------Author's Note------

Hey guys!

The long-awaited chapter is finally here! It's so fluffy I got nauseous just writing it. Not to mention how sad I got cause I'm so lonely.

Anyways I feel like this song really fits with this chapter. Every time it comes up on the playlist I'm like "yup needs to go with this one." If you're interested in the playlist, it's on my YouTube channel, FoxyPuff18.

As always, be sure to comment and vote if you enjoyed. I love to see it!

Here we go! Brace yourselves for the fluff!

•°•°•°•

"Hey!" I illuse down the street. Todoroki is leaning against the wall of his family's property, scrolling through his phone. He looks up at the sound of the voice. I meet his eyes and try to squash the nervousness inside my chest. I just can't shake the feeling that he was waiting here for me. As if we're a couple!

No! Stop it! He doesn't see me like that anyway. 

Ugh, but why does he have to be so cute?!?

He pushes off the wall and walks down the road to meet me halfway. He puts his phone in the pocket of his black pants, his open blue shirt blowing in the small breeze, showing off how well his white t-shirt hugs his body. He certainly has a style he keeps with.

Alright, stop it. Just look him in the eyes. 

I give him a small smile as we finally approach each other. "Hello," he says. "I would've responded back there, but I lack the ability to throw my voice over a great distance and screaming seemed a bit excessive."

I giggle at his statement. Even if he didn't mean for it to be funny, it was easily the closest thing to a joke I've ever heard him say. "Well, we can't have daddy dearest knowing you've escaped, now can we?" I tease, looking up at him. 

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he says, nodding. We fall into an awkward silence for a moment, just looking at each other. "Have you eaten yet?" He asks after a moment. 

"Nope! Have you?"

"I had breakfast earlier today, but I haven't had lunch yet. We should go somewhere."

"Okay, what's good around here?"

He pauses, glancing around as if there's going to be a large sign signaling food somewhere in his suburban neighborhood. "I'm not sure. The chefs always cook for us. Except on special occasions when we go to the restaurant on the hill."

"Alright, that settles it then," I illuse, turning to walk the way I came. I look over my shoulder to see he's not following me. "C'mon, time to get educated."

Something in his seems to relax as he walks forward to catch up with me. Did he think I was leaving him? I guess he doesn't really get this yet, so I should try to be straightforward. 

"Where are we going?"

"I saw a McDonald's over here on my way."

"Fast food? Isn't that really bad for you?"

"Only when you eat it too often, but eating it once in a while doesn't hurt," I illuse, walking confidently forward. I'm suddenly glad I decided to wear an outfit that makes me feel confident and pretty. We walk for a while before the iconic golden arches come into view. "You're gonna have fun today. Do you trust me?"

He looks down at me as we enter the restaurant. I savor his multicolored gaze on me. "Yes."

With a smile, I walk over to one of the kiosks and begin ordering. I get a six piece nuggets with ranch, a small fry, and a medium drink. After scrolling through the menu about 30 times, Todoroki just orders the same thing as me. The drink machine is a whole other adventure. 

"What's Sprite?" He asks, glancing through all the choices. 

"Why ask when you can just try it?" I illuse, pouring lemonade from the other machine. "Just fill it a little bit so you can see if you like it."

He takes a small sip from the cup and his nose crinkles. "That's...not what I was expecting. Though in hindsight, I'm not sure what I was expecting."

"You can dump it out and try a few to see what you like. I'll go grab a table."

A few minutes later, he sits down in front of me with a mixture of lemonade and strawberry Fanta. Huh, interesting combo, but if he likes it, I'm not gonna stop him. A worker places our tray in front of us and I immediately get to work. 

I open my box of chicken and open my ranch packet, placing it on the top of the box for easy access. I grab a singular fry to test the quality today. Thankfully, it's hot and salty and just crispy enough that you can still tell it's potato, but it will be soggy in approximately four minutes. 

"You're gonna wanna eat the fries first," I tell Todoroki, digging in. "The longer they sit, the worse they taste."

"Why would anybody buy something that goes bad so quickly?" He asks, eyebrows furrowed. 

"It's a fast food restaurant. It's part of the charm."

