Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The rumor spread like wildfire among the students of class 1-A, being the main pillars of communication Kaminari Denki and, curiously, Midoriya Izuku, although unlike the first who seemed to be paid for every gossip he spread with his classmates, the green-haired man had no choice when his group of closest friends questioned him. The trio had witnessed Todoroki's strange behavior and had also noticed, in the distance, the small altercation he had with Bakugou, so they didn't let Midoriya get away without telling them.

"A boy in the extracurricular class, activated his quirk on Todoroki" Izuku commented patiently "We're not sure what exactly it does but Kacchan said it amplifies the emotions that the dominant person has"

"Is that why Todoroki was acting so strange?" Ochako asked for everyone, receiving a nod from Izuku.

"He looked like he was scared" Asui commented, exchanging glances with her friend.

"But if that child's ability acts on the dominant emotion, why would Todoroki be afraid? It doesn't make sense" Iida expressed with a exaggerated move of his hands "Maybe it's something else"

Midoriya, being the only one who knew superficially about Todoroki's past, was of the opposite opinion. It made so much sense and it tore at his heart.

"Are you worried about something, Deku?" Uraraka asked. He had noticed that he had something else on his mind, he could tell by the way he seemed to deflate and isolate himself a bit as he always did when he was distraught over something.

Midoriya couldn't answer when his cell phone rang from a received message. He was quick to pull it out, expecting it to be Todoroki's but discovering to his disappointment that it was Hagakure. He put his phone back away and answered Ochako.

"It's just that Todoroki was acting very strange and I'm worried that he's going through this alone"

"Still, the quirk doesn't seem dangerous" Tsuyu reasoned "And the durability might be short"

"I hope so" Izuku whispered.

"Don't be discouraged, Midoriya. I'm sure Todoroki just needs some time alone to feel better" Iida commented determinedly "But we'll be there if he needs it"

Midoriya smiled, a little calmer and hopeful. However, the worry that bubbled in his chest was still present and was increasing. Midoriya had a bad feeling and he didn't know why.

"Momo brought desserts from her house. I'll tell her to save one for Todoroki" Uraraka commented as she checked her phone and stood up. The rest followed suit, also interested in joining their companions, who surrounded the kitchen, chatting happily and sharing food.

Midoriya followed his friends until his cell phone rang again. His heart skipped a beat at Todoroki's message, asking for help; It didn't take long for him to write a reply. Tenya, on the other hand, stopped abruptly when Izuku did It and waited patiently for the younger one to explain the reason for his recent anxiety.

"Todoroki wrote me. I'll go see him"

Tenya kept to himself the immense anguish he felt at those words. He knew Todoroki, he knew he was very reserved, self-sacrificing, and sometimes stubborn. So the fact that someone like him would put his pride aside to ask for help, even when it came to Midoriya, who he was very close to; it left Iida with a bad taste in his mouth.

"Midoriya" he called before he walked away "Promise you'll call me if you need help"

The green-haired noticed the concern in Tenya. Although he felt reassured that Shoto had accepted his help, his friend's recent seriousness made him refocus and become anxious. He just nodded before quickly heading for the elevator. In his haste to move, he hadn't thought about how bad Todoroki must feel to admit that he needed help, maybe that's what Iida noticed too. Midoriya felt impatient as he waited for the elevator to go up the corresponding levels. He wanted to get to his friend quickly, because of that bad feeling he kept having.

The fifth level hallway was empty. All his companions went down to the common room to eat what Yaoyorouzo brought, so moving around was quick and silent. When he reached Todoroki's room, he was about to knock on the door when it was flung open. Midoriya was shocked to see his friend in a panic, so he couldn't react in time when Todoroki yelled and tripped over a piece of furniture, falling hard.

"Todoroki!" Izuku yelled in concern, almost moving closer except that Todoroki backed away in fear again. He almost slapped himself for scaring him more than he already was, so he raised his hands, calmly "Todoroki, it's me, Midoriya"

Shoto opened his mouth to say something but only a shaky breath came out. His eyes, previously wide in blind fear, gleamed with faint recognition.

"Midoriya?" he whispered and Izuku smirked "I'm sorry"

"There's nothing to be sorry for" he tried to get closer but Shoto flinched, so he stayed in his place "If you feel bad, maybe we could tell Aizawa"

Todoroki shook his head. He didn't want to tell the teacher, he didn't want to know that he had let him down and that he could punish him for his ineptitude.

Midoriya, although he understood and respected his decisions, did not stop worrying and wondering if it was worth obeying him. He didn't know if the boy's power could escalate to wreak greater havoc and he didn't feel like he could help him, not when he didn't know what to do. The only thing that came to mind was to close the door and take a seat on the floor, everything slow so Todoroki wouldn't get overwhelmed.

"I'll stay with you until you feel better, is that okay with you?" he invited with a smile that tried to convey confidence and calm.

Todoroki didn't know how to feel about it. On one hand he felt safe with Midoriya but on the other, he didn't like being locked up with him; because, no matter how hard he tried to get the idea that his friend wouldn't hurt him, fear was blinding him.

Midoriya noticed Todoroki's discomfort and was tempted to write to Iida, but was afraid to make even the slightest move and lose him. Shoto brought his knees up to his chest for a moment and they stayed like that for maybe a minute. Silence reigned for that time and Izuku didn't know if this was helping or just complicating the situation.

He soon learned that there was nothing that could help.

Todoroki suddenly stood up, startled, and although Midoriya detected it with his own tension, he didn't dare move, not when it meant disturbing him more than he already looked. Honestly Midoriya was scared too, his friend's face was pale and his eyes, wide open, looked at Izuku suspiciously.

"Todoroki" he called and winced when the other backed off "I'm Midoriya"

Although he spoke as sweet and soft as possible, Todoroki looked alarmed. He stopped making eye contact only to scan the room quickly, as if looking for an invisible enemy that might hurt him. Izuku didn't remember having felt, on another occasion, so much doubt about how to help someone.

"I'm not going to hurt you" he tried but realized quickly that they were the wrong words. Todoroki stopped acknowledging him and looked at the door instead. Izuku knew that he would try to escape. His mind raced with the thought of whether it would be worse for Todoroki to leave or it would be more counterproductive to force him to stay in the room. After swallowing, he started to get up, wincing internally as Shoto bristled and looked at him in panic. Though Midoriya could have stopped it, he didn't have the strength to do it, not if it meant making his friend suffer. Todoroki ran out of the room and Midoriya could only watch, standing in the middle of it, as he fled.

He felt useless. Todoroki asked him for help and he couldn't do anything to help him. He let it go, even though he was aware that if he got out, it would be impossible to control his fear.

"Move Izuku" he slapped his cheeks with both hands to wake him up. He left the room and looked both ways before finding Shoto trying to open a door, with no results. The fear that Shoto was feeling had escalated to clouding his mind and senses, just as Midoriya had feared. He tried to get closer but again he understood that there was nothing that could lighten his terror, since Todoroki ran away again when he noticed him.

