jumped into his gut, springing back up into his throat.  “What?”  he choked.

“You heard me,”  Uraraka smirked.

“And I didn't!”  Ashido protested loudly.  “Secrets are no fair.  Right, Tokoyami?”  She grabbed his shoulders and started whispering obvious gibberish into the side of his head.  “Wait, do you even have ears?”

Todoroki took in the scene absently, mind still hooked on the fact that Uraraka, one of Midoriya’s closest friends, felt confident that Midoriya, well...Todoroki wasn’t quite sure, actually, but it was definitely good news, no matter how vague.  Right?

“So, Todoroki, how are you gonna confess?”  Ashido asked, yanking Todoroki’s attention back before he could delve too deep into fantasy over Uraraka’s words.  “Are you gonna go for a classic approach like a rooftop or just suddenly dip her into a kiss one day?”

And just like that, Todoroki plunged neck deep into fantasy again.  “I, I.”  His ears burned.  “No, I'm not planning to do either.”   ‘Her’ , Ashido had said, and Todoroki deemed it in his best strategic interest to not correct her.     

“Aww, boo.”  Ashido gave a thumbs down.  “And you haven’t even told me who it is, which is a double boo.”

“Let’s not boo Todoroki too harshly now,”  Uraraka - his beautiful, shining guardian angel - intervened.  “Not everybody likes to share like Kirishima.”

“Bakuuu~”  Ashido crooned, and Tokoyami smiled into his salad.

“Exactly.  So, for the sake of privacy, let’s call Todoroki’s mystery crush by a codename.  Like Toyota!”

And just like that, the guardian angel lost her wings.  

“Please, I’d rather not talk at all about...Toyota.”

“They have excellent crash safety ratings,”  Tokoyami said.

“The same can’t be said for Todoroki’s Toyota,”  Uraraka mumbled, and Todoroki glared at her. 

“I think this Toyota talk has been a long time coming, Todoroki.”  Ashido rested her chin in her hands.  “I mean, what was your plan?  Were you just gonna live your life infatuated with someone from the sidelines, staring at them longingly like some really cute outfit in a shop window that you know you’ll never be able to afford so you just cry in bed at night thinking about how great it would have looked on you?”

“What a concise simile,”  Tokoyami sniped.

Todoroki sighed.  “Yes.”  Because that was the truth, wasn't it?  If he kept going as he was, he and Midoriya’s fates were sealed as parallel rather than intertwined.  Somehow, admitting it out loud made Todoroki feel rather…

“Wimpy.”  Ashido tutted.  “That’s kinda wimpy, dude.  No offense.”

“None taken,”   Todoroki attempted, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“I’m always happy to help!  If you want, I can lock you and Toyota in a storage room closet or something until you inevitably start making out.”

Aaand there it was.  

“In my opinion, you should scribe this Toyota a heartfelt letter, spill your very soul onto the ink, and deliver it personally with care so that you may await their response with bated breath.”

Todoroki relaxed a bit.  That scenario actually sounded quite pleasant, really.  “I’m grateful for the advice, Tokoyami.”

Tokoyami nodded.  “Of course, after receiving your joyous response, you shall then proceed to make out, passionately.”

“Why is everyone so adamant that I make out with T...Toyota?!”  A nearby customer shot Todoroki a concerned look, and he debating sinking under the table.  

Uraraka laughed as Ashido grinned.  “Aww, Todoroki, you're blushing!  Thinking about sucking face with Toyota?”

“Yes!”  Todoroki croaked, and fuck his voice for cracking, honestly.  “And holding hands, and cuddling, and sparring until we fall on top of each other like always, but this time I’ll actually move forward and, um.  Nevermind.”

“So you have thought about it, after all?”  Ashido looked triumphant.

“Of course I've thought about it.”  Todoroki’s voice softened.  “I've thought about it every night for nearly two years.”

For a few moments, Todoroki’s only response was the beeping of cash registers and whir of industrial air conditioning.

“Two years?”  

And if Uraraka had sounded incredulous, Todoroki couldn't find it in him to blame her, because it was kind of shocking, really.  Admitting aloud just how long he'd had feelings for Midoriya made it seem all the longer, all the more real.  “Yeah.  Pretty long, huh.”

The cash registers kept on beeping.  Todoroki sighed.  

Then jumped out of his own skin when Ashido slammed her fist onto her plastic tray, voice raised in conviction.  “Then that's all the more reason to make a move!  You’re gonna go back to school, and you're gonna ask Toyota out!  Now, who are you?”

