Quirk: plant manipulation

Requested by: FelixFelicis65

 I constantly felt as though I was drowning. I felt suffocated, in a pool of darkness that I didn't know how to escape from. Since I caught my fiancé, the man who asked me to marry him, cheat on me with my maid of honour I vowed it was best to be alone. I broke up with him and left my friendship with her behind, instead deciding to focus on myself.

Since then however the feeling of drowning had never escaped me. I convinced myself it was best to be alone, out of the public eye and away from everyone. I didn't have many friends anyway, and I didn't stand out much so I was easily forgotten about. I was now truly alone but I didn't mind it, in fact it was good for me. Better than living a life surrounded by fake people with fake emotions pretending to like and love you.

Everyday I awoke in my small flat which consisted of only two rooms - the bathroom and the open plan kitchen/lounge/bedroom. My routine was the same every day: I'd get up, bathe, have breakfast, pack away my futon and head to work. Work for me was a safe haven, it being my own independent shop. I refused help from my family, wanting to achieve this alone. I was a florist, as being surrounded by flowers and the various perfumes they emitted always comforted me.

Keeping to myself resulted in me not knowing much about the worlds current affairs. I didn't follow the news, I deleted all of my social media and I spent all my time in two places - my home or my florists which was were I was now.

Clipping the stems of the roses I had piled in front of me, I hummed a lullaby. It was free therapy for me, and a distraction from reality. The closest I got to reality was when a customer came into the shop and ordered a bouquet. The sound of footsteps made me look up and I saw a man with red and white hair enter the store through the open front. He glanced over at me and smiled slightly, making me quickly turn my attention back to the roses in my hand.

Silently he walked around the shop, gently caressing some of the flowers standing in their tins. I watched him out the corner of my eye, feeling as though I recognised him from somewhere but having difficulty placing it. "Excuse me, may I take a bouquet?" He asked, approaching the counter.

"Of course... any particular event?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Just to have in the house," he said with a smile that had my heart rate excel a little.

"Any flower preference?" I asked and he shook his head again.

"Whatever you think would look nice," he said and I felt heat come to my cheeks. I tried to brush it off, nodding and wandering around the shop, collecting the necessary flowers and decorations. I worked in silence, trying to keep all of my attention on my flowers but I occasionally found myself looking up at the man who was watching my hard work.

Ten minutes later I had strung together his bouquet and he smiled again. "Thank you, they're beautiful," he praised and I just nodded.

"That's 5000 yen please," I mumbled.

"Thanks again," he said politely, waving as he exited. I somehow felt incredibly flustered after his visit and tried to distract myself by going back to my roses but somehow my thoughts remained on that man all evening.

- Timeskip -

A week had passed and a few more customers had come and gone. I was busy working on a few of the bouquets I needed to finish for a wedding when I heard rustling. I turned to see the man was back, looking carefully through the tulips. "Hello," he said politely and I nodded, sending him a small smile before turning back to my job at hand.

I kept an eye on him, glancing up at him to see him browsing, picking up the flowers with such delicacy that it made me smile. He gently sniffed them, smiling to himself before placing them back in their buckets. It was a moment before I realised that I was staring at him, so I quickly turned my attention back to my task.

"Excuse me, would you be able to make me another bouquet?" He suddenly asked making me jump. I turned quickly and nodded, picking out a few flowers that I didn't use in his last one.

"Did they die?" I asked quietly as I brought a handful of flowers back to the counter.

"Hm?"

"Your last bouquet, did they die?"

"No, I'm looking after them, don't worry," he said with a charming smile and I gulped. "Why do you ask?"

"M-most people replace dying flowers with new, young and pretty ones... instead of actually looking after them," I told him.

"I just thought they looked really good, so I wanted to get more," he said and hearing this warmed my heart.

"O-okay... here," I passed him the finished product and he handed me the money, saying his farewell before exiting the shop. I was still having difficulty figuring out where I had seen him, it being on the tip of my tongue.

- Timeskip -

The man had come into the shop many times since the first two, asking after bouquets and feed for the flowers. He was kind and gentle, and he made me feel comfortable. I smiled in his presence which was something I rarely did around anyone. Each of his visits lasted longer and longer, yet I still didn't know his name. We'd spend a while chatting, he'd ask me for advice on how to care for the many flowers he now had and he'd be on his way.

I knew he was good-looking, and the way we spoke so calmly with each other made me develop tiny feelings for him, not that I wanted to admit it. Besides, he already had a wife - what man would consistently buy flowers every few days and not have a woman in their life to give them to?

"Hello," he announced himself and I couldn't help but smile.

"Good morning," I bowed politely. "Another bouquet?"

"Yes please, a mixture of reds if you have them," he said and I nodded happily. He followed me around the shop, pointing out the various flowers he liked until we finally had a full bouquets worth. As I began to build it up I thought about who would end up holding my beautiful creations and I sighed to myself. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Y-yeah... you're wife must love getting these flowers from you," I said and his eyes widened.

