Work Text:
Todoroki Shouto is arriving today.
Momo’s very fond of prince Shouto, she couldn’t deny her own excitement at the prospect of him coming back home if she tried. The sky’s clear and warm outside, like it’s feeling excitement of its own as well.
He had been on a mission in a neighboring kingdom for over a month now—exactly a month and a week, that had felt like so much longer.
Momo has terribly missed his presence in the castle. It all looks duller, when Shouto’s not there. The walls around her feel like they are just that, walls, trapping her inside and enclosing more by the minute, and not something to overcome or something that’s protecting them.
She misses him, despite her heart telling her that’s a dangerous thought.
When she had gotten assigned to the Todoroki Kingdom, it had been shocking, to say the least, like something taken directly out of a dream and the wildest parts of her imagination. To get to see the inside of the Todoroki castle, that’s always been considered secluded and hidden from all public scrutiny, inside a building that’s harbored richness and power in all aspects for as long as it’s existed, wasn’t something she ever thought would happen to her.
Living there had been even more unthinkable.
A newly trained knight doesn’t usually get high special missions like serving the Todoroki Kingdom, much less a woman—and God knows women knights have it even harder than the rest. Positions as a knight in the Todoroki Kingdom are reserved for people with more experience, everyone knows. They’re not reserved for someone like Momo, a relatively new knight, a young one at that, and inexperienced, since she had chosen knighthood instead of a normal life where she’d be a diplomat not long ago.
When she had arrived at the Todoroki castle that first time, all wide-eyed and trying not to seem too nervous, she hadn’t known what to expect at first. After all, the general public hadn’t interacted with any of the royal family members directly, most of them except the queen and the king rarely making outside appearances, were rather private persons.
Momo had quickly found within the first few days that the castle was beautiful and everyone inside seemed nice, from the personnel to the royal family.
The reason for her, a new knight, to be the one chosen to be a knight instead of someone with more experience had quickly become apparent once she had found one of the members of the royal family was her same age. The youngest and more reclusive son. It hadn’t been a mere coincidence or an unexplainable exception—that wasn’t a thing, not for the Todorokis.
She hadn’t had the reason confirmed outright. But there had been enough whispers about the young prince needing someone to protect him, about needing someone his age since he had been secluded for most of his life, about not knowing how to engage with people and needing to learn to befriend people outside of his family group, that had served as enough confirmation of the reason. Momo hadn’t questioned it much or cared beyond her duty at that time.
Momo had been appointed as Prince Shouto’s knight in training and she had taken on the challenge with everything she had.
It had certainly been a plus, as time progressed, the fact Shouto had been amicable and seemed determined to get to know and befriend her. It had also been a good thing that he was someone she grew to like within the first few weeks beyond an assignment, after everything they had in common like their love for nature and their slightly more protected upbringing.
Todoroki Shouto was a good person and a good prince. He had become a good friend to Momo as well.
The prince needed somebody to protect him, especially as he garnered more enemies with time and new relations. Being a Todoroki was difficult in itself—so much attention, so much scrutiny, and so much power. For Shouto it was even more difficult.
With Todoroki Natsuo having chosen the diplomat’s path and Todoroki Fuyumi choosing to become a teacher and forgoing royal duties, the kingdom’s future crown had fallen on the person Momo needed to protect. Being the first in line to inherit the throne was a heavy burden to carry, a dangerous one at that, and one Shouto had seemed resigned to have upon his shoulders nonetheless.
Momo was aware that the need for a knight in the first place was because of potential enemies.
Everyone knew that Shigaraki, one of the most notorious criminals of the kingdom, had announced he wanted to take over the Todoroki territory for himself and its power some time ago. He was obsessed with the idea of taking the prince’s power too—a dual quirk was uncommon and highly solicited—and he wasn’t subtle about it. Momo herself hadn’t been born in this territory and yet she knew of Shigaraki’s obsession with Shouto way before arriving at the castle that first time. It was oddly like he had been announcing it to everyone that would listen to intimidate them and make them paranoid.
With time, she had gotten used to doing her duty; life in the castle wasn’t really bad, everyone was kind and kept to themselves. But for Momo, most of what she liked had to do with doing her duty and protecting Shouto—she went out with him to rather open spaces, she trained with him in the morning, she spent most of her afternoons alongside him.
Momo sighs. Without him, the place was more boring, a lot less exciting than normal. She just wandered around the castle making sure nothing was amiss, then rinse and repeat.
Trumpets blare outside the castle with newfound vigor all of a sudden, shaking her out of her thoughts. It was a signal that indicated someone’s arrival, that put her on alert.
Momo doesn’t really have to look outside to know who it is. In her soul, she knows the answer even before she sees the doors of the carriage opening, before she sees the man with mismatched eyes that she’s grown to call a friend stepping out into the courtyard, before he looks at the window where she’s standing and sends a wave her way.
✸✸✸
The smell of flowers fills her nostrils almost honeyed-sweet.