Although it hurt, this time, Midoriya started running to try to catch him. It was better to try to knock him out before Shoto got far enough to reach the common room, where his comrades lay, or worse, tried to get out of the building. They could lose Todoroki. However, even though Midoriya was giving chase, Todoroki was running faster and soon made use of his ice to block his way. Izuku cursed, again debating whether to break the ice and perhaps give Shoto a micro heart attack, or let him escape. To his credit, he didn't think twice. The loud sound echoed in the corridor and perhaps throughout the building, alerting his companions and Todoroki himself, who, as soon as he saw the ice destroy, gasped before running towards the stairs.

Not conscious where he was going, Todoroki ran down the stairs, until he reached the top floor, where he froze in horror. There were too many people staring at him. Shoto's chest ached with the strong palpitations, which increased, if that was possible, when he heard hurried footsteps behind him. He walked away in time when the one who was chasing him at the beginning appeared. He groaned uneasily at finding himself cornered.

Midoriya gritted his teeth. What he feared most was happening. Todoroki didn't recognize anyone from the class and stood in the middle of him and the rest. No one dared to move, which Izuku was internally grateful for, Todoroki was so deep in his fear that any wrong move could make things worse, so he was briefly surprised when what scared Todoroki was not any of his companions, otherwise the whistle of a kettle.

It was only because Todoroki cringed, covering his face, specifically the side of his scar, that Midoriya reacted and yelled heart-rendingly for someone to turn off the stove. He never found out which of his companions snapped out of his stupor and did what he asked, but unfortunately the damage had already been done. Todoroki clutched his hair and pulled desperately, stifling screams and sobs. Midoriya felt his heart sink sadly, with the mental image of what his friend probably suffered in that moment.

Shoto, in terror, screamed and tried to move to the exit of the building. That caused all the students in 1-A to scream in panic and move to try and stop him. Iida Tenya, being the fastest of the group, ran over and positioned himself at the starting gate. Todoroki, seeing him in front, stopped suddenly. They made eye contact for just a second and Iida sensed the genuine fear he was feeling, it made his heart flutter with concern.

"Don't scare him!" Midoriya yelled, annoyed with himself for making his yell do the exact same thing. Todoroki turned around scared and when he noticed that he was about to be cornered by everyone, with another gasp, he created a barrier that separated him from the rest of the class.

This only gave him a brief respite as, in an instant, Bakugou destroyed the ice with a loud explosion. Shoto watched everything with wide eyes open but did not have the strength to move. Maybe he deserved what they were about to do to him. Maybe he deserved it for getting in trouble.

"One of you extras tell Aizawa" Kacchan muttered and Izuku sighed in relief. With his teacher present, Todoroki could receive the help he badly needed, the problem was that they had to keep him until the other one arrived. Bakugou seemed to come to the same conclusion, because, with the same softness in his voice, he tried to speak to Todoroki "You are safe"

To Midoriya's dismay, the blonde was calm as he stepped up and looked at Todoroki with kindness, or kindness considering Bakugou's personality. But what made everyone exhale in real pain, was that Todoroki began to cry silently. The next thing Midoriya heard, though it was as delicate as barely a whisper, caused him to clench his fists in suppressed anger.

"I'm sorry... don't hurt me, please"

Bakugou made a strange face, his eyes flashing with hate but he gritted his teeth to try and contain himself. He took another step and Todoroki took two steps back, almost stumbling. The tension rose and neither wanted to breathe if it caused Todoroki to try to escape again. Midoriya briefly wondered if someone had really contacted Aizawa, they couldn't wait for him any longer. Silence, as Izuku had already learned, only made things worse.

"No one is going to hurt you, Todoroki" 

Shoto jumped in place and turned around in such a quick movement that Midoriya wondered for a second if he hurt his neck. Although Kirishima had good intentions, he felt very guilty when his words broke the silence and caused Shoto to bolt for the stairs.

Bakugou and Midoriya tried to follow, but a barrier of ice covered up to the ceiling and separated them. The tension that had been building was broken by anguished screams from everyone. It was Iida Tenya who took matters into his own hands, approaching and shouting orders for them to spread out and cover each floor of the building. But, as always, Bakugou ignored everyone and went his own way, once again destroying the ice and going after it.

"Don't let Todoroki leave the building!" Iida ordered.

The others obeyed and Izuku felt hope, because he knew that together they could help improve the situation. There was a second explosion and Midoriya moved faster than the rest following him. He bumped into Bakugou, who was looking at another ice barrier with obvious annoyance. He didn't even insult Midoriya, he looked worried.

"The idiot continues isolate himself"

"Don't you know where he went?" Midoriya ignored the rudeness and decided to break the ice himself. Bakugou, with a snap, also moved up to the third floor, where he ran into creeps and other extras that he didn't have time to recognize until Jiro exclaimed that Todoroki was on the top floor and was coming here. Despite supposedly being warned, no one seemed to react in time when Todoroki arrived at his floor and escaped again when he saw them.

Bakugou heard Kirishima's call but ignored it to lunge at the idiot half and half. The explosions in his palms helped him almost catch up, the closest he had come to catching him, but Todoroki fell and rolled the rest of the stairs. Bakugou cursed when, despite falling and spraining his ankle and hitting his forehead, Todoroki froze space and pushed him away again. This time Bakugou almost froze his feet but he reacted in time and went up with his quirk.

"Bakugou!" Kirishima and the rest boarded it, surprised by the ice barrier. The blond simply muttered for them to get away before, for the third time, destroying it. He was starting to lose his temper, he had been considerate of Shoto but the next time he saw him he vowed to stop him.

On the other hand, Midoriya remained on the second floor, while listening to the explosions that were surely caused by Bakugou.

"What do we do?" Sero asked nervously. Everyone knew that, in theory, they had to catch Todoroki, but no one knew how to do it without hurting and scaring him.

There was a loud crash that made the building shake slightly. Uraraka looked at Izuku urgently.

"I think it's coming," Asui informed, tensely.

It seemed that Todoroki was aware of where the exit was and was desperately struggling to reach it, but Midoriya sensed that his movements were more desperate and he really wasn't aware of what he was doing. Though this might be to his advantage and might be easier to stop, Midoriya's intent was snuffed out by the sadness of having his friend plunged into deep, unapproachable fear. And soon, he realized that his friends were in the same position, because as soon as Todoroki fell down the stairs, clearly injured, no one could move to help him, much less stop him. Shoto trembled and cried as he tried to get to his feet but when he realized he was being watched, he turned paler, if that was possible, and froze the hallway. Midoriya clenched his fists until the pain in his palms woke him from his trance.