“Todoroki Shouto,”  he whispered, still a little alarmed.

“Nope, you gotta say it like you mean it.  Now, who are you?!”

“...Todoroki Shouto!”  Another customer glared at Todoroki, and he shrunk into his seat.

“Damn straight you are!  And now that that's settled, the three of us are gonna help you make all your dreams come true.  Right?”

“Right!”  Uraraka giggled.  Tokoyami inclined his head.  

Todoroki felt embarrassed, helpless, and a tap on his shoulder as a girl with navy blue hair suddenly appeared at their table, with impressive stealth.  “Did you say that you're Todoroki Shouto?”

“Hell yeah!”  Ashido exclaimed, still in motivation-mode as Todoroki confirmed his identity with a sinking feeling.  

“Oh my god!”  Navy Hair squealed, and retreated to another table, chock-full of prepubescent girls.  She pointed in their direction, and a dissonant chorus of shrieks followed.

“It’s time to go.”

Uraraka pouted.  “But we didn’t even get you a McFlurry-”

"Now .”

When the gaggle of girls arrived at Todoroki’s table, their only greeting was three unused ketchup packets.

The walk home was marked by a tempest in Todoroki’s gut, and he wasn't sure how much he could blame on the Big Mac.

Ashido and Tokoyami occupied themselves arguing over the fine line between goth and scene, and Uraraka turned to face Todoroki, brown hair swaying.  

“Is it nice to constantly have to outrun hordes of fans?”

“No.  In fact, their ever-increasing presence has put me on edge in public lately, and I get nervous.”

“...Oh.”

Silence reigned after that, excepting Ashido and Tokoyami’s heated debate, and Todoroki sighed into the warm air.  Christ, what a mess this whole impromptu affair had been, from the cashier, to customers likely thinking that Todoroki had a hard-on for his car, to Uraraka telling Todoroki not to worry about liking Midoriya.  

Wait .  Todoroki stopped in his tracks, then zeroed in on the messenger herself, walking with her hands in her pockets.  

“Uraraka,”  he called, jogging slightly to catch up.  “You remember what you said earlier about me not needing to worry about Midoriya?”

She twirled her hair with her pointer finger.  “Ah, yeah, I do.”

“Is there any way you could explain what you meant?”  he asked, failing to tamp out an excited edge as his stupid, smitten brain began anticipating her response, jumping to conclusions.

“Yes, of course, Todoroki!”  Dream Uraraka beamed.  “I was just saying that Midoriya is deeply in love with you and wants to date immediately and kiss in the locker room and let you play with his hair!”

Real Uraraka opened her mouth.  Todoroki felt his chest flutter.  “Nope,”  she stated - simply, devastatingly.  

Todoroki could practically hear his hopes shattering.

Uraraka must have heard it, too, because she smiled sympathetically.  “I'm sorry, Todoroki, but I made a promise that I fully intend to keep.  I’ve already run my mouth too much.  You’re a smart guy, though.  I’m 100% sure you’ll be able to work things out on your own.”  Her smile shifted into an encouraging one.

“But-”  A buzz in Todoroki’s pocket cut him off, and he pulled out his phone.

Midoriya Izuku:

>>>  how’s the face???

 Todoroki kept his phone close to his chest, inexplicably nervous.  It buzzed again.

>>>  hopefully not too bruised to keep random hordes of girls from attacking

>>> or maybe thats a good thing ?

 “What’s got you all smiley, Todor- oh my god.”  Ashido peered at the phone cradled against his chest and broke out into a dangerous grin.  Suddenly, his nerves didn’t seem so inexplicable anymore.  “You’re texting Toyota, aren’t you?”

Shit.  Todoroki may just end up shoved into a closet with Midoriya, yet.  “..Yeah.”

Before Todoroki could even react, Tokoyami appeared out of genuine fucking nowhere beside Todoroki.  “It’s Midoriya Izuku,”  he reported, straightlaced, straightforward, straight to the point.  

The common syllable, of course, being in direct opposition to a certain Todoroki Tidbit that had just been exposed to an incredulous Ashido, her black eyes popping.

“No fucking way…”  She abandoned Uraraka to join Tokoyami beside Todoroki.  “Holy shit,”  she whispered, eyes glued to the phone.  “I’ve been such a fool - I don’t know how I didn’t see it.  The gym fire makes so much sense now!”

“The important thing is that nobody got hurt!”  Uraraka piped up, across from the three of them.

“Let’s really not talk about that, please.”

