Chapter 1
When Todoroki had signed up to be a part of the dorm system, both to live as close as he could to school so traveling wouldn’t be an issue and to get out of his house, he had expected himself to actually spend most of his free time there. He had even bought himself a rather worrying amount of goldfish (the smores kind because those were his favorite) packs that he had hidden away in his bottom drawer to snack on while finishing projects and tasks and such for classes. He had such a large amount because, in his mind, it made sense. If he was going to stay there for the majority of his college life, then he might as well make himself comfortable and have things to snack on. Goldfish weren’t all that expensive, at least not to him, and they were good- so he just went with it. What he hadn’t expected, was that all of his plans and preparations to never leave that room and rot there had been ruined the moment his roommate (now friend), Izuku Midoriya, had stepped into the place.
He wasn't quite sure how it had happened, but at some point, he started spending more time outside, with Midoriya and people from his classes he had gotten closer to thanks to the greenette, until they formed a little friend group that was inseparable, consisting of Midoriya, Iida, Uraraka, Asui- who actually wanted everyone to call her Tsuyu or just Tsu which took Todoroki some time to adjust to, and himself. There was also Shinsou occasionally hanging around them who he had also gotten close to, and Yaoyorozu, who went to the same private school as he did. They weren’t friends back then, but upon seeing him in one of her classes, the female had approached him and the two had also gotten close. Point was, he had gotten uncomfortably (But in a great way) close to a lot of people in the span of two weeks.
And the problem was he had no idea how he had done it.
For you see, at around 01:34 AM, Midoriya had gone to sleep since he had to get up earlier the next morning for one of his 8 o’clock classes, and Todoroki, not wanting to bother him with his typing, had silently removed himself from the room and found his way to a cafe that was just a few minutes from campus grounds. It was open 24-7 and was a pretty popular spot during the day. He knew because he had gone there a few times with his group of friends (that he now had (he couldn’t stop reminding himself about it)), but had never gone at night so he couldn’t tell. He did hope for it to be on the emptier side.
Lucky for him, it was. There were only about seven people there, all looking miserable and tired or overly exhausted and wide awake, sipping- what he assumed to be coffee- every two minutes. Like a bunch of zombies sitting quietly together, doing whatever the hell it was they had to do, and Todoroki would love to join. So he did. He obviously didn’t sit next to anyone, and although his preferred corner seat was taken, he quickly spotted an open one by the window. He eyed the seat for a moment seeming to quickly understand the fact that there was no way even he, who was nearly the tallest of his friend group (Iida beat him), wouldn’t have trouble getting up on the overly tall bar stools there. Nevertheless, he decided to sit when he realized that he probably should purchase a drink first.
Todoroki was a simple man. Or at least he liked to think he was since getting overly complicated with things wasn't ever his thing, however, his coffee was something that most would call strange. Technically it wasn't coffee. It was just an incredibly sugary drink that he loved the everloving crap out of. Also, the least popular thing on the menu.
“Uh-” he started, glancing at the menu board over the cashier's head out of habit before looking at the (surprisingly) rather good looking cashier that seemed to wield a constant annoyed or frustrated expression on his face. In his defense though, it was in the middle of the night and he had to work, so Todoroki kind of understood his pain. Either way, the expression seemed to suit him perfectly, and Todorki wasn't sure if it was the lack of sleep or a large amount of coffee that he had dumped into his system throughout the day, but he found it incredibly pleasant to simply just stare at. This clearly annoyed the other even more as his brows furrowed and mouth twitched down.
“Order something, dipshit” he commanded, voice just as he had imagined it to be. At that moment, and he had needed an intense amount of time to understand the fact that he wasn't crazy for picking this moment out, he had wanted to get to know him. Who even worked at a cafe as popular as this and walked around calling customers ‘dipshit’? It was ridiculous and Todoroki loved it.
This was where his problem started that night. His social skills were definitely unfixable, and he would most certainly die alone (according to Shinsou). So how was he supposed to catch this guy’s attention and get to know him? He had no fucking clue. None. His brain cells quit and he was left alone with a useless gray lump of brain, sitting in his head.
