Ever since she was little, Shoko had been trained to be her father's perfect little legacy.
She'd hated every second of it.

Her father may have had the title of "hero," but he was cruel, abusive, and utterly intolerant of any human emotion at all. He'd driven Shoko's mother to madness, burning Shoko with boiling water because of the five-year-old's fire side.

Shoko had been trained within an inch of her life, but she swore she'd never use her father's hateful fire.

At least, until a green-haired boy with too much heart and too little care for himself broke down her walls and made her realize that she didn't want to be a hero out of spite or anger.

If she did that, she'd be just like her father. Instead, she would be guided by her mother's words.

Shoko would always owe Midoriya for that.

But then, not long into their second year of UA, something strange started to happen to her.

Shoko wasn't sure exactly when it started, this strange feeling she got around Izuku Midoriya. Her heart sped up, she felt less certain of herself, she caught herself looking at him more often in class.

She'd never dealt with this before, and it made her worried.

(Maybe it had started a year ago, when a boy blew away her glacier with a finger flick and then looked at her with eyes and words that cut through her soul.)

Shoko didn't know what she was feeling; it scared her. Sure, she no longer had a manic focus on defying her father, but she still wanted to be a good hero, and that required absolute focus. If she kept getting distracted by Midoriya, she would never surpass him.

Why was she getting distracted by him, anyway? She certainly found him pleasing to look at; soft curls, freckles, and warm green eyes, accompanied by that constant smile.

And that's not to mention how he'd gotten so tall and strong this past year…

"Shoko, would you like to join us in the real world?"

Shoko started; she'd been daydreaming again, hadn't she? And now Ectoplasm was glaring down at her, while the rest of the class seemed to giggle at seeing her misfortune.

Worse, Shoko realized that she'd been staring directly at Midoriya, without even realizing it. An unfamiliar blush crept across her cheeks as she made eye contact with the green-haired boy.

Oh no, this is going to be a problem, isn't it? she thought.

Izuku Midoriya, unaware of the crisis he was currently causing in the two-toned girl across the classroom, tried to focus on the lesson as he slowly sank into his own thoughts. In particular, his thoughts on that very girl, Shoko Todoroki, were awfully distracting.

Izuku found himself drawn to her again and again, and he didn't know why. She was just so fascinating. From her hair, up in a swirling braid that wove the dual colors together, to her incredible quirk, to the way she tilted her head quizzically when she had a question, Izuku couldn't help but try to catch every detail of her.

"That's kind of creepy, Izuku. Just because she's very attractive doesn't mean you can stare like-"

No. Bad thought.

Izuku tried to wrench himself out of thinking about Todoroki by focusing on math, but that was a hopeless battle. He tried to look back at her, only to see her staring back at him. Shit.

Their eyes met, and they immediately tried to act like nothing had happened, whirling around with flushed faces. It was then that Izuku finally realized what was going on.

I have a crush on Shoko Todoroki, don't I?

Well, I'm fucked.

But what neither of the awkward students knew was that half the class watched their little exchange, and their thoughts were unanimous: "God, we need to get these two together already!"

Neither Todoroki or Midoriya were very subtle about their attraction, and it was starting to get on the nerves of some of the class, particularly one Mina Ashido. This pink-skinned woman, who considered herself something of a love expert, watched in exasperation as class 2-A filed out of the classroom at the bell, Todoroki and Midoriya very intentionally not looking at each other.

As soon as they were gone, Mina raced out of the classroom, already pulling out her phone. It was time to get the girls together.

That night in Mina's leopard-print room, the girls of Class 2-A, except for Shoko, gathered at the pink girl's request.

Mina looked around the room with the air of a general surveying their troops, seeing Yaoyorozu, Jiro, Ururaka, Tsu, and Tooru. (Well, she didn't technically see Tooru, but she saw her floating clothes, so it counted.) Without further ado, Mina said, "Alright, do you all know why I've called you here today?"

Tsu replied, "I assume you are frustrated about Todoroki and Midoriya, kero? They do seem very awkward around one another right now."

Momo, the innocent princess as always, asked, "Why could that be? You don't think that they had an argument or something, do you?"