“We have to help him” he whispered. Concentrating his powers into his fists, he destroyed the ice and then they advanced, running into Bakugou, Kirishima and Jiro. They exchanged glances in surprise and confusion, but soon moved downstairs.

The first to notice Todoroki was Iida, since he was the one closest to the stairs. Although he had time to react and would have easily stopped him with his speed quirk, he couldn't because he froze when they made eye contact again. Iida did not recognize his friend and the image would be forever etched in his memory.

Along with Todoroki's gasp, hurried footsteps were heard next and Shoto had no choice but to limp to the corner of the hallway. Iida was tempted to help him, but the rest arrived and they already had Todoroki cornered again.

None dared to move, even Bakugou. The image was heartbreaking. His friend, always expressionless, wept silently as he watched them with eyes brimming with fear. The image made Midoriya think of a little Todoroki, scared of his father, crying as quietly as possible so as not to get into more trouble and suffer his father's violence. He felt his eyes burn with tears.

"Why hasn't sensei arrived?" Ochako muttered, looking fearfully at Todoroki, who cringed at her voice and looked at her suspiciously.

"It shouldn't be long. Hagakure and Kaminari wrote to him" Asui replied tensely.

Midoriya then looked around, locating his companions and quickly thinking of a plan, in case Aizawa sensei still didn't show up. Shouji guarded the main entrance, being the only one far away. The rest had Todoroki cornered. Jiro, Asui, and Kirishima's abilities wouldn't do much for the plan he was developing, but Izuku didn't rule them out.

"Yaoyorozu, please create a fast-acting sedative" he requested in a whisper. The black-haired girl wiped away a tear before agreeing and turning around to work. He then looked at Sero "Get ready if we have to tie him up"

Sero didn't like his suggestion, but accepted seriously, after seeing Todoroki's injuries.

Maybe it wasn't very smart to say it out loud, but he hoped, almost wished sadly, that the fear Shoto was feeling was intense enough that he didn't understand what he was saying. Which was possible, since he was more focused on making sure no one got close and hurt him. He didn't even seem aware of his sprained ankle, or the blood dripping down his temple. Being aware of this, Midoriya whispered to Hagakure to take the sedative and inject it into Todoroki when he saw an opportunity. The girl gasped in fright but soon affirmed with conviction and received the injection after taking off her clothes.

"Iida, go find Aizawa sensei" Midoriya proceeded. Iida hesitated for a second before quickly leaving.

Of course the abrupt movement of the class president scared Todoroki, more than he already was. He stepped backwards until his ankle stung and he fell to the ground, but undeterred, he kept crawling away until he was up against the wall. He looked like a scared animal.

"The rest fall back" ordered Midoriya. His companions who did not have a specific task, did as he asked except for Bakugou, who remained where he was, his fists clenched. Midoriya hissed at him desperately but the blonde contradicted him.

"Don't order me around, nerd" he exclaimed, not as harsh as he normally would have been, but too loud for the current situation and standards. Todoroki looked at him mercifully.

"Please forgive me" he whispered, with new tears spilling down his face "I won't do it again"

Although they all wanted to reassure him, hug him and promise that there was nothing to apologize for, they could only remain where they were, silently watching their friend being in a deep and distant fear.

"I'm sorry" Shoto asked again, crying intensely but not making a sound "Don't hurt me"

"I'm not going to hurt you, Todoroki"

Although everyone was surprised at the kind way Bakugou said it and that he referred to Todoroki by his last name, no one acknowledged him out loud.

"I'm scared" was barely heard over the sob. He then hugged his knees and suddenly summoned his ice to create a barrier around him.

It was Bakugou who yelled at everyone to be quiet, when panic broke out again, but the moment silence reigned again, they heard hurried footsteps. Iida returned, behind him, Aizawa pushed through with a sharp look. The first thing he noticed, and the only thing he could focus on, was the igloo in the corner of the hallway.

"Aizawa sensei" Midoriya exclaimed almost on the verge of tears "Todoroki is very scared, he doesn't recognize us"

"I'm aware" he said harshly before stopping next to Izuku and assessing the situation "We need to destroy the ice"

Bakugou took a step forward, his raised hand sending out micro-explosions. Although the ideal would have been a continuous and subtle flame, it was what they had and Aizawa did not complain.

"Once you destroy him, I'll nullify his powers" then he looked at Momo "I need you to make a sedative"

"It's ready, sensei" a voice said to his left and Aizawa was embarrassed for taking so long to recognize Hagakure. He took the sedative with measured force and stared at Bakugou firmly.

"I count on you"

The blond hardened his features before moving towards the igloo and breaking it down as carefully as possible. The rest waited with bated breath until Shoto came into their line of sight. Aizawa activated his quirk when they made eye contact and Todoroki went into a panic loop of no return.

"Not!" he yelled and yelled until he realized that the ice that was protecting him had been destroyed and he couldn't summon it again. He then squirmed in place as Aizawa approached "Please! Don't hurt me!"

In his blind state of terror, the only way to salvation his mind hinted at was to try to destroy the wall behind him. Ignoring the scream of his tormentors, ignoring his knuckles and hands that began to ache and ooze blood, Shoto continued to punch until something bound him. Then his scream became more piercing.

Sero felt tears well up, but stood his ground as he used his powers to restrain Todoroki's wrists. Although he was causing him too much stress, he felt better knowing that with that he was helping him to stop hurting himself.

"Sensei! Your heart is beating so fast!" Jiro parted with alarm. "He's going to have a heart attack!"

Aizawa grunted in response as he hugged Todoroki and struggled to inject the sedative.

"Not!" Shoto implored. Then he felt something on his neck that took the breath away and he remembered his father punishing him. He called his mother. He called Fuyumi. He called Natsuo. But no one came to his cry for help. He was alone and Shoto didn't want to die "Someone… save me…"

His scream faded to a whisper until he fell unconscious into Aizawa's arms, who tightened his grip, a silent promise that he would save him, whenever he could.

Although it was over, no one could move or speak, each lost in thought, dealing with the pain, trauma, and sadness of seeing one of their strongest companions, their friend, so cruelly lost. The only one making a strangled noise was Hagakure, who was crying out on Jiro's shoulder.

Aizawa relaxed his posture, settled Todoroki in his arms, and turned his head to look at the rest of his students.

"Explain" was all he said. His students were slow to compose themselves and he was not surprised when Iida spoke up and explained, from his perspective, what happened.

Aizawa sighed heavily. It wasn't news that the children's quirks would go out of control and cause chaos almost to the magnitude of a villain; but that didn't mean he was used to it. Sometimes he hated dealing with children, irresponsible and stubborn teenagers. He doesn't know why he became a teacher in the first place.

He then looked at Bakugou, wishing he would share more information.

