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vannahfanfics · 2 years

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Music is Love in Search of a Word

Word Count: 5080

Fluff, Romance, Soulmates, Café AU

Summary: Momo Yaoyorozu has finally accomplished her goal of opening her own café. And the location she's chosen isn't just good for business—it's also the ticket to finding her soulmate!

Hello, everyone! Here is my story for the MomoJiro Bang! Please check out the lovely art by my partner @bnha-ramblings, and also a big thanks to my beta @leland-chapman-the-bounty-hunter! Enjoy!

The scent of brewing chamomile danced on the air, filling Momo’s nose with a honey-sweet smell. It bubbled in the teapot on the rustic stove, which sat between two counters laden with espresso machines, coffee pots, jugs of fruit concentrate chilling in bowls of ice, and countless bags of tea leaves. A foot and a half in front of the cabinets and counters stood a display case, which housed scrumptious-looking muffins, danishes, brownies and blondies, donuts, and various other pastries. A small counter sat beside it with an old-fashioned cash register and a tiny potted money tree. Momo flitted around the various round, tableclothed tables to slightly rearrange the flowers sitting in the colorful glass vases or barely shift the teacups and saucers. After giving the room one last scrutinizing sweep, she walked up to the front glass door to flip the sign hanging in it to “OPEN.”

The simple act made Momo swell with pride. I’ve done it! I’ve successfully opened my own tea shop and café! She thought triumphantly. Four years of slaving over a business degree, half a year of financial bargaining, and another three months of construction, interior decorating, and asset obtaining had finally led to this moment. She couldn’t help peering out of the door at the sidewalk. Her fingers twiddled with anticipation as she watched the passersby. Would any of them notice her new tea shop? Would any of them be intrigued and stop in? Who would be her first customer?

After a few seconds of heart-pounding suspense, Momo realized that her potential customers may be put off by a sweaty, wide-eyed woman standing at the door breathing heavily onto the glass. She rubbed away the condensation with the hem of her apron before hurrying back to the counter. She needed to find something to occupy her time or she would go crazy from the expectation! However, she had been at the store for three hours preparing, so it was terribly hard to find anything to do now. She just stared hopelessly at the teapot on the stove, counting the seconds until it began to whistle with the collecting steam.

When she finally pulled the chamomile tea off the stove, she was at a complete loss of what to do.

Music. Music would help calm my nerves, she decided. She walked across the room to the old-fashioned radio sitting on a shelf on the wall. All of the outfittings in Momo’s tea shop had a rustic charm to contribute to the English Victorian vibe that she was going for—plus, she just loved the character of antiques! She fiddled with the dial, surfing through the static for a channel that would suit the atmosphere of her tea shop. She finally landed on a classical music channel, and sweet tones of piano keys began to mingle in the air with the fresh scent of the chamomile.

It seemed that Momo had caught the tail end of a piece; by the time she walked back to her counter to pour herself a cup of chamomile, the radio host's voice has replaced the calming piano music.

“Hello, listeners. I hope we are having a pleasant morning,” the host’s voice was soft and rich like the smoothest coffee; it immediately lulled Momo into a sleepy sense of contentment, prompting her to lean back against the counter and sip at her hot tea with a smile. “The next song comes to us from the most recent classical sensation, contemporary pianist Hitoshi Shinso. In a recent interview, he explained how his soulmate song inspired all the work on his debut album. He wanted to celebrate the love for his soulmate, and each song in the album chronicles their journey together…”

The radio host’s comments faded into the background as Momo drifted further into a placated state of daydreaming. She’d always adored the concept of the soulmate song. It was so inherently romantic! A song you were born knowing. A song that you only shared with one other person in the whole world. A unique tune that you could use to communicate with someone on such an intimate, personal level. Just thinking about it made butterflies take flight in Momo’s stomach and pleasurable tingles begin to shoot up and down her nerves.

Momo especially loved her soulmate song. She supposed everyone thought their soulmate song was extra-special, but Momo couldn’t help but just be enamored by hers. It was a harmonious blend of classical notes and jazzy tunes that came together to make a soothing yet stimulating melody. When Momo closed her eyes and let it flow forth to fill her mind, body, and soul with its mellifluence, she couldn’t help but imagine the kind of person her soulmate must be. Who did those hints of serious, deep tones amongst her sweet, high notes represent? How did it align with their personality? Wondering always filled Momo with a sense of excitement about the day that she would finally discover the truth.

Just as Momo was beginning to lose herself in her soulmate song, she was jolted back to reality by the loud chime of the bell attached to the top of her door.

“O-oh! Welcome,” she cried. As she jumped away from the counter, she nearly dropped the mug of chamomile she was still holding in her hands. She squeaked as the liquid sloshed over the rim, spilling over her hands and splashing down on the floor.

“Pl-please excuse me!” she flushed in embarrassment, scrambling around behind the counter in search of a dishrag. When she found one, she hastily wiped off the mug and set it down, and then rushed up to the cash register while still wiping the tea from her hands. “Sorry about that! How can I help yo—Oh! Ochako!”

“Hi, Momo!” her friend chirped pleasantly. “I rushed over here as soon as I saw that you were open! Am I your first customer?”

“Yes, actually, you are!” Momo laughed. Ochako squealed and did a little happy dance, which made Momo laugh more.

“It looks so cute!” Ochako gushed, stepping to the side to hungrily eye the many sweets sitting in the display counter. “And everything looks so delicious! It’s so amazing! You’ve been working on this for so long. It’s hard to believe that the day has finally come.”

“I know!” Momo said, smiling while resting her cheek into her hand. “I almost expect to wake up in my bed, it all having been one long dream…”

“Well, this is no dream, sister!” Ochako said and even lightly pinched Momo’s upper arm. She sprang away with a squeal, swatting at Ochako’s hand. She tried to look stern, but the laugh bubbling from her lips ruined it. Ochako just playfully wiggled her eyebrows before leaning down to hungrily inspect the sweet wares Momo had arranged in the display. “Honestly, it feels like I’m the one dreaming, now! All of these treats look so amazing… It’s like Heaven…”

“You can have whichever one you like. My treat,” Momo offered.

“No way!” Ochako objected, shooting straight up to poutily frown at her. “I’m your first customer, and that means I’m gonna pay! No ifs, ands, or buts about it… buuuuuuut I won’t refuse a little something extra.” Her firm tone faded into a dreamy drawl as her eyes drifted back to the case, particularly the ichigo daifuku tantalizing her from the top shelf. Momo couldn’t help but laugh; of course Ochako’s weakness to mochi was coming into play, and she had always been partial to the spring-exclusive treat.

“I’ll throw in some of the ichigo daifuku in for free,” she assured Ochako, who pumped her first with a quiet but triumphant “yes!”

While Ochako struggled to decide which of the treats she wanted to purchase, Momo opened the back of the case to pull out the platter of mochi treats. She picked one up and carefully wrapped it in cute pink wax paper, then set it into a white pastry box. The lid was emblazoned with her shop name, cursive writing in shiny, eye-catching gold. Ochako cooed delightedly at it when she caught sight of it.

“Man, Momo, you sure thought of everything,” she praised. “Your shop is going to take off in no time!”

“I sure hope so,” Momo sighed in response.

She had devoted much time and energy into her preparations, exploring every avenue and having contingencies for her contingencies, but the threat of failure always loomed like an anvil over her head. What if her shop wasn’t a hit? She’d been open for fifteen minutes now, and her best friend was the only one who’d stopped in. Was her business doomed to fail? Oh, dear, what was she going to do—

“Snap out of it!” Ochako barked and snapped her fingers in front of Momo’s face. Momo’s eyelashes fluttered as she struggled to reign her dizzied mind back in. When she looked blearily at her best friend, she had her arms crossed and her mouth pulled into a frown.

“You’ve been open for fifteen minutes and you’re already doubting yourself, aren’t you?”

“No…” Momo mumbled. It definitely didn’t sound convincing, and she averted her gaze as heat rushed to her cheeks. Ochako heaved a sigh, then reached out to pluck half of the ichigo daifuku from the box.

“Listen, Momo, you’ll take off in no time,” she said, then took a bite of the sweet, chewy mochi. “I mean—oh my God, Momo, this is so good!”

