Slushie

Shoto Todoroki didn't concern himself with many things.

He didn't care for the English class he was currently in. He didn't care for history, modern literature, modern hero art history, or even mathematics, either. He didn't even care to be class representative, instead using his vote for someone else. So as his eyes wandered away from Present Mic's, he was unsurprised to find them focusing on the one thing he did concern himself with. The person he gave his vote to without hesitation.

Momo Yaoyorozu.

Despite what he told his father that day, Shoto couldn't find a single flaw in the elegant figure hurriedly taking perfect notes at his side. She looked over to him briefly, and flashed him a small, private smile that made him return one of his own.

When they had first met two years ago, he had tried shutting her out when he realized his father's intentions behind introducing them. His anger towards his father projected onto who Shoto had assumed was his father's newest way of deciding his future for him. Indeed, when he learned Momo Yaoyorozu was his father's intended match for him, Shoto had decided he hated her just like he hated his father. Completely.

You see, Momo Yaoyorozu was the only daughter of her wealthy family, and Shoto just knew she was probably quiet, obedient, and the perfect stay at home wife that his father always dreamed for him. Someone with a strong quirk to pass down to their children that she would take care of as he overtook All Might as the number one hero. Shoto despised the idea, despised her for probably fitting it, and despised all the time they were supposed to spend together. And he continued to despise her right up until she put down the encyclopedia she was reading one day, and opened her mouth for the first time.

-"Can I join you?" She had asked, standing up and reaching for one of the staffs on the dojo's weapon racks. He had glared heatedly at her, but didn't say a word, instead grabbing his own staff off the rack as well. He sank into a martial arts stance, and she straightened as if about to start fencing. Shoto figured if she thought this was just some upperclass game of etiquette, he would be more than happy to show her just how far out of her league she was when she accepted his father's offer.-

-He had lunged toward her with his fist, before following it with the staff in his other hand, eyes blazing. She had spun the staff in her own hands, parrying his fist with one rotation before switching the direction of her twirl and disarming the staff from his hand with the second rotation. He dropped and went to grab the staff while also sending a sweeping kick to her feet.-

-She slammed down the staff into the ground, blocking his kick, while simultaneously using it to support herself as she bent down and grabbed the other staff just before his fingers were able to grasp it. Sweating, he jumped up with a swing to her face, but she again blocked the blow by crossing the two staffs into an X and using it to push his fist upwards and away from her. He took a step back from the change in momentum, and she used the opportunity to bring both staffs to either sides of his neck, hoving an inch from his skin.-

-Both panting, they stared at each other as they caught their breath. His stare one of guarded disbelief, and hers one of careful calculation. She relaxed her stance, bringing the weapons to her sides, and finally spoke up.-

-"I had noticed you were training in hand to hand combat, due to the nature of your quirk. I train differently, due to the nature of my own. Perhaps we can help each other."-

-"Why would we do that?" He had spit out, annoyed at being bested in an area by a simple housewife, who was starting to seem less and less like a housewife.-

-"We've got to start at the bottom and work up!" She had declared passionately, eyes glowing. "And if we don't earnestly cheer each other on and help each other learn... We'll never be great heroes!"-

That was the day Shoto Todoroki learned there was more to Momo Yaoyorozu than he anticipated, and the day they became partners.

The day he learned the reason she had accepted his father's proposal was to force her parents into letting her attend UA, where her fiancee was going, they became friends.

And… the day she revealed her dream to become a hero and help people with her quirk, instead of using it for money like her parents had planned… They had become something more.

Shoto pulled himself from his thoughts as the bell rang, and moved to pack his stuff up. He was unsurprised to see Momo had waited for him, and put a gentle hand on the small of her back as they walked out the door. He removed his hand and fell into step with her once they made it into the hall, and she launched into talking about things he didn't usually concern himself with, like mathematics, English, history, modern literature, and modern hero art history... Yet Shoto listened with rapt attention, because when it was her talking about them, he suddenly did want to concern himself with them as well.

