Recap:
(Y/N) wiped her hands on her apron, her excitement returning. "They're here!"
^ • ^
The doorbell rang again, followed by the sound of Mina and Hagakure squealing with excitement on the porch.
(Y/N) suddenly froze, her heart leaping into her throat. She looked down at her flour-dusted shorts, the smudge of tomato sauce on her oversized hoodie, and her hair, which was currently a structural disaster.
"Oh no," she whispered, her eyes wide with panic. She looked at Shoto, her hands hovering mid-air as if she were trying to stop time itself.
"Shoto, I'm not ready! I look like I've been in a food fight, the appetizers aren't plated, and you are about to let your incredibly stylish friends into a house that smells like raw garlic!"
She started pacing the small strip of floor between the island and the stove. "I haven't even changed! I wanted to look... I don't know, like a functional adult? A wife? Not a messy sidekick!"
Shoto watched her, momentarily stunned by the sudden burst of energy.
To him, she looked more beautiful like this - approachable and real - than she had in the stiff, expensive gown from their wedding. But he could see the genuine distress in her eyes.
He stepped into her path, his hands reaching out to gently catch her shoulders. The heat from his left side radiated through her hoodie, instantly grounding her.
"Stop," he said softly, his voice a calm anchor in her storm. "You don't need to be 'ready.' They aren't coming to see a Hakamada heiress or a perfect hostess. They're coming to see us."
He didn't realize that by saying "us," he was reinforcing her belief that this was a real marriage. To him, 'us' meant the team they were presenting to the world.
"But the flour..." she gestured to her face.
Shoto leaned in, his thumb gently brushing the white powder off her cheekbone. The touch was lingering, more intimate than anything they'd done in days. "There. Now you just look like a hero who knows how to cook."
Another loud *boom* echoed from the door. "TODOROKI! IF YOU DON'T OPEN THIS DOOR IN THREE SECONDS, I'M BLASTING THE HINGES OFF!" Bakugo roared.
(Y/N) let out a shaky sigh, teary eyed. "Okay. Just... give me 5 minutes to get ready? Can you hold them off?"
"I'll try," Shoto said, his hand dropping from her shoulder. "But it's Bakugo. I can't promise the door will survive." She giggled.
As she scurried toward the stairs, Shoto turned toward the front entrance. He took a deep breath, straightening his shirt.
He was glad she was happy, but a small, cold part of him wondered how long she could keep this "excited bride" act up before the reality of their contract started to wear her down.
^ • ^
Shoto took a breath, smoothed his shirt, and pulled the massive oak door open just as Bakugo's fist was raised to pound on it again.
"About time, Half-and-Half! I was ten seconds away from making a new entrance!" Bakugo stomped in first, shoving a crate of high-end spicy snacks into Shoto's chest.
He scanned the pristine foyer with a scowl. "Nice palace. Looks expensive. Too bad it's wasted on a guy with zero personality."
"Come on, Kacchan, be nice! It's their first home!" Deku scrambled in behind him, lugging a giant, slightly crooked 'Marriage Blessing' banner and a gift basket that looked like it weighed fifty pounds.
"Shoto! Congratulations again! The rail yard was amazing, and the news is already calling you and (H/N) the new 'Golden Duo'!"
"Way to go, Todoroki!" Kirishima grinned, giving Shoto a manly slap on the shoulder. "Living the dream! A beautiful wife who can literally stop time? That's some high-tier luck right there!"
"Is there food? Please tell me there's food," Kaminari groaned, dragging a portable karaoke machine behind him. "I haven't eaten since patrol. I'm running on zero volts here."
As the crowd poured in, filling the quiet villa with noise, laughter, and the clatter of gear, a slight shift occurred.
Momo Yaoyorozu walked in last, carrying a beautifully wrapped set of hand-painted porcelain tea cups. She offered Shoto a polite, elegant smile, but there was a flicker of something in the air-a momentary quiet from the rest of the group.
Back at UA, it had been the unspoken assumption among the class that the two recommendation students would eventually pair up. They shared the same world, the same pressures, and a deep mutual respect.
"It's a lovely home, Shoto," Momo said, her voice poised as ever. "Your father must be very pleased with the... arrangement."
"It's a functional space," Shoto replied, his voice falling back into that slightly stiff, formal tone. He felt the weight of her gaze. He knew what the class had whispered about them for years.
He glanced toward the stairs, wondering if Momo's presence would make (Y/N) feel like an outsider.
"Ooh, look at the kitchen!" Mina squealed, peeking around the corner. "It smells like a five-star restaurant in here! Where's the lucky lady? I need to know if she's actually making that Mediterranean spread herself or if she's just pausing time to order takeout!"