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by her blissful cry, but honestly, Momo would much rather hear that than whatever lecture she was about to get. Her eyes lit up in delight as Ochako began to chomp away at the mochi, stuffing the bits into her cheeks instead of swallowing so she could savor every little bit.

“Really? You think it’s good?”

“It’s amazing! It’s the best I’ve ever had! I really have died and gone to Heaven…”

Momo gave Ochako another bit of the mochi treat on the house, while Ochako bought some strawberry shortcake to try later. Seeing as no one else was in the shop, Momo escorted her to the door, opening it for her as they continued to chat about Momo’s aspirations. She was right in the middle of bidding Ochako farewell when the words jammed in her throat.

“What? What is it?” Ochako asked around the strawberry currently clamped between her teeth. Momo ignored her, looking around wildly.

Where is it? Where is it coming from? She thought, eyes wide as she looked around in a frenzy. Ochako continued to bleat “What, what?” until Momo frantically wheezed, “My soulmate song.”

It floated on the warm spring air, light and airy like bubbles. It was unmistakable. It resonated in Momo’s soul. That cappuccino blend of jazz and sweet notes that she had known since before she could recognize what music even was. She could recognize it even though it was being played on an acoustic guitar, the deep notes thrumming in the air. Yet the street was empty aside from a few curious onlookers—no street performers, no radios, not even someone listening to a video on their phone. The song seemed to bounce off the brick walls of the buildings, the sound waves colliding in a confusing but beautiful mass of symphony. Momo could only spin in circles on the sidewalk while she tried fruitlessly to pin down the direction that the song was coming from.

When it stopped, Momo’s heart shattered.

“Momo! Momo, hey!” Ochako cried as tears flooded Momo’s eyes. She really wasn’t sure why.

Her soul was weeping at the failed opportunity, wailing deep in her chest. It made everything go tight, so much so that she had to squat down and focus on catching her breath. Ochako soothingly rubbed her back, and though sympathetic words left her friend’s lips, she couldn’t hear them for the white noise rushing in her ears.

There was no mistake. That was definitely her soulmate song. But where could it had come from? She looked up and down the street, and though the landscape was blurred slightly by her tears, there was nothing, no clues to the identity of her soulmate or the source of the music.

“I heard it… I heard it, Ochako…” she said hoarsely. It felt like she’d spent the last ten minutes screaming, the tissue of her throat raw and scratchy and sore. She looked tearily up at her, then whispered, “What if I never hear it again? What if I missed my chance?”

Momo didn’t like to be overly emotional, and she never would have expected that she would have reacted so strongly to this situation. But it literally felt like her heart had been torn out of her chest, leaving a raw, bleeding wound. She groaned, pawing over her chest while half-expecting to really find a bleeding gash. The strums of the guitar strings still rang hollowly in her ears. Would the ghost of this moment be the only taste of her soulmate that she would ever get? The prospect agonized her, pulling a whine from her trembling lips.

“Hey, Momo, snap out of it! It’s just first encounter syndrome.”

Ochako’s voice finally tore Momo out of her emotional turmoil. As she blinked, sending the tears spilling down her ruddy cheeks, she felt like the anxiety swirling inside of her rushed out through her feet. Ochako patted her cheek tenderly as she stood over her, eyebrows knitted in concern.

“First… encounter syndrome?” Momo rasped. Drink, I need a drink…

“Yeah. Sometimes, when people first encounter or get hints of their soulmate, they have an overwhelming emotional reaction.”

Sensing her thoughts, Ochako helped her to her feet, keeping a gentle hand on her elbow as she guided her inside. Though Momo felt much better, her legs were no better than jelly, making her knees knock together as she fumbled to the nearest table. She practically collapsed in the chair, while Ochako rushed behind the counter to get her a glass of water. Momo’s mouth was like a desert now, and so she could only mouth “thank you” before greedily downing the water. She took it in big gulps, not caring about the water that surged out the corners of her lips and dripped down her chin onto her apron.

“Guh…” she breathed when she finally pulled the empty glass from her lips.

“Better?” Ochako smiled weakly as she sat down beside her. Momo nodded, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She was dreadfully exhausted, however, and knowing she had to man the shop for the rest of the day made it even worse. “I’ve heard it’s pretty intense. Apparently, Sero had it the first time he met Mina… He broke down bawling right then and there. Couldn’t even say ‘hello’ to her for five whole minutes.”

“I can imagine,” Momo said wearily, sinking into the chair. She was glad she invested in nice cushioning because it sure felt good embracing her shaky body right now.

She spent a minute or so running her sweaty palms up and down the skirt of her dress until the last of the tremors ceased. Ochako sat close to her, comfortingly patting her on the shoulder and distracting her with small talk.

When she finally felt like a person again, Momo cleared her throat and uttered, “So… Do you think I’ll find them? My soulmate?”

“Of course!” Ochako said with an encouraging nod. She gestured to the window with a big smile. “They’re out there! Just waiting for you!” She leaned forward to pat her firmly on the shoulder. “Just wait. You’ll hear your song again, and next time, you’ll find them. You’ll see!”

“Yeah,” Momo hummed in agreement. She sank back into the chair with another soft sigh. “Yeah,” she echoed. I just have to wait. I’ll find them next time!

“Kill me. End me. Snuff out my miserable existence,” Momo groaned, punctuating each word with a bang of her forehead against the counter.

There wasn’t anyone in the café since it was just after closing hours, so her only consolation was the echo of her own head thwack-thwack-thwacking against the wood. Two weeks! It had been two whole weeks! Two weeks of hearing her soulmate song every single day without catching so much as a glimpse of the person playing it. It was driving her insane!

With another long, drawn-out groan, Momo lifted her head to look up at the clock on the wall. The hour hand was inching toward six. She’d better finish cleaning up so she could head on home before it got too dark. Only to lie awake in my bed agonizing over the fact that my soulmate is just out of reach, she thought, hanging her head with yet another groan. She’d rather lament in bed than stand behind the counter of her shop, though, so she forced herself to wipe the crumbs off the counter and sweep them up. She trudged out the door, and just as she was twisting the key into the lock…

she heard it.

“Oh! Oh! Where? Oh!” she sputtered while turning frantically in a circle. Where was it coming from? She had to find it! She couldn’t go another night agonizing over the not knowing anymore! But it seemed like the guitar notes were dancing all around her, mocking her with their perfect symphonic beauty.

“Oh, please, please!” she cried desperately. Tears sprang to her eyes at the crushing realization that she may once again let her soulmate slip through her fingers.

“Please…” Her voice cracked as the notes began to fade, and she slowly sank down into a crouch. She hugged her knees with a miserable sniff. Again…?

No! she asserted, jumping back to her feet and firmly gripping the folds of her dress. I won’t miss my chance this time! She hiked up her skirt and stomped down the sidewalk. She didn’t think about what direction she was going in; she just set off in whatever direction seemed natural. A sixth sense, maybe, an invisible string tugging her along…

And it worked, too, because the music was getting louder.

Oh! Oh, I know this! This is where all the nice restaurants are! Momo realized as the cute little small business district transformed into a streetlamp-lit, hedge-lined swanky locale where men and women in business casual strutted about on nice evening dates or attended business meetings. Her soulmate must be some sort of performer! No wonder she heard them play every night! They must be hired to sing outside of some restaurant to try and entice all the fine people outside to come in and eat. Momo rushed past them all, the heels of her sandals frantically click-click-clicking against the concrete as she followed the sweet notes of the guitar.

Closer, she had to be getting closer! She could feel the notes strumming in her bones, matching the pound of her heartbeat against her ribcage. She could feel them with every pump of blood through her body, soaking into her cells and making her feel alive. It felt like the wind itself was spiriting her along; it swept along her feet and billowed her dress, making her feel like she was running on the music itself.

It was approaching the end of the song. Her heart rate jumped, pulsing in her arteries with each frantic pound of her heart. Faster, faster, she had to move faster! She couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. She couldn’t get this close only to fail! She cried out as she stumbled, slipping out of one of her sandals, and she paused to look back at it sitting upside-down on the sidewalk. But there was no time, no time—so she just left it, hobbling awkwardly on the higher sole in her desperate attempt to reach her soulmate before the last chord.