So when he brought his cold soba and her fatty food over to the table she was sharing with Jiro, he concerned himself with even their gossip as he ate.

"Yeah, I don't think we're the only ones who knew each other before this." Jiro nodded, seeming to agree with whatever Momo had said before he had arrived. "Bakugo and Kirishima seemed to know each other, Bakugo and Midoriya too."

Momo nodded, shooting him a quiet smile in thanks as she dug into the food he brought her. "I think Sero, Ashido, and Kaminari are all close, they were gaming in the common room a few nights ago."

Shoto added in his own comment, trying to contribute to the conversation. "We all knew each other as well, with you being Momo's closest friend." Jiro gave him a thumbs up and Momo grinned at him.

"For sure." Jiro laughed at his statement of the obvious, "I think Olivia and Ojiro knew each other before, they helped each other move in."

"They do, yes. I know them both, though I knew Olivia as Star." Momo admitted, grinning sheepishly at their surprised looks. "Our families were all well connected when I was young. Ojiro's family is known for their mastery of martial arts and their history of being hero protectors, and Star's family is famous because her parents are the top two heros in America-" She cut herself off to pat Shoto's back as he choked on his soba.

After he had recovered, he asked "They're the top heros? As in both of them? Not just her father?"

Momo laughed, "Yes, that is correct. If I remember correctly, it is her mother who is the top hero actually, with the ability to shift atoms. Her father is the number two hero, and with a quirk called 'flight'. Though a select few, including Ojiro's family and mine, know that their actual quirks are a lot more complicated than that. Similar to All Might, their quirks are not fully disclosed. They make a great team." Shoto looked at her in muted surprise, before scanning the cafeteria for the girl they were discussing.

Jiro casually used her thumb to point behind her, not turning around. "She's the redhead chick, and Ojiro is the dude with the tail. They're with that purple haired guy at the table next to Bakugo's."

Shoto followed her finger and nodded when he found them. If he recalled correctly, that was the girl who had the mini bar in her closet, a discovery made due to Mineta opening the doors before Kirishima could stop him. Currently, she was covering her ears with her head on the table as the two males talked and ate their food.

"Why is she here then? Did her parents recommend her?" He asked, wondering if she was one of the four admitted that year, like him and Momo.

"All I know is that her father used to be a hero here in Japan as well, but they haven't been here in many years. She came here on her own last year, but I was not aware she would be attending UA until she approached me in the common room when we moved in." Momo answered, already almost done with her food.

They had hero training today, Shoto remembered. It made sense that she was trying to get all the fuel she could for her quirk.

"As for admission, I do not think they directly appealed for her, seeing as they would have had to be in the country. Though, it is rumored in Japan that they are able to use their fame and influence in America to… achieve certain things."

"What does that even mean?" Jiro asked, mouth almost full with rice.

"Well, the rumor started because her quirk isn't in Japan's registry, despite her living here long enough to attend UA. I know from our childhood that it was a mental quirk, but I do not recall the exact details." She bit her lip, obviously bothered by something slipping past her almost perfect memory.

"Dang, how mysterious!" Jiro laughed, also turning to look at the girl now. "She sure doesn't act like a celebrity Pro Hero's child, especially with all the alcohol we saw during the tour."

"How is a famous hero's child supposed to act, then?" Shoto deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at her.

Jiro rolled her eyes, "That's not what I meant, man. I just mean I'm guessing not many people know about her parents. If they did, she wouldn't be drinking like that, and she'd be under a lot of scrutiny, like you." Shoto nodded, understanding now. That was true, it was half the reason he was not interested in making friends here.

Momo frowned, looking slightly insecure. "We used to be close, until she moved here on her own. We are not currently in contact enough to be called friends anymore, I suppose. She stopped by my family's estate when she moved to Japan. It was a brief visit, but I recall her declining the wine she was offered, saying she did not drink. Obviously, something changed for her."

Shoto had a feeling she wasn't just talking about the drinking when she said that last part, but the bell rang and interrupted their conversation before he could ask.