Clearing his throat, Todoroki reread the words on his laptop's screen. "How I wish it were only a dream," he sang with the flattest, most off-key tone ever.

Yet, he wasn't someone who gave up after his first attempt. "Even now, I still dream of you."

Todoroki ran a hand through his dual-coloured hair in frustration, certain that his heart had skipped a beat. The thought that he was not the kind of guy who would sit and sing to you lingered in the back of his mind, but he persevered, wanting to make amends for the hard time he had put you through.

The guilt from shutting you out of his life, even when he had promised he wouldn't, still sit heavily in the pit of his stomach. An indescribable emptiness washed over him as he reflected on his actions. How he had pushed you away. How he had raised his voice at you. How he had come to realise that he wasn't worthy of you because he had misplaced his anger on you, instead of his father.

Moving past his apology, he wanted to find a way to move on from where you had left off. A way in which he could cope and redeem himself so that he could dispel these unexplained aches and pains that plagued his body whenever he caught himself thinking too deeply into this matter.

Even if Todoroki had shared some short, lively interactions with you during the week, he missed you. But as he checked the time and realised he needed to wait a few hours to see you, he understood that he had been missing you for longer than he had accounted for.

From before a physical barrier was set to keep you apart; since he decided that obscuring his internal turmoil would be for the best.

However, Todoroki knew well that backing down and letting himself feel hopeless and helpless wouldn't help anyone. And that's why he would pick up the pieces and rise up to the second chance you had given him.

Most of all, he needed to stand up and never forget who he wanted to become.

He crossed his legs, inching closer to his computer, and clicked on a more promising article on a website that he had become well-acquainted with:

※ How to Express Your Feelings to the One You Love ※

Biting his tongue, he shook his head, heat rising from the back of his neck to the tips of his ears. Although it would have flustered him if you had asked him about it, he had to admit that this wasn't the first time he looked something like this up.

Before meeting you, anything that wasn't his goal of becoming a hero or his hatred for his father had always been thrown to the sidelines. But with the help of you and his new friends, he was well under way of realising the harm of such a self-destructive fixation.

Increasingly self-aware that he wasn't the most affectionate of boyfriends, he skimmed through the introduction of this alien advice. He drummed his fingers on his grey sweatpants, as he scrolled down the article, longing to see you happy and strengthen the bridge between the two of you.

Looking down at his left hand, he promised himself that he would never burn it down, wanting to make sure that he never took it for granted again.

As he scrolled down his breath hitched, his heterochromatic eyes widening as he read one of the tips:

⇢ Give your s/o an endearing nickname

Despite the fact that he had to search that 's/o' meant significant other, he soon remembered he had promised to do exactly that in the summer, when you two had met up with your classmates at the school's swimming pool.

Todoroki let out a drawn-out sigh before he scribbled a couple of the nicknames on a piece of paper, which he then neatly folded and placed in his pocket.

---

With dawn light trickling into the empty canteen, Todoroki glanced outside of the window. Doubting his restless eyes, he squinted to confirm that the figure walking away from Height's Alliance belonged to you.

The colour returned to his cheeks as he noted that you weren't carrying Aki. Although he wasn't sure of what you were doing up so early, relief washed over him as he noted that you hadn't made the impromptu decision to take her to the vet on your own.

Without giving it a second thought, Todoroki paced down the hall to the elevator. He clicked on the button for the ground floor several times, which had never seemed like such a long wait.

When he caught sight of you almost by the gate, he didn't hold back. He sprinted towards you, his steadfast feet hammering on the gravel path.

It would have been hard for you to miss him by the time he stopped on his tracks. Turning around while you relished sensing his unique presence, you tucked a strand of your (h/c) hair behind your ear. "Oh, hi. Good morning, Sho!"

After catching up his breath, he lifted his gaze and studied every last detail of your faded complexion, which gave away that you hadn't fully recovered yet. "Where are you going this early, darling?"

Your back stiffened. "D-Darling?"

Todoroki registered the shock in your face, deciding that that nickname hadn't done the trick. With his eyebrows knitted together, he took a step forward. "...My Love?"

What's got to him? You had pictured that in your reunion, you would throw your arms around his neck and pull him into a yearning kiss. Nevertheless, you found yourself biting down on your lower lip, stopping yourself from laughing at his efforts.

"Todorito?" you called the comical name with which you had saved his number.

Todoroki eyed you from head to toe, coming to a conclusion of his own. "Doritos? So you're going out to buy snacks?"

"No, not really." A pang of pain hit your core again. Instead of letting Todoroki see your face scrunch into a faint grimace, you averted your gaze from him, sheepish. "I just need to get some emergency bits and pieces. I thought I could get them before we take Aki to the vets because I'm taking the train home straight after."