“Uh- Triple chocolate chip cream coffee...please,” he said automatically and with no mistake though it was a mouthful, afraid of denying the other yet slightly curious about what would happen. He did have a story he wanted to finish writing for his literature class though, so he decided to test it out another time. The cashiers’ expression went from annoyed to disgusted as quick as Todoroki could blink.
“No,” the blonde, aggressive man replied just as Todoroki had gotten his wallet and card out to pay. He stared at him for a while and if it wasn't happening to himself he was sure he would laugh. But it was happening to him and he was just confused as he kept his arms up in such a ridiculous lego-man like posture that he was sure he looked like a fool.
“No…?” he questioned, leaning in a bit just in case he had heard him wrong. Of course, he had. There was no way he was being denied his drink with no explanation. Right?
“No,” was all he got in reply, accompanied by a shake of the head and Todoroki wondered how much hair jell one needed for it to barely move, then again, maybe it was natural just like his two-toned hair. That didn’t really matter right now though. “Pick an actual drink, halfie,”
“But…” he paused, looked at him again with what he imagined could be the dumbest and most distressed expression he had worn in his entire lifetime, and then looked up at the menu board again. It was on there. He didn’t imagine it. “It is an actual drink though,” he said and somehow believed that pointing to the board with its large, bold obvious letter would help. Spoiler, it didn’t. The cashier, who’s name was Bakugou apparently- according to a quick glance down at the nametag-, just shook his head again, not even bothering to glance at the board.
“You’re not going to drink that crap”
“It’s not crap” he argued though he saw no point to it. It seemed to help though, as a few seconds later, Bakuou rolled his eyes in return and typed it up on the register. Todoroki found himself wondering how it was still not ruined, or broken after such abusive hits taken, though he didn’t stand there wondering for too long since he had to put in his pin code.
“Have fun getting diabetes” he heard the other mutter under his breath as he grabbed whatever cup it was he had paid for (he hadn’t paid attention), and began making the drink. When it was clear there would be no more conversation between the two, he walked over to the barstools and jumped onto one. He then dragged his laptop out of his shoulder bag that seriously needed to be thrown out and replaced as soon as possible, before opening it. He didn’t really get to type anything though since he was far too busy staring at the blonde employee in the reflection of the window. Thank god for it being dark outside.
“Diabetes and literal poison in a cup for half’n’half” Bakugou called out, placing the medium-sized drink onto the counter and shoving it forward. The cream that was on top, started wiggling at the action as Todoroki was snatched back into reality and forced into action. He jumped off the frustratingly tall chair and marched over there as if his existence depended on it.
“Thank you,” he said once he got a hold of his drink- or poison- and a straw, before retreating to his seat again. He started wondering why he came out in the first place. Why he couldn’t have just slept in the comfort of his own dorm where his drinks weren’t called poison or diabetes, and attractive baristas didn’t feed his curiosity constantly when he remembered that he was on a roll writing that fictional story of his for Mr.Aizawas class and didn’t want to stop in case his well of ideas dried out. The man was an experienced writer and had been Todorokis childhood inspiration, and he had wanted to impress him, even if he did act like a hobo. Then again, didn’t all writers? At least all of the ones he knew of did- Mr. Aizawa was just more extreme than others.
The minutes passed quickly after that. When he started actually working and managing to block out everything around him (this also including the attractive employee), he had finally written down around six pages worth of work. They were supposed to just write. Non-fiction, fiction, didn’t matter. All he wanted to see was the strengths and weaknesses of a person’s ability- and the best way to do that was to let them do something they enjoyed. That and, Mr. Yamada had said he was a masochist, and not letting them have a limit was his way of hating himself.
It was only a one-time thing though. A welcome to the literature and writing course that was pretty hard to get into although he had gotten in on recommendations alone. He found himself actually thanking his father for making him publish some of his high school work that had been a ‘hit’ and won him prizes. Some were fiction, most were non-fiction. After the second class of his three-classes-a-week program, Mr.Aizawa had stopped him from exiting as he had stayed behind to roll up his sleeping bag.