"Oh, I don't have a wife," he chuckled.

"Oh, sorry, your husband must love getting these flowers-,"

"No, no I don't have anyone like that, I'm single," he interrupted me and I felt my cheeks heat up dramatically out of embarrassment.

"S-sorry-,"

"No it's okay," he laughed, pulling out the money from his wallet.

"Y-you've been coming into the shop a while now and I realise I... I don't even know your name," I said with as much confidence as I could, however he looked shocked.

"You don't know me?" He asked, surprise laced in his voice.

"We've never introduced ourselves officially," I defended but he still seemed shocked. "I'm (y/n) (l/n)... you can call me (y/n)."

"I'm Shoto Todoroki," he said, apparently waiting for a reaction so I just smiled. "Call me Shoto."

"It's a pleasure to officially meet you... and sorry for the assumption earlier," I mumbled and he wafter his hand.

"Don't worry about it. I was actually wondering if... well, if you were free this Saturday, maybe we could go for drinks? It must get pretty lonely and tiring working all day, so I'd like to treat you to a break," he offered.

"Really?" I asked excitedly. I rarely treated myself so I happily took him up on his offer without really thinking. We arranged a time and a place as well as exchanging contact details, him waving as he left clutching the bouquet tightly.

Once he had gone I realised what I had let myself in for. I had spent so long pushing people away, knowing I could live on my own and do things by myself that I had grown anti-sociable and had no idea how to act in popular areas. Not only that but I had just gotten his phone number which was a very intimate thing to do. I was beginning to panic internally, wondering whether any of this was a good idea and constantly doubting myself. Thankfully I didn't have anymore customers during the day, only the bride of the wedding flowers I was organising calling up to ask if everything was okay. It gave me time to think but even with all that time I was still uncertain.

Shoto texted me later in the evening, asking if I was still okay for meeting up and without thinking I responded with a 'yes'. We spent a while talking, chatting just as casually over text as we did do in the shop and with each new message I felt my feelings grow. It was painful and irritating, as I never wanted to have feelings like this again. I was fine on my own, perfectly fine...

- Timeskip -

Saturday rolled around and for almost the entirety of the afternoon I stood in front of my wardrobe, not having a clue what to wear. Shoto and I were still texting confidently but it wasn't doing good things for my heart. I hadn't seen him since we exchanged numbers but that didn't matter, getting messages from him was enough to make my heart rate increase.

I hid my head in the towel I had just pulled off of my damp hair, having just got out of the shower. I'd finally settled on a sweet blue and white polka dot dress but nerves were creeping up on me as I got ready. I didn't know what this evening was supposed to be, if it was meant to be anything at all. I was also terrified of embarrassing myself, as we'd be in a completely different environment to what I was use to - at the flower shop I was in my element but now we were going out to a bar of his choosing I felt as though I'd make a complete fool of myself. Several times I had thought about texting him to cancel, but a feeling of guilt hit me every time I did so. I knew I just had to suck it up, it was just going to be one night after all.

Breathing in deeply and building up as much confidence as I could, I headed towards the bar Shoto sent me the name of. I had never been to this part of town before, and I noticed as I walked the shops around me grew more and more expensive. The people walking the streets became more and more glamorous. The bars and the hotels became more and more lavish. Even just walking down the street I felt underdressed and my whole body was quivering with nerves.

Thankfully I spotted Shoto's distinct appearance up ahead, and quickly trotted to meet him as I didn't like the looks I was getting from the public. "S-Shoto!" I called out to him and he turned to face me, him dressed in a posh shirt and smart trousers. I was too busy looking at his stylish outfit to notice he was looking at me with a blush on his cheeks.

"Hello, shall we?" He gestured the door to a posh-looking bar. I smiled and nodded, my heart rate excelling as we entered. It was a grand looking place and I immediately felt underdressed. I wrapped my arms around my body awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with absolutely everyone. "You okay?" He asked and I nodded again, despite being far from alright.

Shoto ordered the round of drinks despite me trying to tell him I'd be fine getting it, and together we sat at a table against the wall and away from the bar. Shoto had his back to the rest of the tables so didn't notice the amount of people glancing towards us making me shift uncomfortably. "Are you sure you're alright? You seem a little... awkward," he said and my body went rigid.

"I-I'm just not used to these kinds of places... sorry, I - er - I didn't know what to wear so I think everyone's judging me," I nodded my head over his shoulder to a nearby table of girls who were looking over to us and whispering.

"Don't worry, I doubt they're talking about you," he said with a sigh, taking a drink.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I froze on the spot when I saw the three girls approach us however Shoto was right, they weren't interested in me at all.

"Shoto Todoroki?" One of the girls asked and he muttered a swear word before turning to face them. "May we have your autograph?"

I furrowed my eyes as I watched, Shoto putting on a fake smile and signing a napkin for the girls. I had no idea what was going on, wondering why they'd want his autograph to begin with. They all giggled, waving as they walked back to their table. "Sorry about that," Shoto muttered.