We finish our food in silence. I notice he prefers not to make conversation while he eats, which doesn't bother me. It's less of a distraction while I'm scarfing down my food. He seems to feel more comfortable in silence, so I'm more than willing to stay quiet. I return the tray as we walk out, back into the warm late spring air. 

"What now?" He asks as we begin walking down the street. 

"We walk till we find something."

He just nods and we continue to walk in silence. Ugh, I should just start a conversation, but how?

"Give me a number between one and ten," I illuse after a while. 

"Three."

"Alright we're each gonna say three things we hate, no repeats. I'll go first."

He shoves his hands in his pockets and nods, looking down at the ground as we walk, "okay."

"Let's see...I hate...the feeling of dirt under my fingernails…" I see a hopscotch path drawn in chalk in front of us on the sidewalk, so I absentmindedly hop along it while I think. "When people chew with their mouth open! And…artificially cherry flavored things. That last one is a controversial opinion, I know."

Todoroki has been walking silently that entire time, not making any indication that he has been listening. I am about to ask him, but he speaks up. "I hate everything my father has done," he says. I tense at his words, but I know he needs to get it off his chest, so I let him continue. "I hate that I never got to live my life. And I hate my scar."

I can't help but look over at him as he says the last part. I take in how large the patch of scar tissue is and how it was put there by his own mother. Suddenly, I'm overcome with the urge to reach up and touch it, but I know that would probably freak him out, so I keep my hands by my side. He doesn't know that I know how he got that scar. I was technically eavesdropping when he said that. 

"You said that friends tell each other secrets and stuff, right?" He asks after a moment. 

"When you feel like you can trust the other person, yes," I illuse. As much as I want him to tell me himself, I don't want to force him if he doesn't want to say anything. 

"You asked if I trust you and I said yes," he points out. I nod, keeping my gaze on the sidewalk in front of us. "My father had bought my mother from her family so he could use her quirk to create his perfect successor. He wanted somebody who could wield both fire and ice. So, when they had me, I just happened to be the mix of genetics he wanted."

I stay quiet, listening intently and trying to stop my hand from reaching out and taking his. "From the day I got my quirk, he forced me to train. He kept me away from my other siblings. He made sure I never saw the world and what I was missing. All I knew was homeschool and our training. I thought that was all there was to the life of a hero."

He looks down at me as I glance up to meet his beautiful eyes that sparkle in the sunlight. "I knew that my mother was hurting and that he was the one causing it. But she was also hurt every time she saw one of her kids. Me especially."

He looks away again. "She was on the phone one night when I walked into the kitchen. My father had run her sanity paper thin and she was having a mental breakdown. She said that my left side was unbearable to look at because I only reminded her of him. She said she couldn't raise me anymore. I was confused, so I stepped out and said something, but she grabbed the tea kettle and poured boiling water on my face."

He lifts his hand to trace his scar at the memory. "She realized immediately what she had done and tried to put ice on it, but it only made it worse. I knew it wasn't my fault. It was my father who made her hurt me, but at the same time...I felt so guilty that she had to look at me when I caused her that much pain. He sent her away to a mental institution and I never visited. I didn't want her to feel guilty about what she did. I didn't want to be a reminder of her pain. Only recently did I start visiting her. And I think we've both healed since then. But I still carry the scar as an ugly reminder."

I keep my eyes facing downwards, tears slowly leaking from them. Even though I've heard the story before, he went into much greater detail this time. How could he ever think his face is ugly?

I can feel his eyes on me as I reach up and wipe my face. "I'm sorry, I cry easily."

"Like Midoriya," he observes. Okay, I didn't think I was that bad, but sure, I guess. "It's okay to cry. I do too sometimes."

I want to give him a hug so bad, but I'm still traumatized from the last time I tried that, so I try to compose myself. 

"I would like to add something to my list of things I hate," he says, looking away almost guiltily. "I know you said we are only doing three each, but I feel that I should include it."

"That's okay, I'll add one too." I motion for him to go ahead. 

"I hate to see my friends cry," he glances at me, his gaze unwavering. 

No no no no. Control yourself! Control-

I clear the gap between us and throw my arms around his shoulders, pulling him in tight for a hug. I nearly cry again when he wraps his arms around my waist gently. My brain feels like it's frying. I'm on sensory overload from how perfect this feeling is. 