"The teacher of those monsters gave half-half his cell phone" he expressed, narrowing his eyes when he saw Todoroki and his unconscious state "But I don't know what the idiot did with the paper"

"I can get the number" Aizawa expressed, Bakugou's shoulders relaxed. With another heavy sigh, he stood up with Todoroki in his arms and looked squarely at his students. He did not point out that almost half of them were broken down in tears. It was amazing how close they had become as a group, it could even be said that they were like a family. That was why he waited patiently for Sero and Kirishima to express whatever it was that had them so worried.

"Sensei" was Hanta "Could it be possible that Todoroki's fear was triggered by some trauma?"

Midoriya paled and lowered his gaze. Bakugo clenched his fists. Neither of them was aware that Aizawa noticed their reactions.

"I keep it in mind" he was honest. After listening to what Iida had said and without more information to hold on to, Shouta drew his own conclusions and the reactions of the pair of troublesome children confirmed some of his suspicions. However, it was neither the place nor the time "We'll talk about that later, I'll take Todoroki to the infirmary first"

His students stepped aside as he walked and he nearly laughed when they began to walk like ducks after him. Shouji opened the door, nodding as he watched Todoroki walk by. Then Aizawa walked away, perfectly sensing the multiple pairs of eyes that didn't take their eyes off his friend.

The sedative that Yaoyorozu created was chillingly effective, but Recovery Girl didn't want to risk it losing its effect, so she plunged Todoroki into a small coma, giving Aizawa time to investigate more about that quirk. First on his contact list was Gang Orca, who, as always, was effective and direct. In less than five minutes, Aizawa already had the elementary teacher's cell phone. At that time, Chiyo had dedicated herself to treating the minor's injuries, so Aizawa took the opportunity to leave the infirmary to make the call.

"Good afternoon. I'm Aizawa Shouta, teacher of the UA" the woman recognized the institute and it didn't take long to connect the dots. Why else would they call you? Aizawa felt glad that they weren't wasting time. "Can you tell me everything you know about that kid's ability?"

"I spoke with Aren's mother and she told me that her grandfather had the same ability. His quirk amplifies the emotion or emotions that are dominant in the person, making it the only thing he feels"

"So the Quirk doesn't manipulate emotions" he mused. If Todoroki suffered from fear, it was because it is the emotion he feels the most. There was a flutter of recognition, Sero's remark flashing through her mind.

"The only thing he could manipulate is the intensity with which he feels the emotion. Since young Aren is not yet in control of his powers, there may be unexplainable fluctuations in intensity, or there may also be an exponential increase."

That would explain why Todoroki got lost so easily. Aizawa heaved a worried sigh. Regardless of the forms of control, what scared Shouta the most was that, according to what his students told him, the fear that Shoto felt began to increase as time passed until he reached a state of no return. It left a bad taste in his mouth to consider that perhaps he did not reach the highest peak of intensity.

"How long does it last or how is it neutralized?"

"Aren should be able to neutralize it, but since he doesn't know it yet, the effect will wear off in 24 hours."

Aizawa rolled his gaze. There are such troublesome and tangled Quirks. If his calculations were right, the boy activated his quirk on Todoroki around five. It was barely eight at night. They would have to keep him sedated until the next day. Chiyo's decision made sense.

The teacher said goodbye with an apology and offering her time in case they had any further questions. When Aizawa hung up, he massaged his temple. It had to touch Todoroki. Aizawa didn't know if he felt amused, angry or grateful because that child's game uncovered and unearthed a sea of realities that he would lie if he said he was ready to face.

When he entered the infirmary, Chiyo looked worried.

"He has a fever" she warned after looking at Shouta, who clenched his fists "The high stress he suffered and the excessive use of his ice caused it"

Problem Quirks of problem children.

"The effect ends until tomorrow afternoon" he counted. Chiyo released her own sigh "Until then we need to keep him sedated. I don't want him to go through what he went through and get hurt in the process."

"I know, honey" the nurse whispered, before getting up and bringing a wet towel.

Along with exhaustion, worry, and despair, Aizawa felt a cold anger bubble up inside him as he watched Chiyo place the towel on Todoroki's forehead. They had a long time until tomorrow, but Aizawa had a feeling that his fear would come true as he began to analyze what happened. He only hoped that he was wrong, otherwise the number 1 hero would get punched in the face.

***

It seemed incredible that a few hours ago, the Height Alliance common area radiated joy and camaraderie. Now the students of Class 1-A remained in an unnerved silence. Bakugou had said to stop looking so stupid, the half-half bastard hadn't died. No one contradicted him, because Bakugou had left frowning more than usual. Considering the situation, even the students who didn't fully witness the recent events were also feeling depressed and worried and Bakugou's words only served to make them feel worse.

Midoriya and Kirishima understood between the lines the blonde's words or rather, his indifferent attitude. The first for knowing him for so many years and the second for earning his appreciation and being considered, probably, as his best friend within the UA. They both knew that Katsuki felt especially affected by Todoroki's behavior, especially since it was with him that Todoroki showed the greatest display of fear. Midoriya, being aware of Todoroki's past, could understand why he might have associated Bakugou with Endeavor. Of course, if Kacchan found out about his thoughts, Midoriya's days would be numbered.

The last news they had received from their teacher, was that Todoroki would be staying overnight in the infirmary, leaving the information open to multiple interpretations, which did not help their current anguish. Izuku, as was customary (aleays), was the one who began to create scenarios and images in his head, but when his muttering became more intense and attracted the attention of the rest, Iida put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"It's getting late" he said gently and with a small smile, before turning his attention to the rest of his classmates "In the morning we'll know more about Todoroki's condition. There's no point in keeping us awake"

It was only when the class president brought it up that everyone realized how exhausted they felt. Not only out of concern for their partner, but because they spent a good three hours cleaning the building, removing all traces of ice, which turned out to be more complicated than they expected. Slowly, they got up from their seats and one by one, they left the common room. The only ones who didn't move were Midoriya and Iida, who remained silent, not really understanding why the atmosphere felt so heavy.

Izuku, being quite sensitive to other people's emotions, detected in his friend a whirlwind of feelings and thoughts that he didn't know if he would be able to deal with. However, he didn't have to.

"Good night, Midoriya" Iida said before smiling sadly. Midoriya watched him walk away.

In the elevator, Iida allowed himself to sigh. Events keep hammering at his head, causing him to see the mistakes he made and the image of Todoroki plunged into a deep and unreachable fear, something that would be very difficult to overcome until he could see him again. Tenya couldn't help but overanalyze Sero's words as well. It was like a puzzle piece that had finally given him the full picture of his reserved friend. It was something that, to be completely honest, Iida had thought about before but decided to ignore it. His friendship with Todoroki had greatly evolved in recent months. Tenya felt proud and happy to see him improve himself and open up to everyone, something impossible when he had just met him. For a long time he preferred to accompany him but now he doubted if that was enough to help him.

