“Pinky promise we’ll get married one day?” 6 year old you asks 6 year old Shoto Todoroki, who was so far, your best friend at the private elementary school you both attended.

Shoto stood across from you, under the two big pine trees in the field at recess.

“Promise.” Shoto shrugged as he interlocked your pinkies and shook. It was an innocent promise between two children who had no idea what marriage actually entailed — but it would be a promise you’d never forget. It was one of the last times you spoke to him before your parents moved you and their lives all the way across Japan to start anew.

You never thought that promise would come back to haunt you so miserably, as if fate itself were laughing in your face at the irony.

You and Shoto reconnected when you were both 23 — but not for a friendly reason. No. Your parents decided to set up an arranged marriage between the both of you so you two could combine your powerful quirks. Neither wanted this marriage — especially not you. But you hoped you could make the best of it, hoped that just maybe, through the chaos and unfortunate events, you two could somehow find a way to actually make this marriage real… but Shoto had no intent to try to make that possible.

He wasn’t purposefully trying to make this marriage hard for you, but he had. Shoto was emotionally detached from everyone but his old friends from UA. He was a busy hero who had expectations to live up to. Wasn’t it selfish for you to want him to try to form a relationship with him that wasn’t just purely a business transaction? He was busy enough and to you, didn’t seem to care nor have interest concerning you at all.

It was a snowy, cold, January night. You were currently getting ready to go to Shoto’s family’s house for a fancy dinner. Shoto had been mainly leaving you alone as you got ready until he noticed it was 10 minutes till 7. He walked into your shared bedroom and spoke.

“..Are you almost ready? We need to leave soon.”