Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He stared up at the white ceiling, counting all the cracks and crevices that covered his walls. He doesn’t think how much time passes, nor does he care. Right now he feels nothing but this cold numb feeling and mental exhaustion that ties him to his futon, anchoring him to the comforting blankets beneath him. His mind is a muddy path and he is trapped by the mud caking his legs. It’s easier to just sink in the mud instead of tread on to unknown goals. So he sinks. He sinks, he sinks, he sinks and he doesn’t know why. Why there’s a weight pulling down on his chest, why the feeling feels so familiar (a fist pushes him down into the tatami mats, screaming at him again and again and-)

He hears a knock on the door. Maybe if he ignores it it’ll go away, become part of the white noise clouding his brain. Another knock ensues, but it is followed by a voice.

“Todoroki-kun, it’s Momo. I know you’re in there. I didn’t see you at dinner so I decided to check on you, please just answer the door.”

He took a deep breath and used his arm to hoist himself up (why did his arm always feel so weak when he knew it was strong?) His body felt like a sack of potatoes and he felt like falling so he made sure to grab on to as many surfaces as he could as he made his way to the door. He slowly opened the door and peered outside to see an anxious Momo waiting for him. She looked concerned, and Todoroki hated for her worry to be wasted on him.

“Hello, Momo, I’m sorry for taking a while, I was reviewing my notes and I forgot to go to dinner. I have food in my room, so you have no need to worry,”

“It’s alright but please eat something, I’ll have trust you’ll do so,” She smiled and they exchanged goodbyes as she headed back to her room. Todoroki was thankful for the friendship he had with Momo, her grace and maturity created a great environment when they hung out. He hopes he is even a little bit as good of a friend to Momo as she is to him.

He remembers the promise he made her about eating, but for some reason his stomach feels empty and his appetite is nonexistent. He doesn’t feel like eating. Oh well, what can it hurt, he thinks.

All the numbness and emptiness was getting annoying and he just wanted peace. He checked the clock as it read 7:47 PM. He knows his sleep schedule will get messed up but he can’t bring himself to care, so he just cocoons himself in blankets on the smooth familiar texture of tatami mats. He lets his eyelids close as he subconsciously wraps his arms around a pillow, allowing himself to succumb to a deep slumber.

This “deep slumber” didn’t last as long as Todoroki was hoping it would. He woke up to a darkened room with the only light being his electric clock that read 2:43 AM. He clamps his eyelids shut, and perserveres to be ensconced in his dreamworld once more. Alas, as predicted, once he is awake there is no more hope for sleep. He manages to stumble to his feet and walk over to his balcony.

He slides open the door and a cold breeze hits his face, red and white locks spill around his face (worsening his bed hair) and envelope him in a frosty feeling. The cold air on his body is comforting. The cold always reminds him of gentle hands, hopeful promises, and motherly love. He leans against the rail, his hair billowing in his face. He stands there and thinks. He thinks about the world, of hate and unkept promises.

He blinks.

He looks around, wondering how long he’s been outside. When he methodically makes his way back inside he looks at the clock, which now displays 3:37 AM.

He decides to make some tea, as it always soothes him with its comforting warmth. Unfortunately, the hot water was downstairs, so that meant he had to break curfew and not wake up the others. As he makes his way down the stairs, a camomile bag and sugar packet in hand, he comes to the realization that he could’ve just boiled some tap water with his quirk, and he started feeling really stupid. At that point he felt there was no point in turning back when he was already on floor 2. With a sigh, he continued his journey downstairs.

When he reached the kitchen, he turned on the dimmest light possible and started making tea. His mind was filled with that static again, and he hoped the tea would help. He didn’t use the tea kettle, not wanting to risk a panic attack. He’d gotten better at ignoring it, but he doesn’t feel like he can at the moment. He managed to make his way over to the couch. He wrapped himself up in his blanket and sipped his tea, he mind clearing a bit allowing him to think. He doesn’t want to go home this weekend, but doesn’t think he’ll have a choice. He doesn’t care anymore, or at least he thinks he doesn’t. His eyelids started feeling heavy, but he tried to hold on to his consciousness, not wanting to deal with the consequences of falling asleep on the couch. He eventually gives up, allowing his eyelids to close and his mind to rest.

Chapter Text

Bakugou woke up slowly, his vision fuzzy and head groggy as he came to. His vision cleared as he sat upright and checked his clock. It read 4:52 AM, about an hour before Bakugou normally wakes up to do his morning run. He scowls, annoyed that he lost an hour of his precious “beauty sleep”, and stretches his arms with a yawn. 

He gets out of bed and angrily starts brushing the fuck out of his teeth (he refuses to lose to stupid cavities, Bakugou is stronger than that) and washes his face that is clear of acne because Bakugou’s skin care routine is flawless (he begrudgingly admits to himself that it’s mostly because of his mom’s quirk, but whatever). He puts on a black tank top, pants, and sneakers, shoves his earbuds and phone in his pocket, grabs a water bottle and towel, chomps a granola bar in one go, and heads out the door. 

He takes the elevator downstairs while condemning whoever decided to add elevator music to hell as he suffers through the stupidly boring music. He reaches the bottom floor and walks through the common room, but stops when something catches his eyes.

Todoroki. Fucking. Shoto. 

Of course, why not, Bakugou curses in his head. The stupid half ’n half is sleeping on the common room couch, his hair a mess on the cushions. His head his lolling off the couch, and Bakugou worries (no the fuck he doesn’t, he doesn’t care about that stupid IcyHot bastard) that he will fall and lose whatever brain cells he has left, and Bakugou doesn’t want a broken rival (that’s what he tells himself, he doesn’t want to stare too long as his rosy cheeks, small lips-).

He makes his way over to Todoroki, and lifts him up gently (you heard it here folks, Bakugou can be gentle) and places him so he’s in a comfortable position on the couch. He grabs the blanket that has fallen to the ground and drapes it over his body. He steps back and takes a second to really look at Todoroki.

His eyes have faint bags underneath them and he seems to have lost some weight. His skin is pale and his dual-toned locks are a mess, but Bakugou still can’t help but fall for his pretty face (that still manages to be pretty while he’s sleeping, how the fuck is that fair?).

Bakugou realizes his thoughts and scowls, tries to shake the blush off his face, and stomps away. He doesn’t like that half ’n half bastard. They’re just friends/rivals, and Bakugou doesn’t want to question why his heart hurts when he thinks the word “friend”. He starts his morning run, hoping his music will replace the thoughts swimming in his head.

When Bakugou returns from his run, he’s exhausted and its 6:45 AM, a time when most students head downstairs for breakfast (Bakugou tried to outrun his romantic frustration and exhaust it, and that resulted in his run being longer than it should’ve been). As he walks through the common room, he sees there are people crowded around the couch.

Ashido has her phone out as she takes a picture and squeals, while Midoriya and Iida debate whether or not to wake him up. Tokoyami and Shouji are trying to mind their own business and just eat breakfast, so at last they have common sense. He sees that Kaminari is also over there, but he can’t tell what he is doing.

Bakugou scowls and tries to ignore this shit fest, ready to just stomp back upstairs and shower until he sees what Kaminari did. Or rather, what he did to Todoroki’s face. 

Three black lines on each cheek and a black dot on his nose. 

Kaminari was a dead man. 

Kaminari, blissfully unaware of Bakugou’s seething anger being present in the room, laughs and takes pictures of the sleeping cat-faced Todoroki. Bakugou somehow finds the self control he has stored away somewhere and doesn’t storm over there and end Mina and Kaminari’s pathetic lives as annoyances in Bakugou’s daily life. 

He grunts and walks upstairs, takes a shower, and dresses in his UA uniform. His phone is suddenly vibrating violently as texts fill his phone, notifications seemingly endless. He wonders what the fuck the idiots are up to this time and thinks up a snarky remark to shut them up. He opens his phone to see that it’s the Class 1-A chat, and the reason for the spam is a picture of the cat-faced Todoroki and all the coos and thirsty messages. He angrily types out a message and sends it to the chat.

Bakugou Katsuki: would you all do the world a favor and SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE MY PHONE LITERALLY COMBUSTS FROM THIS BULLSHIT

He sighs, hoping it’s all over and they won’t try their luck today. Like all of his dreams today, it doesn’t come true.

Hanta Sero: yike

Kaminari Denki: what’s got ur panties in a twist  k a c c h a n. ur so mean

Ashido Mina: yeah Baku what’s wrong just put ur phone on silent dummy

Midoriya Izuku: Guys we should probably wake up Todoroki!

