#it is in an effort to save their own skin but nami is standing by her own principles

[every-sanji]

[yurisolde]

under read more bc i put too much effort into my ocs and there is A Lot. tw for violent stuff

this will be updated every time i think of something for him!

deviantart link

Rollick

“The Ravenous” ? idk I suck at titles

no accessories

Size reference

why does he have anime hair if hes a fish? because he’s my oc and i say so

I MADE ICONS FOR THE LOCATIONS AND CLASS AND OTHER CHAMPIONS’ ABILITIES AND TUMBLR WONT’T LET ME ADD THEM WITHOUT FUCKING THE WHOLE POST UP

Short crappy bio

A young shark-like Vastaya. Born in Ionia, west of the island Sudaro. He was captured as a child by  Bilgewater pirates after straying too close to the surface and being found. Was then put to work on the Slaughter Docks, and trained to hunt in the traditional Serpent Isles manner: “launching themselves at their targets to secure tow-hooks with their bare hands, and beginning to butcher the creatures while they yet lived.”.

I need to update myself on League lore, but I would like him 2 be acquaintances with Nami and Fizz. Also, Rollick would have heard stories about Pyke and would find him really cool. Ideally, he would have Johnny Yong Bosch as his voice actor because I love how he voiced Kung Jin in Mortal Kombat X, but I don’t know how he’d do with a pirate accent lmao.

Kit

Would be classed as a Fighter with the sub-class Diver. At least I think he would.  

His kit is basically just a mash-up of multiple champions with extra ingredients. Riot do it themselves, so I'm allowed to, too. Pirate lingo used for most of his abilities and voice lines b/c I'm not creative for naming things.

 Passive "Blow the Man Down." : A mash-up of Rengar and Darius' but more complicated. Auto-attacking 3 times in a row, or using abilities, gives his unused abilities 3 different tiers of empowerment. (Like, if you auto-attack 3 times, use W, then Q, his E will have tier 3 empowerment.). Tiers 2 and 3 gives the target bleed when hit by abilities, applying "Blood in the Water."  Applying the bleed multiple times makes it stack, tier 2 stacks like two stacks of tier 1 bleed, tier 3 stacks like two stacks of tier 2 bleed. How many times can it stack? Idk. 5? 7? 10?? ok probably not 10 that would be stupid.

2nd passive "Clipper." : Rollick moves faster in the river; this move speed scales with his normal move speed.

Q "Feed the Fish." : Tier 1 is a swipe in an AOE cone with his claws. Tier 2 is a small lunge in a targeted direction with two swipes, one with each hand. Tier 3 is a longer distance lunge with a bite. If tier 3 lands on a moving target (examples: scuttlecrab when it dashes, Ezreal using his E), it will follow the target like Warwick Q/Evelynn E. The bite will also heal him for a small amount.

W "Hook, Line, Sinker." : is like Rengar's Bola Strike with a wider but shorter range for tiers 1 and 2, but he leaps in the targeted direction at tier 3 and if he hits something, covers it with his net and stays on top of them for a short amount of time. Tier 2 spins the target around from they way Rollick throws his net and will turn the opposite direction of the way the target was originally standing. If you're facing Rollick and the tier 2 net hits you, your back is now turned to Rollick.

E "Chase." : Warwick Blood Hunt but either less or more annoying. Cooldown is shorter in duration, but so is its active. The passive part of it only shows paths to champions affected with a bleed, burn or poison DOT effect. (Includes: Rollick's "Blood in the Water", Darius'  "Hemorrhage", Brand's  "Blaze", Gangplank's  "Trial by Fire", Lillia's  "Dream Dust", Cassiopeia's  "Noxious Poison" and  "Debilitating Poison", Twitch's "Deadly Venom", Teemo's  "Toxic Shot" and  "Noxious Trap", Singed's  "Poison Trail", the  "Scorch" rune,  "Ignite" summoner spell,  "Challenging Smite" summoner spell, "Azakana Gaze" from  Demonic Embrace, and "Torment" from  Liandry's Anguish.

R "Cleave 'Em to the Brisket!" : Similar to Skarner's "Impale". Rollick takes the hooked blade he has on his belt and lunges at the target, stabbing into the enemy champion's chest with his chest to their back, and drags them away. "Cleave 'Em to the Brisket!" can only be used on a champion that has their back turned towards Rollick. It applies a tier 3 "Blood in the Water." upon use. It can yank champions out of  Displacement Immunity, but doesn't suppress the target champion entirely, they are still able to use dash and blink abilities, use Thresh's  "Dark Passage", recast  "Death Sentence" , and use most movement summoner spells ( Flash, Hexflash, Mark/Dash), but if they do, half of their current HP is taken away from the hooked knife being dragged/yanked out of them. If you are 30% HP and you use one of the movement abilities mentioned, you will leave with 15% HP and two stacks of tier 3 bleed. For 5 seconds after using his ult, Rollick uses his knife to attack, gaining increased auto-attack range and his autos apply a tier 1 bleed stack per hit. The enhanced auto-attacks drag his targets towards him because of the hook part in his knife getting caught on them.

Animation ideas

(I used google to find every gif/picture, save for the “dance” one. they have tumblr links bc when writing this tumblr shit itself when i wanted to save it as a draft and i kept it open in a different tab and copy/pasted everything. im sorry some of the gifs are weird aslkfjdjf)

Walking animation is him using his arms and tail to "crawl". imagine the gif has a tail instead of legs

Running animation is the same concept, just with much more effort put into making himself move faster. Moving in the river looks more like he’s swimming rather than crawling. Slowed animation is him dragging himself slowly with his head facing the ground, putting weight on his elbows instead of using his arms completely. Like an army crawl but in pain.

Idle animation is him crossing his arms and resting on his elbows, then looking around and inspecting his claws.

If left in idle animation for more than 15 seconds, he drops down completely and puts his head in his arms and dozes off. Moving after the sleep idle will have him shake his head awake when starting to move.

Death animation is him trying to crawl, being unable to, then collapsing on his side and flopping onto his back.

Taunt animation is him straightening himself then lashing out with his hands and baring his teeth before "biting" the air in the direction he’s standing, voice lines coming out before the bite part.

Joke animation is him chasing his own tail? Maybe he gets tangled in his net after doing it for a second and just struggles there until the animation is interrupted.

Dance is uh. He straightens up and does knife tricks. He doesn’t have legs, doesn’t have a staff like Nami, and just wouldn’t dance like Cassiopeia.

I made the gif using footage from here.

His laugh animation would be him laughing and flopping onto his back, then turning back onto his stomach. All but one of his laughs would be loud and hearty, the one that isn’t would sound like Kung Jin’s laugh.

Voice line ideas

First encounters:

Bilgewater/Bilgewater themed champion:

"Ahoy!" "Ahoy, bucko!" "Ahoy, scallywag."