Tooru butted in with wild arms, saying, "Come on, Yaomomo! They're definitely acting like this because they're in love!"

Jiro made a face. "That's kind of exaggerating things, don't you think? Maybe they're just being awkward for a different reason?" the purple-haired girl offered, twirling one ear jack uncertainly.

Mina huffed as she said, "Yeah, I agree with Tooru on this one. There's no way that those two aren't desperately in love."

Uraraka looked skeptical, and she asked, "What makes you say that?"

Mina pounded the ground in between the girls, making them jump as she hissed, "The dreamy looks! The sighs! The longing touches during combat exercises! The way Midoriya literally broke himself to get through to her at the sports festival last year! If those two aren't experiencing true love, then I'm not a romance guru!"

Jiro snorted as she pointed out, "Romance Guru? Have you ever dated anyone?"

Mina waved her off. "That's irrelevant! My point is, Todoroki and Midoriya are absolutely sickeningly sweet whenever they're in the same room together, and they're too oblivious to notice it! We have to do something about it!" she said, raising her fist in the air for emphasis.

Yaoyorozu raised her hand and said, "Is that a good idea? I don't think they would appreciate us meddling in their relationship like that…"

A few girls nodded at that, but then, Uraraka of all people spoke up. She said, "No, Mina is right."

As the girls stared at the normally shy heroine, Uraraka explained, "Look, none of you sit with them at lunch! They're even worse there, they won't even look at each other! It's ridiculous! They need to get together before they kill us all with secondhand embarrassment!"

Tsu nodded, and added, "Yeah, those two both think they don't deserve the other, because they're idiots, kero."

Mina laughed as she said, "Exactly, Tsu! Now then, it's time for Operation: Cinnamon Roll! We need to figure out how to get those two to actually talk to each other! Who's with me?" A chorus of agreements came from the girls, some more enthusiastic than others, but even Yaoyorozu and Jiro agreed, if mostly to try to make sure that Mina didn't try to do something insane and get in trouble.

Of course, their fears were vindicated a few minutes later, when the excitable pink girl yelled, "NOW, FOR PLAN ONE: KIDNAP THE DORKS AND MAKE THEM KISS!"

"MINA, NO!"

"MINA, YES!"

In another part of the dorms, Shoko was laying awake in her bed, pondering her fluffy, green-haired problem, when her phone suddenly went off.

She checked the screen, and she felt the light drain from her expression.

It was her father.

For several months now, Endeavor's plans for her had seemed to be escalating. No longer was the Number One Hero content to proclaim her as his successor, or just force her to follow in his footsteps.

Now, he seemed more and more concerned with her successor. So he kept trying to force her into a Quirk marriage.

It hadn't been that bad at first, just not-so-subtle hints about some person he knew with a powerful quirk and how he thought they would "get along." When she'd ignored that, he'd started sending her profiles of different men, each with powerful quirks and/or social status, as if she was a medieval princess choosing a husband.

All the while, the bastard had been leaning on her, telling her that it was her "duty" to continue the family line, or something like that. Shoko had rejected every matchmaking attempt he'd made, but that had barely slowed the flame hero down.

With a groan, she accepted his call.

As soon as she did, her father's voice boomed through her phone. "Shoko," Endeavor said, cool and businesslike, "how are your studies coming?"

"They're fine, father," Shoko replied in the same cool tone, "why are you calling?"

Endeavor was quiet for a moment; Shoko hoped it was because he hadn't been expecting her rudeness. Finally, he said, "I have been made aware that you have been failing to pay attention in class. If your performance is falling because of childish daydreams, perhaps you are in need of remedial training."

Shoko's stomach clenched; she remembered that hellish "training," and she wanted none of it ever again. She replied, "It won't happen again, father. It was a lapse, nothing more."

Endeavor harrumphed. "I hope so. Now, Shoko, I would like you to think again on the two newest suggestions I have shown to you-"

Shoko cut her father off. "No. I will not marry someone you pick. Not now, and not ever," she said forcefully, clenching her phone tightly as she fought to keep her voice from wavering.