Before Iida could press the button corresponding to the floor of his room, the elevator began to move by itself. He blinked in surprise as the elevator stopped at the fourth floor and Bakugou appeared in his field of vision, just as surprised to see him. Saying nothing, he entered and Iida bit his tongue not to order him to return to his room. He supposed that Bakugou had his own way of dealing with problems, and it wasn't wise to point it out at the moment.

For his part, he pressed button 3 and in a short time the elevator stopped at its corresponding floor. With a soft good night, he said goodbye. Bakugou responded with a growl. In his room, he tried to relax and when his head hit the pillow, he wished to find the strength and the answers so he could help Todoroki.

When Bakugou went down, he rolled his eyes when find Midoriya, who was still in the common room, standing like a fool in the middle of it. They made eye contact for a second but neither said anything; even so, Bakugou somehow threatened him with a look to keep him quiet, before heading towards the exit of the building. Although Midoriya was curious as to where he was going, he decided that it was best to let it go, he was tired too. Slowly he walked towards his room, all the time with Todoroki in his thoughts.

***

With a new day looming, Midoriya wasn't surprised that some of Class 1-A were up so early, since probably none of them were able to sleep properly. While a haggard Yaoyorouzo chatted with Iida and Tsuyu, and Kirishima distractedly ate some sandwiches with Kaminari and Sero; Midoriya focused on Uraraka, who was alone in the kitchen, a sad look on her face as she heated water on the stove. Izuku worriedly moved towards her, instantly asking if she was alright.

"I'm fine" she expressed. When the kettle began to whistle, she turned off the stove in one swift motion, almost in a panic. Midoriya could understand that "I was just thinking about Todoroki"

"Me too" Midoriya muttered, accepting a cup from his friend "I never imagined seeing him like this ever"

"Almost as impossible as the image of Bakugou being a babysitter" she tried to lighten the mood, at least making Izuku smile "But he'll be fine"

Midoriya nodded, not quite sure, but feeling hope with the words. Uraraka asked him if he wanted one of the imported teas they bought last week but Izuku drifted more for a coffee. They sat together in the common room, their shoulders almost touching, as they sipped their hot drink, hoping that warmth would embrace their hearts as well.

"Deku, can I ask you something?" he affirmed with a noise and waited for her to share her unknown. Only when the silence became too long did Uraraka, after exhaling, speak "Do you know anything about Todoroki's past?"

Midoriya subtly squeezed the porcelain cup. After the events and the shock of seeing Todoroki so mired in fear, it was normal for everyone to be making guesses. In fact, if none of those present really asked him, it was Sero himself who seeded the idea, ever since. Of course Midoriya expected that question, especially since he was the person closest to Todoroki, but even though he had a whole sleepless night to think of an answer, he would never be ready to answer it.

Uraraka must have sensed his discomfort because she lowered her gaze and focused on the smoke rising from her cup.

"Sorry"

Midoriya sighed.

"I'm sorry, but even if I wanted to tell you, it's not up to me. It's Todoroki who would have to tell you"

"It's true" she confirmed, clearly stricken. Her friendship with Todoroki had started to grow closer over time. He first began as a mutual friend of Midoriya and Iida, who began to integrate him into the group, something that never bothered Uraraka, on the contrary, as they shared lunch together, she felt closer and closer to Todoroki and appreciated more and more his silence and his way of being. She always thought that he kept an immense sadness in his heart, which on more than one occasion was tempted to ask, but preferring to let time tell her, only if necessary. After the incident, Uraraka's suspicion was confirmed and it made her wonder if it made her a bad friend not to have tried to get closer, to make their relationship more intimate and not to stay in the comfortable position of an acquaintance, more than a true friend "Although I don't think that this is going to happen"

Midoriya watched as Uraraka shifted her gaze to the kitchen, a cloak of doom covering her.

"I don't know" he whispered, feeling a little guilty for being the only one who knows a little about Todoroki's past and not for being his friend. He never really understood why Todoroki confided something so private to him before their confrontation "But what I do know is that Todoroki has decided to keep moving forward, despite his past"

Uraraka relaxed her features even more.

"I want to be a good friend to him" she confessed after another silence.

Midoriya smiled kindly at her.

"Then let's help him keep moving forward"

The smile they shared extended until the front door was opened. At the entrance, there was Aizawa and both Izuku and Ochako as well as the few students who had already woken up, rushed to meet him.

Aizawa observed them in silence for a few seconds, while evaluating the identity of those present. Honestly, he wasn't surprised to see who they were, since they were the closest friends to Todoroki.

"I contacted the boy's teacher. He explained to me how the quirk works… However, since the boy still doesn't control his powers, the quirk loses effect up to 24 hours later" the faces of his students showed how disappointed they felt "Todoroki will remain sedated until this afternoon"

Although there were many questions they had, none of them felt particularly daring to let them out. Aizawa appraised them with his eyes, imagining the train of thought they were having. He was especially surprised that Midoriya, among all of them, was not the one to ask about the boy's abilities and write them down in that notebook that he always carried with him.

"Hopefully, as time goes by, Todoroki will be like he was before" he decided to proceed, when he noticed that Bakugou had arrived and he approached silently.

And there, Aizawa, identified a sparkle in the eyes of his students that he could interpret in various ways, but, if he tried harder, he considered that the reason for his disturbed state was the subject that everyone was avoiding but that shone with the comment of Sero. This one looked especially indecisive and Aizawa knew that sooner or later, they would have to talk about it.

"Will he remember what happened?" Yaoyorouzo inquired with concern.

"He'll have to do it" Aizawa exclaimed, aware that even if he doesn't remember, he had the obligation to warn him. It wouldn't be a pretty talk, that was for sure, but it was necessary. His students from class 1-A exchanged glances and Aizawa noted their discomfort.

"He'll be fine?" asked Kirishima

"The quirk has no side effects" he answered quickly.

"No…well…" Kirishima lowered his voice, looking around for support. Aizawa knew exactly what he meant.

"It's an obstacle, like many that will come, that Todoroki must overcome to become a hero" he said slowly, observing the evasive reactions of Midoriya and Bakugou "But if you really want to help your friend, stay away from where it doesn't concern you"

Sero and Kirishima closed their mouths at the same time, making a comical image.

"A hero doesn't stay to understand what is happening, otherwise goes into action to help those who need it" Aizawa said firmly "Maybe you will never understand his problems and his history, but you don't need that to help him"

Aizawa wasn't necessarily good at cheering people up, in fact, Minc once quipped that a turtle had more empathy than him. Shouta didn't know if it was fatigue, age or really that group of children under his care had won his heart; but he found that he was becoming more sensitive to the emotions of others and that he was quicker to formulate the exact words that needed to be heard. His students' eyes shone with determination and confidence and Aizawa hoped that what he had said had been enough.

"I'll keep you informed, then," he exclaimed in parting, before turning and walking to the exit.

If there was one thing that made Aizawa proud, it was his students. Brilliant, strong and kind young people… They would all make excellent heroes.