Multiple champions simultaneously/champions who have a visible partner/partners with them (examples: Kindred, Sejuani, Lulu with Pix, Elise with her Spiderlings, Azir with his Sand Soldiers):

"Ahoy, me hearties."

Pyke:

"Pyke?! I’ve heard stories of you! Though… You’re smaller than I had imagined..." "Hey there, old salt! " "Ahoy, seadog! "

Nami:

"Good to see a friendly face! Shame it’s on the wrong side." "Oh! Little lass! Have you found your stone yet? "

Fizz:

"Little trickster! Where’s your big friend? "

Illaoi:

“Test? Gonna get myself an A-plus-plus! …That’s the good grade, right?

Taunts:

Any champion:

"Scurvy dog! " "AAARRRRGGGGHHHH! "

Bird/bird themed/winged champion:

"Polly want a cracker? "

Tahm Kench:

“The only creature with an appetite bigger than mine” “You put me to shame with that maw of yours! You could fit me in it!”

Abilities/eliminations:

Tier 3 "Feed the Fish.":

(after used on champion wearing armour/with tough skin)

"Ouch… I think I broke a tooth. Good thing I got more. "

(after used on champion with fur/feathers/long hair)

" (violent spitting-out-fluff noises) Blegh! "

Tier 1 and 2 "Hook, Line, Sinker. ":

"Catch! " "Avast, ye! "

Tier 2 "Hook, Line, Sinker. " after turning someone around:

"Bring a spring upon ‘er! " "Broadside! "

Using "Chase. " with a DOT’d champion in range:

"Chum in the water…" " (deep inhale, then a rumbling growl) "

Using "Chase. " with affected champion visible:

"Lookin’ a bit squiffy there…" " (laughter) Yesss… "

Eliminate champion:

"Take a caulk. "

Eliminate champion while using "Cleave ‘Em to the Brisket!" or the enhanced auto-attacks after:

"Hah, keelhauled! " “Taste me steel n’ may the devil take ye!”

“PENTAKILL!”:

"Dead men tell no tales…"

Respawn:

"What a flogging…" "Alright, I’ve fed the fish… Now it’s their turn. "

Pings:

(Danger!):

"Heave to! " "Avast ye! "

(Assist me!):

"All hand hoy! " "All hands on deck! "

(Assist me!) followed up by (On my way!), or vice versa:

"Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen! "

(Area is warded.):

"They’ve got a lookout. "

(Target champion):

"Thar she blows! " "Sail, ho! " "Savvy? " "Hang ‘em from the Yardarm! "

Miscellaneous:

Allied champion drinks potion or gets healed by another ally when Rollick has missing HP:

"Splice the mainbrace! Please?"

Alone with low HP, no potions or actives available, or sells all items:

"Looks like I’m marooned…"

Healed by ally:

"Feeling shipshape!" "Much obliged." "I’m in your debt." "Thank you!" "Thanks!"

Receives shutdown gold:

"Ha-ha! Plundered! " “Bounty taken.”

Flashing away from enemy:

"Blimey! " "Gah!” "Sink me! " " (girly shriek) "

[kbstories]

Contingent

con·tin·gent (adj.) Dependent on; conditional.

There's only one thing Trafalgar Law is truly afraid of.

(Or: Bepo will be damned if he loses Law just when he got him back.)

Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, Nakamaship, Amber Lead Syndrome, Medical Inaccuracies, Childhood Trauma, Law whumps well and I have no excuse

Set between Zou and Wano. Read Chapter 2 here.

***

To say the Polar Tang is a tight fit is an accurate, if unfortunate, assessment.

Years ago, the shipwright they commissioned to make their submarine-turned-ship a reality had cautioned them about the limited capacity. Back in the North Blue, the logistics of cramming more than two dozen people into close quarters with high-pressure machinery seemed a far-away problem at best.

That was long before Jean Bart entered the picture, patient as their helmsman had been to accommodate the narrow spaces of his new home. The nightshift Uni and Clione had pulled to present him with a set of his very own Heart Pirates-branded overalls the next day probably had something to do with it, too.

And maybe it’s because they haven’t had guests in a while (or at least, none that were conscious enough to count), or that Law’s paranoia has rubbed off on Bepo more than he likes to admit… When their mismatched group of allies take the first step on deck, Bepo is watching them like a hawk.

The fact of the matter is: Bepo loves the Tang. They all do. She’s the one that carried them from the North’s frigid waters all the way into the New World. She’s the best. All they – pirates and samurai alike – give her are curious glances, though, neither overly positive nor notably negative as they follow Trafalgar Law into the bowels of his submarine.

Well, with exception of that Strawhat cyborg, Franky. The moment they’re inside he’s gone, fawning over metal walls and neatly-welded seams like they’re the delicate linework of an artist; all Ikkaku can do to prevent any damage to her baby is to run after him. Her harsh reminders to be careful grow fainter and fainter as the rest moves on.

Ikkaku was against this whole alliance thing and yet, Bepo assumes it’s only a matter of time until their chief engineer is charmed, too. It’s one of those inevitable things that tend to happen around the Strawhats.

In any case, Law doesn’t seem bothered and so Bepo isn’t, either. It’s not like the captain lets them dwell on it for long, anyways – he shuffles their guests into the galley like a goose herds its chicks and gives Penguin a handful of minutes to organize some snacks for everyone before the crew is called to the control room. In one big gulp, Bepo swallows the rest of his sandwich and off he goes.

He gets there just as Law emerges from the captain’s cabin in a fresh change of clothes and still-moist hair. “Ready?”, Law asks him, looking worn out still but sounding excited by his own standards, and Bepo nods with a fanged grin.

“Ready, Captain.”

The tanks are flooded and the engine purrs below their feet. From there, the Heart Pirates flit in and out and around Trafalgar Law like blood cells under a microscope and Bepo?

Bepo stands by Law’s side, one eye on the Log Pose and the other on the currents, and feels his pulse even out. There’s nothing like home.

The Tang quiets to a comforting hum once the course is set and optimal velocity is achieved, a background noise as familiar to Bepo as the cadence of Law’s voice. The residual heat from the engine room is making everyone but Bepo sweat in their suits, and he’d feel smug about it if his paws and nose weren’t wet with perspiration too–

It’s then that he remembers their allies, more specifically the only people without proper gear to be in a submerged submarine, and Bepo curses his own neglect under his breath for all of a second. By that point Bart is already letting go of the helm to pat Bepo's head, an automatic gesture of comfort.

“I told them to wait”, he says and shrugs a bit sheepishly because, as it turns out, the Strawhats actually listened. Bepo finds them lounging around one of the tables, just where they left them; the three from Wano Country are huddled in the corner a bit further away, heads stuck together to catch up. The Strawhats are in the middle of a round of some card game, it seems, even if their expressions are serious enough to make Bepo wonder if there’s more to it. He hovers in their periphery, hesitant to interrupt.