Endeavor replied, "Shoko, this is too important for your childish fits. You have a duty as my perfect heir to-"

Shoko had had enough. She hissed, "I am not your perfect heir," before she hung up on her father, tossing her phone aside as she strode towards her door.

She slammed it shut behind her, already heading towards the gym for an impromptu workout.

She really needed to beat something up.

At the same time, Izuku was sleepless for a different reason. He tossed and turned in his bed, but every time he closed his eyes, he found himself seeing Shoko again, her petite features, beautiful eyes, and her rare smile, which almost always seemed to be directed at him.

And of course, Izuku couldn't help but think about Shoko's...other features. Visions of her slender form arching in pleasure, the feel of her generous curves under his hands, the thought of her lips against his...those thoughts were why he was still awake. He hated this. Why couldn't he get her out of his head?

"Maybe because you're in love with her, you moron," came his inner monologue, which he tamped down immediately, refusing to acknowledge his feelings.

Why did it matter whether he found himself falling for her? Shoko was so far out of his league it wasn't even funny; she could do so much better than him. He was honored to be her friend, and perfectly happy with that.

Even if he couldn't help but want more.

But God, the way her hero suit hugged her curves so perfectly, it made Izuku want to fall on her and just-

Izuku slammed his head into his pillow to dispel yet another explicit image, groaning as sleep eluded him again. That was it, he couldn't do this anymore. He would just go down to the gym and work out his frustrations until he was exhausted. Maybe then he would finally get some fucking sleep.

When Izuku reached the gym, he was surprised to find that it wasn't empty.

As he walked in, he heard the unmistakable sounds of someone attacking a punching bag. Turning the corner, he was surprised to find Shoko Todoroki, looking disheveled, sweaty, and absolutely pissed, whaling on a punching bag with jabs, haymakers, and quick, powerful kicks that sent the leather bag flying.

Seeing Shoko so angry made Izuku pause; he knew that it took a lot to make her this mad. There was really only one thing that could do this…

Shoko turned, and she saw him there, watching her. Shit.

Then Izuku saw the tears in her eyes, and he couldn't help himself. He took a step forward, and asked, "Todoroki, is everything okay?"

She shook herself once, then seemed to get herself under control. She replied, "Yes, I'm fine. Just needed to work out some frustrations."

Izuku could relate to that. He said, "Yeah, me too. Couldn't get to sleep, and I figured I might as well get some training in."

Todoroki nodded at that, then seemed to have an idea. "Hey, Midoriya, would you like to have a quirkless spar? I want to work on hand-to-hand."

What was Izuku supposed to say to that? "Uh, sure," he said.

Todoroki smiled, and said, "Thanks."

Shoko was regretting things right about now.

Not the spar itself, of course; she knew she needed the practice, since close combat was an obvious weakness of hers, and she needed to be able to defend herself quirkless. Midoriya was definitely a good option for practice, too.

It was just that, well… He really wasn't wearing much, was he?

Of course, Shoko knew that Midoriya was wearing normal gym clothes, a tank top and shorts; but for some reason, it was making her stomach do funny things as she watched him on one end of the sparring arena.

(Of course, Midoriya was having an identical reaction to her, as she was wearing the exact same thing.)

Now wasn't the time for distractions, though, as Shoko called out "Start!"

She charged immediately, trying to use her speed and slimmer build against Midoriya. Shoko knew she would be at a disadvantage in a close-quarters brawl, but she was smaller and more nimble, and she skillfully avoided his first two swipes, looking for an opening to land her own blows.

Midoriya was playing smart, though, and he kept his guard up, not letting Shoko get around him or knock him off balance.

"He's trying to outlast me," Shoko thought, and she knew she would lose to that strategy eventually. Midoriya had more stamina in hand-to-hand combat than she did, and more skill.

Ducking under a left jab, she aimed a kick at the taller man's midsection, only for him to jump away from it with ease.

She huffed in frustration and came after him again, charging low. As she came in, Midoriya danced to the side, and she realized almost too late he was aiming to grapple her.

She twirled away just in time, landing a solid blow to his forearm as it closed on empty air where she'd just been. Shoko could feel herself tiring, just as Midoriya began hitting back.