Uraraka Ochaco: how??? He’s too cute I can’t disturb his sleep :P

Bakugou Katsuki: Just wake the bastard up and stop fucking spamming me with this bullshit

Iida Tenya: I will do it, I don’t want Todoroki to be late for school.

Kirishima Eijirou: a true man among men..

Bakugou put his phone on silent and shoved it in his pocket, grabbed his backpack, and headed downstairs to get something besides a granola bar into his system. He starting scrambling eggs when he saw Todoroki stumble into the common room, tie undone and jacket in hand, and Bakugou could tell that he was barely awake. He didn’t even grab breakfast which angered Bakugou as he ferociously scrambled his eggs. He put his food on a plate while pinching the perfect amount of salt and pepper on his eggs. He shoveled them into his mouth and ran out the door to class while promising himself that he would steer clear of Todoroki today.

If only...

Chapter Text

Todoroki was NOT having a good morning. First of all, he woke up to Iida shaking him awake as Ashido and Kaminari stare at him with huge mischevious smiles on their faces. Midoriya is looking at him with pity, an emotion he normally tries his best to avoid, so he quickly stands up.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, hoping for a simple answer, but not expecting one.

“Umm Todoroki, here,” Momo nervously hands him a mirror. He looks at his reflection and groans, promising to himself to find out who did this and turn them into an icicle. Today was not the day to mess with Todoroki Shouto.

He quickly walked towards his room, ignoring the stares of his classmates as he hurries to his room. He quickly puts on his UA uniform and grabs his backpack, still dressing himself on his way through the common room.

He feels a stare piercing his back, and he looks to see Bakugou glaring at him intently with a scowl on his fcae while angrily scrambling eggs. Todoroki blushes and quickly looks away and heads out the door, ready to face whatever bullshit he comes across. (he isn’t ready, he tried scrubbing off the permanent marker with no luck)

He walks into the class and Midoriya greets him with a sympathetic look, no doubt feeling guilty about Todoroki’s eventful morning. He starts a conversation about his weekend while trying to avoid looking at Todoroki’s face. Todoroki liked hearing about Midoriya’s weekend, it helped him forget about his own.

“My mom made me katsudon!! Mmmm I love katsudon so much, have you tried it Todoroki? Wait, all you ever eat is cold soba, so never mind,”

“I do not-“

“Shush, yes you do,” Midoriya pouts and continues talking about his weekend with All-Might and his mom (Todoroki isn’t giving up on his theory just yet).

“So, yeah! That’s how my weekend went! How was yours Todoroki?” Midoriya asked, innocently unaware of how much weight that question held.

He could say he was forced to go home and train with his father, show him the bruises on his torso from when he wasn’t good enough, he wasn’t ever good enough. Instead he says “it was fine.”

Midoriya gave him a look like he knew he was lying, but thankfully dropped the topic. He heard snickers from behind him, and turned around to see Mina and Kaminari trying their best not to look at him, covering their mouths to avoid revealing themselves.

“I thought it was you two, but now I know,” he sighs and stomps his foot, sending ice towards the pair, encasing their legs in ice. He then walked over to his seat, ignoring the gaping mouths of his surprised classmates and sat down. He sees Bakugou suppressing a smirk, and feels proud of himself.

He stares a bit longer at Bakugou, appreciating his beautiful face shape, narrow crimson eyes, spiky hair and cute nose. He has been doing this for a little while now, staring at Bakugou to be more clear.

A couple of weeks ago he went to Momo and explained the throb in his heart and how he couldn’t stop staring at Bakugou and thinking about him and asked what it meant. She had smiled softly and told him that he had a crush on Bakugou. She then explained what a crush was, and Todoroki was certain that’s what he felt towards Bakugou. She promised to keep it a secret with an understanding smile on her face, and Todoroki was once again thankful for his friendship with Momo.

He vividly remembered to unfreeze Kaminari and Ashido, and he did so right before Aizawa, in caterpillar form, slugged into the room. He looked at Todoroki, raised an eyebrow, and then started class. He’d stopped questioning their antics weeks ago.

During class he tried his hardest to pay attention in class and not get lost in his thoughts, and it worked pretty well. However, during break when he was hanging out with his friends, he only thought about running his hands through spiky ash blonde hair, wondering what the texture of it was and wanting to find out himself.

“-roki. Todoroki. Earth to Todo-“ He snapped back to reality as Uraraka waved her hand in front of his face.

“What?” He quickly interrupted her.

“You’ve been smiling and staring off into space for like 5 minutes, are you okay?”

“Yeah”

“Ooookayyy then,” Uraraka mumbled and then went back to talking to Midoriya. Todoroki feels like he hasn’t been proactive enough in solving his current dilemma. He barely talks to Bakugou, and normally he’s just yelling at Todoroki for no reason. That needs to change, Todoroki thinks as he cooks up a plan. He decides to ask Bakugou to train with him after school twice a week to improve and test tactics on each other. How could he say no to that, Bakugou loved to fight and constantly worked to improve his skills. He smiled to himself as he thought of training with Bakugou, holding on to the hope that he’ll say yes.

After school he made his way to room. He had planned on asking Bakugou today but decided not to due to his sudden lightheadedness and cowardice. He stumbled into his room and fell to the floor, the situation far too familiar for him to try to get up. He knew that he didn’t have the strength to get up, he never did. He laid on the ground lost in depretive thought, contemplating the value of his life as the familiar white noise filled his head. He hated when this happened but he couldn’t control it.

The only thing that made him happy anymore was Bakugou, and Todoroki felt weak at the fact that he couldn’t enjoy his life without the thrill and motivation he gets from trying to impress and beat Bakugou and make sure he doesn’t leave Todoroki like all of the ones he’s loved in the past have. He appreciates his friends too, but it’s a different kind of love. He can’t understand the emotions he is feeling and that frustrates him to no end. He hates that his father damaged him beyond repair, hates how useless he is and how much he feels like he leeches off others.

He finally gets up and crawls into his futon, forgetting to eat dinner and that it’s only 8:15 PM. He drifts off into sleep and dreams about a world where he and Bakugou are together, far away from the bullshit this world offers them.

Chapter Text

Bakugou startled awake, his chest struggling to stabilize and sweat rolling down his forehead. His eyes quickly focused on his surroundings, looking around for danger before recognizing the room he was in as his own.

Ever since the sludge incident he’s been having nightmares on occasion, and that number increased when Kamino happened. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of sludge blocking his lungs and scarred hands wrapped around his throat. These were his weak spots, the ones he believed that no one should ever know. These weaknesses wake him up at ungodly hours, but Bakugou is used to it by now.

When Bakugou is stressed out he cooks, and that seemed to be his only coherent thought he could think so he built off of it, deciding to calm his nerves by cooking breakfast and preparing lunch for the day.

He made his way downstairs and turned the light on in the kitchen so he could begin. He decided to make Camomile tea to sooth his throat that felt impossibly dry. He turned on the stove and put the kettle on it to prepare the water as he grabbed his phone.

His stupid fucking parents had been messaging him a lot ever since he moved into the dorms, thinking it was their responsibility to annoy him with stupid questions and waste his time. The kettle started whistling, screeching at an unholy pitch, but thankfully not loud enough to wake the other students. He walked over to the kettle and turned the stove off, but when the whistle disappeared another sound could be heard from the other side of the room.

He heard a thud followed by a series of incoherent mumbling and rustling. It startled him, as he was not aware of another’s presence in the room. He hurried over to the couch only to see Todoroki Shouto shaking and crying on the the ground, repeatedly mumbling “stop, please, please…”.

Bakugou quickly grabbed him to try and shake him out of his attack or whatever the fuck but when he touched Todoroki’s shoulders he flinched away and cried out. “DON’T TOUCH ME IT BURNS! IT BURNS STOP IT PLEASE MOM IT HURTS!” Bakugou didn’t know what to do, and being in shock at seeing this 3AM display didn’t help.

He did the only thing he could think of and wrapped his arms around Todoroki and murmured stuff like “you’re ok, no one can hurt you, you are safe,” and slowly the hands clawing at his back stopped moving but did not withdraw their death-grip on Bakugou’s tank top as he sobbed into the crook of Bakugou’s neck.

Half ’n Half’s sobbing slowly stopped, and he slumped over with all his body weight on Bakugou as he passed out from exhaustion in his arms. Bakugou recalled the sports festival and Todoroki’s confession to Deku. He must’ve had an attack because hearing the tea kettle whistle reminded him of that awful day. He made a note to never use kettles with Todoroki around and ensure others did the same.

He picked up the peppermint stick princess style and started carrying him to his bedroom, not trusting him to be safe in the common room after last time’s incident.