Momo came careening around the corner. Breathless, panting, hair a bit askew, she toddled into the streetlamp on the corner and gripped it tight. She couldn’t go on; her heart felt like it was going to explode in his chest, her lungs were strained to collapsing, and she had a scratch on the bottom of her foot from a raised chip in the concrete. But that was okay.

Because sitting on the stoop of a fancy sushi bar with her legs crossed and her guitar resting on her lap strumming the last chord of the song was her soulmate.

She was ethereal. The fading sunlight blended with the bright light of the streetlamp, and the mix fell into her deep purple strands of hair to make it shine like threads of woven obsidian. When her black eyes flickered up to meet Momo’s, they gleamed like onyx chips in the lowlight. Momo’s heart did a flip in her chest as their gazes locked. Ethereal was the only word she could think of, and it played like a scratched record in her head.

“H-hi,” Momo breathed. She was glad she was clutching the light pole because she would have fallen right over otherwise.

“Hi,” the young woman answered with a bashful smile. She gave Momo a cursory once-over, a quick up-and-down flick of her eyes that nonetheless had Momo’s heart back-flipping in her chest.

“You’re not from around here,” the guitarist remarked, shyness morphing into amused confidence.

“N-No,” Momo confirmed with a shake of her head. Still clutching the light pole like it was her only link to reality, she took a moment to make sure that her thoughts were in order before uttering, “I own a café not far from here.”

“I see.”

The young woman laid her guitar flat on her lap and rested her hands atop its sleek black surface. She made no move to rise or put it in her case, and once more, Momo found her heart fluttering. This girl was giving Momo her full attention! Oh, how nice it was to be noticed. The small act alone nearly made Momo blurt out why she was really there, but she managed to rein in her tongue before it could go flapping. Not everyone subscribed to soulmate culture, and so one had to be tactful when approaching their soulmates.

“So, you play for this restaurant?” Momo asked.

Small talk was good. It was a skill she had honed well in the short time of owning her business. Despite her nervousness, Momo didn’t think it would fail her now. However, she had the wherewithal to realize that her posture was still a little strange, gripping desperately to the streetlamp. Her legs still felt like jelly, but she decided to take the risk; slowly, she straightened up, praying her wiggly legs wouldn’t collapse under her. Somehow, she managed to stay standing.

“That’s right. I play for a few hours each night. The waiting times here get really long, so I’m here to keep them from getting too bored out here,” the girl chuckled with a wave at the sidewalk. As it was early evening, the lines were just beginning to form; no doubt, this sidewalk would soon be swarming with people waiting on their reservations. “I usually break about this time, between the lunch and dinner rush.”

Break… That means if I had waited around a little while, I probably would have found her the first day. Momo wanted to slap herself. Two weeks of agonizing over someone who was far closer than she had ever realized! It was enough to make her want to collapse against the lamppost again. She elected to just stretch her arm out and brace herself against it, make herself seem far more nonchalant than she felt.

“I’m Kyoka Jiro, by the way.”

Kyoka Jiro. Momo discreetly mouthed it, and it felt as sugary on her tongue as she dreamed it would. Perfect, like her name belonged in her mouth.

“Momo Yaoyorozu,” she responded politely.

A pair of businessmen crossed between them, and though Momo knew Kyoka probably wouldn’t disappear in the half a second she couldn’t see her, she still panicked a little. When Kyoka came back into view, still sitting on the sidewalk with a quaint smile, Momo fidgeted nervously. She couldn’t drag this out, else it would become awkward! But she couldn’t jump right in, either. Oh, she wished she had taken Mina up on those lessons in flirting when she’d had the chance…

“I-I can hear you play. From my shop,” Momo piped up before the silence could grow too long.

“Yeah?” Kyoka quirked a brow. Her smile widened, so Momo relaxed a little. It’s going well so far.

“Yeah!” she nodded. She hesitated for a bit, then decided to take another leap of faith.

Timidly, she peeled herself away from the streetlamp to walk over to Kyoka. The musician watched her with those sparkling onyx eyes, but for the life of her, Momo couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Momo sat down on the sidewalk next to her, a respectable distance away but still close enough to maintain a conversation. After making sure her dress wasn’t rumpled up and showing off far too much, she looked at Kyoka with a bashful smile.

“Yes, and I found it quite lovely. That’s why… I decided to venture over here after closing up shop tonight… to see if I could find the source.”

“Really?” Kyoka seemed excited about it. She quickly looked right and left, then leaned in close to Momo. She seemed oblivious to the blush crawling up Momo’s neck, her eyes gleaming as she whispered, “Want to hear a secret?”

“O-oh? Okay, sure…” Momo said, her tongue flicking out to wet her lips. She hadn’t expected the conversation to veer this way, but with no hint as to where it was headed, she couldn’t figure out whether or not she should be nervous or not.

“That song I was just playing was my soulmate song.”

“Y-you don’t say?” Momo was trying to seem as unperturbed as possible, but heavens, her voice was shaking and her body was quivering. Kyoka was too in her own world to notice, apparently; she closed her eyes and hugged her guitar close.

“Yep. I play it every day. Of all the music in the world, I think it’s the most beautiful song ever.” She cracked her eye open to peer at Momo out of her peripheral vision, her cheeks growing a little pink. “And… it’s a little embarrassing, but… Sometimes I feel like if I play it, one day, my soulmate will hear it, and they’ll come to find me.”

“Y-yeah?” Momo couldn’t help the excitement that bled into her tone. “So you want to find your soulmate?”

“Absolutely,” Kyoka nodded vigorously. She then looked lovingly down at her guitar; her hand smoothed across its sleek surface in a soft caress. “My soulmate song is why I fell in love with music in the first place. In a way… I have my soulmate to thank for how wonderful my life is.” She suddenly barked out a laugh, and she looked at Momo with an embarrassed grin. “Ugh, why am I telling you all this? I am totally never this gushy and romantic. Ugh, how mortifying…”

“No, it doesn’t bother me at all,” Momo interjected as Kyoka went to scoot away, probably concerned she was bothering Momo at this point. Kyoka’s head snapped up to look at her with wide eyes. Momo dropped her gaze, fiddling with the hem of her dress. She’d obsessed over this moment for days now, practicing exactly what she would say, and yet now none of those words seemed right. She decided to just go for it, say whatever seemed to come to mind—that sixth sense again.

“I don’t think anyone should be embarrassed about their soulmate. After all, it’s just so grand… The idea of someone out there being made for you, and the fact that you two share a unique bond. You can’t help but get excited.”

Kyoka seemed to relax at that. She hummed thoughtfully, looking down at her guitar again. While she was preoccupied, Momo took a moment to drink her in. She really was beautiful. Looking at her made Momo feel completely at peace—like the way she felt when she was at the shop in the early morning preparing all the pastries or when she was at home after a long day at work, unwinding with a book and a cup of tea. Looking at her made it feel like something in Momo’s world had finally clicked into place.

Undeniably, unequivocally, they were meant to be.

“By the way… I think it’s the most beautiful song in the world, too,” Momo whispered suddenly. Kyoka looked up at her then, her eyebrows cinched in confusion. Slowly, her perplexion morphed into shocked understanding. Momo reached out to place her hand over Kyoka’s. Her fingers twitched but didn’t recoil at Momo’s touch. “Our soulmate song.”

“Y-yeah?” Kyoka managed to choke out.

It was a wonder with how wide she was grinning right now. It made her obsidian eyes scrunch up into little crescent moons, and little tears beaded up like diamonds at their corners. When Kyoka tilted her head slightly, they slipped over the rims of her eyes to spill in thin rivers down her flushed cheeks. She smiled adoringly at Momo for a long time, just basking in the glow of the moment, before her eyes slowly dropped down to Momo’s lips.

Kyoka breathed in quietly, and then whispered, “Can I… Can I kiss you?”