“You’re right, Todoroki, there are more important things to attend to.  Like the fact that the Twitter heartthrob himself bats for the other team.  I think we should take a moment of silence for all the broken hearts of Todoroki’s fangirls,”  Ashido stated solemnly.

Tokoyami bowed his head in respect.  Uraraka missed the entire point by laughing.

And Todoroki just stood helplessly, the conversation completely out of his control.

Then lept out of his skin when his phone was swiftly swiped from his hand, Ashido whooping victoriously.  

“I’m gonna text him~”  she sang, and fear drenched Todoroki’s very core.  

“Don’t.”  He pled, desperately.

“Do.”  She retorted, mercilessly.  “Now which pickup line should I send him: the appendix one or the bandaid one?”

“I enjoy the appendix one,”  Tokoyami voted, and Todoroki knew it was only a matter of seconds before his most valued friendship lay in shambles.  

It was pure adrenaline, then, that made him lunge.  Pure survival instinct that made him grab for the phone, right as Ashido was typing.

Ashido - damn her  - dodged, holding the phone behind her back and cackling.  Todoroki lunged again, seemingly to the right, but then changing to the left at the last moment.  With a loud smack, he took hold of the top of the phone.

“That was a well-executed feint,”  Tokoyami praised.

The perpetrator squawked, but maintained her grip.  Todoroki yanked at the device - Christ, was Uraraka literally on the ground laughing in the background? - yanked with all his might.

“I’m trying to help you!”  Ashido gasped, eyes twinkling a bit too much for her intentions to be merely altruistic.

“And I don’t want to be helped by talking like Kaminari!”  

Ashido snorted at that, losing focus just enough for Todoroki to concentrate all his strength into one final tug.  

The phone - he’d gotten it back!  Todoroki released a huge sigh of relief and stuffed it into his pocket.

Then stiffened as a muffled, disembodied voice trickled from his pocket.   “Hello?”

Swearing under his breath, Todoroki pulled out the godforsaken device.  A full-screen photo of a smiling Midoriya affronted him, along with the knowledge that he must have accidentally dialed Midoriya up during his struggle with Ashido.

Fucking hell, couldn’t the universe cut him a single break?!

“Shouto?  Are you there?”

“Yep!”  His voice squeaked out on the wrong side of puberty, and Uraraka fell back down onto the street.

“Shouto?”   Ashido mouthed, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.  Todoroki’s cheeks glew red.  Of course they’d be able to hear Midoriya talking.  

“Oh alright!  It seemed like you may have called on accident.”

“Oh yeah.  That’s because I did.”

“Oh, haha.”

“Ha, yeah.”

Todoroki stood there awkwardly, toeing at the road.  

“What inspiring dialogue,”  Tokoyami deadpanned.

“For real, dude, this is horrible,”  Ashido whispered fiercely.  “Say something funny.  Flirt!”

As if he could ever pull that off.  Todoroki consulted the asphalt, mind coming up blank.  “So, uh, do you prefer a Frosty or McFlurry?”

Oh god, he instantly regretted that one.  Uraraka, who had only just stood back up, collapsed against a (rightfully) unimpressed Ashido, shaking violently.  

��Probably a Frosty.  They’re cheaper.”  From her slump on top of Ashido, Uraraka fist pumped.  “What about you?”

“I’ve actually never had either.”

“Oh!  Haha, that’s too bad.  To be honest though, I can’t really remember the last time I had either.”

“Ask him on a date!!”  Ashido whisper-yelled.

Tokoyami nodded.  “A perfect tactical opening.”

But instead of doing just that, of following perhaps the only sound advice he’d been offered all day, Todoroki glared and covered his free ear.  He’d had it to hell and back with making a fool of himself publicly.

“I know, I know, the tragedy must have shocked you into silence,”  Midoriya joked, and Todoroki felt fuzzy.

“Ah, not quite.”

Midoriya laughed.  The fuzziness increased.  “That’s cold.”

Forgetting his audience, Todoroki hummed.  “Hopefully, sometimes cold is a good thing.”

A muffled cough echoed through the receiver.  “Of course I like - I mean, cold things are awesome.  And hot things too!  Like, uh, I enjoy the winter and summer a lot separately, so if they came together or something it would be amazing.  Yep.”

“You’re so in there,”  Ashido giggled.

“Very much so,”  Tokoyami agreed, and Uraraka flashed the ok gesture with a huge grin.  

Todoroki’s face blazed even brighter.  It was high time to end this call before he slipped again.

“Alright, well I think I’m going to go now.  Sorry for bothering you.”