Predictably, Todoroki left his door open so Bakugou could lay him on his futon. He looked down at Todoroki’s face squished up against his chest and was filled with warmth and softness. He admired his soft but sharp features and how the dried tear tracks looked on his pale skin.

He soon realized his thoughts and scowled at himself, denying to himself that he ever felt such a thing. He tucked Todoroki under the covers and started to head out the door. He didn’t know why but he felt a strange longing to stay in that room and make sure Todoroki was safe and got his full 8 hours of sleep. But like most of his gross icky emotional shit he ignores it.

He makes his way back to his room and feels himself getting tired, so he just heads back to his room and forgets his 3AM cooking plans in favor of sleep. He climbed into his bed and dreamt of heterochromic eyes staring right back at his crimson ones, practically begging for a challenge.

Who was he to ever refuse a challenge?

Chapter Text

Todoroki woke up to the beckoning voice of his alarm as it screamed at him to get up. He quickly got up and turned off his alarm, pausing as he recollected all of his memories from the night prior. He couldn’t sleep so he decided to go downstairs and eat something but that’s where his memory stops. Shouldn’t he have fallen asleep on the couch? Surely he did, but then how did he get back to his room?

He gives up on trying to find the answer in favor of getting prepared for school.

He looks in the mirror before he leaves but turns away fast, hating the putrid scar that marred his face, forever reminding him of that fateful night. He gets inside of the elevator with Sero, nodding at him to be polite. Sero flashed him a smile and understood that Todoroki preferred it to be quiet, something that he is grateful for.

They reached the bottom floor and Todoroki quickly headed over to the kitchen and grabbed a protein bar. He shoved his frozen box of soba inside of his backpack and headed out the door with Iida, Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Midoriya as he did most mornings. He talked with Iida about the previous night’s Calculus homework while Midoriya asked Tsuyu a question about her quirk. Uraraka laughed at Midoriya’s muttering as he nervously asked his question. Todoroki liked the dynamic the group always had and appreciated the way they allowed him to be a quiet part of it.

As he walked towards his seat he felt a stare stabbing through his back, ripping him open with the intensity it possessed. He turned to his right to see Bakugou staring at him, but Todoroki recognized that it wasn’t a glare. His eyes were pointed but it seemed like he was trying to answer a question he had with the way his curious eyes drilled into Todoroki.

“Ah, good morning to you too, Bakugou,” He said after a few seconds.

“Shut the fuck up, half-ass,” his answer being predictable as always. Bakugou let his eyes drift away from Todoroki as he gave a small ‘tch’. Todoroki walked the rest of the way to his desk and sat down only to see Momo waiting there for him.

“What was that all about?” She asked, her curiosity and confusion clear in her facial expression. Todoroki had been getting better at reading people so he wouldn’t feel so out of place.

“I have no idea.”

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes. And before you ask, I had dinner last night.”

“That’s good, you know I worry,” She added softly. The door slammed open and in walked Aizawa-sensei, signaling that all conversations were over and class had started.

Todoroki truly had no idea why Bakugou was staring at him before and isn’t sure he could ever find out why. He focuses on the lesson and lets his thoughts drift to the topic at hand.

Later that day, he decided to hang out in the common room with his friends. His friends sat at the couch with the “Bakusquad” and played UNO while Bakugou prepared some tea. Todoroki was content working on his homework at the kitchen table until he heard the all too familiar screeching of a kettle.

The loud paralyzing sound slowly clouded Todoroki’s thoughts as its shrieks racked his brain. He froze up and all he could see was the broken expression on his mother’s face and hands on his shoulders and arm as they hold him still. The whistling got louder as he felt burning hot water trickle down his face. Somewhere far away he felt a rough hand grab his arm as he floated away, his soul separating from his body as he stumbled forward. He was too tired to care as he let the muddy nothingness consume him, the humanly fear of death and oblivion replaced the need for the sweet release of it.

Chapter Text

Bakugou hates weakness. He avoids it, suppresses it, anything to make it go away. He knows it never will, the lingering trauma will always carve itself a home in his mind. The last thing he’d ever want, and one of his greatest fears, is letting other people see his weakness. See that one of the powerhouses of 1-A, the one and only Bakugou Katsuki, has weaknesses that purge his dreams and plague his thoughts. He refuses to break down the man-made wall surrounding his insecurities. He sees Todoroki as someone with a similar if not the same mentality. Todoroki, for better or for worse, suppresses his trauma and attempts to squash any weakness he finds. Bakugou knows of a fist of fire, a mother who reached her limit, and a childhood built on fear and anger. He knows Todoroki wouldn’t want anyone to know of the demons that never rest in the night.

So that’s why, when he looks over and sees Todoroki having a panic attack, he takes the initiative to help him without anyone else knowing. The others that sit on the couch laugh, blissfully staying unaware of Todoroki’s current state.

The bastard is shaking and grabbing his face desperately, his eyes filled with fear as he hyperventilates. Bakugou grabs his wrist and drags him out of the room when he hears Kaminari yell about some shit happening to him in UNO so no one would hear the stumbling footsteps of Todoroki. He drags him into a bathroom stall and sits him down on a toilet.

“Todoroki”

No response.

“Oi, Icyhot!”

Still no response.

Bakugou grabbed his hands to stop them from permanently damaging his face.

“Shouto,” he tried in as calm of a voice as he could manage.

Todoroki’s eyes flash with recognition and Bakugou hopes that he finally got through.

“Focus on how my hands feel on yours, take a deep breath, in and out,” Bakugou says as he massages Todoroki’s hands and eventually hears him attempt a deep breath. He slowly regulates his breathing, clearing the clouds that rested in his eyes. He regains his senses and slowly meets Bakugou’s crimson eyes with his heterochromatic ones. Bakugou decides to break the moment.

“Oi Icyhot, what the fuck was that”

Todoroki’s lips purse and his eyes narrow.

“Nothing, just…forget this happened. Thank you for helping me Bakugou, I need to go,” Todoroki manages to say as he quickly stands up and attempts to leave.

For the second time that day, Todoroki feels his wrist being grabbed by Bakugou. He flinches, snapping his wrist away from Bakugou as fear covers his face. Bakugou decides to ignore this for the time being.

“You should see a therapist. PTSD and trauma aren’t things you should push down, dumbass,”

Bakugou shoulders past Todoroki, watching as he schools his face back into that indifferent mask. He stomps out of the bathroom and back into the common room, quickly noticing how the others turn to look at him.

“Where were you Bakubro? I didn’t even notice you were gone!” Kirishima questioned with a shark-toothed smile.

“Speaking of which, where’s Todoroki? Did he go to use the bathroom?” Deku asks, the little shit.

Bakugou scowls. “How the fuck would I know where that half-ass went?” He yells as he makes his way over to his incomplete tea. Thanks to his eavesdropping at the sports festival, he was able to assume that the reason behind Icyhot’s freak out was when his scar formed. But what concerned him more was the sudden flinch and fear filled eyes as Bakugou grabbed his wrist. That formed a morbid question in his mind.

Just how abusive was Endeavor?

He knows the answer won’t come easily.

Chapter Text

Bakugou heads back to his room, head lost in thought as he wonders what he should do about Todoroki. So far he’s had to help Todoroki with two tea-kettle-induced panic attacks, and he really doesn’t feel like going through them again.

He thinks about Todoroki’s friends and whether or not it was probable that they knew of it. He knows Deku is already informed about Todoroki’s backstory, but does he know about the panic attacks? That Endeavor’s abuse might not be over and even worse than he thought? Probably not, Todoroki wouldn’t open up about the gritty details without a compelling reason.

What about that ponytail girl? He knows that she and Todoroki are close and they have tea parties (are tea parties some kinda shitty rich kid solidarity thing, the fuck is that shit about). She has shown a lot of concern and care for him in past, and Bakugou knows she cares about him. He’s not jealous because even he notices the serious eye fucking earphone jack girl sends her way, and thankfully the sentiment was clearly being requited by Yaoyorozu as hearts practically swim in her irises.

Bakugou scowls when an idea passes his mind, one that he thinks could help. He gives a slight ‘tch’ and heads off to his destination.

As soon as he makes it to the room, he knocks quietly but somehow still furiously (because it’s Bakugou, he’s just that good that being angry) on the wood. One would think that his intense glare would be enough to burn a hole through the door large enough for him to walk in through, but this isn’t an anime.

The door slowly opened and Momos face peeked out of the crack. Confusion was distinguishable in her onyx eyes and scrunched eyebrows.

“...Bakugou? What brings you here? Did you break something?”

“No, dipshit, I need to talk to you about something important so let me in,”

Momo leveled him with a inquisitive look before opening the door wider to allow him to enter. “I’m not sure what it is that you want to talk about, but I assume it’s important for you to come to ME of all people,” She sits on her bed and looks up at him, waiting for an explanation.