Momo flushed, but nodded in consent. Kyoka shifted, adjusting the guitar on her lap so it wouldn’t get in the way. Slowly, she leaned close. Her gaze drifted back up to Momo’s eyes. They held the heady stare until Kyoka’s lips just barely brushed over Momo’s, and then Momo couldn’t help but let her eyelids fall shut. She wanted to shut everything out, to just focus on the heavenly feeling of Kyoka’s lips gently molding against hers. And oh, did it feel divine. Kyoka’s lips slotted perfectly against hers, soft and sweet and faintly tasting of elderberry. It felt so good that she found herself chasing Kyoka when she pulled back, and the girl just leaned her forehead against hers with a little giggle.

“Wanna stay with me a while?” Kyoka offered.

“There isn’t anywhere else in the world I would rather be,” Momo said back. Because finally, she’d found her place in the world—right there next to Kyoka.

#momojiro #momojirou #jiromomo #jiroumomo #momo yaoyorozu #yaoyorozu momo #jiro kyoka #jirou kyoka #jiro kyouka #jirou kyouka #kyoka jiro #kyouka jiro #kyoka jirou #kyouka jirou #my hero academia #mha #boku no hero academia #bnha

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teaplease1717 · 3 years

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TodoMomo Fic Recs

Okay! I've wanted to do this for a while now, so I’m excited that I finally got around to doing it - here is a list of my favorite fics! But, to do a spin on it, I'm only naming lesser known fics with kudos count below 200.

In order by rating and word count, because I’m finicky like that. Also, all are complete unless noted otherwise.

EDIT: Updated 7/11/2021

G Rated Fics:

1. Shouto Todoroki is Fond of the New Recovery Girl by llmm

Genre: Canon / Fluff / Comedy

Rated: G

Word Count: 715

Summary: Short and super cute. Momo has her quirked switched with Recovery Girl, and now that she is in charge of nurse duty it seems Todo has become a frequent visitor.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26260573

2. Water and Late Night Snack by LuceCannon21

Genre: Canon / Fluff / Comedy

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,112

Summary: Sweet and fluffy. Todo can’t sleep and goes down to the kitchen where he finds Momo passed out on the couch. He wakes her to go back to bed when some cute fluff ensues.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15987584

3. Five Golden Rings by Mickey_Bay

Genre: Canon / Fluffy

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,222

Summary: Super sweet and fluffy. Shouto is looking for the perfect ring for Momo and needs some help.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28173669

4. Straight ahead to the Morning Light by Milktea_S

Genre: Canon / Fluff

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,372

Summary: TodoMomo have their first date and it doesn’t go quite as planned. But is well that ends well, especially with how sweet Todo is.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28332045

5. i hate the things that are sweet by kuyashii

Genre: Canon divergence / Falling in love

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,850

Summary: Loved this "what if" scenario! I'm always a fan of early-roki and him falling for Momo regardless is so cute. Excellent execution and beautiful writing.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22025641

6. Cold Hands and Hot Cocoa by Purple_Umbrella

Genre: Canon / Fluff / Slice of Life

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,859

Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and Todoroki and Yaoyorozu go out for hot chocolate. So adorable, melted my heart.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21690295

7. Topsy Turvy by Purple_Umbrella

Genre: Canon / Fluff / Slice of Life

Rating: G

Word Count: 2,011

Summary: Such a light and feel good piece. It totally threw me back to my first days of college, when kids tried to learn to wash their clothes by themselves. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22801825

8. Bottled Tea by Taq

Genre: Canon / Fluff / Slice of Life

Rating: G

Word Count: 2,177

Summary: Todoroki gets a little competitive with the guys who keep asking Momo out. Very cute. I love how oblivious Todoroki is to his feelings. TodoMomo are very in character.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25468132

9. Call Me, Beep Me by Voidstuff (Schadenfreudah)

Genre: Canon / Aged-Up / Falling in Love

Rated: G

Word Count: 4,138

Summary: Aged up characters. Todoroki and Momo are still bad with feelings which provides a tiny bit of angst but I love how smitten Todoroki is with Momo and how hard he tries.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29447463

10. Lucky Shot by Poteto

Genre: Fluff / Slice of Life

Rating: Alternate Universe / Fluff / No quirks

Word Count: 5,892

Summary: Todoroki falls in love with the girl at his local coffee shop, while also developing feelings for a mysterious girl he had texted by accident. Cute & wonderfully written.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24794683

11. Uhm, a scandal? by lapeace

Genre: Romance / Pining / Fluff

Rated: G

Word Count: 8,613 (Incomplete)

Summary: Due to events, Shouto and Momo are caught in a compromising position. Now Shouto is losing his mind as he waits for the scandal to die on its own. He hadn't seen Yaoyorozu in person for 36 days now. Yes, he counted. Not only was Yaoyorozu present in various news and social media outlets, she is also present in Shouto's head most of the time.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28706769/chapters/70382067#workskin

12. half sugar, less ice by milktea_s

Genre: Alternate Universe / Fluff / Slice of Life

Rated: G

Word Count: 12,590

Summary: A super sweet AU fic revolving around bubble tea. It's so fluffy and sweet and I love the slow development between TodoMomo.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25235563

13. Softly i entered (into your arms) by wanderinglilly

Genre: Alternate Universe / Romance / Touch Your Heart crossover (Ongoing)

Rating: G

Word Count: 27,800

Summary: Super cute! Momo is an aspiring actress and for an upcoming role agrees to intern under Lawyer Todoroki for experience. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24818620/chapters/60028774

14. Would You Be My Little Quarantine by Revaliciousness

Genre: Canon / Angst / Fluff

Rating: G

Word Count: 28,197

Summary: So adorable and relatable! Momo is having a hard time dealing with quarantine and Todo just wants to be a good bf. Wonderfully written w/ a fantastic use of action tags.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25069909/chapters/60724162

T Rated Fics:

1. Why’d you only call me when you’re high by slutpjms

Genre: Alternate Universe / Romance / Drug use / Slight OOC

Rating: T

Word Count: 974

Summary: Todoroki is a pothead, who comes to hangout in Momo’s room one night. Slight ooc TodoMomo but I loved the feeling of this. The kiss was hot.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13559442

2. I’ve loved you here, in the curve of your jaw by Dewthreads

Genre: Alternate Universe / Romance / Slice of Life / No Quirks

Rating: T

Word Count: 1,406

Summary: So soft with fantastic banter! The author does a fantastic job capturing the love and adoration in TodoMomo’s relationship.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329918

3. Totally Definitely Legit Leaked BNHA Valentine’s Day Light Novel Spoilers by DrowClericofPelor

Genre: Canon / Comedy / Falling in Love (Warning: Slight BakuKiri)

Rating: T

Word Count: 1,957

Summary: A fake take on a valentine’s day BNHA special. It really captures the slice of life and comedy atmosphere of the BNHA light novels. Really enjoyed this quick read.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28667124

4. Steep by aaillemac

Genre: Canon / Fluff / Comfort

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,365

Summary: Set after chapter 192 Todo meets Momo in the library and she comforts him. Very cute and wholesome.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17437871

5. Long Enough by CrazyElf2018

Genre: Canon / Romance

Rated: T

Word Count: 2,453

Summary: Momo may be angry when Todo overreacts to minor injuries she receives on the job, but I love how protective and stubborn he is when it comes to her. And the understanding between them melts my heart.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21653461

6. Exposure by flourchildwrites

Genre: Alternate Universe / Romance / No Quirks

Rated: T

Word Count: 2,785

Summary: Beautiful AU in which Todo is a photographer and Momo is a model. The author has some beautiful lines and the obvious attraction between TodoMomo is so good.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21695194

7. Room of Requirement by Yanmi

Genre: Alternate Universe / Romance / HP crossover

Rating: T

Word Count: 3,163

Summary: This was absolutely breathtaking. The writing is beautiful, and really captures the magic of HP and of falling in love while keeping TodoMomo in character.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16694782

8. Secret by H4sb33n

Genre: Canon / Romance / Slight Angst

Rated: T+

Word Count: 3,653

Summary: Very hot. It never goes NSFW, but I love the slow buildup and the desire that grows between them. Todo's internal conflict about taking it further is amazing.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14951660

9. Say You Won't Let Go by KiyWinchester

Genre: Canon / Aged-Up / Angst

Rated: T

Word Count: 4,878

Summary: Aged up characters. In which Shouto & Momo reunite after two years of avoidance & try to reconcile in order to salvage their "friendship". Beautifully written and very heart wrenching. Shouto is just so madly in love with Momo.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21664882