But what do I say when it's over? I didn't think this far ahead. 

I slowly pull away and wipe the stray tears away. I look down at his shirt, unable to meet his eyes. "Celery," I illuse. Fricken idiot. "I hate celery."

I surprisingly find myself laughing at how absurd the situation I've found myself in is. Really? He spills his entire traumatic past to me and the only thing I can think of is celery?!?

"Let's keep walking," I illuse after a moment. "And give me another number between one and ten."

"Eight," he says as we begin walking again. 

"Alright. Eight things each of us likes. You go first."

He takes a moment to ponder. "I like the cold. I like cold soba, not hot soba though. That just isn't as good."

I stifle a giggle at how his eyebrows pinch together when he thinks very strongly of his opinions. 

"I like mini cacti...strawberries...dogs, but I was never allowed to have a pet…" he really seems to be racking his brain, trying to come up with other things he likes. "I enjoy my visits to my mother. I like ice skating, though I haven't been in a long time. And I rather like spending time with you, I've found."

I trip over my feet, forgetting how to walk for a moment. Beside me, Todoroki puts an arm out to steady me. He means as a friend! Only as a friend. Nothing more.

"Was that eight?" He asks casually, as if I didn't just almost collapse on the sidewalk. 

"Yeah I think so," I illuse, blinking quickly to refocus myself. 

"Okay, your turn."

I nod, fiddling with my mother's ring on my necklace. "If I said I enjoy your company, would it count as a repeat?" I ask, pulling some courage out of nowhere. 

"I don't think so," he says pensively. "My company and your company count as two different things, I believe."

I glance over in his direction, only to see we're taking a path through a park. Suddenly excited, I steer us over to the playscape. 

"Okay, so that's my first one, then. I also like classic rock music, Disney movies, dancing…" I sit down on one of the swings, gesturing for the boy to take the one beside me. He examines it before grabbing the chains and sitting down. I slowly rock myself on my heels with a sigh. "I like looking at the stars too. Also ice cream. And curling up with a fluffy blanket."

I pause, trying to think of something else. "That was only seven," Todoroki says. I look over to see he has been counting on his fingers. I give him a small smile, nodding. 

A memory comes to me and I mentally smack myself for not thinking of it before. "I love going to the beach," I illuse with a contented sigh, imagining I'm there now. I can hear the waves crashing and the seagulls calling. I can smell the salty air and feel the sand between my toes. 

"Interesting," his voice pulls me back to reality. I examine the wood chips underneath my feet and the brightly colored plastic playscape. Looking over at Todoroki, I see that he's taking in his surroundings as well. 

"This is so close to my house," he says quietly. "But I never knew it was here."

"Yeah I used to play on one like this all the time back home."

"How?"

"Whaddya mean?"

He pauses, looking intently at the strangely shaped plastic. "What do you do? It looks like you just climb it and that's that."

I smile lightly knowing what I have to do. "You just use your imagination to make it fun. For instance, the floor is lava," I illuse, pulling my feet off the ground hastily. "And we have to cross all of this without touching the ground, or we'll be burned!"

He looks down at the wood chips for a moment before shooting ice down at it, freezing a path to the slides. "I turned the lava to stone. We can walk across it now."

I smile widely, grabbing onto the chains of the swing to pull me up. I stand on the seat, looking down at him as I sway lightly. "Ah, but the rest of the lava quickly melts it once more!"

He looks down at the plastic seat he's sitting on. "But then wouldn't these melt too?"

My smile falls slightly. I rack my brain, trying to come up with another version of this game that'll make more sense. "That's fair. How about we're on a sinking ship? And we have to get to the highest point to stay alive until the rescue team finds us because the water is filled with bloodthirsty sharks!"

I can sense the wheels in his head turning, so I illuse in a pirate's voice, "an' we don' use none o' tha' there voodoo magic on the sev'n seas, laddy!"

I lean, making the swing go from side to side, instead of front to back, like it was designed. "What are you doing?" He pulls himself up to stand on his own swing when I nearly run into him. 

"I'm making my escape! Last one to the top is shark bait!" I use my momentum to hop from my swing to the next one, getting closer to the sandbox. I do this again, putting me almost close enough to jump it, but not quite. Instead, I leap for the pole holding up the swing set, swinging around it to gain momentum and jumping onto the wooden edges of the sandbox. 