Suddenly, Nico Robin looks up and smiles. Usopp groans, throwing his hand away.

“I give up! You’re impossible, Robin. Impossible.”

“Bear”, Zoro greets him, gaze sliding lazily from his cards to Bepo. “You any good at Continental?”

“Uh”, Bepo replies intelligently. Conti-what? A glimpse at the cards Robin plays doesn’t reveal any epiphanies to him, either. “Sorry. I don’t know what that is.”

“It’s a card game from the East Blue”, Robin explains while she holds out a patient hand for Zoro’s cards as well. It’s one summoned by her powers, not that Zoro seems to mind as he rolls his eye and relinquishes the (presumably bad) hand he had. “Nami is a real devil at it.”

Usopp leans far back in his chair. “Playing this without her to knock out Robin early on is hopeless”, he adds with a dramatic sigh.

Bepo’s ears twitch in interest. Nami, their navigator? “Ah. Perhaps you can show me–” The sentence crashes into the realization that he's letting himself be distracted, again. “Later! Show me later. You guys need suits, and a tour around the– Wait, where’s Franky?”

Robin chuckles rather fondly. “Don’t mind him”, she tells Bepo, “Franky is easily excitable by the prospect of a new ship to tinker with”, and before Bepo can feel put out by her just deciding that, she glances over Bepo’s shoulder. A pause, pensive.

“I can reel him in, though. Your ship, your rules, Mr. Traffy.”

A huff confirms Law’s presence behind him a moment before he puts a hand on Bepo’s elbow, undemanding. Out of habit, Bepo nudges their shoulders together to acknowledge his captain properly and Law’s fingers tighten, once.

“Better get it out of Franky's system now, I suppose. We’re still close enough to the surface that an explosion or two won’t kill us all.”

Law’s voice is utterly deadpan and it’s most certainly a joke – Robin is snickering good-naturedly, too – but Bepo still gives his captain a look. These are the Strawhats they’re talking about.

Law just shakes his head, a movement so subtle it might as well not exist at all. Bepo lets out a breath. No sudden deaths by drowning today, how nice.

“As Bepo said: You need suits and a tour. Wano people, you too. Zoro, you need a guide.”

“Oi.”

“Hey, why the suits?”

That last one comes from Usopp, and Bepo opens his mouth to offer a perfectly rational answer–

“So the Tang doesn’t boil you alive”, Law says and gives them a sweet smile. It drops off his lips immediately. “Any other questions? I’ll send Uni over for your measurements. He’s the guy with the bandana. Shachi will show you around. Bepo, a word?”

Bepo nods along and… Huh?

As first mate, tour duty should fall onto him – after all, it’s a good way for him to gauge who exactly they invited into their home – but something in Law’s tone makes Bepo’s instincts perk up and pay attention and oh, Law hasn’t let go of his elbow yet.

Bepo doesn’t have time to ask his captain what’s wrong before blue engulfs them both and the world shifts around them.

*

Shambles is a mixture of falling and being held; for Bepo, the unique feeling of Law’s powers is a long-kept comfort, simultaneously a vanguard and the last line of defense in every battle they have fought together.

When it fades, Bepo finds himself in the captain’s cabin – the sight of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lining the walls is a familiar one, the whirlwind of documents all across the desk not so much – and there’s no time to ponder on that before Law holds his hands inches from Bepo’s nose and tells him to look.

“Wha–?”

“Just– Humor me. What do you see?”

Bepo snaps his jaws shut because Law is serious, the air of snarky rudeness gone without a trace, and Bepo looks and sees... Well, nothing. There’s tan skin and fingernails kept obsessively neat; there are the precise lines of the tattoos that have been there for years.

Law’s hands are trembling.

“I don’t see anything, Captain”, Bepo says honestly. Gently, too, because anything that involves Law insisting like that is wrapped in caution tape and staked with warning signs, do not enter, all the way up to the ocean’s surface.

Law curses, then, shaking out his arms in an effort to stop the tremors and it’s wrong, for a surgeon’s hands to be that unsteady. He starts tugging at his clothes and Bepo watches, concern swelling bigger and bigger in his chest – Law’s hat falls to the ground unnoticed when he pulls his shirt over his head in one rough motion.

“Look”, he repeats, golden eyes gone cold and hard. His chest heaves with how heavy he’s panting, muscles taught under the strain; Law’s arm is the only thing left covered, bandaged all the way to his shoulder.

“Anything?”

Bepo does, expression carefully blank as he forces himself to look past the ink and all the things that make Law Law and directly at what’s hidden in plain sight: faded by time, he spots the outline of pale-white scars that have always been there, pre-dating even the fateful day they met.

Then, Bepo shakes his head. “Nothing. There’s nothing, Captain. It’s the same as always.”

“Honest?”

It’s a rushed breath, barely a question at all. It takes Bepo back a decade, the raw fear in it unchanged and belonging to a boy just scratching manhood, struggling to trust the one friend he has in the world. “Honest”, Bepo promises like he always has, and for all of his twenty-two years the ache in his heart feels ancient.

“Talk to me, Law. Please. You’re scaring me.”

Finally, Law inhales sharply and nods, fingers dragging through his hair the way he does after a close call, another life barely saved.

“Something’s not right. I didn’t notice with everything else going on but I’m tired and everything hurts? It’s like I’m about to pass out, fucking… faint like I used Room too much and things get fuzzy around the edges but I haven’t. All I’ve been doing is sleep and eat, I don’t– It makes no sense. And it’s not going away, Bepo.”

Bepo wants to hug him, the need to hold him close and tell him to breathe writhing inside him like a separate being. Law isn’t done yet and somehow it’s even worse to witness him trying to wrest himself into a semblance of control, to drag himself away from all-too-familiar devastation.

“Fatigue. That’s how it starts”, Law tells him, like he’s talking about a patient wholly unrelated to himself. He holds up his hand and counts down with his fingers, one at a time, utterly methodical. “Then pain in the limbs, difficulties concentrating for longer periods of time, discoloration of the skin and hair, high fever and–”

There are no more fingers left, all of them tucked against Law’s palm and exposing all five letters.

“–ultimately: death.”

Bepo can’t take it anymore. “Captain–”, he starts and again he’s interrupted.

“I must’ve missed something.”

Something flashes in Law’s eyes, something unstable and mad-looking and this is bad, Bepo thinks numbly. Very, very bad.

“I thought I cured it but I was a kid, Bepo. Nobody knows the long-term effects of surviving Amber Lead Syndrome, nobody lived long enough to tell. Just because there're no new spots doesn’t mean it’s gone. And what if there’s deposits on a molecular level? I couldn’t cut cells back then without Kikoku but I can now–”

“Law, stop! Shut up!”

