A Metaphor for the Heart

Confessions are hard, but even more so when the recipient in question doesn't understand the situation.

(A/N: This is pure fluff. The "second button" tradition is something I've been a sucker for for awhile; you can read more about it here:

2016/03/way-to-high-school-boys-heart-goes-through-button-on-his-jacket/

I was originally going to use the whole second button concept for a Royai fic, but thought the high school setting of BnHA was more fitting.)

"What!? You two are dating?"

"Mmmhmm…"

Momo looked at her friend incredulously. "When did this happen?"

"Right after the ceremony. Kaminari found me on the way back to the classroom."

"Who confessed?"

Kyoka sighed, leaning forward on her desk and twirling the end of one of her earphone jacks around her finger. "I guess he did—? It was really uncool. He was all 'Hey, so we're dating right?' and I said 'Wait, what?' 'Oh, do you not want to?' 'No, I didn't say that…' 'Is that a yes then?' 'Yeah.' 'Awesome!' 'Cool.'"

Momo chuckled at the subtle inflections in Kyoka's voice as she reenacted their exchange. Kyoka pouted, the memory making her face hot.

"I guess this is the last time we will all be together as a class. It makes sense that people want to put their feelings out there before we all go our separate ways," Momo mused aloud. There was something vaguely nostalgic about the thought, but given that they had only just graduated, she didn't quite feel the reality of it just yet. She chuckled, then whispered, "Guess all your teasing the last few years did some good."

Kyoka sunk lower in her seat at her friend's teasing. She quickly attempted to change the subject. "Hey, are you planning on confessing to anyone, Yaomomo?"

Momo blinked wide-eyed as she processed what her friend had just said.

"No, of course not!" she stammered, then narrowed her eyes at the girl beside her. "Why, do you have someone in mind?"

Kyoka didn't respond. Tilting her head to the side, she gave Momo a knowing look, a devious grin spreading across her face. Momo sighed, intertwining her fingers and resting her chin on the back of her hands.

"If Todoroki…" The thought had crossed her mind, but her pride quickly overpowered it. She shook her head. "No, I'd rather wait for him to say something, first."

Her friend snickered. "I think you might die waiting then."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean—" Kyoka waved her hands apologetically. "It's not that I don't think there's something there, it's just…Todoroki."

"Yeah, what about him?"

"He's…" She coughed, lowering her voice. "So dense when it comes to these kinds of things."

Momo sighed, burying her face in her hands. "I mean, you're probably right. Do you think I should say something, then?"

"Up to you," Kyoka said, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "But you said it yourself a minute ago. This is the last time we'll all be together as a class."

Momo blinked at her friend and swallowed, contemplating the underlying meaning of what she had just said.

If you do want to say something, the time is now.

Momo paced under the tree, running over the plan in her head. She had asked Todoroki to meet her here ten minutes after the last bell rang. There was a tradition she had heard about—whispered between third-years when she was an underclassman, which she'd then sought out in books and on the internet. If confessing directly seemed like too much then maybe this…

"Yaoyorozu!"

She looked up as Todoroki approached their meeting spot, his hand raised in a greeting.

"Hi Todoroki!"

He gave her a small smile. "Congratulations on graduating."

"Congratulations to you as well."

"S-sorry, you're probably wondering why I asked you to meet me here."

"About that…" He looked away sheepishly. "Yaoyorozu…there was something I wanted to ask you as well."

"Oh?"

"But you first," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Since you're the one that asked to meet I thought it must be important."

Right. She took a deep breath, fiddling with her hair.

"Is everything ok? Are you feeling sick?"

She shook her head vehemently. "No, that's not it at all."

It's now or never.

"Todoroki…" She looked away, hating the burning feeling of her face, then worked up the courage to look him in the eye.

"May I have the second button of your school uniform?"

She stared at him expectantly, and the moment of silence that followed felt like years.

He looked at her curiously.

"Eh? Sure? One sec."

Momo blinked as he calmly lifted his book bag over his head, setting it on the ground. Her mind attempted to make sense of the situation as he began fiddling with the second button of his jacket.