I look back to see Todoroki glancing at me in mild concern. "Does the sand not count as water?" 

I consider this for a moment. It would be much easier for him to land in the sand. "This is a lifeboat with a hole in the middle. Water is leaking through, but you'll be safe from sharks if you land in it, just be prepared to move quickly!" I run along the edges and jump onto one of two short parallel bars. They appear to be some sort of ballet barre maybe. I'll have to try later.

The boy jumps between the swings a little clumsily, but I can't blame him. I've had a lot of practice. He lands heavily in the sandbox, then scrambles to jump to the second of the two bars. "What now?" He asks, getting himself into a sitting position on the slippery metal bars. 

I point to the pyramid roof of the highest point on the jungle gym. "It's a race up there, Shark Bait," I illuse, patting him on the shoulder as I swing a leg over my bar, now straddling it with my ankles crossed underneath. I grab on and let myself fall so I am dangling from it, pulling myself along. When I reach the end, I sit up again, jumping off to land on a raised stepping stone. I glance back to see Todoroki also about to jump, so I hop between the stones, ending up at some monkey bars. 

I hop onto the short ladder and climb all the way up to the very top. By the time I get there, Todoroki is already swinging between the bars below me. I know that route is faster, but it brings back some unwanted memories, so I walk across the top rungs. I watch as Todoroki walks across a few more stepping stones and starts working around a warped climbing wall. Already being on the top of the monkey bars, I grab onto the post for the climbing wall and let go with my feet, swinging easily to the other side. I quickly slide down it, my shoes not getting any traction, but I turn my foot to the side and set it onto the bottom stud between the wall and the pole, holding myself there while I try to get a grip on the wall.

By the time I do, Todoroki has already made it around and is stretching his leg out to step on the spine of tires poking out from the ground. I climb over a little ways and follow him as he runs lightly across the rubber. We approach the final structure with the slides and I know I have two ways I could go about this. I could try to go up one of the closest slides or I could take the balance bar and stepping stones to the other side where the stairs are. 

I see Todoroki's attention flit over to the spiral slide that is closest to our current path. The blue plastic gleams in the sunlight. Remembering how deceivingly slippery it is, I make my decision, continuing onto the balance beam while Todoroki hops over to the slide. 

I easily walk across the beam and am jumping across the last few stepping stones when I hear a frustrated cry. "What is this cursed thing made out of that I...cannot…get...a grip?!?"

I hear the telltale sound of skin against plastic that tells me he slid down. I cannot stop my laughter from ringing out. This was an amazing idea, I think proudly. 

I climb the stairs and ladders, squeezing through the small archways that were obviously meant for children. I get to the top layer, shaded by the roof we're supposed to climb onto. I look down the tube of the spiral slide, illusing, "having fun down there?!" The sound echoes down the slide, making me smile. I feel my hair standing on end just getting close to the staticy contraption. 

"Think again, Shark Bait," I hear from above me. I look up to see Todoroki has instead climbed the outside of the slide. He is crouched down with a small smile on his face. He looks down at me with the sun right behind him, making it hard to look at him, but also impossible to look away. "Hope you can swim," he says cheekily, standing up and pulling himself onto the roof. 

Damn, that was hot, I think, trying to shake myself back into reality. I climb atop the slide and peek my head up to the roof to see Todoroki sitting there, triumphantly. 

He reaches a hand out to me. "There's plenty of space on the lifeboat for one more," he says with a tiny smile. 

Praying with everything in me that my face isn't beet red, I accept his hand and push off with my legs as he pulls me up. He keeps a firm hold on me, making sure I don't fall. 

"Thanks," I illuse with a sigh, sitting upright on the roof, right next to him. I illuse a sarcastically dramatic tone, "but alas, in my attempts to get away, the sharks have taken off my right leg. I have indeed become Shark Bait."

I illuse the "shark bait, hoo ha ha" chant from Finding Nemo as I look over at Todoroki with a smile. I notice a few strands of his red and white hair are sticking up at odd angles, obviously due to the static he suffered from in the slide. 

"Did you have fun?" I ask, tilting my head. 