"Hm. I see..." Todoroki delivered. "How about I rush to the shops for you instead? You haven't been well recently."

You fanned your hands over your heated face. "It's fine. It's fine. I won't take long and we'll be off once we have breakfast. It's your turn to cook anyway, right?"

"Yes, but I've been awake since five o'clock, so all I need to do is to reheat the soup and take the rice out of the rice cooker. Let me do this for you, (y/n)."

He's a persistent one, isn't he?  You looked down at your feet, rubbing the back of your neck. It's just too embarrassing... what if he's really clueless about periods and asks me to explain them to him?

Yet, he interrupted your internal monologue with his deep baritone voice. "Baby?"

An oddly pleasant shiver ran down your spine and you covered your mouth, but a loud snort still escaped.

"You really are going all out, aren't you?" you blurted out, a second snort turning into a series of uncontrollable giggles.

In spite that Todoroki's shoulders sagged ever so slightly, he noted that some people's laughter was funnier than the joke itself. For him, you were that kind of person.

"Even if that was too much..." Todoroki trailed, referring to the pet name he had just uttered. A rosy pink rose to his cheekbones as he bowed down a little. "Could you please tell me what you need to purchase?"

You let out a shaky breath, hoping that Fuyumi had told him about this type of topic. "Well, the thing is... I'm on my days."

"What days?"

"So..." Mother nature got me and it isn't at all merciful. "I'm on my period."

Worried that Todoroki would ask what kind of period you were going through, you shot him an inquisitive glance. You clutched your jacket, feeling a little guilty that Todoroki looked down at the ground, so lost in his thoughts.

Todoroki's reserved, thin eyes widened a tad in realisation before he nodded. "Oh, I see. All the more a reason to let me help you, isn't it?"

"Maybe," you said, reluctant, yet grateful. "Thanks, Sho."

With your heart thumping, you stood on your tiptoes next to Todoroki. But instead of pressing your lips against his cheek to give him a light peck as you intended to, Todoroki cocked his head to the side to meet your soft lips in a tender kiss.

You jumped in your place in surprise, a glow radiating from deep within your chest as you took an unintended step back.

He couldn't help himself this time, and from the bottom of his racing heart, he knew he wasn't prepared to keep his feelings in disguise.

As he shoved his hands in his pockets, his right knuckles brushing against the folded note, he gingerly waited for your reaction.

Spreading your arms wide, you flashed Todoroki a heartening smile. "Touché."

---

Given that you now had time to spare at the dorms as Todoroki had headed down to the shops for you, you brought a cup of (your favourite hot drink) closer to your mouth.

As you had expected, no one was awake this early, reminding you of the time you had lived here on your own, before the rest of your classmates had moved in.

You leaned back into the sofa in the common room, your headache making it hard to even concentrate on deciphering the presence that had just made it out of the elevator.

Closing your eyes shut, you scrunched up your face as you tried again to no avail. Perhaps, those doomed strong emotions were interfering again.

You cursed under your breath. It was almost like Recovery Girl's warning that they weakened you, was a self-fulfilling prophecy in itself.

But then the memory of the summer camp hit you. Yes, you had collapsed for no apparent reason, so now it was suddenly clear to you that your life energy had decided to escape you because you had never felt more fear than when Dabi threatened to murder you.

You swallowed thickly, leaving your cup on the coffee table so you could roll your now recovered stiff wrist.

As you sightlessly stared at a dot on the carpet, some coughs snapped you out of your thoughts.

You looked up to meet Yaoyorozu's gentle expression as she offered you a wave of her hand.

"Good morning, (y/n)," she repeated as she smoothed the cuffs of her stylish cream jumper.

"Hi, Momo." You waved back, your stomach tightening into a knot as she took a seat besides you.

I guess... we still haven't talked about what happened the other day.

You could cut through that tense silence with some chit-chat, you reassured yourself, but then Yaoyorozu stood up from her place, putting you back to square one.

It's not so much the fact that I was sick in the toilet, but that I was overhearing her conversation with Jiro.

With her gaze set on you as you zoned out yet again, she wondered whether this was the right time. But a time like that didn't seem to exist in both your hectic lives as heroes in training.

Fidgeting with your fingers, you tried to make memory of a nonexistent time when the both of you got on well. It wasn't like you didn't like her, which wasn't true at all. If anything, you had always looked up to her.

But when it came to her friendship with Todoroki, that toxic, wretched feeling of jealousy had grown used to sneaking back and ravaging you.

"Hey, Momo," you found yourself saying. "You're up early, right?"

Brilliant. Stating the obvious is definitely gonna help me fix my relationship with her. Not. Your (e/c) eyes darted to her blown wide dark ones.