10. On the Ninth Day by Huixin

Genre: Alternate Universe / Hurt / Comfort / Apocalypse

Rating: T

Word Count: 4,980

Summary: This isn’t exactly a straight TodoMomo romance, but you can feel the bond between the two is so strong. Beautiful imagery and fantastic world building.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24570979

11. I might as well confess (i love you) by ionica01

Genre: Canon / Marriage / Fluff

Rating: T

Word Count: 7,028

Summary: Super sweet and fluffy. I love how organic TodoMomo's relationship feels.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27575102

12. Making Tea in a Winter Storm by TheThirdHeart

Genre: Alternate Universe / Romance / Quirkless Momo AU

Rating: T

Word Count: 9,083

Summary: AU in which Momo is born quirkless and falls in love with Pro Hero Shouto. This was beautifully written with wonderful pacing and characterization.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23477068

13. Take all my time by taq

Genre: Canon / Hurt / Comfort / Angst / Pining

Rating: T

Word Count: 9,495

Summary: Beautiful and painful. The angst and suspense is so good. And the mutual pining isn't over the top, it fits them so well.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26881591

14. August slipped away (into a moment in time) by hollandroden

Genre: Alternate Universe / No Quirks / Modern / Angst / Romance

Rating: T

Word Count: 9,797

Summary: Momo's entire life has been planned out for her, she'll be married to a man she might love one day because her parents demand it. But then she meets Shoto Todoroki and the path laid out for her is no longer clear. I love Momo’s break out from expectations.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31832749

15. She Likes Flowers by ShipSeekingShippers

Genre: Alternate Universe / Fluff / AU Modern

Rating: T

Word Count: 10,322

Summary: Todoroki falls in love with the flower shop girl. Beautiful writing and the fluff just pulled at all my heart strings.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25204930

16. A Promise of Always by Purple Umbrella

Genre: Alternate Universe / Fantasy / Royalty / Romance / Bitter Sweet Ending

Rating: T

Word Count: 12,494

Summary: A cursed prince locked in a tower. A beautiful knight with a bounty on her head. Together, they escape into the thicket of the forest.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25141480/chapters/60917506

M & E Rated Fics:

1. Fantasies by Nemuritai

Genre: Canon / Smut / Self-pleasure / Dom/Sub Undertones

Rating: E

Word Count: 955

Summary: Short but super hot take on Momo’s dirty fantasies.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26926033

2. Play with Fire by Alexisoak

Genre: Alternate Universe / Smut / Dom/Sub Undertones / Mafia

Rating: E

Word Count: 2,644

Summary: Todoroki is the top hitman for the Yaoyorozu mafia clan, and the princess of the clan has her sights on him. Hot! Hot! Hot! The smut in this was just fantastic.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23922898

3. Dark Reflection by EmeraldWaves

Genre: Canon Divergence / Traitor Todoroki / Angst / Hurt / Dark / No Smut

Rating: M

Word Count: 2,825

Summary: Haunting. This is absolutely beautiful and the descriptions are so vivid.

Note: this is dark. Also, this is the only fic here that isn’t really TodoMomo.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27687971

4. Good Vibes Good Times by FrenchK

Genre: Alternate Universe / Romance / Smut

Rating: E

Word Count: 3,735

Summary: Momo is dared to wear vibrating underwear to the club and chaos ensues.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29522220

5. All’s Fair by Flourchildwrites

Genre: Alternate Universe / Smut / Quirkless Au / Mutual Pining

Rating: E

Word Count: 8,277

Summary: Momo is a star being stocked and Todoroki is her live in bodyguard. Lockdown during covid temptation flairs and someone has to give. Very nicely written.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29545503

6. Half Loved by ZEROxxx

Genre: Alternate Universe / Fantasy / Royalty / Romance / Enemies to Lovers / Contract Marriage

Rating: M

Word Count 12,272 (Incomplete)

Summary: Momo is a princess tasked with guarding the creation stones. In order to protect those she loves and the cores, she enters a political, loveless marriage with Prince Shoto.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23589946/chapters/56602531

7. More Wonders Are Yet to Come by Earthquake_Priestess

Genre: Canon / Romance / Family Bonding

Rating: M

Word Count: 57,754

Summary: This is adorable and really well written. I'm not usually into family fics (like at all) but this one does a really good job and isn't cheesy.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27091252/chapters/66150892#workskin

8. The Cursed of the Fallen by Reverly in the Dark

Genre: Alternate Universe / Fantasy / Action / Adventure / No Smut

Rating: M

Word Count: 240,755 (Incomplete)

Summary: This is an action adventure story. Shouto is a mage destined to defeat the Archdemon summoned to bring down the kingdom. Momo, Midoriya and the others are all from different walks of life who come together to help Shouto defeat the threat to the kingdom.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22748893/chapters/54358150

#todoroki shoto #todoroki shouto #Yaoyorozu Momo #todomomo #todomomo fanfiction #todoroki x yaoyorozu #my recs #fic recs

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queenangst · 3 years

Text

uraraka-centric fic recs

it’s time for my best girl! here’s a collection of 27 gen, uraraka-centric fic recs. a mix of mostly canon compliant fics and some aus; hurt/comfort, fluff, angst, and everything in between.

for more fic recs, please check out my: ‘fic rec’ tag | ‘bnha fic rec’ tag | ‘weekly fic roundup’ tag (bnha)

Starfire by Anonymous

gen; 2.6k; chapters 1/1 complete

Stars create gravity, and Uraraka wishes on herself.

It was impossible to make her own shooting stars, but that inspiration sounded like a touch of divinity. Only the imaginings of a god with their versatility of powers could be capable of involving outer space. Uraraka...dreamed of that.

Home for Christmas by sobakasuai

gen; 1.2k; chapters 1/1 complete

Ochako feels slightly pitiful about herself as she loads a few more cups of noodles into her shopping basket. Christmas Eve was a time spent with family— a time for gifts under the tree, multicolored lights in the windows, and sending cheesy postcards in the mail.

Yet here she is, stocking up on sustenance as she rushes to get back to the dormitories before it gets too dark to be comfortable with walking back alone. A violation of Christmas spirit in human form, feeling not unlike Ebenezer Scrooge.

Barology by MissAquarius

gen; 4.6k; chapters 1/1 complete

Barology: the study of gravity.

intersection by kiroiimye

gen; 1.2k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & bakugou

“Getting coffee, obviously.” She doesn’t want to meet his eyes and it’s only happened once before; the first times had been intimidation from hardened crimson eyes. But as the years went on, she had grown past that stage; he was more a classmate than enemy. “Would you like to—

“Nope.” It’s flippant, over-the-shoulder, but Bakugou makes no move to leave and Ochako can’t help but smile wryly.

It’s the sort of thing he’d pull when they were younger.

Ochako runs into Bakugou after graduation.

momentous by kiroiimye

gen; 2/6k; chapters 1/1 complete

She’s in the middle of a math lesson, ignoring the whispers behind her back when the rumbling starts. It’s a dull roar in the beginning, and it’s when the pens start rattling on her desk that she stops the lecture. Even the students have gone quiet in their seats, the room stilled with tension.

“Uraraka-sensei, what was that?”

Ochako squares her shoulders, lowering her voice. “I don’t know, but stay alert.”

And then the water comes rushing in.

Becoming a teacher was not part of Ochako's post-U.A. plans, and yet here she is. Standing in front of a raucous class of about twenty teenagers, who all seem to have it out for her. Really, why is she here again?

The Hunger for Survival by SingingCookie

gen; 6.2k; chapters 1/1 complete

People say your early life shapes you, really molds you into the person you’ll become. Likes, dislikes, the habits, the tics, and the pet peeves… A majority of that when you grow up is influenced by where you came from.

Ochako’s early life shaped her into someone who knew how to survive—but it was always the living that fell just out of reach.

one hundred percent by UnidentifiedPie

gen; 2.2k; chapters 1/1 complete

White like bone, Uraraka thinks, mind flashing back to the people she saw on the street. Civilians lying all around, eyes blank and staring and dead. The defeated hero, body a mangled mess, spilled organs and shattered, bloodied bone.