“I want you to write fiction” he had told him and when he had asked why he simply responded with a shrug and a grin. “I read your work. I like your stories ‘s all”. At that, and Todoroki hated to admit it, he had felt embarrassed. He knew which ones he was talking about and although he had always wanted the big shot author to notice him, he still felt embarrassed about him actually reading anything he had ever written. It just felt too close to him all of a sudden and the fear of failure wasn't one he wasn't familiar with. It died down quickly though when the professor then reached into his bag and handed him a folder that held his most recent piece and a few red lines and marks messily written out through the page.
When he had checked it out later, it had turned out that Mr.Aizawa had edited the work, telling him his best points and his weak points. He had written advice on the very last page. There was also a note from Mr.Yagi- or All Might as his pen name was- who was also one of the more known authors he had most certainly been the biggest fan of (Or he had thought so until he met Midoriya), saying ‘Incredible work Shoto Todoroki! I look forward to reading more of your work! :)’. There were no pointers from him though which disappointed him a bit, although he suspected that that was the case because Mr.Aizawa, who probably had gotten his hands on the paper first, had written everything he could.
“Oi! Are you even listening- you sweet-drink-loving freak?” the booming voice, that was for some strange reason right next to him, punched his thoughts away as he turned his head to stare dumbfoundedly at the loud blonde staring at him with utter offense in his eyes. “I said- why are you still here?”
Todoroki glanced at the corner of his laptop screen where the digital clock read ‘04:21’. He was about to apologize for staying so late and tell him that he could close up when he realized the place didn’t actually close. Ever. so he just stared at the other in confusion for the second time that morning.
“Sorry? What?” he decided to add on for some strange reason. Watching the blondes eye twitch seemed to be worth it though. That’s also when he noticed how nice his eyes were. Crimson red and sharp but he could picture them soft as well.
“Why are you still here?” Bakugou repeated as he took a sip out of a take-out cup. Probably for fewer dishes to do. Todoroki himself had only used one large mug for his tea after his triple chocolate chip cream coffee drink (That came in a take-out, plastic cup), so he was pretty sure that wasn't the problem.
“Because...I didn’t finish the project until now” he replied honestly, looking around a bit and noticing that he was the only one left. When the others had left, was a mystery to him, why they had left was also one. Maybe they were tired? Maybe they had finished before him, or maybe they had gotten annoyed or scared away by the midnight employee.
Bakugou eyed him for a moment before narrowing his eyes and moving back to wherever it was he appeared out of- which basically meant behind the counter to read some book he had. It was a strange thing to watch- that exchange of theirs. Even stranger to be a part of. It was also their last encounter of the night if one doesn’t count the even weirder eye contact they held as Todoroki exited the cafe.
_________
It hadn’t occurred to him to ask Midoriya about it until Monday somehow turned into Wednesday in a flash and he was planning to return to the cafe that night as well since Midoriya had signed up for early classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday- like some sort of psychopath. Getting to meet the strange stranger again was simply an added bonus to the night. If he worked on Wednesdays, that was.
To be completely fair, he hadn’t been able to keep the blonde, angry, hot-tempered employee out of his head since 4 AM of that Monday morning, when he had left the cafe to go get whatever sleep he could. He didn’t have classes until pretty late in the afternoon, so it wasn't time that was the issue. It was Bakugou.
Todoroki had never been good at dealing with curiosity. Once it got its grip on him, he couldn’t let it go- so technically speaking, it was his brain that forced him to go back and attempt to have an actual conversation with the other, who probably had decided to hate him because of what he chose to drink (he seemed like the type). So that’s how he ended up staring at his green-haired roommate from his bed, eyeing the poor boy like a hawk. Said poor boy, had obviously noticed and had noticeably gotten a lot more squirmy as he scrolled through whatever it was he was working on, on his laptop. At some point, he had whipped his head around and looked at Todoroki with nervous eyes.
“Are you alright, Todoroki?” he asked, offering a polite smile. Now, the two had known each other for nearly a month now and had gotten unbelievably close. Midoriya had been able to read him pretty easily after week three, yet there were still a few moods, emotions- whatever one wanted to call them- that he hadn’t quite gotten used to yet.