"She's upstairs," Shoto said, trying to regain his composure while Bakugo started raiding his fridge. "She'll be down in a minute. She was... a bit nervous."
"Nervous?" Jiro laughed, leaning against the wall. "She took down a Trigger-user three days after her wedding. I think she can handle us."
"I don't know, Jiro," Kaminari chirped, already trying to plug the karaoke machine into the high-end sound system. "We're a lot to handle. Especially when Bakugo starts singing. That's a Level 5 disaster."
"SHUT UP, DUNCE FACE! I'LL SINGER-SLAY YOU!"
Shoto stood in the middle of the chaos, feeling the villa transform from a cold museum into a loud, messy reality. He looked at Momo, who was helping Iida arrange the drinks, and then back at the stairs.
He felt a strange, tight knot of anticipation in his stomach. He wanted them to like her. No-he wanted her to feel like she belonged here more than he did.
Ten minutes later, the volume in the living room was at a deafening peak. Kaminari was arguing with the smart-home system, Bakugo was aggressively seasoning a side dish he'd decided wasn't "manly" enough.
Upstairs, (Y/N) took a deep breath, smoothing out the fabric of a light sky blue silk wrap dress. It was elegant but effortless, hugging her figure in a way that felt sophisticated rather than forced.
She touched up her makeup, leaving just enough of a glow to look healthy, and let her hair fall in soft, natural waves.
She looked like the perfect bridge between a world-class hero and a graceful hostess.
When she reached the top of the grand staircase, the roar of the party below didn't stand a chance.
Shoto was mid-sentence, listening to Iida explain the proper way to recycle party waste, when he felt the room go quiet. He turned, and his breath hitched.
He had seen her in a wedding gown, and he had seen her covered in soot, but seeing her like this-radiant, smiling, and walking toward *him*-sent a jolt through his chest that he wasn't prepared for.
He stood in a daze, his glass of water held halfway to his mouth, simply staring as she descended.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" (Y/N) said, her voice bright as she reached the bottom step.
Shoto finally blinked, stepping forward instinctively. "You... you look incredible," he murmured, loud enough only for her.
"Whoa! Look at (H/N)!" Mina cheered, leading the charge. "Okay, Shoto, we get it now. You win!"
Shoto cleared his throat, regaining his composure to play the part of the host. "(Y/N), I think you know the names, but let me introduce them properly."
He moved through the room with her, his hand hovering just behind the small of her back. "You've met Midoriya and Bakugo. This is Iida, our class rep... Uraraka... Asui... and Yaoyorozu."
When they reached Momo, the air felt a fraction cooler. Momo bowed elegantly, her smile perfect. "It is a pleasure to formally meet you, (Y/N). Shoto has always had excellent taste."
"Thank you, Momo. Shoto's told me so much about your time at UA," (Y/N) replied with a warm, genuine smile. She didn't see the contract; she saw her husband's old friend.
The next hour was a whirlwind of fun. The food was a massive hit-Bakugo actually stopped yelling for five minutes to eat three servings of the spicy lamb, though he claimed it "could have used more kick."
Kaminari and Mineta were already failing miserably at karaoke, while Deku and (Y/N) geeked out over hero analytics. For a while, the harmony was perfect.
As the evening progressed, (Y/N) headed toward the kitchen to bring out the dessert trays. She stopped near the arched doorway when she heard the muffled voices of Mina and Hagakure near the beverage station.
"I mean, she's lovely, really," Hagakure's voice whispered. "But is it just me, or does it feel... weird? We all literally had bets on when Shoto and Momo would announce they were dating."
"I know!" Mina sighed quietly. "They were the 'Power Couple ship' of Class 1-A. It's just so sudden. One day Shoto is a bachelor, the next he's married to a girl who's been living in France for years? It feels like one of those old-school family arrangements, doesn't it?"
"Poor Momo," Hagakure added. "She's being such a pro about it, but you saw the way they looked at each other earlier. That history doesn't just go away."
(Y/N) stood frozen in the shadows of the hallway, the heavy silver tray in her hands suddenly feeling like lead. *Arrangement? Yes it is arranged. History?*
Her heart did a painful somersault. She thought of Shoto's stiffness earlier, the way he mentioned "the image," and the coldness of their first night.
She shook her head, forcing a tight, practiced smile onto her face. She was a pro-hero; she knew how to keep her composure under pressure.
She took a breath, stepped out of the shadows, and walked into the room as if she hadn't heard a word.
"Who's ready for baklava?" she asked, her voice steady and cheerful, even as she avoided looking at the spot where Shoto and Momo were currently standing together, discussing a recent charity event.