The path of being a hero is difficult, lonely and cruel, he knows this from his own experience, but he has faith in this new generation of heroes. Before, Aizawa came to think that their silly gentleness and the strange closeness they had as a group would cause them trouble one day; but now he understood that this union was a strength, because they knew how to work as a team, because they knew when one of their own needed help and because united they were stronger and there will be nothing that can break that to destroy them. Aizawa was confident that, whatever happens, whatever conflict comes, any fight with or without villains, internal or external, any physical or mental damage... they will be able to solve it together.

***

Waking up was almost agony when all Todoroki wanted was to continue sleeping. Normally he would obey his mind and get up despite his body's complaints, but this time he ignored it. He didn't have anything urgent to attend to so he sighed and settled into his bed. Unfortunately, the dream didn't come back, no matter how hard he tried, because then voices began to be heard and it didn't take long for a word to register in his subconscious.

"Todoroki" along with the word, Shoto thought the voice was strangely familiar, but it was only when his mind identified its owner that he fully woke up "Welcome"

Aizawa was by his side and Todoroki didn't have time to feel embarrassed after the invasion of doubts that came with the situation.

"Sensei" greeted him hoarsely. Aizawa moved and by following his movements, he discovered that he was actually in the infirmary and not in his room as he had initially thought. New questions saturated his mind to the point of making his head ache, so he gratefully accepted the glass of water his teacher brought him. The coolness of the water helped him feel better and order his thoughts.

"How do you feel?" Aizawa inquired kindly. Todoroki really assessed how he felt and the first thing he noticed was that no matter how many swallows of water he took, the irritation in his throat hadn't gone away. The next thing he noticed was the bandages encircling his hands and he wondered briefly why he hadn't noticed it sooner.

Aizawa followed his eyes and his train of thought. The silence spread and Shouta waited patiently but soon understood that his student needed a push.

"Do you know where you are?" Aizawa asked quietly. Todoroki nodded "Do you remember what happened?"

Todoroki felt very uncomfortable and worried when no answer appeared in his mind. There were distorted, incongruous images that seemed more to come from the world of dreams, but nothing to hold on to. Aizawa, on the other hand, watched his student for a long time, until it became clear what Chiyo had warned him about.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

Todoroki frowned as he thought, turning his attention to the memories that made the most sense and realism.

"The extracurricular classes…" he replied with a sore throat.

"Do you remember what happened in class?" Aizawa asked him. Shoto had to put more effort into remembering, but at least more images appeared.

"A kid activated his quirk on me…" he made eye contact with his teacher, alarmed "I started to feel a little bad"

The black-haired man nodded and inhaled sharply to prepare himself. Even when he had hours to think, Aizawa didn't feel ready to broach the subject and honestly he would have preferred not to, so as not to cause the poor boy more trouble. However, he knew that it was unfair to hide such valuable information from him and, besides, there was something urgent that they had to talk about.

"The boy's quirk amplified your fear, remember that?" Aizawa saw the exact moment Todoroki started to remember, by the way his unfocused eyes looked at his hands without really looking. Shouta felt empathy "You had a strong crisis"

The younger opened his mouth, without issuing any questions, not even a noise, while he processed the sea of information that was invading his head. The images that were more like a bad dream, began to make sense but at the same time they remained alien, as if they were Todoroki's memories but, at the same time, they were someone else's memories.

"We had to sedate you" Aizawa continued, annoyed. Todoroki didn't know who he was mad at so he was quick to apologize. The look he received from his teacher was much worse "It wasn't your fault"

Shoto disagreed, but it felt good to hear it, at least momentarily, because he soon felt guilt and shame again, as along with the hazy and confusing memories came voices and screams that Shoto could recognize from his classmates; so he wondered again if his condition caused too much trouble for others.

"Todoroki" Aizawa called him again with authority when he tried to lower his face. When they made eye contact again, Aizawa put more emphasis on his words "It wasn't your fault"

Todoroki relaxed his shoulders, resigned. He looked so helpless. Aizawa felt his heart pound. It was cruel to broach the next subject, but it was necessary. With another call, he made Todoroki focus on his words.

"Based on what happened, I have some questions I want to ask you and I want you to be completely honest with me, okay kid?" Todoroki frowned, confused but still nodded his head, not waiting for what Aizawa was about to throw at him "Endeavor, your father, does he abuse you?"

Aizawa nearly blew the air out of his lungs at the other's reaction. Todoroki's entire body tensed, the monitor attached to his vital signs increased in intensity, his eyes were wide with fear and his face, always placid, was stained with blind panic. Even if Todoroki wasn't going to answer or try to lie, Shouta already had confirmation… and he hated that he had been right.

In fact, it was something he always suspected, ever since he met the other. Too obvious to miss: Todoroki's behavior upon joining UA, the level of experience and power he already had, his cold and withdrawn attitude, his refusal to use the left side of his powers, his feud with Endeavor, the scar on his face… Aizawa noticed all this and more, but the thought was so disgusting, he pushed it aside, wishing it was just the product of his twisted mind.

"Shit," he whispered after a sharp exhale, before massaging his eyes.

"It's not like that…" Todoroki tried to deny it, but he was cornered and knew he couldn't lie, not when Aizawa already knew. His eyes shone with unshed tears and Aizawa felt like a scum for bringing up that topic at that moment.

"What did he do to you, exactly?"

"He…he trained me…he wasn't that bad. He wanted me to be strong and…"

"Did he ever hurt you?" Aizawa interrupted, knowing all the answers before hearing them "He gave you that scar?"

Shoto actually trembled and Aizawa felt bad, but he kept on insisting, because he knew he was about to penetrate Todoroki's thick armor.

"It was… It was someone else…" He clenched his fists tightly and closed his eyes, imploring that something, anything, get him out of this situation. But Aizawa continued to watch and analyze, and Todoroki felt, along with embarrassment and panic, anger at his teacher for pushing him. Although the subject of his scar was still a painful memory in his life, he didn't mind broaching it as much as before because his relationship with his mother had improved. He never blamed her and that's why it bothered him that the main association he had with her was the wound, that's why he preferred to ignore it and focus on the beautiful memories and future moments he could share with her.

"I'm sorry" the black-haired man whispered when he understood, somehow "I hate having to put you through this…"

The anger that Todoroki was feeling inside him vanished like a candle being blown out with a simple sigh. The silence that reigned didn't feel as unpleasant as at the beginning, because Shoto felt strangely calm. For years he hid that secret, drowning in pain and trauma, he was so tired of it that when he told Midoriya a part of his reality, and he felt a little better, freer and more hopeful, it was that he decided to continue moving forward. Although he hated to lose control, and more in matters of his past, and although he wished that his teacher found out in a different way, Todoroki felt more free to accept it and trust his teacher.

"It was difficult for a long time," he exclaimed slowly "But when I came here, things changed."