She’d watched that hero die. The villain Uraraka had fought had gripped him by the neck and supercharged his blood, contorted his body into something twisted and terrible. She’d run for him, something screaming in her heart and lungs and nononono-

-but she wasn’t fast enough. And it didn’t matter anyway; the man had been dead before he’d hit the ground.

Patchwork by bishounen_curious

gen; 6.8k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & 1a/1b girls

At the beginning of Third Year, Ochako suggests to the girls in the Hero Course that they make a patchwork quilt to commemorate their time together at U.A., their friendship and their solidarity as women in the hero profession. Something private and special that they all can share for years to come.

However, the quilt doesn't get finished. And it never does.

at long last by Quintessence

gen; 2.7k; chapter 1/1 complete; uraraka family

"Her parents were proud. The kind of proud that came from decades of unrelenting hard work matched in intensity only by their miserable luck. The kind of proud that made them refuse the money Ochako sent after her every paycheck. The kind of proud that was going to make a gift of the magnitude she planned to give go down as easily as a mouthful of chalky pills without water."

In which pro-hero Uravity finally achieves her lifelong dream of giving her parents an easy life.

got your six by Quintessence

gen; 1.6k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & bakugou

“Oh, yeah, they rejected my application,” Uraraka says, like it’s nothing, which, Bakugou decides, fists clenched under the table, it most certainly isn’t. “They’re mostly a combat-based agency, and they thought I’d be better suited for a rescue oriented one. So I’m gonna keep looking. I mean, Kurashiki Agencies isn’t the only game in town, so I’m a little bummed, but it’s okay.”

And then she has the nerve to smile, making her full, pink cheeks even rounder, shrug, and take a sip of her drink. Bakugou has to breathe deeply before he replies, because he really is working on not lashing out as much anymore, but the anger burns and bubbles like boiling water in his stomach.

“That’s the biggest fucking load of bullshit I’ve ever heard, Round-Face.” His teeth are clenched as he speaks, but at least he’s not yelling. “I mean, have they even seen what you can do? Or did they just take one look at your Quirk and fucking write you off?”

In which Uraraka gets rejected from a hero agency, and Bakugou is her most aggressive (and I mean aggressive) supporter.

Like an Onion by BigDangoFamily

gen; 3.7k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & aoyama, background/minor uraraka/midoriya

It was strange, Uraraka thought, how someone so sparkly and so over-the-top could fade into the background so easily. Even with his theatrical nature and his showy costume and his (quite literally) dazzling Quirk, Uraraka had somehow never noticed Aoyama that much.

He was a piece of the background; he helped make up the landscape of their class; he was a figure her eyes automatically skipped over in her search for her friends—which, when she put it like that, made it sound pretty harsh.

It wasn’t that she particularly disliked Aoyama. She would gladly enjoy time spent hanging out with anyone in Class 1-A (well, maybe not Mineta), and she was friendly to all her classmates. That was how she was. It was just that, somehow, her eyes had always seemed to glide right off of Aoyama.

Well, now her eyes definitely saw him, and quite clearly too.

OR: Uraraka unexpectedly comes to respect Aoyama.

Determination by chockfullofsecrets

gen; 1.1k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & midoriya

If Uraraka wants to win this sparring match, she’s going to need to find a way to put a stop to Deku’s endless determination.

perfidy by khattikeri

gen; 500 words; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & midoriya

She pressed the knife harder against Midoriya's throat.

Just Keep Floating by ProPinkist

gen; 2.9k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & all might

Ochako runs into Toshinori, hiding away alone in the dorms, who might could use a helping hand.

Luckily, in this case, she's just the right person for the job.

Uravity: (Kitten) Rescue Hero by TenyaTrash

gen; 1.4k; chapters 1/1 complete

Childhood Ochako is always looking for ways to excel as a rescue hero. She wants to help her parents, her friends, and the world.

And wouldn't you know it? She's got a knack for finding animals that are purrfectly in need of a rescue or two.

Every hero has to start somewhere!

Freefall by Cornflower_Blue

gen; 2k; chapters 1/1 complete

The first time it happens, it is an accident.

The first time it happens, Ochako is just walking around her neighborhood.

Cold Tea and Hot Tears by Wolfie_Dragon

gen; 2.6k; chapters 1/1 complete; minor uraraka/midoriya

When Ochako and the other work studies students are back at the dorms after the Shie Hasaikai raid, things are supposed to go back to normal. But Ochako finds she can't forget the horrible events. It's only in the dark of night that she finds that Deku is just as traumatized, if not more.

Scars by All_five_pieces_of_Exodia

gen; 2.4k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & dekusquad

When Ochako is training one day and gets injured because of it, she starts to wonder about scars and what the people who have them think of them.

But does she even want to know?

Normalcy Has Its Place by Madam_Chauncey

gen; 3.2k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & yaoyorozu

Sometimes a day of kickboxing with your gal pal is all you need. Or; Momo and Ochako decide to make the best of a bad week.

foundations by blueberrytree

gen; 2.5k; chapters 1/1 complete

Ochako drums her fingers anxiously on the surface of her desk. Why does she want to be a hero? It had seemed so clear before last night’s phone call—make money to support her parents and give them an easy life. Now, though?

Gravitational Pull by Sky_King

gen; 2.9k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & dekusquad

Despite having been friends for a while now, Izuku soon realizes there's a lot he doesn't know about Uraraka.

And on the other hand, Ochako discovers that opening up to her friends might not be as frightening as she suspects it to be.

Sleep is for the Weak by baggytshirtsandtiredeyes

gen; 2.9k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & aizawa

Exhaustion was as familiar to Ochako as breathing. She was only fifteen but she felt more like she was edging on forty. But it was okay. She could just power through. She couldn’t stop now. Not when she was living her dream.

Catch Me When I Fall by baggytshirtsandtiredeyes

gen; 2.1k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & asui

Ochako feels like she's falling behind her classmates so she starts training alone. One night Tsuyu finds her and offers to help. If only they could have known what was going to happen.

If the Dress Fits by calamansifresh

gen; 2.4k; chapters 1/1 complete

It’s the day of the Annual Hero Awards Gala and Uraraka Ochako is in attendance as the recipient of the Rising Star Award. While she’s certainly proud of her heroic accomplishments, impostor syndrome rears its ugly head and she wonders if she really belongs in the spotlight.

caution, handle with care by SpiritusRex

gen; 2.7k; chapters 1/1 complete

It was an accident. Ochako reminds herself, as she cups her hand to her mouth and tries to keep the hot, bright blood from dripping through her fingers. It was an accident.

But Ochako knew, had witnessed, just how severe an accident could be.

She pulls her hand away, and her palm comes back with a jagged chunk of a tooth cradled in the center. The sight blurs in front of her eyes; a dot of white in a small pool of red.

Ochako takes a page out of Deku's book, and makes an impulsive, painful decision.

All Might for a day by PurpleCarSeat

gen; 9.3k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & all might

What had he been about to say?

Ochako expects it’s more of the same “push beyond your own limits!” stuff that he likes to spout, which always feels a little hollow coming from him because All Might doesn’t have limits. Despite what he claimed, she doesn’t think All Might has ever been weak. He’s the number one hero, perfect in every way. He can move faster than the eye can follow and jump so high he’s practically flying. He was probably trying to make her feel better – it seems like the sort of thing he’d do.

Or: Ochako learns the hard way that strength is more than just physical, and that the people at the top are only human too

Sacrifices and Jogging Routes by Quillium

gen; 5.8k; chapters 1/1 complete; uraraka & dekusquad

"We're heroes," she says instead, simply, quietly. It's hard to be excited about becoming a hero... every child's dream, what everyone idolizes... when you know the likely outcome. Most of her friends will die before her or she will be dead before they've even begun to sport wrinkles.

Uraraka tries to figure out what it means to be a hero and the sacrifices that it entails.

#uraraka #uraraka ochako #ochako #bnha #bnha fic rec #fic rec #please consider checking OUT all the fics on this list #and also reblogging this bc 1) it took a long ass time to compile and FORMAT all of these and 2) boost some great writers!