"Yes, as per my morning routine," she said, uncertain of your intentions. She gestured towards the sofa with her hand before she added, "Just to confirm, err," she started wringing her palms anxiously, making you curious. "do you... feel comfortable with me here, (y/n)?"

"Yeah, totally! Like, please, sit back down. I've been actually meaning to talk to you, but..."

...but I didn't have the strength to do so.

"At any rate," you continued. "I'm glad you're here."

Nodding with caution, Yaoyorozu took a seat, scanning for a sign of dishonesty in your expression. But she was stunned when she recognised that you had meant it, especially as this was the first time both of you talked one-on-one.

"So... Momo... It's okay if I call you by your first name, right?" You bought some time as you mustered the courage to give her your overdue apology.

"Yes, please, feel free to do so."

You would have given anything to phone a friend to help you out in this one, but you knew you were on your own. And no amount of positive vibes Chiharu could have psychologically sent your way could take away the fact that you still struggled with forgiving people.

But, this time, you wanted to come clean and bring an end this unnecessary drama that not only put a strain on you and your quirk, but also on your other friends.

"I'm sorry, Momo. I shouldn't have been listening in the other day in the girl's toilet and um..." You let out an almost inaudible gasp as a twinge of pain shot up your core. Now facing her properly, you opened your palms. "More than that, I want to say that I'm genuinely sorry for everything that's happened between us."

Her sharp brain processed your words in all their possible layers of meaning, only to find that you had given her the most straighforward apology she had ever hoped for.

"No, (y/n), I am sorry. It wasn't fair of me, I realise. With an appropriate length of time, I will come to terms with..." Yaoyorozu's eyes clouded with tears, as she pictured how you would startle Todoroki by blowing some air into his ear at breakfast of all things.

Feeling like the last thing you would like to be in was her position, you patted her arm, offering her a compassionate smile. "You know, I really admire you, Momo. And I know I haven't made the best effort to be your friend, but if you'll let me, I will."

"For us to become friends..." Yaoyorozu rested her back against the back of the sofa, raising her head. "It would be an honour."

---

At the vet's cosy waiting room, sitting on Todoroki's knee, guarding him, was the tabby kitten he had grown to like so much. She kept purring and flicking her tail as her ears perked up at the sound of your voice.

"I'm glad Aki trusts you now," you said, sorting through the kitten's brand-new vaccine records before you placed them inside your bag.

Though Todoroki wished that your kind remark was true, as soon as he reached out to pat Aki's soft fur, she flinched and jumped to to the floor. She bounced towards your legs and rubbed her ears against your jeans.

Todoroki gave you a sidelong glance, gaping.

You let out a teasing laugh at his shocked expression. "The cat got your tongue?"

Todoroki rolled his eyes towards the corner of the brightly lit room. "Not quite, honey."

Heat rose to your face, so you puckered your brows and retorted, "That's illegal!"

"What is?"

Humming as you placed your hands on your hips in mock-defiance, you gave in. "Okay, you got me. No reason."

"Huh," Todoroki mused, a hint of amusement lacing his tone. "By the way, how would you feel if I sang a song to you?"

You carefully picked Aki up from the floor so she could sit on you when you took a seat next to Todoroki on one of those hard, plastic chairs. Resting your head against his shoulder, you recognised as he was unaware he was being funny, you found him hilarious.

"I'm sure Momo would be happy to make a mic for an epic karaoke beat down. I know I've told you I can't sing to save my life, but something tells me I'd win." You peered up to him, eyes glinting with competitive spirit.

Yet, Todoroki tilted his head to the side, pensive. To him, you appeared nearly as moved as when he had handed you that bag full of goodies from the convenience store, ranging from sanitary products to chocolates and painkillers this morning.

"Oh, yeah." Your head shot up. "I forgot to tell you that I made up with her. You should, too."

Todoroki reached out for Aki's paws again. And against all odds, she welcomed his caring strokes as he mumbled, "Hm. So there's more bridges than I used to think?" He paused, placing a warm hand on top of your smaller one on your lap.

"Lots of them to see on the way to my hometown." You intertwinned your fingers with his, not finding the nerve to tell him about the newly discovered drawback to your quirk yet. Saying it out loud made it seem real. "Um... what was I saying?"

"Something about your village. It's nice. You don't talk about the past too often, do you?" Todoroki pointed out, committing the feeling of your skin against his to his memory.

"Ah, yeah, I'll take you there one day and show you all of the best places. But, should we get a move on now so we can make it to the train station in time?"

A light flashed before Todoroki's eyes as he decided the nickname that felt most natural to him. "Yeah, you're right, my Love."

Instead of snorting out loud, you gave him an encouraging nudge. "You know, I really like that one."