“It’s about the half ‘n half bastard, so don’t go thinking I’m about to talk about my feelings or whatever stupid bullshit, As if,”

Her eyes narrowed and her lips formed a frown. “What about him?”

Bakugou sighed, annoyed that he has to do this in the first place. “The bastard has been acting weird lately. I made some tea late at night and he had a full on panic attack at the screech of the kettle. I had to calm his dumbass down. And then today the same shit happened again and he flinched when I grabbed him to get him to explain what the fuck happened.”

Momo looked down, even more concern plastered on her face than before.

“I wasn’t aware of this...I’ll try to talk to him about it...” she murmured softly. “It’s nice of you to be so concerned for him, Bakugou,”

Bakugou’s eyes narrowed and his face twisted into that of rage. “I’M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE BASTARD!! Don’t put shitty words into my mouth, pineapple head. I just don’t want to have to deal with his shitty episodes,” He shouted, snarling at her small smile.

“Whatever you say Bakugou, but if I may ask.” Her eyes looked up to meet Bakugou’s and her eyebrows furrowed. He  swallowed down his nervousness quietly as he tried to match her stare.

“Do you think Todoroki is being abused?”

Bakugou huffed and drifted his eyes away from hers, deciding to instead focus on a crinkle in Momo’s luxurious comforter.

“Yeah, I do”

She deflated at his words.

“I see. was hoping you’d say no, but I was prepared for an affirmation of my thoughts,”

She closes her eyes and frowns.

“I’m not oblivious to the bruises and burns that reveal themselves when his sleeve falls down a bit, the ones that I know aren’t from training. I see him retreat into himself after he goes home for the weekend, and I see him forget to eat his meals much to my chagrin,” Her hands clench into fists on her lap.

She opens her eyes and turns her head towards Bakugou again.

“Bakugou, what am I to do about it? Should we tell a teacher? What do you expect me to do? It’s Endeavor for goodness sake, would we be ever able to form a formidable case against the number one hero?” Her eyes shine with tears, and oh no Bakugou is not dealing with this shit.

“I don’t fucking know okay, I just thought I should tell you because you’re close to him or whatever. We should probably talk to the bastard himself about it first before telling a teacher,”

She looks at him and smiles softly, tears watering the corners of her eyes. “That sounds like a good idea. Thank you Bakugou, I know you avoid saying it outright, but you really do care about people, especially Todoroki,”

“Tch. Whatever, I’m not concerned,” he says, obviously in denial.

He starts walking towards the door when he feels ponytail grab his shoulder.

“I can’t do this alone, Bakugou. I’ll need your help to save Shouto,” She says, her hopefulness piercing Bakugou like a sword as he realizes he can’t say no to that face.

“Fine, whatever, just don’t rely on me for emotional support or other gooey shit you extras do,”

She smiled at him once again, releasing her hold on his shoulder. Bakugou grabbed the door handle and swung the door open, stomping out into the hall and towards his room.

He checked his phone and saw that it was 9:00 pm, past his normal bedtime of 8:30. He scowled as he angrily got ready for bed, knowing that the next day wouldn’t be easy and he needed his healthy dose of sleep.

Chapter Text

Todoroki headed back to his room after the confrontation with Bakugou, his mind buzzing as he relapsed the moment in his mind. He had flinched at the feeling of rough skin grabbing his arm, a stupid mistake that would inevitably lead Bakugou to look too deep into it. Not that he wouldn’t anyway, he just helped Todoroki with a ptsd attack for fuck’s sake. To make it worse, he had a crush on the explosive blonde. Great, way to scare him away, not like he had a chance anyway.

Todoroki slammed the door to his dorm room and exhaled slowly as he relaxed against the back of the door. He slid down until he was sitting against it on the wooden floor, wrapping his head in his arms as he sat in thought. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about what could happen if it got out. He hoped Bakugou would mind his own business, but the doubt nagged his mind as he sat in depressive thought. 

He was jolted back to reality by the ding of his phone. He had a special ringtone for the old man to warn himself that the following text message would dampen his mood. He didn’t ever want to see what the bastard had to say, but he knew if he ignored his father he’d get a lecture at the least and a harsher training session at the worst. 

He slid his hand into his pocket, wrapped his calloused fingers around the phone, and brought it towards his face. The light from his phone lit up the room with a light blue hue, landing on each surface to give his room definable shape. The harsh light hurt his eyes before he eventually readjusted enough to make out the letters that plagued his message notification. 

#1 Shitty Dad: Shouto. I just called your teacher and got permission for your absence for the following weekend. Get your bag ready. Be there at 8:30 - Todoroki Enji

Todoroki’s already shitty mood didn’t improve after his father’s loving message. The bastard even signed text messages with his name like the old piece of shit he is. He was expecting that though, his father never missed the chance to check up on his progress and make sure he wasn’t slacking.

He didn’t want to get up. He wanted to sink into the tatami mats, drown his head in the flood of thoughts entering his brain, forget his burdensome birthright. 

Moping around on the ground wasn’t helping him, so he slowly lifted himself off of the soft wood with an aching arm. He mindlessly packed his suitcase, barely shoving anything inside of it. He lifted his gaze onto his alarm clock which read 8:15pm. He should get downstairs and wait before he gets lost in thought for too long and faces his father’s wrath. 

He grabbed the door handle and turned it slowly, looking back at his room, the only place that’s been a real home for him ever. He quickly averted his gaze and hurriedly walks into the elevator.

He watched the numbers as they slowly went down with a beep until the elevator slowed to a stop. He walked out of the elevator and into the common room, only to see Kaminari and Kirishima on the couch. They don’t seem to notice how tense he is as they send him their signature shiny smiles. 

“What’s up Todo-bro, you headed somewhere?” Kirishima questioned as he leaned back into the couch cushion. 

“Are you going home for the weekend? Lucky!” Kaminari exclaimed with a whine. Oh, if only he knew just how lucky Todoroki was. 

Todoroki just gave them a slight nod. 

“That’s pretty cool, I kinda miss my parents,” Kirishima said as he cracked his knuckles. 

“Dude, that was a nice crack!”

“Thanks bro!”

Todoroki sighed and ignored the rest of their antics, drifting away into the soft air surrounding him. He’d miss the atmosphere, but oh well. 

Aizawa shuffled into the common room. 

“Good, you’re here. Endeavor’s car is waiting outside. Don’t be late on Monday,” he said before retreating back to who knows where. 

Todoroki opened the door and walked over to the gate where his father’s driver was waiting in the obnoxiously nice car. He slid into the seat without a word, knowing the driver isn’t one to converse, something he’s thankful for. 

He looked out of the car window and saw the moon shining brightly through the trees as it fought bravely against the clouds that tried to obscure it. He loved the white light of the moon, it was so pure and serene, like a pool into another world. The sun glared into your eyes, burning them if you dared to look for too long, flaring and screaming for attention as it squeezes the world with its unrelenting light. The moon embraced the world with a soft glow, not demanding attention and allowing people to rest within its motherly embrace. His favorite color was white, the same white that laid upon the moon’s surface. 

Before he knew it, the car slowed to stopped and his door was opened for him. He stepped out and lifted his gaze to the figure of his father looming in the doorway. 

“Shoto! Come inside and get rest. We will have a full day of training tomorrow so make it worth my time. I set aside hero duty this weekend for you, so be grateful,” his father said in that commanding tone Todoroki hated to death. 

He didn’t give his father a response, walking past him and towards his room. He hated this house, it was packed full of his childhood memories that he’d shoved down for good reason. Coming back was like ripping off a bandaid as slow as physically possible. 

He made it to his room and immediately load out his futon and fell on top of it with a “plop”, succumbing to sleep quite easily due to the exhaustion from the day’s events.

Chapter Text

Momo sat down in her seat, her legs crossed and her hands fiddling nervously in her lap. She was surprised when she opened the door last night to none other than Bakugou Katsuki, and even more surprised when he explained the reason for his sudden appearance. She could tell he really cared for Todoroki, and she hoped that he might requite the crush Todoroki harbors for him. The conversation turned out well and now she awaits a chance to question Todoroki about Endeavor, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation may be. 

She takes a slip of her tea, not noticing that the some of the other students had entered the common room for breakfast. She startles when a hand grasps her shoulder, her expensive ceramic cup almost spilling hot tea all over her white satin pajamas. 

“Yo Momo, what’s got you so tense?” She hears Jirou’s voice say to her right. She looks up at her crush, her smile broadening at the sight of her easily recognizable purple hair. 