"Are you famous?" I asked and Shoto choked on his drink.

"You don't know?"

"Don't know what?" I was a little confused, however two more people heading towards us caught my attention, and Shoto turned to see what had distracted me.

"C'mon, this was a bad idea," Shoto said, standing and taking my hand. My cheeks heated up as we walked out of the bar having only drank half of our expensive drinks that he'd paid for. "Sorry about that (y/n), I feel like I can't escape it sometimes."

"Escape what?" I asked and he smiled.

"You're so oblivious," he chuckled and I furrowed my eyebrows. "I'm a pro hero (y/n), second in the billboard chart behind Deku."

My mouth dropped open and I stopped walking, simply staring at him. I knew he looked familiar but it took him to actually telling me until I realised."O-oh- I had no idea!" I cried loudly and he laughed again.

"Clearly. Come on, lets go for a walk," he nodded his head in the direction of the park and I agreed, walking beside him carefully suddenly feeling very intimidated by him. We paid our entry into the park and wandered through the luscious trees and across the zen bridges, his calm demeanour settling my own back down again.

As we walked we chatted calmly, pointing out various sights that caught our eyes, pointing out beautiful flowers and me telling him facts about the wild shrubs that grew. It was a pleasant evening, and due to the fact it was just the two of us I felt a lot more comfortable. My heart was fluttering in my chest, having not felt this happy for a very long time. We had such chemistry, but since finding out he was a pro hero only moments ago I had self-doubts. There should be nothing between us, his world is so far out of reach to mine. It wouldn't work, and since tasting his company I don't want to attempt to be anything more than friends in fear of loosing it.

"(y/n)," Shoto suddenly stopped me, taking ahold of my hand. "There's something I need to tell you, it's something I've been wanting to say for a while." I looked at him as if to say continue. "I'm in love with you."

My heart exploded as he spoke and my mouth dropped open, finding it difficult to comprehend his words. I stood and stared at him, hearing his words on repeat and wondering whether it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. "I'm sorry!" I cried, holding his hand tightly. "I'll make you forget about those feelings, I promise!"

"W-what?"

"I promise!" I cried loudly, pulling away from him and running in the opposite direction, ignoring his calls after me. My mind was whirling, thinking about his confession but also about the fact that we couldn't be together given that we live in separate worlds. His world was high-end, expensive and living the life of a lavish hero whereas mine was alone in a small independent flower-shop not paying attention to anyone or anything other than my plants. It was an impossible combination, one that would cause friction. Our lives were two puzzle pieces, but two puzzle pieces that didn't connect.

I stopped running and leant against a tree trying desperately to catch my breath. I hadn't even noticed the tears that were falling from my eyes, feeling irritated in myself for catching feelings for him. If he wasn't so popular and I wasn't so anti-sociable we would've made a good pair, but that wasn't the case. "(y/n)! (y/n) where are you?" Shoto's voice called out, it getting closer and closer but I couldn't bring myself to run away. "(y/n)!" He called, and the footsteps behind me followed by the strong pair of arms that wrapped around me told me he had found me. "Don't run off like that."

"Sorry... but you shouldn't feel that way about me," I muttered and he turned me to face him, holding onto my biceps tightly.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a fancy and famous pro hero whereas I'm just- I'm just a boring florist," I muttered.

"(y/n) do you love me too?" He asked, ignoring my answer to his previous question.

"Yes," I breathed.

"Then isn't that what matters?" He asked desperately.

"We're two worlds apart! The second best pro hero can't be with a dull florist who no-one knows-,"

"(y/n) you are fair from dull! Going to see you was the best part of my days, I went back to your florists multiple times a week just so I could see you! I fell for you because you spoke to me like I was a normal human, you weren't begging for a picture or an autograph, you were talking to me like I was a normal person. It was refreshing, and I just became so addicted to seeing you that I filled my house with bouquets of flowers just to use it as an excuse to go to your shop! I love having all of your flowers in my home because each and every one reminds me of you, of your beauty and elegance and of how much I... how much I've fallen for you," he said, completely vulnerable.

My heart had immense emotions swirling inside of it. Hearing his words, saying he fell in love with me because I treated him normally, him knowing I fell for him without knowing he was a pro hero all made me realise that at the end of the day we were two people in love, and that we could work our lives around our relationship.

"W-would you really be okay with me? I'm nothing special," I muttered, thinking back to my cheating fiancé.

"You're more than special (y/n). You're perfect," he whispered, cupping my cheeks and wiping away the tears I still didn't realise were falling. "Please give us a chance."

"Yes," I said with a growing smile on my face. "Yes okay, I'll try," I was overcome with joy and felt completely weightless when he developed me into a hug and picked me up. I clung onto him tightly, feeling nothing but pure happiness which was a feeling I became very used to now that I was with Shoto Todoroki.