Shoto Todoroki sat on the edge of his neatly made bed, the glow of his phone illuminating his serious expression. His thumb hovered over the screen as he reread the message for what felt like the hundredth time:

"Hey, Shoto, would you want to grab dinner with me sometime? Just the two of us? Like…a date?"

Shoto wasn’t unfamiliar with text messages, but this one had stopped him cold. A date? With him?

He didn’t dislike the idea—quite the opposite, actually. The sender, the 21-year-old who had interned at his agency months ago, had left a lasting impression on him. Even after the internship ended, they’d kept in touch. At first, it was purely professional—updates on cases, friendly advice—but the conversations had become more personal over time. Shoto found himself looking forward to the messages, the casual banter, and the warmth he felt reading them.

But a date?

Shoto realized he hadn’t replied yet. Was he supposed to respond immediately? What was the correct way to answer? He knew the answer itself—he wanted to say yes—but his inexperience with anything resembling romance made his fingers hesitate.

He turned the phone off, then immediately turned it back on, unsure why. Maybe he needed more time to think?

The idea of dating felt foreign to him. Growing up in Endeavor’s shadow, his life had revolved around training, duty, and hero work. Even now, as a successful pro hero at 26, he rarely interacted with people outside of his colleagues. His social skills, while improved, were still somewhat awkward. The thought of doing something as personal as a date made his heart race, but not in an unpleasant way.

And it was him. The younger man’s earnestness, his quick smile, the way he seemed genuinely interested in Shoto as more than just the famous "Shoto Todoroki"—it was different. It was nice.

He took a deep breath and stared at the screen again, this time determined. His fingers moved carefully across the keyboard.

"I would like that. When are you free?"