Bepo hasn't shouted at Law and truly meant it in a long, long time. Law’s eyes go wide and the frantic rambling stops, and Bepo is done hesitating: He reaches through that gap and touches Law’s forehead, heat searing into the sensitive skin of his paw pads immediately. Shit.

“You’re burning up”, Bepo tells him and shakes his head, barrels through the acute panic in Law’s gaze before it can take proper hold. “Stop, okay? Listen to me.” His paws drop to Law’s shoulders, firm, careful where his fingers touch gauze. “Remember our promise on Swallow? You were delirious with pain and bleeding all over the place and you told me–”

Law whispers, “Promise to stop me”, almost as pale as he was when he said it the first time.

“Exactly. I promised to never let you operate without a clear head ever again ‘cause you’re only human, Captain, and you make mistakes like this. So this is me, stopping you. You’re unwell and you’re scared and you’re not gonna cut into your own cells looking for Amber Lead like this. Okay?”

“Okay”, Law says, the low rasp of his voice growing more solid, close to trusting. Bepo lets himself feel the rapid beat of his own heart for a moment and that, too, is calmer now if only marginally so.

“Okay. So: You’re tired, your body aches, you can’t focus. You have a fever and there’s like, a thousand reasons why that could be aside from– That. And there’s no new spots. What else causes those symptoms? Walk me through it.”

“The flu? Other viruses. Anemia. Iron deficiency in general. Uh–”

A few seconds pass where Law just thinks, brow furrowed and shining with sweat, and Bepo reaches blindly for the hoodie he knows he will find crumpled on Law’s desk chair. “Put this on”, he mutters and presses it against Law’s naked chest. Law does, even lets Bepo help when his injured arm catches on fabric and a pained hiss escapes his lips.

Then the scars are covered again, out of Bepo’s and – more importantly – Law’s sight for the most part. Law stops shivering as much and it's not much but it's still good, still progress. Bepo steers Law to the bed and makes him sit down; arms crossed on the back of the chair, Bepo sits directly across from him. Eyes soft, he nudges Law’s boot with his own.

“Captain. What else?”

“Bacterial infections, severe ones. Miningitis? Hmm... Lymphoma. Technically, most types of canc–”

“Whoa, that’s– Let’s stop there. See? Plenty of options. All of them suck, especially that… that last one.” Bepo pauses, can’t help but to ask: “It’s not that, right? You don’t have cancer.”

Law’s expression softens, the overall misery pushed aside for a moment as his lips twitch tiredly and he shakes his head. “No cancer.”

Bepo nods in relief, and his mind is already three steps ahead because they need a plan and Law is not the only Heart Pirate that has a knack for those. “What’s the prescription against fever? Painkillers and…?”

“Antipyretics.”

There’s not much finesse to Bepo searching the cabinet where Law keeps his private stash of medicine. The weight of Law’s eyes on him registers yet his captain says nothing, wordlessly watching Bepo as he reads labels and tries to place everything back where he finds it until– There!

“Got it. Take… uh, how many?”

“Two. And one from the red box. That one, yeah.”

Bepo gives him the pills and waits with crossed arms until Law obediently swallows all of them at once, wincing at– Wait. Water.

Scrambling to the adjacent bathroom, Bepo fills a glass and refills it right after his captain finishes the first, placing it on his nightstand. “My apologies.”

“It’s fine. You’re fussing.”

“You bet I am”, Bepo huffs, uncaring how petulant it makes him sound. “And I’m not done. Now, rest – and I mean rest, Captain, as in not moving from that bed or so help me – and I’ll get Shachi and Penguin to keep you company. You’ll be fine in no time.”

Pointedly, Law folds the covers over his legs, a wordless there, I’m in bed. “Happy?”

“Yes.”

“And you?”

Blinking, Bepo tilts his head at Law. Law just raises an eyebrow and waits, looking vaguely worried and–

Bepo reminds himself that for all he’s a genius his captain is also an idiot.

“You just came back and you’re sick, what do you think I’m gonna do? Figure this out, of course! There’s no way I’m letting you anywhere near one of the Emperors like this, much less freaking Kaido. Also”, he takes a long breath, “I’m taking Kikoku with me and there’s nothing you can do–”

“Fine.”

“–to stop me! …Wait, seriously?”

“Yeah, take it. You’re worried enough as is.” Law shrugs a little, like it’s no big deal he’s allowing Bepo to handle the sword he keeps close even in his sleep. “It’s cursed, though. Be careful.”

Bepo swallows, a little nervous despite himself. “I know. I will. And… we’ll get through this, okay? Just stay put. Don’t do anything stupid.”

Law leans back against the headrest and sighs, “Can't. The meds’ll knock me out in a few.” And perhaps he doesn’t look particularly happy about any of it but he still took the pills Bepo handed him, still decided in that moment to trust Bepo to come up with a solution while he’s down and out.

Determination sets into a tight-lipped smile on Bepo’s face. Law’s trust is all Bepo has ever needed, be it to wrestle ocean currents into submission or to help his best friend find the freedom he’s looking for, one cut string at a time.

“I'll tell 'em to hurry, then. Leave the rest to me, Captain.”

>>Chapter 2.

[theverybestpencilsoftuscaloosa]