“Ah-” he paused and glanced back at the book he held in his hand. He didn’t remember ever getting to this page, let alone read it. Awkwardly turning the book a few pages back, he looked back up at Midoriya and shook his head apologetically “I'm sorry. I made you uncomfortable” he commented. As if it wasn't obvious already. Midoriya, being the great friend that he was, just smiled and shook his head though it was clearly a lie.
“It’s okay!” he reassured when Todoroki had given him a look of disbelief. “You just look like-...well it looks like somethings bothering you,” he said, voice as bubbly and soft as ever. So maybe he could read him. Just not that well yet. That or his staring had been obvious, which was something he started suspecting. That though just gave him chills, since he had spent the first twenty minutes in that cafe, staring at the reflection of Bakugou.
“I went to that cafe we go together to every now and then to study for economics” he started. The other nodded violently, almost making him worry about the health of his neck before managing to continue. “Well...I met the strangest employee” he mumbled with a slight frown. “He seemed so....so angry. All the time” Midoriya's face turned into a questioning one before it lit up with something understanding.
“Ah! You met Kacchan!” he exclaimed, a smile appearing out of nowhere and nearly splitting his face in half. Todoroki had never met anyone who smiled as much as he did and to be completely honest it had scared the living crap out of him for a while. Only crazy people smiled that much was his thought process at the time. He quickly learned over time that Midoriya was simply incredibly friendly and that was all. The smile that he had grown quite fond of, then disappeared as fast as it had appeared. “But...Kacchan only works in the middle of the night,” he said, and Todoroki could see the wheels in his head turning. He decided to spare himself from the mumbling that would follow, and just tell him.
“You had an early class Monday, but you went to bed at around 1 in the morning. I didn’t want to disturb you so I moved to the cafe to finish the story for Mr.Aizawas class” he explained quickly, gesturing to the laptop in his bag as he did so. “And he offended the drink that I ordered and he was going to make- and now I'm pretty sure he hates me because of it too” he decided to add, cause if Midoriya knew him- maybe he could explain if he just did that regularly, or if he decided to just hate him for no reason other than the drink (Once again, he seriously believed that he could do that).
“Your drink is pretty terrible, Todoroki….” the greenette mumbled, making a small face at the memory of the sugar-filled cup that had been shoved in Todorokis face for the first time about a month ago. The same drink that he had wanted to try and decided was a bit too much. Midoriya didn’t exactly have a sweet tooth as Todoroki did, but he didn’t hate sweets either. It seemed like the drink was a bit too much for him though. He had learned that it was for most people. Uraraka had enjoyed it though, so he didn’t feel that weird since there was someone else that he knew who didn’t despise it. Before he could argue right back about how the drink wasn't terrible, Midoriya smiled again. “But that’s classic Kacchan for you- Don’t worry Todoroki! He doesn’t hate you, and he most certainly didn’t mean it personally. It’s just how he is!” he chuckled with a shake of his head, making his green curls wiggle a bit. “He’s been like that ever since we were kids...it usually makes people run from him though....probably not the greatest thing for him…” he mumbled and sighed softly in what Todoroki believed to be worry. He wasn't that great at reading others just yet either- but he did start to get better. He knew when to say what now, though he said what he meant anyway because the truth is what people deserve.
Midoriya mumbled about things Todoroki wasn't quite sure what meant for a while after that. Not that he had any complaints. His mumbling could get too much every now and then, but for the most part, he enjoyed listening to him. It was amusing in some way.
_______
Midoriya had told him that he didn’t need to go back to the cafe when he was sleeping since his tying didn’t bother him at all. Todoroki had insisted and left anyway when the other had fallen asleep. It’s not like he got any less sleep because of it- and he was better at writing in the middle of the night than when he was awake. Fewer things to think about and more about letting his hands do the job for him. Editing was definitely a better thing to do for the awake him though, so why he had decided to return at around 2 AM to edit, was a mystery to him.
The stranger was there, behind the counter, reading some book again, only looking up when the bell chimed- signaling that someone was there. Bakugou seemed to remember who he was considering the scowl he had on his face when he walked in through the glass door and into the warmth (it was pretty chilly at night). There were fewer people there that night. Maybe only three in total, with him counting as one. Four if one counted Bakugou as well.