91 notes · View notes

heroprose · 4 years

Text

the regular;

a/n. well what do u know.... turns out i WILL be writing for jojo on this blog...... @jojosmilktea, that is!! hi jojo i was ur bnha spring event anon! and i’m SOOO sorry this is late RIP!!!

ship. shoto todoroki x reader

summary. bubble tea shop au. it’s true that he knows your order by heart, but he wishes he knew a little more.

to be quite honest, you didn’t know this bubble tea shop even existed in this part of the city.

it certainly didn’t look the part, all pristine with white stone walls and flower boxes hooked onto the closed glass windows. no, in fact it looked a little too bougie for this gray high rise district and you suspect that if it were not for the current downpour, wherein great big rivulets of water are endlessly streaming down the streets, hipsters would populate this cafe’s space in no time.

you cannot blame them, of course. it’s certainly a nice building and totally instagram-worthy. but what attracts you to it is not the vintage stone walls nor the massive poster plastered on the inside of the glass window, with vibrant letters that spell out NEW SEASONAL FLAVORS! but instead, it’s the generous pink awning in front that’s saving you from the insidious downpour.

you were supposed to do a little grocery shopping before heading home, damn it. technically, though, you could brave the rain for a while and shop for bread and eggs while sopping wet, but it’s a deeply unappealing idea. it doesn’t help that your go-to grocer with the terrific deals is three train stops away either and that your phone is dead, drained from too many rounds of crossy road on your commute long before the rain even began.

restless, you squint through the window of the shop inconspicuously and gape in horror as you realize it is just as cute inside as it is outside. from what you can tell, it’s set up like a little garden party, with metal outdoor chairs and circular tables and the tiles even have flower smiley face stickers on them. oh no.

it is something of a relief you’ve only discovered this bubble tea shop now because any earlier would have you blowing your bank account on extra boba and grass jelly. and in this economy? not ideal.

still, your eyes waver to the poster again. rose milk tea? peach iced tea? the prices aren’t listed anywhere so you presume they must be absolutely monstrous. completely insane, probably, and jacked up immensely to compensate for the expenses gone in the decor alone and--

“we’re open, you know. you can come in.”

you pull away from the window hastily, letting your back bump into the metal back of chair. biting back a cry of pain, you eye the speaker head-to-toe before letting your shoulders slack. the black apron tied at his waist screams barista. actually, everything about this dude screams barista, from the rolled up sleeves to the vaguely disheveled collar. even the watch on his wrist-- woah. is that a limited edition tag heuer watch? you blanch a little.

he grips the broom with both hands and gestures with the jerk of his chin to the door. “you can come in,” he repeats. his bangs flutter about his forehead thanks to the gusts of wind and it’s a bit mesmerizing to see the red and white flutter like that.

“oh,” you say, desperate to recompose yourself as you pretend you weren’t wringing out droplets of water from your clothing just minutes before. “it’s okay, thank you. i’m just waiting for the rain to pass.”

the barista opens his mouth but before he can speak, a loud clap of thunder zips through you and goosebumps erupt across the expanse of your skin. with ears ringing, you wince and the tag heuer-wearing fellow only watches. you purse your lips, glancing from him. to the onslaught of rain, to finally the door.

well. so much for staying outside. wordlessly, he pulls the door open for you and you oblige quietly, mumbling a small word of thanks as you pass him.

unsurprisingly, the shop is wholly vacant, save for him, the boy who follows you in, and another barista behind the counter, who leans against the table behind him with arms crossed. the radio is on but it’s turned down so low that it might as well be off.

it would be painful to loiter in this shop for an hour or so without buying anything, so begrudgingly, you pull out your wallet and pray to whatever higher deity up there that you won’t get hooked on their drinks and subsequently, their freakish prices. you’ve got a budget, for goodness sake.

when you step to the counter, the barista that met you outside sets his broom aside to meet you on the other side. “what would you like?” he asks automatically, with the tilt of his head. you glance over the menu above his head despite knowing your answer deep inside your heart.

“taro milk tea, please,” you say, bringing your gaze back to him. a trickle of rainwater slides down the curve of his cheek and you have to tear your gaze away. “medium, with boba. and extra sugar too.”

“will that be it?”

“yes,” you reply with your eyes downcast, carefully deciding on whether to use cash or credit. maybe you can use some of your spare coins this time.

his gold name tag says “shoto,” and it gleams even in your peripheral vision as he nods and turns to the other barista with the spiky hair who stands a few ways’ away and glowers a bit.

“katsuki,” says shoto. “one medium taro milk tea with--”

“yeah, yeah,” says the other barista snappishly. “i heard. i’m literally right here.” he pulls away from the table and exits to the back forcefully and you two watch him in relative silence. a guitar-heavy shawn mendes song plays in the background; played too softly for you to determine which one though.

shoto’s gaze swivels back to you, undisturbed by the attitude his coworker just presented and so you do your best to remain indifferent as well. it is similarly pure irony to have such a gentle cafe hosted by such personalities.

“name?” he simply asks and you tell him, not bothering to question why that was still necessary if you were the only customer in the entire shop.

and it is equally strange that after katsuki returns with your drink, about to hand it to you, shoto acts to intercepts with an extended hand to take the cup away.

“what are you doing?” says katsuki incredulously, drawing back.

shoto presents the sticker with the order printed on it in the air. “i need to put this on.”

“seriously? it’s not like you could hand it to the wrong person,” he mutters, but lets shoto tease it out of his hand before promptly returning to the kitchen again, letting the doors swing behind him. you refrain from smiling too wide as shoto carefully presses the sticker onto the cup behind the counter with an unexpectedly concentrated expression on his face.

when he utters your name to catch your attention, shoto slides your drink over to you, not letting go until your fingers accidentally brush over his. “here you go.”

“thank you,” you say brightly, shaking it for good measure. the ice clinks distract you momentarily from the noise of rain hitting concrete. the cream and purple taro swirl together brilliantly.

he nods, turning away to take a cleaning rag into his hands. shoto wipes at the counter meticulously, every once in a while swiping a smudge with his fingertips to evaluate his work. the quiet is only periodically punctured by the clap of thunder and when shawn mendes starts belting out the background adlibs via the radio.

“when do you think the rain will let up?” you muse absentmindedly, fingers drumming the raised counter as you push along your bubble tea and dig around the container for a straw of your favorite color. “not for long, i hope.”

shoto blinks, glancing up. “i heard it’ll last all through the night.”

steely dread pools at the bottom of your stomach. “no!” you gasp, confronting shoto. “really? i don’t have an umbrella or anything.” you didn’t hear anything of the sort, but then again, you haven’t checked the forecast since this morning. maybe you can wave down a cab or something. you let out a brief laugh of disbelief that rapidly devolves into a groan. “man. that stinks.”

he looks at you sympathetically, watching you deftly pierce the plastic seal top of your milk tea with more force than necessary.

you bring the straw to your mouth, sipping quietly as you think of your next line of action. the richness is disturbingly good and you’re saddened to know that you’ll be returning in the future, rain or no rain.

taking a seat in a metal chair, you finally give the shop a thorough glance over. with all the bright lights and pale wallpaper plastered with colorful stickers. above you, the ceiling vents buzz quietly. the whole shop is just--

“dazzling,” you murmur after several minutes, submitting to its glamour. “everything’s so pretty here.” the interior designer really went ham here and it shows. you fish your phone out of your slightly damp pocket and wipe at the screen with a sigh. you’d even take a photo if you could.

unbeknownst to you, shoto had left the counter upfront and is wiping down a table nearby as you speak. “thank you,” he says and you jolt, head snapping towards his direction. “we do our best to be presentable and comfortable.”