"Very much. Thank you," he says, a wide toothy smile stretching across his face. The sight makes my heart melt. I thought I would never see that smile up close in person. I thought that video was the best I would be able to get. It's so much more adorable in person!!!!

"I do feel a bit like Kaminari now, though," he says, moving his hand towards and away from the plastic roof, surely feeling the electricity as he gets closer. "I just wish it weren't over."

I take in his momentarily soft expression, knowing without a doubt that I don't want to end the fun so soon either. I put a devilish smirk on my face and readopt my pirate impression, "that's what you think, ya scallywag! But I tricked ya! There be no rescue team comin'! My pirate crew be here ta save me!" 

I slide off the roof, letting myself fall all the way to the ground and illusing sound under my feet to slow my descent. I look up to see Todoroki's alarmed eyes poking over the edge, his arm outstretched as if he was trying to catch me. "And the joke's on you! We pirates do be usin' voodoo magic to get things done!!"

"You fiend!!" He calls out from above, making an ice ramp to slide down on as I hop away on my left leg. I have to stifle my laughter. He sounds so serious!

As I jump, ice suddenly coats the ground below me. I land, immediately losing my balance and falling back, hard. The breath is knocked completely out of me as I lay my head down, trying to regain my bearings. 

"You will be tied up and fed properly to the sharks, pirate scum!" He calls out, sliding to a stop right beside me gracefully. His intense gaze immediately locks on mine and becomes alarmed. "Yamada?"

"I'm alright," I illuse chirpily, but I sit up with a groan. "I'm just awful at ice skating. And I can't say I've ever done it jumping on one leg."

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asks, crouching down next to me. 

"Yeah, but I'm just gonna sit here for a moment if that's okay." I take in shaky breaths.

He nods, sitting down next to me and melting all the ice around us. Warm waves of hot air roll off of him, comfortable enough to almost lull me to sleep. 

"I'm sorry for hurting you," he says quietly, shaking me out of my fatigue only briefly. His deep, warm tone is like a lullaby. 

I force myself to snap out of it, focusing instead on the cool breeze and the bugs flying around in my face, but even those I find mildly comforting. "Nah, it's okay. Just be prepared for me to settle the score in hero class," I illuse with a small smirk. 

His eyes widen slightly before he looks at the ground sadly. "I guess that's fair."

Aww now I feel bad. "Hey," I illuse, getting him to look up at me. "I'm just kidding. All is forgiven, so don't feel guilty!" I reach up and ruffle his hair lightly, merging the red and white sides. This proves to be a massive mistake because now, all I want in life is to keep running my hands through his smooth hair. 

He reaches up to fix his part as I illuse, "if it makes you feel better, how about you make it up to me by teaching me to ice skate! You seem to be plenty good at it. Plus, it would help prevent this the next time!"

"The next time we pretend to be pirates and you jump off the roof, so I make an ice slide to catch up to you because you're swimming slowly due to an imaginary shark eating your leg?" He asks, raising his eyebrows. 

I can't help but snort at his description, imagining Endeavor asking him where he's been and him responding with that. "You said you haven't been ice skating in forever. I mean, I guess you sorta ice skate whenever you use your quirk to travel faster, but...ya know."

"If you're up for it, but I don't want you to get hurt even more."

"Hey, I trust you! Plus, that was only because the ice caught me off guard. If I am about to fall, I can illuse sound to keep my balance."

He seems to ponder for a second before looking around and saying simply, "alright."

He stands from the damp wood chips we're sitting on and walks over to the grassy field next to the playscape. With a touch from his right foot, ice shoots over the ground, making a small ice rink. I stand up and walk next to him, letting the chilly air clear my head. 

"I guess this isn't really ice skating because we don't have the skates, but you'll at least be better on ice," he says, stepping onto the rink. 

I shuffle on, trying to keep my footsteps small so I don't slide too much. I feel my shoulders tensing from the anxiety of being on the ice. I really don't wanna slip and fall again. 

He pushes off with one foot, gliding a little bit ahead of me. Turning, he gestures for me to do the same. Apprehensively, I push my right foot back just barely and slide a little bit before I lose my balance, falling forward. I illuse sounds in front of my hands, catching myself, but Todoroki has also run forward, prepared to grab me should I lose concentration. 