“Halfie. I'm not making you your shit drink again” he commented or greeted- he really couldn’t tell- as Todoroki approached the counter. Geez, he couldn’t even walk a few steps without getting attacked by this man.
“It’s not shit-” he glanced at his nametag, pretending like he hadn’t done it the first chance he got the last time he visited “-Bakugou. And if it is, it may be because you made it” he replied. The nervousness was still there, there was no denying that, but he had just practiced the line for a good five minutes as he walked there. It had the reaction he wanted as the other was left standing there, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide before narrowing dangerously.
“I can make the best sugar bomb out here, halfie. Don’t underestimate my skill. Maybe I just want to make it shit for you” he hissed back but typed it up on the register anyway, even before Todoroki had managed to say anything else. With a pleased hum, he handed him the cash, since he had brought that with him, shoved a good amount of tip in the jar, and then went to his barstool that he had claimed. It wasn’t all that bad (his corner seat was once again taken) so sitting there seemed to be no problem. He got his laptop out again and started editing. Or he pretended to be editing when in reality he was watching him work again. Like a creep. Christ, he was a creep.
Shaking his head at the thought, he looked back at his laptop that seemed incredibly boring all of a sudden. Nevertheless, editing did have to be done (even if the project wasn't due before another week, he liked finishing earlier) and why not do it when he could. Even if it was late. He could go through it one more time late if he wanted to. Now it was more about deleting and adding new things rather than grammar and spelling anyway, so he felt like he was on the safe side.
“Half’n’half” Bakugou called about five minutes later. He had started to wonder why it took so long but figured by the way the blonde had cursed at the cream for not coming out, that he had in fact ran out of whipped cream and had to go find some more. The large tip he left suddenly felt deserved. At least in Todorokis’ opinion.
He jumped down again from the barstool and made his way over to the counter where the blonde stood with his drink in his hand. Judging by how his fingers fit around the cup, he felt like Bakugou's hands must have been a bit smaller or the same size as his, and since they were pretty similar in height- Bakugou only being a few centimeters shorter than him- it made sense.
“Thank you,” he said again, giving him a nod with it, before turning and walking back to his seat. He felt Bakugou's eyes on him the whole time though and though it wasn’t comfortable, he certainly didn’t mind it. He wasn't really a person who loved attention- hell, he barely even liked it, but for some reason, it wasn't as bad when it came from the man constantly throwing insults. That was probably the reason as to why he was left feeling so satisfied. Being able to shut him up seemed to be a rather good achievement.
The time went by rather quickly this time as well where Todoroki managed to get through his work with both annoyed grunts and tired yawns randomly sprinkled across the minutes he stayed. He had added a bit to the ending of the story, fixing the fact that he didn’t really like it all that much when he reread it. He had also added a bit to the middle, filling the rather empty space there. Story-wise it seemed perfect. Spelling-wise...well, he’d have to look through it again all because he got impatient with himself and decided to rage type rather than take his time.
By the end of it, Bakugou was next to him again. Standing there, staring and he found himself wondering if this is what Midoriya had felt like earlier in their own dorm room. This time though, instead of letting himself look freaked out, he calmly turned and watched the blonde eye him with suspicion in his eyes.
“I don’t get you,” he said after a while. It wasn't something Todoroki wasn't used to hearing, since he was,..well- he was himself and not a lot of people understood that basically being barred in his house for studies and such for most of his childhood would change a person, not for the better. But Bakugou didn’t know that. And he hadn’t done anything cold-hearted or anything.
“Most people don't, ” he replied with a shrug, taking a sip of whatever was left of his drink before placing it back down. He decided to turn back to his laptop. The only reason he did it, was that he could still see Bakugou in the corner of his eye, and if he decided to stare at him for longer or move away, he’d know. If he wasn't looking, he’d take the silence as a battle won. The blonde stayed though and just kept staring with those sharp narrow eyes of his. “Do you uh-...” he paused, grimacing as he looked at him again “Was there anything you wanted?” he questioned, already knowing the answer.
