Archive of Our Own ^beta

Momo Yaoyorozu’s lips stretch further and further into a frown as she stares at the kettle, waiting for the water to boil. Worry claws at her insides. 

She just can’t stop thinking about it. 

Endeavor, the current number one hero and the best hope they have as their ultimate defender, falling from the sky.

Her heart thumps hard again at the memory. She clutches a trembling fist close to her chest and closes her eyes, trying to push the unsettling image away.  

She saw him get back up. He defeated the nomu in the end. 

And yet, it’s hard not to worry. If the League of Villains is now targeting the number one hero, and if he had that much trouble defeating the nomu, then what’s going to happen next?

When the time comes for her and her classmates to step up, will they be ready? 

Will they win?  

Momo takes a deep breath and tries to refocus. She’s never going to get any sleep if she keeps going down pointless rabbit holes tonight.

Her gaze shifts to lock onto the flames dancing beneath the kettle on the stovetop, and right away she feels a little calmer. It's comforting. It reminds her of -

A gentle, but sudden thud from across the room causes Momo to jump. She jerks her head toward the front door, where Todoroki now stands with his eyes fixed on her. Her hand flattens against her chest, which heaves in time with her racing heart.  

The next second, the kettle on the stove begins to whistle loudly. Momo quickly pivots and shuts off the heat, forcing herself to draw deep, calming breaths again. 

“Sorry,” Todoroki murmurs, barely audible from across the large common space. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I assumed everyone would be in bed by now.” 

Momo looks back at him, brows furrowing slightly. She had figured the same thing, actually.

What was Todoroki even doing out of the dormitory at this hour? 

Almost as if he can read her mind, he adds, “I was taking a walk. Just around the dorm. I…wanted some air.”

Momo says nothing. Regardless of what he was doing, she wasn’t even thinking of notifying Mr. Aizawa or anything. Todoroki has a good head on his shoulders and does not flout school rules without a solid reason, she knows. 

And, she can certainly understand why he might have wanted some air after earlier. 

He inclines his head slightly toward her and then turns to head toward the boys’ side of the dormitory. As she watches him go, Momo recalls the look on his face when he saw his father disappear in a huge burst of fire, almost like a star exploding in the sky…  

He seemed so shocked. She could swear she almost felt his pain in that moment as if it were her own.  

Her chest clenches even now as she thinks about it. 

“Todoroki,” she calls out softly.

He looks back. 

Momo stiffens, suddenly doubting herself. Ever since they watched the broadcast, she has wanted to reach out to him, to find out if he is ok. For a moment, though, she worries that it is only for selfish reasons that she desperately wants to be the one to bring him some comfort. 

But she can’t just do nothing. 

She cares. She cares too much, maybe. 

“Uhm.” Momo takes a step forward. “Your father… Have you heard anything?” 

He turns his body to face her. “My sister said he’s stable, in the hospital right now. She was with him earlier.” 

A smile blossoms on Momo’s face as she breathes out in relief. “Good. I hope that he recovers well.” 

“Thank you,” Todoroki says flatly after a brief hesitation. 

Momo takes another step forward. “And…” 

She stops, unsure once more. 

But is anyone else asking? She knows that Midoriya and Mr. Aizawa - all their classmates and teachers - were worried for Todoroki when his father was badly injured while fighting for their lives. But who is going to actually approach him and ask directly? 

Someone needs to. Otherwise he might just keep it all inside. 

She swallows. “And… you? How are you doing?” 

Todoroki’s gaze slowly shifts from her face to the floor. His hands twist in his pockets.

Momo waits. 

“I’ve hated him for so long,” Todoroki murmurs after a while. “Or, at least, I thought I did…” 

She practically holds her breath as she watches him. Though she doesn’t have all the details, she knows that Todoroki’s relationship with his father is tumultuous, to say the least. 

Still, it is a little heartbreaking to hear someone as kind as Todoroki use the word ‘hate’. She knows he is not one to throw words around meaninglessly. 

What could Endeavor possibly have done to make his son feel this way toward him? 