“Good morning Kyoka, I’m sorry I just wasn’t expecting you,” she says with a smile that is only half fake. 

“It’s all good. I found this band called Two Door Cinema Club, wanna listen?” She says as she offers an earbud to Momo with a grin. 

Momo places it inside of her ear and waits for the music to begin. It sounds nice, and she appreciates Jirou’s effort to introduce Momo to new music. Momo used to listen to classical music exclusively and when Jirou learned of this she made it her mission to fill Momo’s phone with the best music possible. 

She hums along to the song as she adds it to her phone, giving Jirou a soft smile as she does so. 

She feels her phone buzz as a notification appears at the top of her screen. 

Bakugou Katsuki: the fucker went to his shitty ass house for the weekend 

Momo’s brow creases and she holds her breath as she processes the text. Why now of all times? Her anxiety spikes as she fears the worst for her friend. 

Yaoyorozu Momo: How you do you know? Do you perhaps know why?

Bakugou Katsuki: the dumbass left his door unlocked and Deku was looking for his Houdini ass with no shitty luck

Yaoyorozu Momo: This doesn’t bode well for us or him. 

Bakugou Katsuki: no fucking shit 

Yaoyorozu Momo: Then I’ll text him. We will have to talk with him on Sunday night or Monday if need be.

Bakugou Katsuki: so we just fucking let him get beat by that shit bag for the weekend?

Yaoyorozu Momo: I admit I am not the least bit enthralled by the idea, but our situation isn’t ideal. What can we do?

Bakugou Katsuki: fine

Momo sighs as she pockets her phone and stands up. 

“Kyoka, thank you so much for introducing me to that band, I’ll be sure to listen to them,” She says nervously. 

“No problem, see you later I guess?” Jirou questions as she puts away her earbuds. She only uses them with Momo, she doesn’t need them normally due to the usefulness of her quirk. 

“Of course,” she answers as she exits the common room with a rosy blush. She has a lot to think about, and she’s rather have time to herself to do so. 

Todoroki wakes up to heavy pounding on his door and an all-too familiar voice boom for him to come to breakfast. 

He wants to sink into his futon, into the floorboards and beneath the soil, maybe even 6 feet underneath. If he gets up, he knows what will happen. The same routine that used to be his life and purpose. Eating gross healthy stuff is something he’s used to. Food isn’t something to be enjoyed, it is only to be utilized for energy and health. The same could be said for every other aspect of his life. His room is bland and devoid of personality, kinda like him. 

As thundering footsteps echo past the capacity of his hearing abilities, he forces himself up. The consequences of staying outweigh the internal desire to rebel in the end. 

He mindlessly gets dressed, emptiness sitting heavily within him like a ball and chain attached to his soul. Time blurs and suddenly he’s sitting on his knees at the table eating food he cant even discern the taste of. It’s all the same anyway, the same cursed dullness that haunts the Todoroki estate. He can hear his father talk about some legacy bullshit Shoto couldn’t really care less about, but he tries his hardest to tune out his voice by focusing on a crack in the ceiling. 

He tunes back into the one-sided conversation when he notices Endeavor trying to get his attention. 

“Go to the training room. Enough time has been wasted already!” His voice booms like a thundercloud striking all that surrounds it.

He quietly gets on his feet and walks down the hall to the training room. His heart beats fast, painful memories stabbing his heart as old wounds are reopened. He hates this hallway, hates this house, and hates the demon that laid rest to it. 

He positions himself in a fighting stance as he waits for Endeavor’s attack. 

“I hope UA hasn’t been going too easy on your training. I don’t plan to waste this chance to train your endurance. I bet that school doesn’t want lawsuits, so you haven’t had a taste for what happens in the real world in a while. Let me remind you, Shoto,” he shouts with that scowl ever-present on his ugly face. 

Maybe there’s a reason they don’t implement near-death experience in the curriculum Todoroki thinks as he dodges a heatwave. 

He throws spikes of ice at Endeavor, and as predicted he melts it near instantly. Todoroki, knowing this would happen, jumps in after the ice to get an attack in right after it melts. 

He launches a kick for endeavors head and swivels away quickly when his meaty hands grab for him. He summons an ice wall and runs around it to try and surprise his father from the side. 

Large meaty fingers grab his fist before it lands on its target. Todorki lifts his fear-stricken eyes and meets his father’s cold glare and downturned mouth as it shatters his hope. 

Please no he tries to convey in his expression 

There’s a pause

And then a snap as Endeavor twists his wrist.

Todorki yells out in pain as his wrist is broken by the hands of his father, as he hears the bone crack with a disturbing sound he’s familiar with my now. He kicks Endeavor in the stomach and propels using the momentum. He cradles his wrist, avoiding looking at it with the knowledge that the disturbing sight would only hinder his performance. 

He shoots continuous fire at Endeavor to distract him as ice creeps from his foot towards his flaming figure. Endeavor fights back with his own flames as Todoroki’s ice encases his legs slowly. Endeavor quickly breaks out of the ice and decides he’s had enough of playing defense, which is not going to be a good situation for Shoto. 

Todoroki barely has time to breath before a fiery fist encloses around his neck. Endeavor quickly throws his son by the neck into the wall with a sickening thud with no sign of remorse, not that the half-split boy was looking for any as he crumbled on the floor. Todoroki knows he sustained injuries from that but he doesn’t care. He tries to get up with his one good wrist but a large boot crushes his spine and presses him deep into the floor mats. 

“Just as I thought Shoto, you lack pain endurance and your strategies are weak. Let’s make the most out of this weekend,” he sneers as he grinds his heel into his youngest son’s back. Todoroki tries to imagine being somewhere else right now, maybe training with Bakugou or Midoriya, instead of being beaten by his trash bag father with sadistic tendencies. 

The training session lasted another hour, and by the end Todoroki was in so much pain he blacked out. When he came to his face was planted in the training mats, and his wrist was still throbbing along with the rest of his body. He forced himself to get up and tend to his injuries. At least Endeavor had the decency to carry the most expensive and modern medicine for his wounds. 

Another training session begins after an hour of ‘break time’. Bruises litter his body in blue and purple patches, and an ice bath is due in Todoroki’s opinion. Endurance training was his least favorite, but it was an area Endeavor seemed to enjoy to work on. 

Eventually the training ends, and Todoroki can hardly stand (so he doesn’t). 

“Shoto! Villains will never wait for you to get over your weaknesses and snivel on the floor, so get up! We will resume training tomorrow at 7am sharp!” He demands with his never-changing scowl that permanently sits on his face. As soon as Endeavor’s loud footsteps seem to leave the room he hears the light patter of another’s come towards him nervously. 

He immediately knows it’s Fuyumi, and he doesn’t want her to see his injuries so he attempts to get up. 

He predictably fails with a depressing flop. 

“Shoto?” She asks in a nervous tone as she tries to scan him for injuries. Her small breaths hitch at the sight. “Father went too far didn’t he...,” he hears the telltale signs of crying and winces when he sees tears fall down her cheeks. She runs over to him and wonders what she should do. She grabs his body and tries to pick him up to no avail. 

“Shoto, you’ve gotten so big,” she says in a strained voice as she attempts to drag him out of the training room. “I don’t think I can carry you...I’m so sorry Shoto, can you walk? I’ll help you,” she tries to comfort, but Shoto isn’t really in the mood.

He manages to get on his feet with the help of his sister who holds him up as much as she can as he limps to his room. He lays down on his futon as Fuyumi helps him dress his wounds. There’s a scorched handprint on his left leg and a bad burn on the other. His wrist is broken and his torso is covered in blobs of purple, blue, and yellow. There’s a bruised handprint on his neck and a bruise on his cheek, and Shoto curses his old man in his head for all the bullshit he’ll have to cover up. 

Fuyumi quickly re-bandages his left wrist and slathers ointment over his torso. The ointment is cold, too cold for his burning skin. He feels so hot and the stark contrast is unpleasant but he can’t care enough to complain. After what feels like an eternity Fuyumi lays a blanket over his body and cleans up the supplies. 

“Shoto...I don’t know what to do...I want us to be a happy family, but I can’t bear to see this happen to you,” she whispers quietly to him. 

Todoroki tries to speak, his lungs burning from when his father choked him. It hurts, but he manages to speak. 

“Have we ever been a happy family?” He managed to say in a raspy voice, coughs making their way between words.

“I suppose not...,” she whispers back, tears welling up again at the sound of his strained voice. “What do I do? What can I do?” She murmurs. Todoroki doesn’t know how to answer that so he averts his eyes to the ceiling. After a few seconds Fuyumi leaves the room, leaving Todoroki alone in his thoughts. 

