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Lani POV:

I didn't really know what to expect as I watched Shouto work for the first time.

From the moment I met him, he was cocky. Stoic and tasteless with his personality, but still extremely confident in his abilities.

Attitude doesn't mean a thing though. I've met plenty of cocky heroes, only to see them crash and burn in failure on the battlefield—literally.

But, it seems he had quite the skills to back up everything—most things, I should say.

The sound of his ice cutting through the air was a little too satisfying. The structures were huge, making it all the more impressive that something so powerful was coming from his teensy, little body.

...okay, it's not teensy. Not in the slightest. He just annoys me so I'm projecting.

Look, I have to give him some very minuscule amount of credit. Even at twenty years old, it's easy to see he's incredibly seasoned with his skills. Much more than most twenty year olds.

I wonder how he advanced himself so quickly. He looks like he was training for years way before entering hero high school.

Guess that's what happens when you share genes with the number one hero. You're just naturally good at everything...

I continued jotting my notes down about the observation from across the street, occasionally dodging the shrapnel or debris that came my way.

Shouto Todoroki Observation Day
Very good control with his quirk. If only he had that discipline with his manners.

Long range attacker. Whatever.

Favors his left hand for striking over his right. Makes sense since he's never right in the first place.

Looks mean af all the time.

Ugh.

He held his hands up towards the falling building, supporting the foundation with blocks of ice before using his quirk to connect playground type slides from the higher windows to the sidewalk. All those trapped could take the slides to descend to the ground safely.

"Hm. That's actually really smart." I murmured in focus, jotting down my notes at a quicker pace.

Understands how to use quirk creatively, unlike his personality-

A loud, cliche cackle rang throughout the city now, causing me to roll my eyes and look up at the sky for whatever villain caused this mess.

Heroes and villains are very similar. They both love talking about themselves and getting their point across like a bunch of crime fighting goons.

Great. Some guy in assless chaps—can they get any dumber?

Turning my attention back to Shouto, I realized he was focused on supporting the crumbling building with more ice, acting like he didn't see the flaming, 'villainous,' cowboy whip coming straight towards the back of his head.

"Behind you, Shouto." I called out plainly, causing him to quickly turn around at the very last moment.

"I know..." He bit back immediately, ducking so late, a few hair were skimmed off the top of his head.

I didn't even bother to look up from writing my notes, unfazed by the sounds of shrieks, ice and fiery whip cracks ahead of me.

"Whatever. So long as you know." I uttered with bored sarcasm.

His brows furrowed down in irritation for my comments. Even though a man with his ass hanging out was trying to kill him, he seemed more pissed about me chiming in than anything else.

"I don't need your help. Go somewhere else and stop annoying me." He huffed, shooting me a quick side eye mid-battle before waving me elsewhere.

"Well..." I scoffed in offense, jotting down my notes more aggressively.

Fucking annoying.

Yes, it was a necessary thing to write. It's very important for my research.

The crack of the whip slammed into the window next to me now, causing me to lazily look up and see shards of glass at my feet.

Alright. That's my cue to move again.

With a soft whistle, I began walking to a different area-

"I would move if I were you." Shouto butted in naggingly, keeping his eyes on me instead of the villain ahead. "Saving you would just waste my time."

"I was already moving-"

"Move faster."

I scrunched my lips together and trudged my feet at the same pace I'd been going before, scribbling note after note.

He's currently doing horrible during this observation.

Shouto POV:

I have no doubt I'm passing her observation with flying colors.

Almost everyone is out of the burning building, thanks to my ice slides. While I could take out this villain easily, I found myself using more complex moves to stall time.

Unnecessary moves haven't ever been my style, but I had every intention to prove myself today.

Quite honestly, I haven't felt that way in a long time. Not since the first time I met Midoriya in high school. I'd become quite comfortable with my life and myself. I never cared about gaining approval from most because I always knew I was capable.

This is the first time in awhile I've actually felt challenged by someone.

I forgot the feeling of it. The adrenaline it gives me. It...it definitely makes things less dull, I suppose—not that they were dull before. Right?

But, that push—this push is apparently one I missed and didn't even realize it. It's the push to let me know I'm alive. The drive to be better. To reach a new level I never knew existed. Something about her challenge slowly rekindled a spark I didn't know I'd lost lately.