The Heat of Battle

My first story for the One Piece Bingo event hosted by @op-pirate-fleet and also my first One Piece fanfic ever. Which is weird because I think I’ve tried to write like a hundred. Oh well. This is for the prompt “near-death experience,” which I think it just barely qualifies as, but hey! It’s my fanfic and I can be as loose as I want (OP Pirate Fleet please let me be as loose as I want). It’s a little thing about Usopp, who is my favorite, doing a thing. AO3 link here.

~~~

The fight had been going so well.

Usopp was watching from the foredeck, firing into the fray. Each shot was well-placed, and more often than not felled one of the fodder clogging the Sunny’s deck, but from time to time he aimed into the one-on-one battles in progress. 

Nami was missing her Clima-Tact, snatched from her hands by a self-proclaimed witch wielding what looked like a magnet on a stick -- which, against all odds, had worked. It didn’t work on wood, though, and Nami had swept up a broom handle for an improvised staff and pressed the attack. Now the two were locked in combat, the staccato rhythm of their fight audible from across the deck. 

The same rhythm was feeding the battle on the other side of the mast, where Brook was improvising on it, mixing stabs and slashes with swipes at his violin. Every few measures he managed to catch one of the bounty hunters with his music, and they dreamily swung into battle against his opponent -- but just as quickly, her pendant danced in front of their eyes, sending them back towards him with spiraling pupils and slack faces. 

Sanji had been sparring with what seemed to be the bounty hunters’ second-in-command, and taking the upper hand -- but then the woman fighting Brook had cried out for help in a perfect imitation of Nami’s voice, and as Sanji turned away, his own opponent had swung his tonfa into the cook’s knee. Sanji had dropped to the deck with a crack that was still echoing inside Usopp’s head, and now Robin, who had dispatched the second-in-command as he moved in to finish Sanji off, was standing over him and fending off anyone who came too close. Franky was on her flank, picking off bounty hunters with bursts of gunfire as they tried to slash the Sunny’s sails. Chopper was at the wheel, trying to keep away from the bounty hunters’ cannons. Luffy -- Usopp cocked his head and listened, and heard the sounds of wood breaking and panicked yells from the bounty hunters’ ship -- Luffy was fine. And Zoro…

The center of the Sunny’s deck was a no-man’s land. The grass gone, mowed down to the dirt. Every so often, a hapless bounty hunter would stumble or be thrown into the circle at the center and be flung out, bloodied and unmoving. Zoro was stripped to the waist, bandana tied around his head, all three swords in constant, furious motion. Opposite him was Riser, whose name was proudly emblazoned on the hunters’ sail, smiling, empty-handed, and utterly unharmed.

Usopp dropped another hollering bounty hunter headed for Nami’s back, and took stock of the situation. His crewmates were holding their own in their one-on-one fights, Sanji was still secure, and the cannon fire from the bounty hunters’ ship had faded into the distance. He looked out over the water at the distant ship and thought for a moment to ask Chopper to bring them closer, just in case they needed Luffy back on board -- but Chopper had abandoned the wheel, looking out over the deck. “I’m going to try and get to Sanji,” he said, voice shaky but certain, and as Usopp watched Chopper shifted into a reindeer, galloped across the deck, and leapt, nearly clearing the length of the deck. As he descended, he changed again, and a gorilla-sized doctor landed in the fray, swinging his fists as he pushed towards the wounded cook. 

Now alone on the foredeck, Usopp looked back to the fight dominating the center of the ship. “No banter, Roronoa?” Riser was still smiling. Shusui whistled towards his face, but before it struck he deflected with an open palm, sending it off course above his head. It didn’t even leave a mark on his glove. Zoro grunted, deflecting a chop towards his neck with the flat of his blade.

“Save your breath.”

Riser laughed. “Perhaps you feel the need to, but I’m hardly in--” He ducked a swipe that nearly went through his throat -- “Any distress here, Roronoa. Shame. Perhaps your captain would be more of a challenge.”

“You’re fighting me,” snarled Zoro, and brought two swords down in an arc as Riser laughed.

“Shame,” he said again, and delivered a punch that sent Zoro flying.

Usopp’s eyes widened. A second later, Zoro hit the main mast with a thud and dropped, barely landing on his feet. From across the deck, Usopp saw his eyes go hazy for a second. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all.

“You long-nosed freak!”

Usopp had no more warning than that before what sounded like a small explosion annihilated the ground where he was standing. He looked down, realizing his legs had thrown him clear without any conscious effort, and then around, taking in the barrel-chested man standing behind him. He raised his fists, and Usopp’s eyes widened as he saw seven unlit bombs mounted on the man’s fingers. As he watched, the bounty hunter passed his left fist under his beard, where a lit match was braided into the hair, and swung at Usopp.

He dodged again, barely, feeling the heat of the explosion on his side. Bomb knuckles? Bomb knuckles? What kind of crap was that? It sounded like something from the Usopp Factory, but the early days of the Usopp Factory, before he had any idea of what was cool and daring and what would blow your hand off. Honestly, how stupid would you have to be to use --

Usopp came back to himself and realized he had backed into a corner. The bounty hunter was advancing, both fists raised to his chin. One by one, all six of the remaining fuses ignited. The man smiled a horrible smile. “Nighty-night.” Both of his fists slammed home into Usopp’s chest.

Nothing happened.

The bounty hunter blinked, and looked down. Between Usopp’s chest and his bombs, the sniper was holding something: a small, circular, spiraling shell, marked with even holes. His eyes widened. He looked back up.

Usopp stared the bounty hunter in the face. Say something cool, he thought to himself. Come on. He laughed nervously. “Whoops.”

Both of them screamed nearly in unison. Usopp clutched at his wrist, feeling the aftershock travel up through his shoulder with such intensity he thought it would pop from its socket. The bounty hunter took it far worse, flying backwards through the air and over the side of the Sunny altogether. Slumped against the rail, Usopp massaged his wrist, flexing his fingers as he reached for Black Kabuto again. He stuffed the Impact Dial back into his pocket and pushed himself up, peering down at the battles again. 

As he watched, Nami leapt backwards, dodging a wild blast of hot air from her opponent, who was now -- Usopp winced -- inexpertly wielding the Clima-Tact. Apparently Nami didn’t care for it either, as she whacked the other woman upside the head, yelling something about weather patterns Usopp could only half hear over the noise of the battle. Brook lashed out with his sword and got the hypnotist in the shoulder, and her pendant fell from her fingers -- releasing a dozen fighters from their stupor. Chaos rippled across the deck as those bounty hunters came to, unsure of where they were, and began to swing wildly, unable to distinguish friend from foe. Chopper was forced to drop to the ground, activating Guard Point and shielding Sanji with his own body. Eyes sprouted across Robin’s skin to watch every angle of approach, and Franky shed his hands’ false skin, meeting the wave of bounty hunters with fists of naked steel. Usopp watched it all happen in a matter of seconds before his eyes fell to Zoro.

He had a horrible realization.