All he can do is stare at the ceiling, until that gets boring and he closes his eyes to attempt sleep. He eventually does fall asleep, but nightmares seem to be unable to leave him alone. 

He doesn’t want to think about the reaction his appearance is sure to ignite in his classmates. 

He’d rather float away and forget it all while he can

Chapter Text

When Todoroki comes to he’s wrapped up in bandages and a light tap can be heard from the outside of his door. Memories of the previous day come back to him, and he lets out a soft groan as he realizes he’ll have to get up for the person that waits behind his door. 

It’s excruciatingly painful but he manages to begrudgingly lift himself into his feet and towards the door. He slowly wraps his fingers around the door handle and drags it open as light gradually spills into his room. His wrist still throbs, but pain can be easily ignored. 

A plain man in a suite stands outside of his room. Todoroki’s brows curl in confusion as he tries to discern the reason for his arrival. “Greetings Todoroki-san. Your father has requested my services to heal your broken wrist, my quirk can ease the damage so it won’t be as painful! I can’t completely heal it, but I’m sure I can relieve some pain,” he says with a smile. He enters the room without another word and motions for Todoroki follow. 

He lifts up his wrist, giving a slight flinch in pain when the doctor grabs it. The man squeezes it tightly, and Todoroki feels like his arm is on fire from the burning pain. He quickly suppresses his reaction and awaits for it to be over as a faint glow comes from within the man’s grasp. “It should feel like a slight sprain now. Have a nice day Todoroki-san,” he says as he makes his way out of the room. He’s right though, his wrist feels a lot better. That doesn’t mean the burns all over his body feel any better, but at least there’s only a dull throb to be felt in his wrist. He grabs his phone and lays back down on his futon, not wanting to get up again if he has the choice. There’s a plethora of messages from his friends and...Bakugou? Todoroki blushes at the thought of it, internally scolding himself after doing so. He opens Midoriya’s text messages first. 

Midoriya: hey todoroki! I was going to invite you to spar but you didn’t answer your door, are you alright? You normally don’t sleep in this late. 

Midoriya: ajajakakwjesh sorry if that sounded weird, I’m not keeping track of your rising time I promise!

Midoriya: please answer when you can!

Todoroki smiles at Midoriya’s antics before typing out a response. 

Todoroki Shouto: I am fine. I went to my house for the weekend, it was last minute so I couldn’t text you. Sorry for troubling you in any way. 

Todoroki hopes it sounds okay, he’s still getting used to socializing like a normal person. He opens Bakugou’s messages, curious about what they could be about. Bakugou wouldn’t be worried about him...would he?

Bakugou Katsuki : hey half n half

Bakugou Katsuki: where tf r u shithead

Bakugou Katsuki: you better fucking answer me asshole. I bet ur at ur house with that flaming pile of garbage. 

Todoroki almost gasps. Bakugou? Showing concern? For him? Todoroki smiles inwardly at the thought of it as he types out a response. 

Todoroki Shouto: I am fine, thank you for asking Bakugou. I am at my father’s house as you guessed. Your choice of words are too kind really. 

Then he opens the singular text from Momo, already knowing it’s about his disappearance. 

Momo: How are you doing Shoto? I heard you were possibly at your house, so I wanted to check in. 

He types out a quick reply before he hears another knock, this one many times louder and fiercer, rap on his wood door. 

“Shoto! I realized that you may have sustained too many injuries from yesterday’s training to really get anywhere today. How pathetic. I’ve decided to instead do strategy training, and that won’t require physical effort. You better be thankful I took pity on your weak state.” Todoroki breathes a sigh of relief but knows this won’t be easy. Strategy practice usually involved Endeavor giving him random villain situations and making him think up a way to defeat them. If he failed, the training session became longer. At least it isn’t as bad as eurdurance training, that’s something Todoroki is sure of. He lifts himself onto his feet, ignoring the burns that sting viciously on his leg and arm. 

He walks through the halls of this cursed house and wonders when it will be over. It has to end at some point, but when? When will Endeavor’s dirty hands no longer pry into his every actions?

It seems like a dream. To think of a world in which he is free from his his father’s chains is unrealistic, just a waste of time in his opinion. 

Bakugou is pissed off. He finally decides to get off his ass and openly give a shit about Todoroki only for his plans to interrogate him to go down in shambles. He angrily punches his pillow until he feels a buzz from his pant pocket. 

It’s from Icyhot. Right. Bakugou forgot that he texted Todoroki this morning. The message confirms his suspicions about Todoroki’s whereabouts, and for once he isn’t proud of being right. He feels a burning hatred for Endeavor as he visions blasting him in the face with a well-timed explosion. 

He suddenly remembers that he accepted frog-girl’s invitation to train in the gym the previous day, so he’ll save his temper tantrum for another day, preferably when Endeavor is in the vicinity. He stomps through the common room, getting a happily-remarked “Bakubro!” from Kirishima and a “Kacchan!” from Kaminari. He doesn’t understand why the electric blond boy uses that nickname and honestly it pisses him off even more. He nods at his ketchup and mustard-colored friends before continuing on his journey to the gym. He doesn’t mind the frog-girl’s presence as much as many others in the class, she knows when to shut the fuck up and she isn’t half-bad in terms of fighting. 

Tsuyu questions Bakugou’s anger when he walks in, worrying that he might take it out on her. Bakugou yells back with a quick “shut it” and she doesn’t poke further. Soon he’s lost in the flurry of punches and kicks, and he’s able to momentarily forget those beautiful locks of red and white hair that he can’t seem to stop thinking of.

Chapter Text

Bakugou plops down on the bed next to Kirishima with a pained grunt. He needs to stop thinking about Todoroki but worries about the two-toned jackass wouldn’t stop swimming in his brain. Raccoon eyes and sparky pestered him nonstop that morning about having a bakusquad movie night and Bakugou, with much fuss and resistance, went along with it. He had hoped it would deter his thoughts from Todoroki to whatever movie they decided to watch but no such thing has happened so far.

He won’t stop thinking about how while they’re  having fun and being normal kids Todoroki is probably suffering by the hands of his own father. It pisses Bakugou off to know that so much has been taken from Todoroki and nothing has been done about it. 

“Yo Bakubro are you okay? You’ve kind of been sulking this whole day and you were pretty lost in thought just now,” he says with a small frown. Curse shitty hair and his stupid empathy. 

“I’m fan-fucking-tastic,” he sneers as he refuses to meet Kirishima’s concerned stare. 

“Alright, but if you’re feeling up to it try and watch the movie, kay? It might cheer you up a bit! We also made popcorn! You can spice up your bowl with pepper if you want, I got some just in case!” His friend sounds like a mom trying to cheer up her depressed teenage child, and the thought of it amuses Bakugou somehow.

“Yeah okay fine, you better hand over the pepper though,” he grumbles as he grabs a bowl of buttery popcorn. Kirishima hands him the pepper with a shark-toothed smile, and as expected Bakugou pours the entire packet onto his popcorn. His friend winces as he witnesses the pepper ‘ruin’ the delicious bowl of popcorn, but Bakugou would argue that it tastes better this way. 

“Everybody ready?” Ashido exclaims as she plops down onto her beanbag. 

“You haven’t told us what movie we’re watching yet,” Jirou points out from the confines of her blanket. 

“Oh! You’re right, my bad! Well, it’s not really a movie, but we’re watching Haikyuu! It’s an anime about volleyball if you didn’t know,” Ashido flashes a bright smile as she opens up the show on Netflix and clicks on the first episode. Bakugou is able to forget about red and white hair and a screaming kettle as he fixes his eyes on the tv screen. 

Maybe Kirishima was right. 

Considering yesterday’s training, today wasn’t that bad for Todoroki Shouto. His injuries still ached and stung like hell but he could manage it. As he walks stiffly back to his bedroom he sees light aluminate the hallway from his room. He nervously continues toward his room, wondering who went in his room and if they’re still there. Upon reaching the door he looks in and meets the steel eyes of his sister as she sits nervously at his desk chair. 

“Hey Shoto! I just wanted to check on you! How’s your wrist feeling?” She looks into his eyes, seemingly searching for a clue that’ll answer her questions. 

“It’s fine, thank you Fuyumi,” he replies with an even more than usually blank expression. 

“Alright, well, I can drive you back to school if you’d like?” Oh right, he almost forgot. 

“I’d appreciate that,” he gives her a slight smile. He knows that she just wants their family to be ok and that’s why she’s been trying so hard to pull everyone together. The least he can do is try not to be a burden and assure her that he’s fine. Her face brightens a bit at his reply, meaning that Todoroki did something right for once. 