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down while I right myself on the slippery ground. "This is proving to be more difficult than I anticipated," he says, gliding to stand right in front of me. "Let's try it like this."

He takes my forearms gently and begins slowly skating backwards. I stumble forward, clutching onto his arms with a vice grip. I mentally curse myself for it, but I can't get myself to relax. I also cringe at how sweaty my hands get when I'm anxious. I reluctantly shuffle forward, pushing off gently with each foot. My gaze is trained on the icy ground, intent on not looking up at the handsome boy in front of me. 

He continues gliding around the rink in silence while I slowly adjust to the surface, accelerating slightly every now and then. I only trip another 15 times, but he stabilizes me every time. 

"Hey! What're you kids doing?" A voice calls out from the street. I look up hastily to see a police officer marching towards us. My brief lapse in focus causes my feet to slip out beneath me. Todoroki's grip tightens on my arms to hold me up as I struggle to get my feet underneath me again. 

Good thing he didn't pull me into his chest. I might've had a heart attack. 

"There is no unauthorized quirk usage-" the officer stops as he approaches us, looking directly at Todoroki. "You Endeavor's kid?" The man asks, a bit apprehensively. 

He unknowingly tightens his grip on my arms. "Yes," he answers lowly. "And I can't imagine he'd be too happy if you arrested his successor," there is a bite of venom in his words. I can tell he hates what he's saying, but knows he has to to keep us from trouble. 

And "arrested"?!?! What are the charges for quirk usage in public? Please don't let me go to jail today!! 

"Are you tryna intimidate me?" The cop sneers. Oh no!! Abort mission! Please don't make it worse, Todoroki!

"I'm just stating a fact," the boy glares back. 

The officer's scowl deepens and my brain kicks into overdrive. Think of something! How do we get out of this?!?

Suddenly an idea strikes me. "SHOTO!!!" I illuse from a nearby wooded area in Endeavor's voice. I see a whole flock of birds take flight at the sound. 

Both Todoroki and the officer jump, eyes widened in fear. The boy melts the ice beneath our feet and turns to the man in uniform. "We weren't here," he says before running from the park and down the street with me in tow. 

When we're far enough away, I begin laughing, illusing, "hey, we can stop now."

"How did he find us?" The boy asks almost to himself as he slows to a brisk walk, one hand still gripping my arm. 

I pull back, getting him to stop and look at me. "Hey, calm down," I illuse quietly with a smile. "He didn't find us. That was me."

His eyes widen ever so slightly. "Oh," he says simply, letting go of my arm. "I apologize if I hurt you again."

I look down to see a red mark where he was holding my wrist, but it doesn't hurt, so I wave him off. "No need, I'm fine! I'm sorry for having to trick you! You looked really scared, but it was the only way I could think of to get out of there."

"Just alert me if you are about to do that again. I would prefer to not be taken so off guard."

"Of course," I illuse quickly, sensing his growing unease. A large pit forms in my stomach, guilty for scaring him so bad when he's obviously fragile. 

He and I both stand silent for a moment as the cool breeze wisps past. "As much as I do not want this day away from my father to end," Todoroki says, breaking the silence, "I would still like to visit my mother before I go back to school. This was fun, though. I understand why Midoriya tries to get me to hang out with them out of school now."

I nod, taking a step back. He might've had fun, but he was still just using me as an excuse to not be at home. This is all for the best.

"Okay," I illuse. "I had a lot of fun, so I'm glad you did too! Just let me know if you want to do this again. We could find a movie theater or an arcade or something if that sounds like fun."

"Sure. If you think I'd like it, then I trust you," he says, looking me in the eyes. I smile contentedly as I admire his heterochromatic eyes, one a warm, stormcloud grey, and the other piercing aqua, yet much softer than those of his father. 

"I'll see you in class," he says plainly, turning and walking away. 

Ugh why does he do that?

"Bye!" My illused voice calls out after him. He doesn't turn around as he walks off, turning the corner and disappearing from my view. 

And just like that, I think sadly, my day with him is over. Why does he have to do things so abruptly? I guess I shouldn't monopolize too much of his time. He does have other things to do. 

With that, I walk down the street in the opposite direction, towards the station. I remember the way his hair felt between my fingers and the giant smile that spread across his face when he had won our game. I sigh with contentment at the new friendship I am making.