#A Small Heart to Heart

[aheckinmess]

What It Means to Be the Best [Shoto] (Fluff)

(One-shot 10/? in a collection of My Hero Academia one-shots posted regularly on Saturdays - and sometimes Sundays.)

Read on AO3.

Tags: Todoroki x OC, Shoto x OC, Shoto Todoroki, Original Female Character, Ichijiku Aoki, Shoto is a Ray of Sunshine, Pining OC and Shoto, Shoto Todoroki Can Be Playful Sometimes, OC is All Might's Daughter, The Weight We Put on Our Shoulders, Why Do We Do It?, Oh Well At Least We Have Each Other, A Small Heart to Heart, Overall Just Shoto and OC Being Goobers, Featuring Shoto's Smile

Word Count: 875 words

Summary: After a mistake during training, Ichijiku wants to delay going home to her father, All Might. Instead, she asks Shoto to hang out with her in the forest for the evening. In short, she teaches him to have fun and Shoto teaches her how to be the best.

Ichijiku (Tigress)

“I don’t want to go home.” I whine, leaning my head on Shoto’s shoulder. “Can we find something else to do?”

He’s quiet for a few moments, looking around the school campus. Sweat makes our uniforms cling to us and personally, my muscles could use an epsom salt bath. Training with Shoto is no easy affair.

“We could go back to the library and study, if you’d like?”

I chew on my lip, giving the grounds another look over. I’m not feeling like schoolwork, but I don’t want to go back home. Not when I have to face my dad about today’s training. I made a dumb mistake because I was tired. I don’t want him to get mad at me. When my eyes land on the trees down the path lit up under a waning sun, I grin.

“How about we go into the forest instead? Mr. Hound Dog should still be out there so we’ll be safe, and it’s not too late yet that he’ll run us off.” I take his hand and hug his arm. I look up at him with my best pair of kitten eyes.  “Do you mind, Shoto-kun?” 

“That’s fine. Do you have a specific place in mind?” He squeezes my hand as we change direction.

“Not really. I like the ginkgo trees, though. Maybe we could climb one?”

“Climb one? Are we doing some extra training?”

“Hehe, not really, no. Haven’t you ever climbed trees for fun?” I tilt my head. “Dad has a ton of trees that he would let me climb at home.”

“We only had one tree in our backyard, and most of the climbing done on it was included for training purposes.” 

“Oh. Well, you get to learn the joys of climbing trees today!” I laugh, detaching from him and darting through the foliage.

The second my eyes meet a tall tree with yellow leaves, I scale it like a pro. One moment I’m on the ground, the next moment I’m halfway up the tree and giggling at Shoto’s awed expression below me.

“Come on, Icyhot!” I tease.

“You’ve been hanging out with Bakugo today.” He uses his ice to gain some ground on me.

“Hey, no fair! You have to climb without your quirk, you cheater!” I leap up to grab another branch as we both push and pull and grab.

“Can’t I use my quirk this one time since I’m a beginner?” He looks at me with such soft eyes in the way he’s learned I like best, making me flush.

“Nope! Puppy dog eyes aren’t going to work this time! You said you’ve climbed for training purposes so you’re just a beginner at the ‘having fun’ part, not the climbing!” I laugh. 

It’s a close one, but I beat Shoto to the highest point we’ll be able to reach. When he gets there, I’m leaning against the trunk with relaxed, closed eyes. Wind tickles my hair, tickles my ears, and I let the rough texture of the bark caress my fingertips.

“Took you long enough.” I open my eyes and stick out my tongue.

He smiles at me and carefully shuffles over with wobbly limbs to cuddle on the thick branch. His arms pull me against him, sheltering me with his warmth.

Birds serenade us and tell us their stories through song. Leaves rustle and whisper their secrets. A large hawk glides through a cloudless sky to screech at us about his woes. For a long time, that’s all we listen to.

“Ichijiku?”

“Hm?”

“Why don’t you want to go home?”

“I screwed up in training today.” I frown, taking his hand and playing with his uniform sleeve. “It was such a stupid mistake…I’m sure Dad is going to be disappointed. I don’t want him to be mad at me.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen All Might angry with you. Not even when you’ve lost your temper with him or shouted at him. Why would he be mad at you now?” Shoto furrows his brows.