“Zoro!” Usopp screamed over the increasing chaos of battle. If Zoro heard him, he didn’t respond. “Zoro!” Usopp screamed, and then for good measure sent a lead ball whistling past the swordsman’s ear. That got his attention, a quick backwards glare before Zoro ducked under a swipe from Riser. That was all right, Usopp thought. Zoro could yell at him later. Usopp just had to make sure he survived.

“Zoro, duck!”

Zoro looked back and saw Usopp’s slingshot drawn back, aimed squarely at Riser -- and at himself. With a curse, he dodged another swing and rolled, leaving the bounty hunter momentarily alone in the center of the deck. It was all Usopp needed. He closed his eyes and let the projectile loose.

As if in slow motion, the ball flew through the air towards Riser. He saw it coming, smiled, and raised his hands, poised to block the projectile perfectly. Less than a foot away, it exploded into a burst of orange flame.

Riser went over backward, gloves burning. Usopp was doubled over, stomach cramping from stress, but he managed to give Zoro a thumbs up. “Dials,” he said, panting. “In his gloves.” Zoro blinked. Then he nodded evenly, respectfully, just once. Usopp sighed in relief as he turned away, back to Riser, who was straightening up, but Zoro was already in motion, swords arrayed in front of himself, and Riser was too slow to block as he sprang forth. 

“Oni Giri!”

For a second, as Zoro touched down behind the enemy captain, there was silence. The fighting slowed as all eyes turned to Riser, dead center of the deck, reeling from the triplet slashes across his chest. Usopp smiled smugly. Take that, you bastard! Teach you to use the great Usopp’s own trick against him.

Then the slashed fabric fell away from Riser’s chest, and Usopp saw the skin underneath: hard and reddish pink, spiraling outwards and patterned with tiny holes.

“Shame,” said Riser, shaking his head. “A true, true shame.”

And then he exploded.

Halfway across the ship, Usopp was hurled back by the force. Black Kabuto dropped from his hand, spinning away, seconds before he slammed into the Sunny’s railing and blacked out. He came to a few seconds later, head spinning, blood in his mouth. The rigging was slashed to pieces, the sails hung in tatters, and deep grooves scored the lawn. Usopp, one eye cracked, scanned the deck for anyone left standing. He saw Nami, crumpled against the door to the womens’ cabin. Brook, folded in half precariously over the railing. Franky, Robin and Sanji all piled atop one another. Chopper slumped against the mast, slowly deflating out of Guard Point -- and Zoro, flat on his back in a pool of his own blood, Riser standing over him.

The bounty hunter was talking, but Usopp didn’t hear a word. The rest of the hunters were unconscious, their bodies littering the deck, and Riser’s back was to him. He was up on his elbows now, mind racing, looking for a way out. Riser’s body had transformed. The Dial armor covered his body like chitin, deep spiraling grooves running through his skin. Up his arms, over his back, even his head -- Usopp shuddered. What was he going to do?

Then he saw it. Tiny, barely the size of a coin, but there on the back of Riser’s neck, right at the base of his skull: a patch of unblemished skin. It was a small target, but Usopp had hit smaller from farther away. But he didn’t have his slingshot -- he looked around.

Just to his right, as if placed there by an invisible hand, was a pistol.

Usopp looked up. Riser’s foot was on Zoro’s chest. Think, think. Black Kabuto had to be somewhere, but -- there was no time. He had no choice. Usopp felt his stomach flip as he reached out and grasped the handle of the pistol. Riser was drawing back his foot, hovering above Zoro’s throat, and Usopp felt his stomach rise into his throat, and he raised his arm, and --

In one quick, smooth motion, he hurled the pistol, sending it end over end through the air until the butt of it smacked Riser square in the back of the head. He stumbled forward from the impact, fell forwards, and hit the deck hard. Usopp blinked. Then, cautiously, he punched the air, and then he laughed and got to his feet and screamed as Riser pushed himself up into a kneeling position.

Usopp scrambled back, dropping to the deck as Riser stood and turned. It was too late to play dead, Usopp realized, and as he watched the color leeched from Riser’s skin, the patterns crawling over his face and chest to concentrate in his right arm. It swelled and darked, and Riser raised it towards Usopp with murder in his eyes.

“I was saving this for your captain,” he said. “But I’ll settle for you. Dial-Dial: Infinite Reje--”

There was a twang, like a rubber band fired into the air. Riser turned. Standing on the deck less than a foot away, shirt torn and burnt, blood streaking his face, was Monkey D. Luffy.

“Usopp.” Usopp looked to his captain, past the Dial man standing between them, and almost sobbed with relief. “Sorry. You guys drifted away, and their ship was broken, so I had to--”

“You,” snarled Riser. “I will take your head, Monkey! Take this! Dial-Dial--”

Luffy’s fist slammed into his jaw, and Riser fell to the deck again. This time, he didn’t get up.

*       *       *

    “Ow!” Usopp jumped in alarm, and looked up. Franky was standing over him, arms raised in a powerfully super dance pose. He sighed, trying to force himself to relax.

    “Franky. Hey. What’s up?”

    “Just came in to check on you, bro,” Franky said. “Sanji’s up and kicking -- uh, well -- up and walking, and he’s starting on dinner soon!” He flashed Usopp a smile. Usopp didn’t return it.

    “Thanks, Franky. I’ll be right down.”

Usopp sat in the library for a few minutes more, trying to settle his stomach. Before long, though, he gave up, and headed down to the galley.

“Usopp!” Chopper was the first one to greet him, looking up at Usopp with a brilliant smile. “Are you doing okay? Still feel fine?” Usopp’s hand reflexively went to his face, where a bandage covered the cut on his cheek: somehow, the only wound he’d taken in the entire battle. He snatched his hand away guiltily and nodded.

“Yup! Doing great!”

“Your back isn’t hurting you, is it?” Chopper’s brow wrinkled in concern.

“Nope! Just fine!”

“Oh, thank goodness -- Zoro! No!” Chopper turned away, growing into his human form as he reached out to take hold of Zoro, who was absentmindedly tugging at his bandages. With a sigh of relief, Usopp took a seat at the table. 

He looked around at the crew. They were trading stories from the battle. Just then, Nami was describing how the woman she had fought nearly electrocuted herself trying to use the Clima-Tact. “I should have let her keep going,” Nami said dismissively. “Honestly, she probably would have knocked herself out.” Usopp laughed along with the rest of the crew, but couldn’t help looking at Nami’s right leg, bandaged from ankle to knee. 

As he looked around the table, he noticed the sheer amount of work Chopper had done evident on every body present. Sanji was leaning on a crutch while he stirred the pot, gingerly testing his left leg every so often. Robin was listening attentively to Brook, conspicuously keeping her hands slack in her lap so as not to disturb the heavy bandaging on her arms. Franky was wearing his sunglasses, but Usopp noticed a slight slackness under his left eye and realized it wasn’t there at all -- something he recognized from the time or two he’d had to help Franky recalibrate his vision. Even Luffy had taken a beating dealing with the crew of the bounty hunters’ ship, and Zoro had come off worst of all, his skin barely visible below his neck. Usopp’s fingers twitched, and he resisted the urge to once again touch the single lonely bandage on his own face.

“All right,” said Sanji, snapping Usopp from his thoughts. “Soup’s up in fifteen.”

“Soup?’ Luffy said plaintively. Sanji shot him a look that shut him up (just barely, judging by his crestfallen face) and leaned against the bar separating the kitchen and the table.