Bakugou grumbled in response. It seemed to be how he communicated. Through grunts and other noises that made him look like a cleaned up caveman. To his surprise, he did actually grab his empty cup, squeezing it so the lid popped, before slowly backing off. He threw it away in the trash can by the counter, and Todoroki pretended he didn’t laugh at the fact that he had gotten the chocolate syrup that had run down the cup the moment the lid came off, on his hand. The blonde grunted again as he washed his hand.
______
The third time Todoroki returned to the cafe, Bakugou had actually sat across from him when he had sat down. He had gotten the comfortable corner seat now with its large pillows and soft couches. Todoroki had gotten comfortable within the hour he had been there. It was Friday morning, which meant another day avoiding the room to let Midoriya get the sleep he needed. The green-haired boy had told him he technically didn’t need to sleep in which he responded by slamming a pillow in his face and telling him to go to bed. He had learned all about Midoriya's bad sleeping habits during their first week as roommates and was determined to help the boy actually get some rest when he had confronted him about it. Well...he hadn’t actually talked to him, but he seemed to be enjoying this newfound help. Plus he always talked about how much more refreshed he felt and that he paid better attention in classes.
“What’s with the hair?” Bakugou asked, gesturing to his head. Looking up from his laptop (that he was playing snake on since he had gotten bored) was a lot harder than he thought it would be, and he kissed his ‘78 apples’ streak goodbye as he watched the blue snake crash and die.
“I could say the same to you” he decided to reply with. He had found out that Bakugou most certainly enjoyed it when people challenged him. There was this glint in his eyes that was hard to look away from.
“My spikes are completely natural, dipshit” was the only response he got for a while along with a scowl that made him want to laugh. He felt like he couldn’t though. Like he would lose some secret competition going on. “Why do you dye your hair like that? You look fuckin’ dumb”
“I don’t dye my hair” he replied, deciding it was probably for the best for both of them to ignore the second comment. The red eyes that were staring at him in somewhat of a challenge just filled with confusion and disbelief. So he continued “My hair is also natural”
“No fuckin’ way” Todoroki offered a shrug in response. He was aware of the fact that his hair was rather unique- to say the least. Knowing where the conversation was headed, he decided to look at his screen screaming game over at him with its big, bright, bold, red letters. “So the colors are like that down by your dick too?”
Todorokis’ head snapped up as he stared at Bakugou in shock. The conversation had not gone where he had wanted it or thought it would go. In other words, talking about his pubes to a stranger he felt attracted to in a strange way but still didn’t know while trying to enjoy his hot chocolate (He had switched his order up- since it was rather chilly and drinking something cold didn’t sound all that great- much to the blondes surprise), wasn't on his to-do list of the night.
“Excuse me?” he managed to get out. His eyes had widened so much that it had hurt a bit so he had needed to blink a few times. Blinking the pain away seemed to work, though that wasn't exactly what bothered him so much. Bakugou had this grin on his face. This stupid, victorious, grin that was drenched in mockery. He then got up, flipped him off, and disappeared to his base again.
Todoroki was left completely speechless, and not in a good way. In his head and Bakugou's as well apparently, the scoreboard was pretty clear.
Bakugou: 1
Todoroki: 0
__________
A few more weeks passed. Todoroki returned to the cafe every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to complete projects and tasks handed to him. That and he came back to beat the everloving shit out of Bakugou's pride.
During the weeks that had passed by, the two of them had gotten closer. Though they were constantly bickering and nipping at each other's patience, it was fun. At least Todoroki thought so, and if his detective skills hadn’t betrayed him, he was pretty sure Bakugou enjoyed his visits as well. His scowls had slowly turned into overconfident grins and his rough language and behavior had grown on him. He cringed a bit at himself for thinking that as if it hadn’t from the very beginning.
“Poison in a cup?” Bakugou asked as soon as he had gotten to the counter. They usually started off like that, pretending as if they hadn’t had this conversation multiple times already.