Today, I was working harder than I've worked during a battle in a long time. Not because I've been lazy, but because I never needed to push myself.

I kept alternating my eyes between the fight and The Woman, cursing under my breath at her slow moving feet.

Didn't I tell her to move faster? I know she heard me.

Keeping my eyes on her, I held up my ice covered wrists in an 'x' motion, blocking the next crack of the pant-less cowboy's whip.

"So annoying." I huffed under my breath, watching her cross the street at a strolling pace.

I continued holding off the villain's whip as the woman settled to a safer distance. But—what is she doing now...?

Instead of watching me once she was in place, she pulled out her phone and took a call.

Isn't she here to observe me? If she's going to sit there on the phone all day, she should leave.

She doesn't listen.

I held off my final attack, toying with the villain and waiting for her to finally look up so she would see it.

A few moments later, she put her phone away and glanced my way again, causing me to channel one of my best ultimate moves so far.

It's really unnecessary of me to bring out this move on a weak villain like this...

All civilians behind me cheered as I landed the final, flashy blow on the cowboy, knocking him out and restraining him in a block of ice.

After the performance I've given today, she won't have any room to criticize me.

Lani POV:

I sighed unimpressed as Shouto defeated the ass-less chaps guy.

After witnessing his skills, it was pretty obvious he was toying with the villain for those last few minutes, so I stopped watching. He loses more points for drawing out a battle unnecessarily.

That surprised me honestly. In the short time I've known him, I can see he's a very direct guy. Didn't think he'd be the type to fight for show.

I jotted down more notes as civilians clapped and cheered, watching closely for Shouto's post battle etiquette.

After all, that's really why I'm here.

On the publicity side of things, how a hero handles a battle afterwards is just as important as the battle itself. Especially if they're looking to gain popularity and fans.

It's almost mandatory to stick around, take pictures, talk with camera crews, and do all the schmoozing. No matter how tired one is.

"Hero!!!" A teenage girl yelled from the sidewalk of admirers, jumping up and down to get Shouto's attention. "Hero, over here! What's your name? I saw you here yesterday, too, and I'm becoming a big fan!"

Wow. Would you look at that? What an oh-so perfect opportunity to build a fan base. Let's see how our hero handles this one on his own....

Letting out a tired puff of frost from his mouth, Shouto kept his eyes to the gauntlets on his wrists, slowly sliding them off one by one with two unenthusiastic words.

"It's Shouto."

✨wow✨

'It's Shouto.' Funny. That sounds a lot like 'you're fired, Lani.' Doesn't it?

I cringed slightly at the pure dryness of his words, practically face palming in pain when he walked the opposite way of potential fans and off the city street.

As much as I wanted to turn his ass around to talk up the crowd, today is about observing. As for tomorrow, he's getting my special treatment.

I held my tongue as he casually walked over to me, wiping the dirt and sweat from his unbothered face.

"I assume you've seen everything you needed to now." He said plainly, stating the assumption as a pure fact.

Closing my notebook with a satisfied thud, I held it at my side, lazily leaning back against the brick wall.

"Absolutely."

He nodded, waiting for my consensus and displaying the first sign of life with the minuscule smirk that pulled at the corners of his lips.

"So?"

"Well, if I had to give you a grade, I'd give you a D." I shrugged displeased, watching the look on his face morph to confusion.

"But, I'm not being graded."

Oh my god...

How can I put this in terms he would understand?

Filtering the usual sarcasm and ease out of my personality, I pushed myself off the wall, looking him straight in the eyes and matching his blunt language.

"Shouto, you failed the observation test. I didn't like what you did out there." I murmured clearly, raising a light, stubborn brow at him.

The stoic boredom faded from his eyes with a few rapid blinks of surprise, morphing back to neutrality almost instantly.

He stared at me in silence, leaving me unable to decipher his mood. I was a little taken aback when he narrowed his gaze and leaned in close to me, acting as if he was looking for something in my pupils.

"There......must be something wrong with you." He concluded seriously a few moments later, causing me to cock my head at him laxly.

"Excuse me?"

"You must not be telling the truth." He continued up close and personal in my space, blinking in pure focus to try and find my problem. "Or maybe you don't have good eyesight—or enough experience with how this job works-"

"Ah, yeah, that's it." I chuckled, eyeing the piece of dirt on his sweaty cheek he failed to remove. "Well, I'm not sorry if my criticism comes as a shock. With whatever the hell you just did out there, someone should really be honest with you more often. Like I said—you failed."

