The UA Academy dormitory kitchen was a silent sanctuary at this hour, bathed in the soft glow of a single overhead light. The clock on the wall ticked past 1 a.m., and the air was thick with the lingering scent of burnt toast and instant ramen from earlier escapades. Deku, or Izuku Midoriya as he was known when not in hero mode, shuffled in, his green hair a disheveled mess and his muscles aching from a brutal late-night training session. Sweat still clung to his brow, and his throat felt like sandpaper. Water. He needed water. Or anything, really, to quench the desert in his mouth.
His bleary eyes scanned the counter, barely registering the clutter of half-empty mugs and scattered protein powder containers. Then, he saw it—a tall glass filled with a creamy, pale liquid, sitting innocently near the sink. A protein shake, he assumed, probably left by one of the others. Without a second thought, he grabbed it, tipped it back, and took a long, greedy gulp.
The taste hit him like a punch from All Might himself. Rich, salty, and utterly unlike any protein shake he’d ever had. It coated his tongue with a strange, velvety warmth, and for a moment, he froze, glass still pressed to his lips. What... was that? Not unpleasant, exactly. Just... unexpected. Intriguing. He blinked, lowering the glass and staring into the remaining liquid as if it held the secrets of the universe.
His gaze darted around, searching for a clue, and that’s when he spotted it—a small sticky note tucked under the base of the glass. Scrawled in neat, precise handwriting were the words: *“T’s Special Reserve. Do NOT touch.”* Deku’s stomach dropped. T. As in... Todoroki? His mind raced, piecing together the implications. This wasn’t a protein shake. This was... something else. Something personal. Something he definitely shouldn’t have just chugged like a man dying of thirst.
“Oh no. Oh no, no, no,” he muttered to himself, setting the glass down with a clatter. His cheeks flushed a violent shade of red as he paced the small kitchen, hands tugging at his hair. “What did I just drink? What even *is* that? I mean, it didn’t taste bad, but—wait, no, why am I even thinking that? This is wrong. So wrong. But... kinda... good? No! Stop it, Izuku!”
He was spiraling, his inner monologue a chaotic mess of guilt and curiosity, when the kitchen door creaked open. Deku froze mid-pace, his heart slamming against his ribcage as Shoto Todoroki stepped in, his dual-colored hair catching the dim light. He wore a simple black tank top and sweatpants, his expression as unreadable as ever, though his mismatched eyes flicked immediately to the glass on the counter—and the guilty look on Deku’s face.
“...Midoriya,” Todoroki said, his voice cool and measured, though there was a faint edge of something unplaceable beneath it. “What are you doing?”
Deku’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. “I—uh—I was just—thirsty! Yeah, really thirsty after training, and I saw this glass, and I thought it was, um, a shake or something, so I—uh—drank it. A little. Okay, a lot. I’m so sorry, Todoroki, I didn’t know it was yours, I swear!”
Todoroki’s gaze slid from Deku to the glass, then back again. One eyebrow arched ever so slightly, the only crack in his icy facade. “You drank it.”
“Y-Yeah. I did. I’m sorry, I’ll replace it, or—or clean the glass, or whatever you want, just tell me what it was, because I’m kinda freaking out here—”
“You’re freaking out,” Todoroki interrupted, stepping closer with a deliberate slowness that made Deku’s skin prickle. “Over drinking something of mine. Without asking.”
Deku swallowed hard, his back bumping against the counter as Todoroki loomed just a little too close for comfort. “I didn’t mean to! It was an accident, I swear. But, um... what *was* it? Because it didn’t taste like any protein shake I’ve ever had, and the note said ‘Special Reserve,’ and now I’m worried I’ve, like, crossed some major boundary or—”
Todoroki tilted his head, studying Deku with an intensity that made the smaller boy squirm. “You’re curious,” he said, his tone flat but laced with something dangerously close to amusement. “You drank it, and now you want to know more.”
Deku’s face burned hotter. “N-No! I mean, yes, but not like that! I just—I don’t want to have accidentally done something weird, you know? Like, if it’s some kind of... special recipe or... or something personal, I just need to know so I can apologize properly!”
A ghost of a smirk tugged at Todoroki’s lips, so subtle it might have been a trick of the light. He reached past Deku, his arm brushing against the other boy’s as he picked up the glass, inspecting the remaining contents with a critical eye. “Personal,” he repeated, letting the word hang in the air like a challenge. “That’s one way to put it.”
Deku’s eyes widened. “Wait, so it *is* personal? Oh man, I’m so sorry, Todoroki, I didn’t mean to invade your privacy or—or whatever this is! Just tell me what I drank, and I’ll never mention it again, I promise!”
Todoroki set the glass down with a soft clink, his gaze locking onto Deku’s with an intensity that made the air feel electric. “You’re so quick to apologize, Midoriya. But you haven’t even asked the right question yet.” He leaned in just a fraction, his voice dropping to a low, deliberate murmur. “Did you like it?”
Deku choked on his own breath, his brain short-circuiting. “W-What? Like it? I—I mean, I didn’t hate it, but that’s not the point! The point is I shouldn’t have touched it, and—wait, why are you even asking that? Shouldn’t you be mad at me?”
“Should I be?” Todoroki countered, his tone maddeningly calm. “You’re the one who seems... conflicted. Pacing around, muttering to yourself. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re more intrigued than sorry.”
“That’s not—!” Deku sputtered, his hands flailing in a futile attempt to defend himself. “I’m not intrigued! I’m mortified! But... okay, fine, it didn’t taste bad, alright? It was just... different. And now I’m stuck wondering what it even was, and why you’d label it ‘Special Reserve,’ and—ugh, can you just tell me so I can stop overthinking this?”
Todoroki’s smirk grew just a little more pronounced, and he crossed his arms, leaning casually against the counter. “Maybe I like watching you overthink. It’s... entertaining.”
Deku groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “You’re impossible, you know that? I’m trying to do the right thing here, and you’re just—teasing me! Or... are you? I can’t even tell with you sometimes.”
“Teasing,” Todoroki echoed, as if testing the word. His mismatched eyes glinted with something unreadable, and he stepped closer again, closing the already minimal distance between them. “If I were teasing you, Midoriya, you’d know it. But since you’re so desperate for answers... maybe I’ll let you figure it out. Or maybe I’ll make you earn them.”
Deku’s breath hitched, his mind racing with a mix of confusion and something hotter, more dangerous. “Earn them? What does that even mean? Todoroki, come on, just tell me—”
“No,” Todoroki cut him off, his voice firm but laced with a quiet challenge. “You drank something that wasn’t yours. Now you deal with the consequences. If you want to know more... you’ll have to ask nicely. Or better yet, prove you’re worth telling.”
Deku stared at him, mouth agape, as the weight of those words settled over him like a heavy fog. Todoroki’s icy demeanor was as impenetrable as ever, but there was a spark in his gaze—a dare, a game. And despite himself, despite the embarrassment and the sheer weirdness of it all, Deku felt a flicker of something reckless stir in his chest. Curiosity. Hunger. Maybe both.
“Fine,” he muttered, his voice steadier than he felt. “If that’s how you want to play it... I’m in. But don’t think I’m gonna back down just because you’re looking at me like that.”
Todoroki’s lips twitched, the closest thing to a real smile Deku had seen all night. “Good. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
And just like that, the kitchen felt a little smaller, the air a little thicker. Whatever this was, whatever game Todoroki was starting, Deku knew one thing for sure: he wasn’t walking away anytime soon.
Want to know how it ends?
This is just the opening chapter. Continue the saga — or write a steamy tale starring you.