Was…that a yes? What—what was this reaction?!

She jumped a bit when he interrupted her thoughts. "Oh—did you mean the second button of my jacket? Or my shirt?" He looked at her seriously.

"T-the jacket is fine—!" She squeaked, bowing her head. That's what the tradition was, right?! She mentally scolded herself for not fact checking with the rest of the girls in 1-A. I guess our uniforms aren't traditional gakurans, but…this should be ok, right?

"Yaoyorozu…" Todoroki looked down at the gold button, which now sat in the palm of his hand. "I don't mind, but…what exactly do you need this button for?"

Momo covered her face with one hand.

So that's what it is. He—he doesn't understand the situation…

She crossed her arms protectively across her chest. "If you don't know what it means then why did you go along with it so easily?"

Todoroki scratched his head, looking skyward. "Mmm…I guess because it's you. I trust you have good reason for asking. Even if it is a strange request."

She tightened her grip on her upper arms. "I—I read it in some books, okay? On graduation day…it's tradition for a girl to ask the guy she likes for the second button of his uniform."

"Guy she likes…" he repeated slowly as he turned his gaze back to her, musing it over.* "Tradition…"

"It's a confession, Todoroki, okay? I am confessing to you!"

Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he doesn't—

She felt a twinge of satisfaction, though, when he faltered from his usual neutral expression. He looked cute when he was slightly flustered.

"O-ohhhh." He averted his eyes, contemplating the object in the palm of his hand. "Sorry, I've never heard of this tradition. Why the second button, though?"

Momo blushed, nervously twirling the ends of her bangs. "Because it's…the button closest to one's heart."

Todoroki looked down at his jacket, eyeing the second button hole on his uniform, which was considerably low on his torso. "…it would seem the second button falls closer to one's stomach," he mumbled matter-of-factly.

She looked at the ground, deflated. The laughter that followed was forced. "Never mind. Let's just pretend this never—"

"—If it's supposed to be a confession though, why ask for just a button? If it were me…" He looked into her eyes earnestly. "Can't I just ask for your heart directly?"

There wasn't a hint of irony in his voice. It was her turn to stare wide-eyed.

?!

"What? Is it something I said?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "No. Yes. Are you…was that—did you just-" Please don't say such ambiguous things~!

She stopped and opened her eyes when she felt him press the button into her hand, closing her fingers gently around it. His face was dangerously close—closer than he had ever been before. A mixture of relief and disappointment washed over her when he stepped away.

"Yes. That is…I would like if we could continue to be together."

"W-wait, really?"

"Mmm. We've both grown a lot since our first year at U.A. It's occurred to me that we work really well together and I have a lot of respect for you. I was hoping we could continue to partner up in the future and that made me realize…"

The sincerity in his voice, she decided, was one of many things that had made her fall in love with him.

"…I think I like you, Yaoyorozu."

Her look of surprise slowly crept into a smile, and she quickly swiped away the tears that had began to form in her eyes. Todoroki looked aghast.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. Did I say something that—"

"No, no," She laughed. He sounded genuinely concerned. "I'm just…really happy."

"Oh."

"I like you, too, Todoroki."

"Oh—by the way, what was it that you wanted to ask me, Todoroki?"

After they had said their final good-byes to the various underclassmen and teachers, Todoroki had offered to walk her home. The sun was slowly sinking in the sky, casting a brilliant light on the buildings around them.

"Oh that," He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "It was…along similar lines. I'm glad you confessed first though because in that kind of a situation…I'm not really sure what to do."

"Ah." Momo smiled quietly to herself. "I'm…glad we were on the same page."

"Mm."

They walked in silence for a bit, Momo making mental patterns out of the pavement while Todoroki admired the sun which had barely began to hit the horizon.

"Hey, Yaoyorozu, it's still pretty early," he said suddenly, stopping at the street corner.

"What about it?"

He started heading in the direction opposite of their houses, looking back expectantly at her. Confused, she trailed after him. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He smiled gently. "You trust me, right?"

"Mmm. Lead the way."

*So that's why the underclassmen kept asking about my buttons…