“If you mean that awful black coffee of yours, then no” he huffed back though his ‘burn’ (Bakugou had educated him to speak with an easier vocabulary during one of the nights he stayed. He hadn’t gotten any work done since he was too busy talking to the other) wasn't really a ‘burn’, more like a silly comment thrown back at him. “Triple-”
“Poison in a cup” Bakugou nodded and typed it in again. His typing had eased up a little since Todoroki always scolded him for typing too aggressively. Once he decided to hit the screen harder than he had done before and ended up hurting himself (Todoroki got the point that night). “I'm surprised you aren’t dead”
“You seem happy about it” He reached for his wallet, only to find it absent. He reached into another pocket, and then another, and then another, and then his last pocket where his hopes and dreams laid. When his fingers caressed an empty hole, his hopes and dreams seemed to die, getting sucked into the holed in his heart. “Fuck….” he muttered out.
“Lost your wallet?” Bakugou asked, his grin only widening as if this whole situation was hilarious. Todoroki wanted nothing more but to wipe it off his face. He rolled his eyes at him before rechecking his pockets once again to no avail.
“Misplaced” he replied with a sigh as the memory of him going out with his group of friends for some ramen, udon, and soba (Iida wanted ramen, Midoriya, Asui, and Uraraka wanted udon, and he had craved soba) and putting his wallet in his jacket pocket. The one he wasn't wearing right now.
Though he hadn’t paid, Bakugou started making the drink anyway, much to his confusion. The blonde caught on quickly though, even if he wasn't looking at him. Maybe Todoroki was just getting more and more obvious as the days went past. That could be a problem. Sure having people know what he felt every now and then was okay, but not being to mask it at all? It sounded like an actual nightmare. Keeping it all in just happened to be more convenient for him. Very unhealthy according to Midoriya, but convenient.
“You come in every other day, candy cane. Pay me back next time” he said simply. It was so sincere too. No bite, no challenge, just Bakugou being an actual decent human being. And he couldn’t stop staring. “Though this definitely means I'm better than you”. The smile that came onto his face- a rare thing, but it happened- was one he couldn’t have stopped even if his poker face game was at its finest.
“Thank you, Bakugou”
___________
“He’s a lot kinder than I thought he would be” He had told Midoriya as they ate lunch together. He then made a face when he realized that Bakugou wasn't kind. Not in the traditional way anyway which may have confused someone who hadn’t talked to him for over a week. “I mean...he’s kind in his own rude and awful way” he corrected himself, though he wasn't sure why he did so considering he was speaking to a childhood friend of the barbarian.
“You and Kacchan seem to get along well,” the greenette hummed, nudging him playfully before he nodded violently in agreement. “Kacchan’s always been like that- so tough and mean on the outside, but he’s a real sweetheart on the inside. You just have to bother him long enough for him to open up!”
“Bother?” he found himself asking.
“Not bother in a bad way, but like...uh- if you hang around him long enough and tolerate his BS and constant competitiveness- well it’s not actually constant...more like a switch you know. He can turn that on and off as much as he likes but I think he enjoys competing- I don’t know what it is but he-”
“Midoriya,” he said, stopping his friend from talking and reminding him to stay focused. The green-haired boy laughed sheepishly before nodding.
“Kacchan is a lot to handle. Not everybody likes that. But I'm glad you managed to get close to him! He doesn’t let a lot of people do that...only people he thinks are...good? I think. That’s what I’ve been getting from everyone hanging around him” he said with one of his bright smiles again.
Did that make him special? Did Bakugou think he was special? Todoroki, for one, had certainly never clicked with anyone so ‘well’. But then again, that may have only been him. He had never seen anyone as strange as Bakugou. Someone that was so like him but so different at the same time. Did that mean Bakugou was special to him?
Shaking his head at the thoughts and not wanting to overcomplicate anything for himself, he decided to tune the questions in his head out and listen to his roommate talk his ear off about memories from the past that involved ‘Kacchan’. He doubted that was his real name but didn’t say anything just in case it was. Speaking of names, he wasn't even sure if Bakugou knew his. He had only called him by the given nicknames (half’n’half, halfie, candy cane, peppermint).
This just brought the thoughts back again, and he had to go through the process of shutting them down again. He’d have plenty of time later to think about whether or not he meant anything to Bakugou or if he was just the guy who came in to drink the ‘shittiest drink around’ -as he would state it- anyway, so no need to let that spoil his food and lunch with friends.
Yeah. It could wait.