“full marks on both then,” you say breezily and a ghost of a smile teases at his lips before he walks away to the backroom.

he’s amused. did he think you were funny? your ears start to warm up a little and you drain your milk tea faster. in any case, it’s best that you brave the storm sooner than later.

there’s little doubt that the rain won’t be stopping any time soon and it would really be the icing on the cake if you not only got stuck in a thunderstorm but fell ill as well. you’ve realized, from all your years of life, that people don’t appreciate their functional nostrils until they get stuffed.

and you don’t know how much time passes in that cafe with the absence of clocks and your phone, but after catching yourself glancing over at shoto for the fifth time, wondering if you can make him smile like that again, you finally think that enough is enough. your chewing speeds up.

then you stand up, careful to not let the metal feet scrape the tiles. should you just book it, through the rain? or should you stand under the awning a little longer, hoping the rare cab will notice your helpless self and save you? as you mull these thoughts over, you toss the cup into the bin and wipe your hands with a spare napkin, getting rid of the condensation.

“wait.”

shoto’s calm voice makes you whirl around yet again.

as he walks closer, you notice that he’s gripping something in his hand and you can only bring yourself to stare as he presents it to you.

“take it,” he says. “this is my umbrella.”

your heart stutters for a second. “huh? no, i couldn’t,” you say hastily, dismissing him with a wave. “that’s really kind of you though, thank you.”

“but you said you didn’t have one.”

you give him a quizzical look. “but if i take yours, then you don’t have one.”

“katsuki-- um, the other person who works here-- lives near me. we commute together sometimes. so please,” he says, gesturing the closed umbrella. you wrap your fingers around the clear plastic gingerly to his coaxing. “take it.”

tears nearly prick your eyes as you lean over to pat him on the arm graciously. he’s more alarmed than anything else as you do, silently wide-eyed, and is it only then that you notice his eyes are different colors. “thanks, shoto. i’ll be back tomorrow to return it then. i promise!”

he gives you a quick nod. “i don’t work tomorrow. i’ll be here all weekend though.”

“alright, shoto. i’ll see you on the weekend.”

“stay safe.”

you’re already turning away and pushing open the door before you see the flicker of a smile pass over his visage again.

“you gave away your umbrella?” says katsuki after the cafe closes later that evening. his eyes narrow down at his fellow coworker sharply. “to a damn customer?”

“it’ll get returned,” assures shoto. his upper arm is warm where you had touched him, and his hand hovers over it for a second before he shrugs on his jacket.

“that’s not the point,” his coworker seethes, angrily hanging up his apron. “my car is two blocks over and i was relying on you to do your part in bringing the umbrella. idiot!”

ah.

you come back that sunny weekend, with shoto’s trusty transparent umbrella in hand... as well as the weekend after. and the weekend after that. sans the excuse of the umbrella, of course.

when it is katsuki that greets you at the counter, he does little to hide his disapproval of your order; grunting when you greet him with a cheerful “hi katsuki!” and grimacing each time when you smile and add, “with extra sugar!” to your order.

“you’re aware of how much sugar is already in this stuff, right?” he tells you.

“i’m here for a good time, not a long time,” you reply. “and are you really supposed to be asking me that? as someone who works here?”

katsuki scoffs and wordlessly punches your order in anyway. his brew, however, is immaculate without fail so you don’t question his tactics.

but when it is shoto... he greets you warmly, stretching the conversation by asking about how you are and about your day.

“the regular?” he eventually asks after several weeks of you making the same order as the last.

you smile. “the regular.”

sometimes, you loiter near the counter when it’s not busy. you learn, with some semblance of glee, that shoto is a student like yourself and he only works part-time-- the rainy afternoon you met him on had been a shift he was covering for someone else. other times all you can do is take your drink and wave him goodbye.

even on the extremely busy days where you cannot even find a vacant seat, there are brief seconds where you think of leaning against the wall and enjoying the atmosphere. it is a startling realization, how desperate you want to linger in his presence.

your affection is making you ill. ugh, and being bloated is not a good look on you either.

drinking taro milk tea at competitor bubble tea shops don’t even sate you. it’s always too watery, too thin; the flavors rounding off as bitter, over brewed tea. but you drink them to wean yourself off. you should probably stop drinking them altogether though.

some time passes before you can find it in yourself to return. the storefront is as pretty as it always is whenever you pass it by on your commute.

“hey, how are you? have you been alright?” asks shoto right off the bat, dropping his washrag haphazardly beside the sink when you find yourself at the counter again after the weeks of hearty self-restraint.

his concern is so vivid it unnerves you. it’s a funny and ill-placed nervous look on his face, eyebrows pulled tense. “i’m fine,” you say, “how have you been?”

“i’m well,” shoto says. “and... that’s good. it’s been a while. i thought you might have started getting your milk tea fix from somewhere else.” he pauses. “have you?”

his sincerity makes you throw your head back and laugh, but your stomach gurgles at the recollection of drinking so many subpar taro milk teas. “never,” you tell him finally. “i like this place too much. and the people here too.”

“i see.” shoto’s smile is bright this time, eyes so soft even as he speaks. “the regular then?”

you let out an exaggerated sigh, your own gaze crinkling up. “you know me so well, shoto.”

“quit freakin’ flirting at the counter,” snaps katsuki, mopping the floor vigorously. “do that shit when you’re not at work, icy-hot. it’s disgusting that i have to stand here and listen to you two.”

shoto frowns. “it’s not flirting. we have to be kind to customers.” he calls from the kitchen.

“kindness is you giving extra napkins, not asking if they’ve been going to other bubble tea shops. as if.”

“we’re... just friends then.”

“just friends, my ass. what, you think that extra sugar ass sweet tooth loser came in every week alone just to get tea? you know what...” katsuki’s peeved grumbles trail off until they’re no longer comprehensible.

shoto just ponders on this as he drains the sink.

“here,” says katsuki one saturday afternoon. “take it. and go.” he pushes the purple drink into your hand and wipes his own hand on his apron. “extra sugar. don’t blame me when your teeth fall out.”

“damn,” you say, although you are hardly taken aback by his crudeness anymore. “but i will. i’ve got a lot to do today, so i can’t stay and chat. bye guys!”

“take care,” says shoto just as katsuki says, “don’t care, didn’t ask.”

(when you wave goodbye, however, you are pleased to see that they both reciprocate kindly.)

by the time you eventually take a sip, you’re already on your way to the rail to get to your favorite grocery store. today, it’s buy one get one free bags of potatoes so you know you’ll be stocking up this time.

mindlessly, you pierce the top with your straw, careful to aim for the center. you give it a stir before taking a sip, the familiar creaminess filling your mouth.

although it’s... different, somehow.

sweeter, you think. did katsuki actually overload it with sugar this time? seemed like a weird prank to pull. perhaps he was teaching you a lesson but considering that he hasn’t been fired yet indicates that this was an infrequent occurrence. hopefully.

chewing the boba thoughtfully, you pull the cup away in order to squint at the dark text printed on the sticker. it’s the same as you always say it: a medium, iced, taro milk tea, with boba and 25% extra--

the word “sugar” is scrawled over with black ink, although not deliberately it seems. it’s just covered up with a slew of numbers and letters written unbelievably neat in spite of being on a cylindrical cup and you nearly hack up a black clump of sugary boba onto the concrete sidewalk.

but nevertheless, you force it down to look at the order again, more closely this time.

they’re numbers, and your heart stutters in your chest at the realization there’s just enough to be a phone number; followed by a name that you only ever saw emblazoned on a gold name tag.

you want to commit the numbers to memory, but it’s undeniably hard to concentrate. not when shoto’s gentle smile is on the forefront of your brain and when big, fat droplets of water are hitting your forehead with incredible force.

you glance up at the swirling, ashen clouds above you, bloated and expecting. an uncomfortable feeling crawls up your spine at the realization that you’ve forgotten your umbrella at home today too.

oh god. not again.

“i can’t believe you actually wrote your number on my cup today... very smooth, shoto.”

there’s a beat before shoto replies, his voice tinny and distant over the phone. “actually, i did that the first day you came in-- when it was raining. i figured you didn’t notice or you were rejecting me.”

“oh. so, wait-- you did it twice then? that day and today?”

“no,” says shoto. “just that day.”

“then who--” you stop yourself.

outside your window, a clap of thunder shakes the sky. and the epiphany that follows renders you both silent.

#shoto todoroki x reader #todoroki shoto x reader #todoroki x reader #shouto todoroki x reader #bnha spring time #bnha x reader #bnha imagines #ok jojo actually though i nearly wrote u a tiger king au and then i was like hold on....aint nobody but me gonna want this.....

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