Aizawa gritted his teeth. So before entering UA, Todoroki kept going through it. It was there that Shouta hated himself for not getting involved sooner.

"Has he hurt you since then?" Aizawa noted that the word made Todoroki uncomfortable, perhaps refusing to accept that it was really abuse and not training, but he decided not to push. Todoroki denied and Aizawa noticed sincerity in his words and in his eyes. He sighed. He wouldn't forgive himself if he knew that bastard kept hurting his student right under his nose.

"He has changed" Todoroki exclaimed, not quite sure why he was defending his father, but deciding to trust his instincts. Something that he remembered perfectly, before going into a spiral of unconscious fear, was the conversation with him. He didn't know if he could trust his words but he decided to do it to keep moving forward.

"Let a person change, not absolve him of his crimes" debated Aizawa, his eyes burning with rancor "He must pay for his actions"

Todoroki was dissatisfied.

"What's going to happen then?"

Aizawa also wanted to know.

"I'm not going to force you into something you don't want" he thought it would be the smartest thing to say, because before carrying out a stupid revenge against Endeavor, the first thing he had to watch was his student's stability "What do you want to do?"

"I…I'm not sure I can forgive him yet but I've decided to move on, not looking back" Todoroki replied.

Aizawa nodded gently.

Getting into a legal matter against Endeavor, at that point, was too complicated, because now he was the number one hero, the new representation of peace, and although Aizawa wanted to witness his downfall and make him pay for his inhuman acts against his family, he couldn't do it if the victims of his actions weren't willing to frame him. But Aizawa couldn't blame Todoroki. Perhaps Todoroki was getting too infected with Midoriya's idealistic personality, but Aizawa respected people's timing and processes and would never force them to do something they weren't ready to face yet. And if Todoroki had decided to move on with his life and despite the trauma, achieve his goal of becoming a great hero, which Aizawa has no doubt will happen, he would be very flattered to accompany him on that path, ready to grab him if he falls.

"I won't tell anyone about this" he told him and settled for seeing Todoroki grateful and relieved "But I'll open a file and don't doubt that I'll use it when it's time. Endeavor may have changed, but it caused a lot of damage and it must be done responsible for this"

"I understand"

Aizawa looked proud of him because he flashed a small smile.

"On the other hand, I remind you that I'm not just your academic tutor… So, you know where to find me"

"Thank you, sensei" he flashed his own smile and his heart fluttered with affection and genuine appreciation.

The bubble of peace that they had managed to create, despite the initial tension, burst abruptly when Aizawa's cell phone rang with messages. He heaved a sigh when he read the text.

"Your classmates haven't stopped bothering asking about you" he said suddenly. Todoroki got a little scared by so much attention "It was my fault for telling them that we were going to discharge you today"

"Can I go then?" he asked, confused if he preferred to stay in the infirmary to evade his companions or if he preferred to leave this place even if he had to face them.

"Only when Chiyo gives you one last check" he answered before getting up with a small groan "I'll go look for her"

Todoroki hadn't had time to ask how injured he was from that crisis but he lost the strength to try when Aizawa walked away. Taking opportunity of his loneliness, he checked the bandages on his hands, with a shiver as he vaguely remembered the despair and pain from hitting the door with his fists.

Yeah, his injuries were definitely not worth talking about.

***

Aizawa, for his part, took advantage of the fact that he went out looking for Recovery Girl to try to cut down the anger that kept burning inside him. Although he promised Todoroki he wouldn't tell anyone, there was something he could do to make sure his student was safe. His hands trembled with suppressed anger as he searched for Endeavor's phone. The school had the information of the parents of the students and they, as teachers, could have access to it for emergencies. Although Todoroki's crisis escalated in magnitude, Aizawa never considered calling Endeavor or his second familiar of record, his sister, because he did not consider it prudent.

The phone kept dialing and when a deep voice broke through, Aizawa's anger shot up again.

"This is Aizawa Shouta speaking"

"Eraser head" Todoroki Enji acknowledged with clear confusion. Still, his mind, like that of any professional hero, began to conjecture the reason for the call. "Did something happen with Shoto?"

"He was the victim of the quirk of one of the children they brought for the extracurricular class. I won't go into details, but he had a strong crisis"

"I'll go see him" Endeavor exclaimed after a few seconds of silence.

"If you set foot in the Academy, I'll have you arrested" surprise was clearly present in the long pause Endeavor made. Honestly, Aizawa expected a volatile reaction from the other, yelling, complaints and denial; but the silence only made him see the depth of the matter.

"You can't stop me from seeing my son" came the contained whisper.

"I have evidence that you have abused Todoroki for years" Aizawa knew that his impulsiveness could result in something good or bad, but he was still willing to risk it, if by threatening Endeavor he would ensure that he would never hurt his student again "That child's quirk potentiated Todoroki's dominant emotion, which turned out to be fear, fear of years of mistreatment and violence, for you guilt… If I can get you away from him, I will"

Aizawa waited patiently, his anger slowly fading. He definitely didn't think Endeavor had changed, as Todoroki mentioned, but it was disconcerting how muffled it sounded, especially considering how aggressive and intimidating it could be. He had some experiences in the past with the current number one hero. It would be a lie not to say that he always mistrusts him; he was someone very cold, despite his ability to create fire. He didn't share heroism like All Might's.

"Is Shoto alright?"

"It is now" and without you he added in his mind and suspected Endeavor concluded the same.

"Correct" he replied awkwardly, not knowing how to proceed.

Aizawa felt the same way. The fire that had prompted him to call and threaten him had gone out completely and now he felt tired and without the energy to continue speaking. It was Endeavor who ended the call and Aizawa thanked for that.

"You look terrible, honey" Chiyo came up suddenly, or maybe she was snooping around behind his back all this time.

"I just spoke with Todoroki's father" he drawled. Chiyo made a face.

"He won't come, right?" she asked with clear annoyance, also witnessing how difficult it was to deal with the professional hero "I almost discharged the boy"

"I threatened him so he wouldn't come" he replied with a sour laugh at her surprise. Despite his questioning look, Aizawa didn't report any further, after all, he had promised Todoroki he wouldn't say anything and Chiyo was obviously smart enough to find out for herself. Which would help in the future to create the report that Aizawa promised to make.

*** 

Chiyo was quick to remove the IV needle and disconnect it from the heart monitor. Then she placed one last kiss on his ankle, making Todoroki blush with embarrassment at the subtle mockery present on his teacher's face. He left the infirmary with a granola bar that Todoroki munched lazily, anxiously actually, as Aizawa escorted him to the dormitory entrance.

"Are you ok?" maybe the way that he ate the granola bar wasn't subtle "Don't feel embarrassed"

The way Aizawa said it made him feel even more nervous.

"I'm remembering more things" he decided to explain by his teacher's penetrating gaze.