The unbothered look on his face slowly became more bothered by the second, causing me to smirk and brush past his speechless state.

I know—I shouldn't let him get to me so much and be petty. But....well, I'm letting him get to me a lot and being really petty about it.

"Failed?" He muttered from behind me, yet I kept walking.

"Failed."

He sighed in growing agitation now, before the sound of his boots trudging after me echoed on the pavement.

"If we look at the facts, I defeated the villain with no casualties and minimal city damage." He argued firmly, practically running into my shoulder when I stopped at the crosswalk.

Without sparing him a glance, I pressed the button to the crosswalk, watching the cars pass as I waited for my turn.

"Yes, but we aren't just looking at 'facts' here, are we." I explained, feeling his shoulder nudge into mine unintentionally. "Psychologically speaking, an attack like this can have a major toll on the emotional well being of those involved—specifically, the citizens."

The crosswalk icon lit up white, causing me to instantly leave him in the dust again and starting crossing the street.

"No one died." He defended again, trailing behind me a few steps this time as he was thoroughly confused.

Passing by the scene of the crime, I waited for him to finish crossing, deciding to actually educate him this time.

It's why I'm here after all. Might as well show him what I know.

I grabbed his wrist once he was close enough, feeling it warm and slightly sweaty from having the gauntlet on it just a second ago.

Pulling him the rest of the way, I positioned him towards the civilians on the other side. "Yes, no one died. But, that shouldn't be your baseline of success all the time. Do you see that little girl over there, sobbing in the corner?"

The little girl caught his attention now, causing Shouto to furrow his brows in silence before I rotated his stiff shoulders the other way.

"And how about the old man looking up at the sky in concern, waiting dreadfully for another attack?"

"The villain's been detained." He explained plainly. "There aren't anymore coming."

"Did you tell him that?"

"Well....I.....I just thought it was obvious." He inquired genuinely, making me chuckle softly at his true confusion.

Man, he can be an asshole. But, I'm starting to realize he's more clueless than anything.

I gave his arms a lazy rub and pat with my hands before releasing him. "It's obvious to you because you're a hero."

Just from looking at his blank face, I could see the words didn't sink in, pursing my lips in thought.

Hm. Maybe I should try to go about this a different way. I'm still figuring out how he learns.

Slowly, I continued walking down the sidewalk, causing Shouto to naturally follow me this time.

"Think about your life before hero work." I suggested, turning towards him as we strolled. "When you were just an average civilian yourself. When you thought of heroes, what was the first thing that came to your mind?"

Silence filled the space. But, this time, it appeared he understood my question. He just didn't want to say his answer.

Normally, I'd say he's being stubborn. But, the more time I spend around Shouto, the more confused his personality makes me.

I could be completely wrong about my assumptions towards his character. I need to acknowledge that.

"Come on." I tried again patiently, deciding to use an example he could relate to. "Having Endeavor for a father, surely there must have been something-"

"I don't see the point of this."

His tone of voice took me off guard slightly. Rather than sounding annoyed and bothered, he sounded almost...hostile.

I guess the question was too personal. It's not my place to pry things out of him that he's not comfortable sharing. I wouldn't want someone doing that to me.

Deflecting immediately, I changed the subject, not wanting to draw attention to whatever just made him uncomfortable.

"The point is to think about what heroes represent, Shouto." I said, stopping at the giant All Might statue in the center of the city. "They're meant to be symbols—like All Might."

For once, it seems he understood what I was talking about, raising his brows slightly as my words finally absorbed.

Okay, maybe we're getting somewhere...?

"All Might stands as a symbol of peace, right? So what do you want to stand for?" I continued as he looked at the statue. "I know you don't care for fame. But, publicity is also about creating a name for yourself and establishing your legacy. It's how people will remember you."

I nodded and continued walking, not wanting to look at the statue any longer.

As much as I'm giving Shouto some good advice about being a hero, I don't really care for any of it. I'm just explaining what I've been taught at work.

Heroes are all the same to me. Selfish. Vain. Never there when you actually need them.

I just know what wins with popularity. That's all.

"You'll have to do more than just show off your fancy moves if you wanna be remembered." I explained, feeling his presence next to me as we walked. "You need to open up a little more and show who you are."