“So,” he said, looking around the room. “What happened after I went down?”

Usopp waited expectantly in the silence that opened up, and only realized after a few seconds that Sanji was looking at him. No, strike that, everyone was looking at him. Even Luffy had shaken free of his soup-filled melancholy to stare inquisitively at Usopp. He swallowed nervously. What had happened?

Well, Sanji, Usopp thought, I stood on the deck away from the fighting, threw one guy overboard, then totally miscalculated and almost got Zoro killed. Oh, and I’m fine, thanks for asking. But his instincts kicked in, and what he said was:

“Oh, you know. The bounty hunters were after me, obviously, so I cleverly evaded them, but then the captain pulled out a crazy special move and took down Zoro, so I had to step in and…” He trailed off. “And… I stepped in to…” Save him, supplied his brain. Don’t stop bullshitting now. But he couldn’t finish the sentence.

Sanji chuckled and nodded, not unkindly, and turned away. “Okay,” he said, “so what actually happened? Anyone? Robin?” Usopp’s gaze dropped, his stomach twisting again. Maybe, if he was very quiet, no one would notice if he just slipped out the door.

“Of course, Sanji,” Robin said. “But I’m not sure what else I could say. Usopp gave more or less the whole story.” She smiled. “Aside from the bounty hunters targeting him specifically. But perhaps they did have a grudge against him. Otherwise, that was all correct. He hung back, their captain rendered most of us unconscious, and Usopp stopped him from killing Zoro before Luffy returned.”

Usopp just stared, slack-jawed. Robin, apparently not noticing, turned to Zoro. “Would you agree?”

Zoro looked at Usopp for a moment. “You throw that gun?” Usopp, wordless, nodded. Zoro shrugged. “Then yeah, that’s all true.” He turned his head to Sanji. “Got that, cook? I thought that asshole broke your leg, not your eardrums. Or are you just too stupid to listen?”

Chopper threw himself between Zoro and Sanji, trying to restrain them both at once, while Luffy cheered them on. The rest of the crew’s attention followed, and Usopp sank into his chair, staring at the table -- only to be surprised when Robin leaned in, speaking softly so only he could hear.

“That was very smart,” she said.

“Yes,” agreed Usopp, having absolutely no idea what she meant.

“The gun,” she said, and Usopp froze, thinking back to exactly what he had done. Oh, god…

“I was following the hunter who dropped it, and I saw them fire without reloading,” she continued. “Were you watching them as well, or did you know it was empty just from picking it up?” She shrugged. “Either way, it was an impressive throw. Well done, Usopp.” And then she leaned away, turning to the spectacle with an impenetrable smile.

Usopp blinked. The gun was empty. Right. He had known that. 

Right?

Well, he thought as Chopper burst into Guard Point, forcing Sanji and Zoro apart as the kitchen filled with fur, maybe it didn’t matter. It had all worked out in the end anyway.

[mistystarshine]

Winter Waltz

Wordcount: 2,202

Fic Summary: An unexpected snowfall leads to Izuku and Todoroki sharing a couple moments... and maybe a little more.

Notes: This was written for @inexchangeforyoursoul as part of a secret santa exchange. Credit to crazyGearhead, Nami, and @mavzell for betaing!

The snow was unexpected. However, once it started it went on for hours, working the class into a metaphorical flurry that was only outmatched by the very literal blizzard. By the time it was done, the outside world was absolutely coated in white.

Izuku couldn't recall ever seeing anything like it. Apparently, most of his class hadn't either. He couldn't count the number of times he caught someone excitedly murmuring about it or casting an eager glance out the window. And of course, if he noticed something so easily, there was no doubt that Aizawa would be well aware of it.

That was what led to his homeroom teacher staring out at his charges minutes before class was supposed to end. His expression was too blank for Izuku to stand much of a chance of figuring out what he was thinking, but the more he looked, the more he suspected that yes, his stare lacked the glaring intensity present when he was going to say something unpleasant. Suspected? No, hoped. This was a 'hope' situation.

Aizawa heaved a long sigh before he began to speak. “Yes, the faculty is aware that you are excited by the weather.” At Izuku’s middle-school, such a statement would have immediately aroused a flurry of excited chattering. As it was, all it took was one look of warning from their teacher for 1-A to remain dead silent. Such dangerous outbursts had to be reserved for more pressing matters. “I think it would be a great opportunity for some extra training.” Aizawa paused, allowing his students a moment to feel the onset of dread and disappointment, before continuing. “However, given the rarity of such heavy snowfalls, the Principal has asked me to escort any interested students to a nearby park tomorrow.”

That counted as a more pressing matter. 

Some of the students began to whisper amongst themselves, the hum of their conversation almost matching the twinge of childish excitement under Izuku’s own skin.

Aizawa mercilessly continued in the same low monotone, not caring if one of his students failed to hear what he said. Izuku found himself straining to hear so that he could repeat it for the classmates who were inevitably too caught up in their own excitement to catch it. “The bus will leave at twelve-thirty and return at three o’clock. If you miss it, you won’t be going.” With that, he looked away from the class and toward the sleeping bag under his desk.

Izuku turned his attention toward his classmates. Now that Aizawa was climbing into his makeshift cocoon, it seemed like almost all of them had started talking about their plans for the weekend. Most of them involved taking advantage of the opportunity to go to the park.

“I’m going to build a snow fort,” Kirishima declared, completely without a care as to how childish he sounded at the moment. It brought a smile to Izuku’s face. “It’ll be huge and impenetrable and-”

Off to the side, Bakugou muttered, “I’ll penetrate your fucking fort.”

Izuku only had a moment to ponder what had Bakugou in a bad mood, brace himself for what might be coming if he was, and wonder if he meant to phrase it that way, before Kirishima was piping up again. “Awesome! Then we can build a new one together!”

Bakugou protested, “That’s not what I fucking meant Shitty Hair-”

Kirishima gleefully continued, “I bet it’ll be even bigger and stronger with both of us, so-”

Izuku made sure to look away before Bakugou could catch his slowly-growing smile. In the process, he heard Jirou muse, “I wonder if they’ll have ice-skating.”

“Yakku Park is the one closest to us, so that’s probably where we’re going,” Momo softly offered. “They have a rather large lake, and it has to be frozen with this weather, so… probably.” Jirou’s earjacks twitched as her interest seemed to perk up at the comment. A tiny smile spread across Momo’s face at the sight. “I can make you some skates when we get there, if you like.” 

Jirou returned her smile. “I’d appreciate that.” 

Kaminari leaned back in his chair with a dramatic huff. “Maaan, I’ve never been ice-skating. I’ll be a mess if I get on there. I wonder who has...” His gaze began to drift through the students before landing on one of the few who hadn’t said anything so far. Izuku felt a chill begin to spread in his stomach as he saw what was about to happen, and even as he moved to speak, he knew he would be too slow to stop it.

“Yo, Todoroki!” Kaminari called. “How many times have you been ice-skating?” 

Todoroki blinked, the edges of his lips and the corners of his eyes shifting in a way Izuku knew to mean he was trying not to frown. “Never.”

And the class, save for Kaminari’s shocked, “huh!?” fell silent.