“Great! Get your stuff together, and don’t forget the med kit!” She scurries out of his room and down the hallway, most likely getting her car. Todoroki packs his suitcase, dutifully making sure to not forget the med kit. He walks down the dimly lit hallway and pushes away memories that attempt to resurface in his mind. He doesn’t have time for things like that. 

Endeavor is out on patrol so he thankfully doesn’t have to worry about running into him on his way to the front door. He opens the door and nods at Fuyumi before entering the sleek white Lexus that he bought her with money he stole from Endeavor. When asked he said that their father had permitted it (to save his sister from the anxiety). Endeavor was angry at first but he never found out, never questioning the expensive car his daughter owns due to the fact that he doesn’t even know that she teaches for a living. 

He looks out the window and at the clouded white beacon in the sky. It’s a routine for him, looking out the window and at the moon. He enjoys getting lost in thought.

Soon enough they reach the UA gates and Todoroki waves a goodbye to Fuyumi but to his surprise she exits the car and runs over to him. Before he can formulate a reaction a set of arms envelope his torso and a face plants itself on his shoulder bone. He flinches, almost kicking his sister away as he internally reacts out of instinct with panic. He suppresses his instinct as he attempts to process the warmth on his chest and the weird feeling in his skin. It feels nice but it also feels wrong and uncomfortable, he’s drawn into it but he also wants to jump away, and he doesn’t quite know what to do so he stiffens and stays still. 

“Shoto, please promise me you’ll be alright? I hope you’ve made some friends, I worry so much about you sometimes. Text me if you need anything, it’s never a bother,” she whispers into his ear. She pulls away with shiny eyes and quivering lips, and swiftly turns around and heads back to the car. 

Todoroki watches her leave as he processes the warmth he just felt. He shakes his head before turning on his heel and walking to the dorms. Hopefully his injuries will feel better tomorrow. He’s glad that their gym outfits have high collars so it’s likely that as long as no one pays close attention no one will notice the bruises on his neck. He will have to be careful with his wrist but it should heal in due time. He only hopes that no one will see him return and try to talk to him because right now all he wants to do is be alone. 

Too bad he’s on the most wanted list of two very powerful and very determined heroes-in-training

Chapter Text

Momo fidgets with the hem of her shirt out of anticipation as she sits cross-legged on the common-room couch. Someone has to be there when Todoroki gets back to make sure he’s okay, and that person will be Momo whether he likes it or not. She knows how stubborn he is, so this could go south if she pushes the wrong buttons. 

After what feels like an eternity of waiting the door finally opens to reveal an exhausted Todoroki Shouto with his book-bag in tow, bandages adorning his arms and neck. There’s a large bandage on his cheek and Momo lifts a gentle hand to her own at the sight. At first he doesn’t see her but when he finally does his eyes widen in fear and his body becomes rigid. She is hit with a mixture of sadness and calamity at the sight, her breath hitches and her fists curl into the folds of her skirt. 

She gently but swiftly walks over to him and wraps her arms around his torso as if to prevent him from running away from this. He immediately freezes, that same feeling he felt earlier with Fuyumi resurfacing as her embrace digs into the bruises on his torso. He lets out a hiss and a sharp inhale and her eyes widen with realization. She quickly loosens her embrace. 

“Oh Shouto I’m so sorry I didn’t-“

“It’s okay, Momo,” He finally speaks even though his whole body shakes and aches. “Why are you up so late?”

“Why are you covered in bandages and bruises?” She retorts angrily resulting in a slight wince from the dual-haired boy. She softens up her tone a bit at the sight. “I came to welcome you back. Bakugou wanted to do so himself but I convinced him not to for your sake. I’ve been worried about you lately,” she admits. 

“Bakugou?” He questions, baffled at the thought. 

“Yes Shouto, he really does care for you. We all do,” she grasps his shoulders as she stares into his empty eyes that were stripped of liveliness from the weekend’s events. “I don’t mean to assume but I suspect...” she purses her lips as she tries to form the correct words. “Does Endeavor...hurt you?” His eyes flicker down and his brow wrinkles as the words spill out of her mouth. 

“I just...I mean, where else could these injuries come from? It’s-“ he cuts her off. 

“He’s training me. You shouldn’t worry yourself too much Momo, I can take it,” He says intently as he stares at Momo, seemingly trying to intimidate her into giving up. 

“This isn’t training Shouto, this is abuse,” As soon as the word slips off her tongue his eyebrows furrow and his eyes glare at her hers. She realizes she made a mistake as the world abuse causes Shouto to build his walls even higher. 

“I can handle myself! Stay out of it please, nothing can be done and you know that. He’s the number one hero, the world needs him significantly more than it needs a new scandal. You saw nothing tonight,” He spits angrily as he shoulders her off and makes off to his room. “Just...leave me alone, please? I’m sorry for lashing out Momo. Have a good night,” He whispers with pain lacing his movements. She lets him go while her fists shake from anger and contempt for Endeavor and this whole situation. She’s very conflicted and her thoughts are a mess so she lets him go, she’ll just have to talk to him later when she has a clear head. She did get something out of this however, for now there is no denial of the truth behind each bruise and burn adorning her friend’s body. 

As soon as she sees that he’s gone she finally lets a tear slip down her soft cheek. It trails down slowly as she shakes in the silence of the night with no one to hear her break. She doesn’t know what to do anymore. Obviously Shouto is too stubborn and scared to let her save him, but maybe Aizawa-sensei would understand. She won’t go to him unless she’s sure she has to, so she’ll let Bakugou take a shot at talking to Todoroki. He’ll be just as mad as she is. 

She unclenches her fist and lets her skirt fall back down to the sides of her hips. She can’t afford to let this affect her too much, she still has to focus on improving to become a pro hero. She can’t be weak. She has to be strong for her own sake as well as Shouto’s. 

She quietly makes her way to her room and slips into her white satin pajamas. She allows herself to be ensconced within her fluffy blankets and soft sheets to attempt to silence her overthinking. She wraps her arms around one of her white laced pillows and wishes she could hold someone (especially a particular purple-haired individual) and be comforted while she cries silent tears. 

Todoroki wakes up the next morning feeling like shit. Maybe that was an understatement, maybe it was an over-exaggeration, but Todoroki doesn’t have the mind to care. He’s too busy wrapping his arms in cloth and applying concealer to his bruised face and neck to worry about how much it all hurts. Plenty of people wear bandages on their arms for training, especially Midoriya, so it shouldn’t arouse too much suspicion. He hopes the concealer won’t wear off or show through, but still he’s thankful for Fuyumi’s private lessons on makeup he revived in the past. 

He gets dressed and heads downstairs with a look that screams ‘I’m in a bad mood, fuck off’. He’s still contemplating last night’s events and what they might mean for the future. He winces at the notion of Momo meddling out of concern for his safety or attempting to help him at all. She’s a great friend and he doesn’t want to get her involved with his shitty life. He hopes that she will realize how much of a mess he is and give up, it’s better for everyone that way. 

Unfortunately, his ‘fuck off’ face had no effect on a certain broccoli-headed individual. 

“Todoroki-kun! You look kinda pissed off, is everything okay?” He asks with genuine concern. 

“Good morning Midoriya, don’t worry I’m okay. I’m just a little bit more tired than usual,” he says, trying his best to sound convincing. 

“Alright, if you say so, but if you need anything just ask!” Iida chimes in with an agreement and Todoroki gives a slight smile at their generosity and kindness. How did he get so lucky? 

They make their way over to their first class, amicably chatting about something that happened that weekend. As he walks in he catches Momo’s eyes with his own, but he quickly averts his gaze when he sees the concerned look she’s giving him. It’s not the only state he can feel, so he looks around the room only to see Bakugou giving him an inquisitive up-and-down glance. He’s studying Shouto, which makes the two-toned boy uncomfortable considering he’s not in the best of shape at the moment. The last thing he needs is the first person that he’s had a crush on to know how fucked up he is. He couldn’t bear to see Bakugou’s disappointed face as he learns how pathetic he is. 

He diverts his eyes and continues on to his seat with his anxiety climbing higher. The eyes that drill into his body do not deviate and their presence holds strong as he gracefully drops down onto his chair. He refuses to acknowledge either of them out of fear and persistence. If Bakugou knows too then things will get even more complicated, and the thought of such a thing makes his head hurt. His anxiety is starting to spike and it’s getting harder and harder to push it down. He resists the urge to snap as he casually extracts a pencil and notebook from his backpack, he will not give in to temptation. He’s been brought up better than that. 

Classes go by with a blur and soon he’s in line in the crowded cafeteria. He mindlessly grabs a tray and receives lunch, not even bothering to look down to see what’s there. 