“You never bother me, Shouto,”  Midoriya’s voice crackled cheerfully, and Ashido awww’ed.  “Seeya later!”

“Bye, love you.”  Todoroki hung up calmly.

...

...

Then promptly dropped his phone, swaying violently on his feet.  

Dark Shadow instantly darted out to catch the phone, and Todoroki would’ve been grateful if it wasn’t for the tiny little fact that his entire world had just ended.  

“Oh my god,”  he whispered distantly.  

Nearly instantly, his phone buzzed again, and when Todoroki made no move to take it, to react in any way, to continue living, Uraraka grabbed it herself.

“Oh my god,”  he repeated.  Even Dark Shadow seemed to be cringing in secondhand embarrassment.  

“Midoriya wants to, uh,”  Uraraka spoke softly, like a paramedic to a victim in shock.  “He wants to know if you said that by accident.”  Then, more to herself.  “He’s probably halfway to actual physical combustion.”

“Oh my god.”   Todoroki swayed again, still a little hung up on the most mortifying blunder in his entire life.  This made the gym fire look like a barrel of fun.  “I just, I just told Midoriya that I’m in love with him.  Then hung up.”

“The instant hang up was a little cruel.  Although I guess I have to respect just going for it like that.  Even if it wasn’t romantic at all.  Like, at all.”

Todoroki faced Ashido with panicked eyes.  “I didn’t mean to say it!  It, it was just on my mind and it slipped out on its own and…”

Wait .  A predilection to say what he was thinking…

“Fuck ,”  he groaned, with real feeling.  

Meanwhile, Uraraka’s own phone began buzzing up a storm, and she raised her eyebrows as she scanned the messages.  “You really should explain yourself, Todoroki.  Before cardiac arrest comes into play.”

Shit, she was right.  Numbly, he took back his phone and opened his text window with Midoriya.

  >>>  hey did i hear u wrong or did u just say ‘love u’ hahahahahah

>>>  thats pretty funny dude, A+ joke, 10/10, top of the line there buddy

>>>  it was just like by habit right??  Right?????

>>>  once i called all might Dad ahahahancxknvkvnxd can u believe it??  hes not actually my dad !!1!  crazy!

Then, curiously, a message of all blank spaces.

>>>  I’m sorry about those prior messages, Shouto!  I’d appreciate it greatly if you disregarded them :)  Thank you!

 “I need to change schools,”   Todoroki croaked, shriveling inside.  Why, oh why hadn’t he just stuck with the appendix pickup line?

“Before you do that, though, could you please text Midoriya back?”  Uraraka glanced at her phone.  “Thank god I paid for unlimited messages...”

“What should I say?!  ‘Oh hey Midoriya, it’s Todoroki.  I know I just accidentally admitted that I’m in love with you but have you done the homework for Monday?’”

“Is an unfortunate Freudian slip really the manner in which you want to reveal your feelings?”  Tokoyami raised a respective eyebrow.

“Of course not!”  Todoroki scrambled to find the words.  “Midoriya - he deserves the world.  Or at least a goddamn bouquet.  Anything but this.”

“Then brush this off as an accident - as it genuinely was - move on, and focus on crafting a confession you deem worthy of Midoriya.”

“And my closet offer still stands, by the way,”  Ashido added, effectively squelching the composure Todoroki had gained from Tokoyami’s words.  

Drawing a deep breath, he unlocked his phone.  There was no need in prolonging the inevitable.  

 <<<   I’m sorry for not replying until now

<<<  I didn’t intend to say... what I said

<<<  like you guessed, it was an accident, and quite an embarrassing one

<<<  I apologize for any confusion.

 “Goddamn, Todoroki, you’re texting a friend, not drafting a business email.”

Todoroki ignored Ashido and opened Midoriya’s near-instant reply.

 >>>   oh haha thats what i thought!

>>>  dont worry about it dude, no big deal :D

 Todoroki shoved his phone back into his pocket, and began making his unsteady way back towards campus.  

Uraraka’s phone buzzed the entire way.

Twenty minutes later, Todoroki sped through his long-awaited shower, that disastrous “ love you”   looping endlessly through his mind.  He shampooed with much more vigor than necessary.

Twenty five minutes later, Todoroki received a text from Uraraka.

>>>   your ass is lucky that i also upgraded to unlimited minutes

Thirty minutes later, Kouda was surprised to discover the men’s bathing facility practically dripping with steam, and a thick slush of ice coating the bottom of one of the showers.

Thanks for reading!  :D