"They won't judge you" he shrugged "The faster we get in the better you'll feel"

He had no choice to follow him, his heart hammering with nervousness, realizing, too late, that he was indeed passing through states of unconscious fear.

It was almost seven in the evening and although Todoroki already knew it, it still surprised him that he basically lost an entire day because of that quirk. The living room was just as he left it, with his companions chatting animatedly and making things and noises that made him a little dizzy. Both Aizawa and he remained at the entrance, the first amused while Iida issued orders and organized the surprise party, or not so surprise, for Todoroki; the second desperately wanting to run away and hide. But, as he said recently, he wanted to move on without dwelling on his past and his fear, so he stood and watched in silence until Midoriya, always Midoriya thought fondly, spotted them and called out to him with a cry of joy.

Aizawa stepped aside as Midoriya and others ran up excitedly.

"It's good to see you" Midoriya sighed. Shoto shared the smile, just a bit more nervous.

"We were very worried" Uraraka expressed.

"I'm sorry I worried you" Todoroki replied, out of habit. His friends and his teacher watched him in silence but no one explained his discomfort.

"Take it easy, kid" Aizawa commented bored, then he looked Todoroki up and down, pausing for a second on his scar "Don't forget what we talked about"

Todoroki nodded, feeling Midoriya's piercing gaze.

"Well, I'm going now… Don't burn the kitchen, please" Aizawa left without waiting for an answer, dragging his feet.

It was only because Aizawa pointed it out that Todoroki became aware that the room smelled delicious. His stomach growled subtly, the bar that Recovery Girl gave him whetting an appetite he didn't know he had.

"You arrived just in time" Iida spoke energetically as he pointed out the surprise party that was spoiled because they hadn't finished decorating and cooking yet "Satou made a lot of desserts"

"And Bakugou was in a good mood all day and he's cooking dinner" Uraraka seconded with a laugh. Todoroki couldn't deny that he liked Bakugou's cooking and it was a privilege worth living at least once in a lifetime, even if the food came with the bitterness of his insults and rudeness "I think he made you cold soba but no tell him that I told you"

With the temptation of food and the gentle invitation of his closest friends, he allowed himself to be dragged to the armchairs, where other of his companions saw him and greeted him with happy smiles, as if they had not witnessed a pathetic and weak side of him24 hours ago. Todoroki didn't really know what was happening, not when in his mind he imagined that his friends would treat him and see him with pity and that nothing would go back to the way it was before; but he soon felt backed up, supported, and comfortable with the care he received, since none of them addressed the issue of his crisis or his behavior, but instead focused on cheering him up and making him laugh.

He would probably never find out that Aizawa spoke to them. Nor would he know about the insistence of Midoriya, Iida, Uraraka and even Bakugou himself, for the rest to get away from idle questions about his status and his past, and better be focused on helping him in his present.

"I'm so happy you're alright" Todoroki gave Midoriya a shy smile.

"You don't look like shit anymore you bastard" Bakugou said as he handed (almost threw) a plate of food at him. Immediately he was reprimanded by several but he ignored them "You were a fucking nuisance"

"Bakugou!" scolded Iida and Mina at the same time.

Shoto wasn't offended, not with the cold soba bowl in his lap and the bizarre memories he had. Maybe he was more lost than he admitted, but he remembered Bakugou trying to help him, trying to get closer and talking to him with a kindness not like him. If someone like Bakugou was affected by his behavior, he must have caused more trouble than he was aware of.

"Sorry"

Everyone was silent, surprised, until Kaminari and Mineta screamed.

"Look what you did Bakugou, you made him feel bad!" said the blonde.

"You are very bad, Bakugou!" Mineta sneered.

"Shut the fuck up or I'll kill you!" although Bakugou said angrily, he looked somehow guilty.

"Todoroki, you have nothing to apologize for" Momo exclaimed gently, being seconded by all the girls.

"It wasn't your fault, Todobro"

"It was a troublesome quirk" Tokoyami said solemnly.

"It couldn't have been easy" Asui expressed.

"The important thing is that you feel better" commented Iida.

With every word they said to him, Todoroki warmed up with the support and affection of his friends.

"Todoroki" Midoriya called, once everyone remained silent "Nothing about that situation was your fault"

Shoto briefly wondered if Midoriya was referring to yesterday's accident or what he knew about his past. His heart told him that was both.

"Please, stop apologizing" Midoriya asked and Todoroki felt embarrassed.

"Sorry" he responded instinctively.

The laughter increased until Todoroki himself realized his mistake. With a small smile, he looked at his embarrassed friend, who had an amused face.

Finally they shared the afternoon together, chatting and joking trivialities that I didn't understand to a large extent, but that eliminated any trace of guilt and discomfort. But it wasn't just that afternoon, Todoroki soon discovered the true support that his friends at UA gave him... At first, Todoroki would be lying if he said that he managed to get over the incident without problems; the reality was that, in the next few days, shame made its way and therefore he had good and bad days, but his companions raised him at every moment, each in their own way and from their perspective. From hugs and jokes from Kirishima, Kaminari and Sero; afternoons with the girls where each one took him out of his toxic thoughts with kindness and gentleness; subtle smiles from Tokoyami and Shouji; Sato making his favorite desserts, making Todoroki wonder how he knows what they are; Bakugou being nicer, at least changing his nickname from 'half-half bastard' to simply 'half-half' (which is a huge achievement). Uraraka lovingly approaching; Iida being more protective; and lastly, Midoriya being a friend that Todoroki would never understand what he did right in his life to deserve him.

Todoroki couldn't remember feeling this good before. Although the incident unleashed a thick sludge that he wasn't ready to deal with, he ended up being thankful that it happened, because it helped him get over it and keep moving toward his goal. After touching the emotion of fear so intimately and deeply, Todoroki felt, somehow, healed. That's why he was surprised when he received a message one morning and he didn't feel fear or anxiety.

"Is something wrong, Todoroki?" he was accosted by Izuku as they walked to the classroom together.

Shoto looked away from his cell phone screen to see his friend, before showing him, without hesitation, the message he received.

I’m so sorry

-E

"Wow… you told me that he was changing, but I didn't expect this…" he exclaimed in genuine surprise. Todoroki scratched the back of his neck "Did he hear about...?"

Shoto sighed, trying to put the thought of his teacher telling his father about last week's incident out of his head, but remembering that, even if it was the case, Todoroki no longer cared.

"I don't want to find out" and put the cell phone away, obviously not responding to his father. Midoriya noticed the small smile on his face, but he didn't say anything either, he just kept walking by his side.

For a long time, he was trapped in the vermilion on his left side that identified him as the son of that man, trapped in fear, pain, guilt and regret. But, little by little, he has managed to free himself from the chains of the past and Shoto had decided to go ahead, despite everything.

And maybe, one day, and with the support of his loved ones and his own strength, it would be enough to feel completely free.

End