He finally looks up to the crowd of bustling students around him which gives his anxiety a significant advantage to take over. He’s never done well with crowds, they make him feel overwhelmed and trapped as the bodies slowly surround and smother him. He freezes, flinching when someone accidentally bumps into him. His anxiety is spiraling and he can’t breathe, he can’t seem to get it under control, he needs to get away before someone sees-

He swiftly walks out of the cafeteria, and once out of sight he runs towards up the stairs and to the rooftop of the school. Hopefully no one will find him there. He makes it through the door and onto the rooftop, and only then does he let himself collapse. He curls up into a ball and wraps his shaking arms around his knees. The world fades away as his mind spirals and he tries to focus on breathing in and out, slowly, 1...2...3...4 all the way to 10 just like Touya taught him. He immediately tries to divert his thoughts to something else. Fuyumi’s favorite color is yellow, His favorite color is white, he likes cats, they don’t require socialization or too much attention, but Fuyumi likes dogs. 

He is able to calm himself down and come to his surroundings. He’s on the rooftop, curled in a ball, with his lunch tray upside down near the door. Whatever lunch was there ended up smushed on the concrete but at least no one saw his freak out, that would be the worse case scenario. He normally doesn’t get panic attacks at lunch but his anxiety was particularly high today. It just isn’t one of his good days. That is to say, Todoroki Shouta doesn’t have ‘good days’. 

He pulls himself onto his feet and grabs his lunch tray, grimacing at the mess he left on the ground. He doesn’t have time to clean it so hopefully some birds will find it and help themselves. 

He places the tray on top of a trash can and makes his way over to the nearest bathroom to make sure he looks presentable. His hair is a little out of place and his shirt is mussed up, but a couple of pats do the trick. He steps out of the bathroom with a stone cold expression that gives nothing away, just as he’s been taught since he was a child. This is his life, and neither Momo nor Bakugou can change it.

Chapter Text

Bakugou waits in the hallway for what feels like hours. Maybe he didn’t need to sprint back to the dorms so fast, but he knew he needed to get there before Todoroki. He needs to talk to him, and he will do so whether the half n’ half bastard likes it or not. 

Bakugou isn’t blind. He saw Momo’s piercing but concerned stare at Todoroki’s back throughout the whole day. Not to mention he wasn’t at lunch, and he had a bit of a limp to his step during training. He knows that something must’ve happened between Momo and Todoroki last night, and his suspicions regarding Endeavor being a grade-A asshole are being confirmed. Fucking great. 

Soon enough, the elevator dings and the metal doors slide open to reveal none other then the icy hot bastard himself. Thank fuck. 

The bastard lifts his head and makes eye contact with Bakugou, his eyebrows jumping in surprise and his soft lips opening slightly when he sees Bakugou propped up next to his door. Todoroki steels his expression, his face concealing everything but his frustration for his current situation. Unexpectedly but in typical bitchy Todoroki fashion, he looks Bakugou in the eye and presses a button in the elevator, presumably one that goes to the ground floor. Bakugou’s eyes widen.

Hell no this bastard is not getting away that easily

Bakugou races to the elevator and grabs the metal doors, shoving them open until they automatically part ways for him. He levels Todoroki with a determined glare. Todoroki should know by now that once Bakugou sets his mind to something he’ll do it at any cost necessary. It seems Todoroki had a worse day than usual, as his bitchy-ness levels are higher than normal. 

Todoroki looks down at Bakugou with forced disinterest and mild annoyance.

“Excuse me Bakugou, I need to get to my room, would you kindly get out of the way.” 

“I need to talk with you, and I’m not leaving until I do.” Todoroki sighs heavily, and now Bakugou really wants to strangle the bastard—but because he’s the fucking best at self control, he doesn’t.

“I have to do something, I don’t have time for this,” Todoroki pushes past Bakugou and makes a beeline for his room. 

“Wait you piece of shit-“ Bakugou grabs Todoroki’s arm only for him to flinch and inhale in pain. He swears silently and grabs his apparent injury with his cold hand to soothe it.

“What was that,” Bakugou growls. “Where did you get that injury from.”

“Training today, now leave me be.”

“You didn’t get hurt in training today you idiot.”

“I’m fine, why do you even care, just go,” Todoroki starts walking but Bakugou grabs his shoulder.

“Was it your shitty old man?” Todoroki’s eyes widen and his breath hitches. His brows furrow and his eyes turn icy with anger.

“Who told you that?”

“Nobody, asshole, I figured it out my own damn self.”

“Well, you’re wrong so-“

“I overheard your little convo with Deku a while ago, don’t pretend I’m wrong.”

“This is none of your business Baku-“ Bakugou’s patience snaps. 

“OF COURSE IT IS YOU DUMBASS! IT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD DEAL WITH ALONE!” Todoroki whips around with fire in his eyes.

“STOP PRETENDING TO CARE!” 

Bakugou freezes, stunned by Todoroki’s words. The fuck is this bastard talking about?

“JUST STOP-STOP, PLEASE STOP! I DON’T NEED YOUR PITY, JUST STOP PRETENDING TO GIVE A SHIT!” 

Tears are forming at the corners of Todoroki’s eyes as he finally breaks. 

“You can’t help me don’t bother trying you’ll turn out like Touya they’ll never believe you just don’t please I can’t do this again-“ 

Todoroki’s hands are shaking and his skin is deathly pale, and Bakugou can’t think of anything to do or say to that. 

“What the fuck are you-“ Todoroki flees to his room and slams the door behind him, and Bakugou can hear the click of the lock signifying his failure to break through Todoroki’s walls. 

A minute passes and Bakugou knocks on the door, not expecting a response but internally hoping for one. No answer.

“I really hope you’re listening you bastard, I don’t want to say this more than once,” he hears some noise from inside the room, but other than that there is no response. He sighs.

“I don’t know what may have happened in the past, but I know that you can get help now. Aizawa-sensei would beat Endeavor into a pulp if he knew about this shit. People do care, I…” he gulps. “I care, okay? There, I admitted it you shitty fucker. We can gather up evidence and get you away from that piece of trash, you just have to stop being stubborn and accept that maybe people do in fact give a shit about the fact that your dad’s been treating you like a villain since you were five.”

He hears some footsteps and a click, and suddenly the door opens up a crack. A shiny heterochromatic eye peers through and Bakugou exhales with relief. 

“Do you…really think I can get away from him?” Todoroki looks up at him with genuine disbelief, and Bakugou is hit with a pang of sadness. 

“Yeah, you just gotta ask for help first.”

“I…” Todoroki looks away and then looks back through the crack. He opens the door wider and walks over to his futon. Bakugou walks in after him and quietly closes the door behind him. It never occurred to him how empty Todoroki’s room felt without a touch of anything other than traditional Japanese shit, not even a single poster or anything.

“I don’t need him to be arrested, I don’t want to rob the nation of its number one hero so soon after All Might. It would be detrimental for society to know that the number one hero is a child and spousal abuser,” Todoroki says all-too calmly.

“That flaming shit-bag should get what he deserves, who gives a shit about society,” Bakugou huffs.

“While I’d like to see him suffer, retribution for his actions against me shouldn’t be the only concern.” He does have a point, no matter how shitty.

“Maybe someone can get custody of you, and we can shut Endeavor up about it with evidence. It’s a win-win.”

“That could be a viable solution, my sister Fuyumi could obtain custody of me…”

“So, does this mean that you’ll ask for help?”

Todoroki drags a hand through his hair and over his scar as he attempts to make a decision that would impact the rest of his life.

“I…Maybe.”

“I’ll take it.” Bakugou huffs. “Think about it.” Todoroki looks over at him with tired eyes.

“Thank you, Bakugou. I’m-“ He bites his lip and directs his gaze toward the ground. “I’m sorry for lashing out at you earlier, it was unnecessary.”

“Yeah whatever Icyhot, see you tomorrow,” Bakugou saunters over to the door and gives Todoroki one last look. “Make this decision for yourself, not anyone else.”

Todoroki gives him a small smile that makes his cheeks heat up and his heart hurt (he’d deny it if you asked). “Thank you again, Bakugou,”

“Don’t get too full of yourself asshole, I don’t like you dumbass!” Bakugou barks out as he grabs the doorknob.

“Sure Bakugou,” Todoroki smirks as Bakugou quietly closes the door. The knowledge that Bakugou actually cares about him has yet to settle inside of his brain, but the thought of it makes his heart flutter. 

Chapter Text

To summarize why I haven’t posted
- COVID hit my family’s financial situation hard
- schoolwork
- lack of motivation, lethargy
- i’ve been pretty busy

i don’t plan on abandoning this fic, i just need to figure out a good time to start working on it again. thank you all for being patient :)