“But, earlier,” Todoroki continues softly, “When…I thought he wasn’t going to make it… I…” 

Momo’s heart pounds hard in her chest. Emotion floods her as she watches his jaw tighten. She can hear in his voice how lost he is. She so badly wishes she knew exactly what to do or say to ease those painful feelings. 

“It doesn’t make any sense. He put our whole family through hell, especially my mom. I shouldn’t - I shouldn’t even care…” 

Todoroki shakes his head and scoffs at the floor. Then he looks back up at Momo. After a split second, his eyes start to widen, and he blinks rapidly several times, as though only just remembering that she has been there the whole time, quietly listening. 

“I - I’m sorry to bother you with all this, Yaoyorozu,” he tells her hurriedly, turning back toward the hallway. “Good -”

“But, it’s not a bother.” 

Todoroki stops. 

She said it so unintentionally quietly that she is surprised he heard her at all. In truth, she wasn't sure whether she wanted - whether she ought - to say anything after all that, but it just slipped out. 

Momo takes a step forward, licks her lips. She is astounded that Todoroki confided in her as much as he did. From her observations of him, she gets the sense that he tends to be less than forthright about his deeper feelings with others - maybe even with himself.

If he is giving her a chance to be there for him, she’s going to do her damnedest to not let him down. 

“Todoroki,” she says tentatively, “You know… it’s ok to feel both.” 

She watches as his eyes widen further, and decides to press onward.

“It sounds like…you believe that your feelings…cancel each other out or something. But… that doesn’t invalidate them,” she says. “It’s - it’s ok to have different feelings about your father. Not one of them is more right or wrong than the others.” 

Momo takes a breath. 

“I think… I think that you simply feel the way you feel, and then you choose which feelings you actually want to act on and what you want to do about them.” 

As she finishes, her hands grow clammy. Her heart begins to race again as she stares at Todoroki’s unchanging face.

Oh no. Has she said too much? 

She drops her gaze, mouthing wordlessly for a moment.

“I - I’m sorry,” she tells him, “If I crossed a line. I...got ahead of myself for a moment.”

“No.” 

Momo looks up at Todoroki’s low, firm voice. 

“You didn’t…cross a line,” he mutters, sweeping his gaze from the floor up to her face. “It was…helpful, what you said.” 

Her chest suddenly feels buoyant and the corners of her mouth lift upwards slightly.

“Well, in that case, is it alright…if I say one more thing?” 

Todoroki nods. 

“I just -” She pauses, wishing she had better thought through how to express what she wants to say before speaking. “We - we all need someone to lean on at times. And if you ever want to talk - about anything - please come find me and I’ll listen. Or… or if you want someone to just be there, even if you don’t feel like talking, I’ll happily do that, too.”  

For a moment, Momo just stands there as they stare at one another across the common area. Then the awkwardness of the situation becomes too much for her and she averts her eyes, wrenches her feet up, and turns herself toward the other side of the dormitory, having completely forgotten about her earlier quest for tea. 

“That’s - that’s all I really wanted to say,” she stutters nervously, “So, I - I think I’ll…go to bed now…” 

She lowers her head to silently bid him goodnight and then hurries off toward the hall on the girls’ side. 

“Yaoyorozu?” 

Momo stops just before she reaches the hall. Her heart stutters in her chest at the sound of Todoroki projecting his voice more to reach her over here. 

“Yes?” she asks, turning around to face him.

“I’m not sure that I am the best person to confide in about things,” Todoroki says, throwing her a sheepish look, “But know that it’s the same for me. I will gladly listen if you ever need someone to talk to, and I'll do my best to be helpful.” 

Momo stares at him for a long moment, stunned. A lump forms in her throat and emotion wells up behind her eyes. She did not say that to him with any hope that the gesture would be reciprocated. Once again, she finds herself surprised by Todoroki’s thoughtfulness.

Her face softens and she shoots him a small smile. 

“Actually, I imagine you would make an excellent confidant, Todoroki. Thank you.”