Rays of sunlight shine upon them, warm and pleasant. Shouto’s standing next to her, Momo can feel his warm presence next to her like a warm blanket, and he’s staring straight ahead in front of him. It’s part of their routine, going to the backyard of the castle together and sightseeing. Something’s different with him today though.
After he had arrived and said his greetings, Shouto had approached her and asked her if she wanted to go to the gardens.
As he stays quiet, Shouto seems more pensive than usual. The silence starts to stretch heavily around them as the minutes go by, not even the flowers being able to distract her enough for her mind to wander, but when Momo turns to face him and opens her mouth to speak—to say anything that breaks the silence—Shouto shifts in his place and turns his body to look at her.
His mismatched eyes fall on her and she halts.
“Yaoyorozu,’’ he starts, voice even, “I believe you know I’ll be king soon.”
She blinks. “Yes, of course, Todoroki-san.” Momo nods, urging him to go on.
To be honest, Momo didn’t really know about the part of soon for certain, but the thought had crossed her mind before, her reasoning resting on Shouto coming of age and her being appointed as his personal knight. That, and the rumors about King Enji stepping back that she hadn’t been able to confirm up until now.
“I value your ideas,’’ he continues, and his words come out so easily, Momo has no doubt he means every one of them. Momo looks at him with slightly parted lips. Shouto’s never been shy to ask her for her opinion, he’s always asked for her ideas in a way that tells her he really means it, maybe with more sincerity than she’s ever been asked anything throughout her life. “I really do.’’
Momo takes a deep breath, stays quiet as she waits for his next words with something akin to anticipation filling her chest. What does he mean? Is this him saying goodbye? I value your ideas but…?
Momo has always looked at him and Shouto, for as brash and blunt as he’s always been, has always seemed like he cared for his kingdom and his siblings.
She didn’t think it would be to the point he would be planning from now on. She didn’t think he would take her into consideration either, and she can only wonder how.
“I’ve been away in neighboring kingdoms, trying to make more allies for myself,” Shouto starts, shifting imperceptibly closer to her. “It’s known that my father’s kept me hidden and not a lot of people know me,” he shakes his head, looks to the side, “which isn’t good for kingdom interrelations, as you can imagine.”
Momo hums, her eyebrows drawn together. “That’s what your travels are about, then.”
It makes sense. It’s practical. Very good.
“Yes.’’ He nods, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I have to get stronger,’’ he says, determination clear in his voice and his gaze. “To find more allies, reliable allies, for when I have to be king. A title is not enough in these times. I know the people need a leader, somebody they can look up to—not whatever my father’s been representing all these years, this untouchable figure.” He waves off, tilting his head slightly to look at her. “And I know I have my strongest ally here: you. I value your ideas with high regard.” Momo’s eyes widen at his words, at the clarity with which he speaks. “So I wanted to ask, what do you think about this plan? Do I have your support?”
Momo doesn’t have to think about it for long. Ir takes her less than a minute before she’s nodding.
“I’ll follow you anywhere,’’ she breathes out, making sure to look him straight in the eyes as she talks. Her cheeks are so, so warm, she’s kind of glad they’re standing under the sun to not show her reddened cheeks too obviously—a weak cover but a cover nonetheless. “To hell and back if I have to.” She nods.
It’s overwhelming, the realization after the words slip past her lips, that she’s never meant anything more. She’d follow him everywhere he asked her to, and though Shouto doesn’t say the words right away, as he looks down at her with fire clear in his gaze, she knows there’s endless loyalty reciprocated staring back.
He blinks after a moment and takes a step back. “Now that you mention it, I needed to show you something.’’ He folds his hands behind his back.
Momo stares blankly at him. “Oh?’’
“Not here. Follow me.” He gives her one last nod before he turns around, and starts walking.
Momo follows behind him without a doubt, the sky warm and comforting upon them.
✸✸✸
It’s her duty to protect. To serve. To do whatever’s needed and rise to the challenge. It’s what she knows, it’s what she does best, it’s what she’s been taught throughout her life.
Yet for as trained as she is in the art of anticipating everyone’s actions, in order to protect and to serve, Shouto’s managed to surprise her once again.
They wander through the woods, Momo following Shouto's steps with a feeling that something’s different this time, different from their other outings outside the castle. She’s supposed to be protecting him, to be looking out for him, but he’s walking a few steps ahead of her, way more exposed than on other occasions, and Momo’s not quite able to keep up with his pace.
Around them, there are many trees—green, green, and even more green. The road they’re walking through seems desolated enough and she can hear the birds chirping around.
She’s always been strangely good at reading him. Somehow she knows he’s going to tell her something he deems garners privacy.
There’s something about the determination that had shone across his gaze earlier, before they had left the castle, that lets Momo know this is not something strictly related to royal affairs, not like every other time they had gone out before this. It’s like he’s trying to put as much distance between them and the castle as they could, both physically and metaphorically.
But Momo wasn’t lying earlier. So she follows his steps, basking in the warm sun shining upon them, on the sounds of nature resonating around them, until they arrive by a cliff.