“Logically, I know he won’t be.” I reach my hands back around his neck and into his hair. The soft strands calm my emotions. “But I keep worrying that he’s going to be mad. I don’t know where it comes from…maybe I’m just being dumb.”

“No.” Shoto says firmly. “You’re not dumb. I think you’re just afraid of letting him down.”

I grow quiet. Shoto’s more insightful than he admits. 

“He’s the Symbol of Peace,” I whisper. “How am I supposed to compete with that?”

Shoto tenses under me for a moment as a fly buzzes in my ear. Then, his arms squeeze me against him until tears prickle at my eyes.

“You can’t.” He says, before adding. “And you’re not supposed to. There’s only one All Might…but there’s also only one you. You may not be able to become the best version of All Might, but you can become the best version of yourself.”

A smile breaks across my face before I can stop it, and I hide it in Shoto’s uniform jacket.

“You know, the same goes for you, Shoto.” I remind him.

Again, silence stretches between us before he whispers his answer.

“With your help, I’m starting to learn that.”

Want More Shoto? Try: Precious Protectors

[helyeahmangocheese]

12 year old tlt percy jackson is so much stronger than me. if I found out my best friend was actually a 24 year old half-goat that was lying to me for years, only to be lied to again about my parentage by an actual greek god, only to find out that my teacher had been in on it too.... I would blow my fucking lid, camp half blood would never have seen such a tantrum

[tokkimins]

my little lord

[yourstrullyme]

"binge-worthy show" man fuck that

i want my shows one episode followed by a whole ass week of going a little insane over it with the people on my phone, writing fics theorizing and going over every single scene through amazing gifs and meta, before the next ep drops and the cicle begins anew

[eccentricinari]

FOX

[bumfuzzled-bee]

Extremely serious workout session <3

[stil-lindigo]

the fox god.

a comic about a trickster.

--

creative notes:

–

all my other comics

store

[jq37]

Love Erika carrying on the proud D20 tradition of impromptu major surgery with no training or prep whatsoever. Unfortunately, results are bound to vary when you're playing with notorious Your Actions Have Consequences Even When They're Bits or Flavor GM Aabria Iyengar.

[metalmiez]

It's ineffable, my dear

With a content sigh, the demon slung his left arm around the angel. He snaked his head across Aziraphale's right shoulder and nuzzled his nose against his cheek.

"Whatcha doin', angel?" Crowley murmured lazily and pressed a kiss against Aziraphale's temple. He felt the angel lean into the soft touch, humming softly.

"About to put the kettle on for my afternoon tea. Did you have a nice nap, dear?" His warm hand wrapped around Crowley's and tenderly caressed the skin on his wrist.

"Mrm. Would've been nicer if someone had allowed me to sleep around his neck."

Aziraphale chuckled.

"You nearly discorporated me last time, when you turned back into your human shape in your sleep, darling."

Crowley grinned about this particular memory. He wanted to tease his angel more, but his silly thoughts derailed when he felt Aziraphale's right hand reaching out and caressing his hair. The demon hummed appreciatively and leaned his face against the soft fabric of his sky-blue shirt. For Satan's sake, it shouldn't feel so nice to bask in Aziraphale's warmth and tender touch - he was a demon after all.

But on the other hand. He had grown quite comfortable in Aziraphale's presence. Every soft touch, every kiss, every affectionate nickname had burned away a tiny bit of Crowley's millennia-old defense. Truth be told, he really liked the tender affections, and to be soft and vulnerable and gentle. If he ever felt the urge to be demonic, he still had his plants to threaten.

With another sigh, he closed his eyes and leaned closer.

I felt the urge to draw some tooth rotting fluff again, and the urge to grin like an idiot was strong with this one. Hopefully, it gives you the same amount of dopamine as it gave me while drawing it <3

[attyrocious]

survivor's guilt

[i-eat-deodorant]

does this annoy anyone else or is it just me

[singlearrowquiver]

Fanart of the fic by Budinca / @miribalis called Bedtime Rituals to Try out Before the Next Angelic War.

;-;

[kwoojii]

Kairi 🌊

[chrisevansonly]

CHARLES GOT A FUCKING PUPPY AND HIS NAME IS LEO😭😭😭

IM SOBBING HES A FATHER 😭❤️

[cherooshi]

Old speed paint!

[meow--wows]

WOW!!