She barely avoided a low kick, then had to leap back as he swiped at her again, her braid flying as she moved.

"I can't keep this up for much longer," she thought, fully caught up in the energy and movement of the fight.

She'd forgotten about everything outside of it, all her worries and fears. There was only the here and now, and the rhythmic movement of her and Midoriya.

She saw the smirk on the green-haired man's face, and she had just enough time to think, "That's never a good sign," before Izuku barreled forwards and caught her around the midsection, his momentum carrying both of them until Shoko felt her back slam into the wall of the arena.

The air left her lungs with a whoosh, and she felt herself fighting for breath as she tried desperately to avoid getting pinned.

Midoriya was strong, though, and she could barely fight off his moves as he suddenly grabbed her arms and yanked her forwards, her feet scrabbling as they hit the ground.

The next thing Shoko knew, she was pinned on her belly, one arm yanked behind her back while Midoriya pinned her other arm by the wrist, straddling her legs and leaving her utterly helpless.

She was furious; had she really been that easy to defeat? Sure, she might have gotten distracted once or twice by the look on Midoriya's face, but...

Shoko yelped as Midoriya twisted her arm. He was leaning over her, and he was panting hard; clearly pinning her had been harder than she thought. Clearly and slowly, he said, "Shoko, do you yield?"

Shoko tried to wriggle free for a few moments, but Midoriya's pin was too strong, and she had to admit defeat. In a strained voice, she said, "I yield."

Midoriya held onto her for a second longer, just to make sure she wouldn't try anything. Shoko felt his grip slacken, but his weight remained. They seemed frozen there, both of them sweaty and panting, with Midoriya pinning her to the floor.

Shoko suddenly became very aware of how he was on top of her, and that weird feeling in her stomach returned, stronger than ever. Shoko felt the weight of him against her, and for a bizarre, heart-stopping moment, she didn't want it to go away.

And when Midoriya finally did start to let her go and get up, she heard herself whimper.

Instantly, both she and Midoriya froze, Shoko in embarrassment, and Midoriya in...Shoko wasn't sure, but the look on his face was both a massive blush and a look of sudden horror. Shoko, her pride still stinging from losing, made another silly decision.

She jumped onto Midoriya, pinning his arms above his head and trapping his legs with her own. Izuku's look was of a gazelle caught by a cheetah, a look of total fear as Shoko held him down.

Shoko felt herself grin a little, and she said, "Do you yield, Izuku?"

The green haired man nodded frantically, and made a strange noise in his throat that made Shoko figure that she should probably get off already.

When she did, Midoriya said, "Thanks for sparring with me, Todoroki..."

Shoko pouted, and she wasn't even sure why. Still on autopilot, she said, "Not Shoko?"

Midoriya looked embarrassed again. Frantically, he stammered, "Oh, y-yeah, sorry about that, Shoko-I mean Todoroki! Yeah, sorry about that, Todoroki!"

Shoko smiled, her heart still pounding in her ears and that weird feeling still pooling low in her gut.

She said, "It's okay, you can call me Shoko, as long as I can call you Izuku. After everything we've been through, it only makes sense, right?"

Izuku was even less functional after that, but he eventually managed to stammer out, "Yeah, I-I suppose it does make sense. Next to fighting Stain, a little thing like first names isn't a huge deal, right? A-anyway, I really need to get to sleep. See you tomorrow!"

And then he bolted, heading back to the dorms as quickly as he could.

Shoko found herself confused and saddened as she watched him go, and she didn't even know why. She still had no idea why she'd said half the things she had just then, she'd been acting entirely based on the feel of her excited heart and the weird feeling of need that filled her.

She really needed to figure this out. Why had she liked being under Midoriya so much? Even pinning her down, his hands had been so gentle.

Shoko ignored the hollowness that seemed to settle inside her now that Izuku (And why did saying his first name feel so right?) was gone.

She didn't have the experience she needed to figure this out; she needed help.

She pulled out her phone, and started writing a text. As she walked back to the dorms, the glass of the window reflected the contact name: "Ashido Mina."