Before the whispers and questions could start, which meant barely seconds after Todoroki had answered, Izuku blurted out, “well, of course not!” With that, all eyes in the room were on him. It took effort not to squirm under their questioning gazes, yet he also felt a faint wave of relief. It was better for him to deal with them than his reticent friend to have to. “It’s… probably pretty pointless for Todoroki to go ice-skating,” Izuku muddled out. “Not because fun is pointless! It’s just… he can control ice, so it probably isn’t very exciting?”

“There’s no challenge,” Bakugou affirmed, making Izuku first flinch in surprise, then still and blinked. He had to take a moment to try to process exactly what had happened. One could say that it was probably just his competitive streak flaring up, but Izuku knew his former friend better than that. Izuku also knew that not everyone thought the same way as him, knew that Todoroki didn’t always think the same way, and Bakugou’s tone was one that would accept no arguments. That was more than a random comment. It was… like he was helping. Either uncaring of what Deku thought or failing to notice that he noticed that something was off, he continued speaking. “Besides, why are all you extras clambering on Half-N-Half when you should be worrying about how Shitty Hair and I are gonna destroy you the moment we reach the snow!?” 

While the rest of the class took the bait and either joined the uproar over an upcoming snow war or returned to their own conversations, Izuku sent Bakugou a small smile. It took a moment, but he managed to catch the other boy’s gaze, only for him to pause, scowl, and look away.

Yes, he definitely knew what he was doing. That only left…

Izuku turned to face Todoroki. The bi-colored boy was staring at a notebook spread across his table. However, after a moment, he looked up and shot Izuku a small, appreciative smile.

The last of the anxious chill in Izuku’s stomach faded into something fluttery and warm.

*

The bus ride out to the park was characterized by the excitable chatter of students. However, Izuku found most of his attention drawn to one of the only people other than Aizawa who was silent the whole time. Todoroki sat staring out of the window as they drove, an unreadable expression on his face. This did not change throughout the entirety of the ride. Yet, for some reason that he himself had trouble discerning, Izuku kept glancing over at him.

He was temporarily distracted from his pointless observation of Todoroki by the bus reaching its destination. As his classmates excitedly clamored out of their seats, Izuku remained stationary, not eager to get caught in the rush and confident that it was cold enough that the snow wasn’t going anywhere just yet. (Well, unless Bakugou made good on his earlier threat to melt it all, but that was between Kacchan, god, and the horde of classmates he would piss off.) 

Once almost everyone had disembarked, Uraraka stopped at the door and called, “Deku! Are you coming?”

“Uh, yeah!” he called back. “Sorry! Just a second!” In that second, Deku cast one last glance at Todoroki (why?) before standing up and hurrying out of the bus.

Uraraka grinned at him as he disembarked. “I was thinking that maybe we could join Iida and - oh!” Her gaze had drifted over his shoulder as he spoke. She clasped her hands behind her, sucked on her lips, and rocked back on her heels. “Aaaactually, I think I hear someone calling me. Later, Deku!”

Before he had a chance to truly process what had just happened, let alone ask about it, she had turned on her heel and run off, leaving Izuku to stand there dumbfounded.

His answers came to him in the form of a soft, “oh. Maybe I shouldn’t ha—”

Izuku turned around before the speaker could finish. “Todoroki!” he happily exclaimed. Indeed, the bi-colored boy had been standing behind him somewhat awkwardly, an intense look on his face. The sight of it made a slight frown inch across Izuku’s face. “Is everything okay?” he quietly asked.

“Yes,” came Todoroki’s immediate response. “I just… wanted to talk to you. About what happened yesterday.”

Izuku blinked. “Oh,” he said. He didn’t get a chance to do anything more before Todoroki was speaking again, speaking like he wouldn’t have the chance to get it all out if he wasn’t quick enough. (He was probably too used to knowing he wouldn’t.)

“You were providing a distraction, right? That was kind of you. It would have been hard for me to explain why I haven’t been ice-skating. Endeavor thought it was a waste of time, but also-” Todoroki hesitated. Something like regret flickered across his face, but it was tinged with something that came a little too close to looking like pain for him to think it was regret over telling him about this. That didn’t stop the twinge of guilt that pricked at his chest, nor did it keep him from wishing he knew how to make it go away. “There was someone else, someone who isn’t around now, who used to go skating with my older sister. I don’t… think I want to do it.”

Somehow, Izuku got the impression that he wasn’t talking about his mother.

Todoroki shifted his gaze toward the ground, causing a jolt of anxiety to surge through Izuku’s chest. “That’s okay!” he blurted out. As Todoroki looked back up at him, he hurried to clarify. “It’s not good that you’re feeling bad, and I hope that one day you can consider it without the association of that person hurting you. But… it’s okay if you aren’t there yet. You don’t have to go ice-skating if you don’t want to.”

“What should we do, then?” Todoroki asked, gazing at him with wide eyes. We, he’d said.

Izuku felt…

“We could dance!” he exclaimed.

…Stupid. Izuku felt very, very stupid.

“Dance?” Todoroki repeated.

“Yep,” Izuku croaked, determined to stick to his nonsensical guns now that he had voiced them. He paused just long enough to cast a quick glance around and confirm that the rest of their classmates had left the immediate vicinity of the bus. Then he continued, “there’s no one here to call us weird, if you’re worried about that. And I don’t think dancing in the snow is something people really do, so it’s… unique?”

“Unique,” Todoroki murmured. Slowly, a smile slid across his face. “I like it.”

With that, he extended a hand to Izuku. He accepted it and felt a warm hand fall into place on his waist. Ah. He should have suspected that Todoroki would default to slow-dancing. Something about that knowledge made his stomach feel warm, like he had swallowed a little ball of light.

In a complete absence of music, snow falling around them and classmates running around causing a ruckus somewhere off in the distance, Shouto and Izuku performed an awkward, snow-muddled waltz. Izuku found himself growing warmer in the process. At first he thought he might be imagining it, but then he took the heat generated by their dancing into account. Then he realized that they were drawing closer together.

Closer…

Closer…

And suddenly, there was a pair of lukewarm lips pressed against his own.

Shouto pulled back quickly, averting his gaze. For a moment Izuku thought he might be blushing, but closer inspection revealed him to be growing paler. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I should have asked first. I don’t-”

“Todoroki.” 

Shouto shut his mouth with an audible click. The guilt in his expression made Izuku’s chest ache, and for a moment, he selfishly wished that the other boy hadn’t said anything and the warm tingle had been allowed to stay on his chest and lips a moment longer. However, that wish was vastly overpowered by the one for him just to be okay.

“Shouto,” Izuku tried again. “It’s okay.”

Uncertainty flickered in Shouto’s expression, the same guilt and shame, now accompanied by something softer. “Are you sure?”

“Shouto,” Izuku whispered. He reached up to place a hand on the side of his face. “It’s okay.”  Slowly, he pulled him into another kiss.

This time, Shouto didn’t pull away.