Shouto stops abruptly and Momo follows his lead, halting in her steps too. Her lips part almost immediately in surprise, at what’s in front of her.
“We’re here,” he says.
They stand near a waterfall. The edge of the cliff gives a view to a hidden valley and the sound of the waterfall as it falls and breaks against the surface is like music to her ears. Above them, the sky seems to get warmer, a mix of pink and orange swirling and painting it warm.
It’s a beautiful view, that gives her a clue as to why he brought her to this place of all places, for instance.
A beautiful view’s something they’ve both always been able to appreciate, pictures and nature something they had bonded over.
But… it doesn’t quite tell her what he wants to say. So she turns towards him and raises her eyebrow.
Her gesture’s enough to have him speak once again.
“I brought you something,” he says easily, in place of an explanation. His words are softly spoken into the air.
She turns to look at him, searches for his eyes until she catches his gaze. “Why?” Momo can’t help but say, eyeing his face up and down. There’s something in her chest, like a weight wrapping itself heavily around her ribcage and squeezing.
“It reminded me of you.” He shrugs and extends her a small rectangle-shaped box wrapped in paper, that she had somehow not realized he had been carrying.
Momo extends her hand and takes it. Their fingers brush together as she wraps her hand around it, warmth feeling her chest as she wonders what it is.
She peels the paper away and she sees it.
“Oh.” She blinks, once, twice.
It’s a spoon.
“I…” he clears his throat, searches for her eyes, “see you having your tea breaks, and I thought you might like it. You once told me you only make your tea colder by batting it with a spoon and not by pouring cold water in it as other people do.”
Momo freezes, and he must’ve noticed, because Shouto stops talking all of a sudden.
She remembers that time. It had been an offhand comment, definitely not something she had thought he would remember in the long run. Definitely not something she thought he would remember while he was away, less of all in an impactful enough way for him to bring her a spoon back.
Redness dusts her cheeks as she keeps looking at the spoon. It has an intricate design in its handle, the form of a peach interwoven with silver. It’s obvious why he thought of her, though probably obvious just for the two of them. She doesn’t think anyone but him would remember that detail or think of her because of that.
It’s not even a luxurious gift exactly. But it’s unexpected and thoughtful and more than enough to make Momo’s heart beat wildly against her chest and leave her feeling like something’s shifted.
“You remembered?” she says out loud, without really meaning to. It’s very obvious he did.
She still blinks at him, wondering what he’ll say.
Shouto having remembered her while he was out there, busy in his task of forming alliances and securing his future as king, is kind of surprising in itself.
“Of course I do.” He shifts slightly closer and Momo moves with him as well. They face each other, their feet close and their noses even closer. He looks devastating for her heart with the warm, pink sky around him—and yet she never wants to not have the sight of him in front of her, standing closely. “It would be impossible to forget anything about you, Yaoyorozu.” He blinks, eyelashes fluttering softly against his cheekbones.
A blush creeps onto Momo’s face. Her lips part as she grapples for something to say in response to his words yet she comes up with nothing that seems coherent or relevant.
She looks Shouto in the eye, lips parted, and though she knows it can’t mean more than this, not now in such a crucial step of the way for him to become king, it’s like he’s given her his heart in a silver plate and not a simple silver spoon that reminded him of her.
“Thank you,” she says, “I… really love it.”
He nods. He doesn’t move away for a second.
“Do you want to…”
“Hm?”
“Nevermind.” She shakes her head.
“Yaoyorozu. I like hearing your ideas.” His eyes are soft. Momo doesn’t know how she’s breathing, considering how close they are. “Please tell me.”
She licks her lips. “Would you like to have tea with me one of these days?” It’s a simple invitation, yet it feels silly and like she’s baring her heart to him.
A heartbeat goes by before a half-smile is stretching across his face. It’s really, really devastating for Momo’s poor heart.
“Yes,” he says, and they’re close enough for his breath to hit against her face, sky all pink and warm around him.
It’s not even just the beautiful place that’s a few steps behind them, but the gift, his request, his sincere words somehow manage to leave Momo’s heart fluttering in her chest.
Even as the sun sets hours later, Momo’s ready for whatever comes their way. Whatever it is, she’s got his back, and he’s got hers.
Someday, maybe it’ll be even more. For now, they have the sky above them and an evening of sitting together to drink tea to look forward to.
clio (Guest) Thu 03 Mar 2022 09:48AM UTC
Comment Actions
bigbadw0lf Thu 03 Mar 2022 10:14AM UTC
Comment Actions
Nakoujou Sat 05 Mar 2022 03:59AM UTC
Comment Actions
bigbadw0lf Sat 05 Mar 2022 10:32AM UTC
Comment Actions
TheHangryBi Sat 19 Mar 2022 10:41AM UTC
Comment Actions
bigbadw0lf Sat 19 Mar 2022 06:22PM UTC
Comment Actions
flourchildwrites Sun 03 Apr 2022 05:40AM UTC
Comment Actions
TeaPlease1717 Sun 17 Apr 2022 01:29AM UTC
Comment Actions