He sighed tiredly at the idea. "But....I told the girl back there my name when she asked for it..."

I glanced at him lightly, not wanting to overwhelm him with things that were out of his comfort zone.

Every Hero Season 'mentor' so to speak has their own way of coaching their hero to be the winner. I don't believe in pushing my heroes beyond their limit. Even if these people annoy me, they're human beings with feelings and hardships of their own.

Words hurt. They....

...they hurt a lot.

"Yes, you did tell her your name and that was really great." I encouraged him lighter, not wanting to fully diminish his efforts. "But, that's just the tip of the iceberg, you see—look, you don't have to start big. How about just letting one new person get to know you a little better?"

I gestured to myself as the person in question. But...

"Who?" He asked cluelessly, causing me to sigh and give up as we approached the next crosswalk.

I can only take so much 'Shouto-ness' in a day.

Once again, I pressed the button, waiting for our turn before pulling out my phone. "I'll tell you later. Right now, I've got somewhere to be."

Shouto put his hands in his pockets lazily, looking around the busy street as I texted away.

"But, I still have several hours left of work. I thought you needed to observe me."

"Don't worry, I've seen enough." I said, shoving my phone back into my pocket before looking at him with a lax smile. "We can get started on some stuff tomorrow, okay?"

I prepared to cross as the traffic light turned yellow, surprised Shouto decided to stick around.

"Where are you going right now?" He asked plainly, hiding hints of curiosity behind his bluntness.

Suddenly, he's the man of many questions, I see. Nosy...

Same.

"Just a personal matter." I shrugged, nodding him goodbye.

I forgot he doesn't pick up on social cues, because he still stuck around after that, continuing to pry with more interest than I was expecting.

"Personal matter?-"

"Hey, look—when you start opening up to me, I'll return the courtesy." I mused with challenge, pointing my finger at him lightly. "Until then, I'm just as much of a stranger to you as you are to me."

He said nothing as the cars stopped and the crosswalk turned white, deciding to stay behind this time as he understood we were parting for the day.

Finally.

Putting too much trust in the light this time, I stepped out onto the street...

....instantly feeling the world around me spin wildly, accompanied by the violent screech of tires.

Panicked shrieks from passing civilians rang in my ears. A grip around my wrist yanked me back onto the sidewalk immediately, sending me off my feet with the force and my notebook clattering to the ground.

I barely heard the car whiz past the area I'd stepped into just a second prior, running a stale red light at a speed that would have surely killed me.

Ah. It's rare that I get startled anymore. Being in the line of fire all morning, this moment right here was the first time in ages I felt my heart pounding in shock.

Out of instinct, I gripped onto the first thing my hands could grab, feeling that familiar scent of peppermint waft into my nostrils.

His arms circled around my back strongly, holding up my weight since my legs had turned to jelly from the surprise. His fingers were warm, melting into the quivering muscles along my spine with a gentle, coaxing touch.

My breath was heavy to catch the air that had left my body, slowly looking up at him before seeing he was no better.

His dual colored eyes were wide, gliding all around my face to ensure no damage had been done. He seems just as shocked about that car as I was.

Like I said, he's got great reflexes...

Neither of us had the capacity to say a word, sharing the same air as we tried to recover.

Slowly, the strength came back in my legs, uncurling my iron gripped fingers from his shirt as best I could.

Shouto's hands never retreated from my body as they slowly glided from my back to my waist, squeezing it lightly to make sure my balance was supported.

Unintentionally, one of his hands rested on the area where my shirt had shrugged up, touching the bare skin of my stomach.

For a guy with an ice quirk, he's got really warm hands...

"Phew..." I breathed out once the stressful moment had passed, looking at him with fragile composure.

His hands slowly slid off my body once he knew I was fine, speaking the first word between us in what felt like ages.

And, after all the talk we just did about reassuring people as a hero....

"You should.....really get out of the way next time." He said bluntly, causing me to throw my head to the sky in defeat.

As I said before, one step forward, two steps back.

But, hey, Shouto...

Thanks for saving my life.

****

Text Message From: Private
Might wanna be more careful in the crosswalk.
11:34am.

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Next chapter title: Olympians and Deadbeats.

Patreon is 15 (soon to be 17) chapters ahead of wattpad if you want to see what's going on in bad habits there <3