Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"Definitely is not normal"

Aizawa Shouta clenched his fists in frustration and suppressed anger as he looked at the snowstorm surrounding the forest. Beside him, the hero Celestron was trying to figure out the reason for that situation, using his own eyes as binoculars. It took him several minutes to identify the source, which didn't surprise him, having witnessed his class's track record of bad luck. [1]

"I need a rescue team and all the heroes in the area" he exclaimed seriously to the Commissioner who was on his left. He maintained his posture and temperance despite the threatening look that Shouta gave him "My students are in grave danger"

"I understand" he said, making eye contact "However, I'm afraid it will take time. Our teams are not prepared for situations like this"

"Aren't they equipped enough?" Aizawa tried to control his temper "Despite living in the coldest area in all of Japan?"

"We have never witnessed anything like this" the Commissioner acknowledged with embarrassment "I will help you in any way I can, but please understand that we will not be able to help your students in the time you want"

Aizawa swallowed in double frustration and fear.

"We can't get close enough until the storm stopped" Celestron chimed in.

"I can take care of that" Aizawa promised as his eyes turned red "Just help me get closer to he as close as possible"

The Commissioner nodded.

"I'll make some calls"

Aizawa deactivated his quirk as the Commissar walked away. Then he returned his gaze to the forest. The storm seemed the spitting image of the apocalypse.

***

"Who wants the last marshmallow?" Satou asked but when no one answered him, he ate it.

"I should have listened to Todoroki" Hagakure moaned, hunched over as she hugged her stomach "That was a lot of marshmallows for today"

"At what point did training turn into a picnic in the snow?" Sero asked, half amused and half critical.

"Ever since Todoroki saved us" Kirishima answered seriously, looking at Momo and Tsuyu, both of them looked anguished "It's taking a long time, don't you think?"

"It's not easy to move in this weather, but if there's someone who can do it, it's him" said Ojiro with little confidence "Surely he already found the other group and decided to stay with them"

"Probably, since it keeps getting worse outside" Shouji commented, looking at the thermometer Momo left at the entrance.

"That's what worries me" she intervened "Not even in this region should there be such intense cold"

"We were just unlucky" Aoyama exclaimed with a tight smile.

"I have a bad feeling" Tsuyu confided. Yaoyorozu, next to her, sighed.

"However we can't do anything but wait and trust that Todoroki is alright" Satou said.

"Todoroki is very strong!" Hagakure exclaimed in admiration "He'll be fine!"

No one contradicted her, because they knew that his partner was intelligent and talented, but for that reason they could not shake the concern that continued to increase as the minutes passed and they continued without hearing anything from him. Outside, it was raining and snowing and everyone wondered if someone like Todoroki, despite his strength and powers, could have a limit.

***

Despite Todoroki's skills, navigating through the forest was uncomfortable with strong winds obscuring his vision. Compared to a few minutes ago, when he went out to look for his friends, the storm had worsened, so the cold of the weather, and the heavy use of his ice, were starting to weaken him. There was frost covering his body and head, from the snow that kept falling and the effects of using his ice. Todoroki blew out a breath of icy air and clenched his teeth.

At the speed at which he was moving, he could reach the Ryokan in another 30 minutes, although there was no mishap on the way, since he still had not ruled out the idea that it was the abilities of an enemy, be it a villain or a hero in the role of one. Asking Aizawa was the smart thing to do.

It was fifteen minutes before he had to stop. Ice covered his right side and was beginning to numb his extremities. Without hesitating too much, he activated his left side and despite the fact that the wind uncontrolled his flames, he managed to increase his body temperature and clear the fog in his mind, understanding, for the first time since Aizawa announced the training, that he greatly underestimated the exercise. 

Looking around, he relocated and located the Ryokan, however, he was unable to restart his move when a voice broke through over the violent sound of the storm.

"You must be the student they told me about" Todoroki struggled to focus on the man floating above the trees, who slowly approached and looked at him with a smile. He was wearing a black jumpsuit and an off-white trench coat. His face was covered by a black mask but Todoroki saw a blue reflection in his eyes “The perfect boy, half ice and half fire.

Shoto frowned and his heart pounded in alarm.

"Who are you?"

"You can call me Snowman" he greeted with a mock bow. Although Todoroki had doubts, he decided to consider Snowman as an enemy and prepare himself in case he had to fight, even though he promised not to. [2]

"What do you want?" Snowman shrugged, dismissing the question, or perhaps confirming Todoroki's suspicions in his own way.

What worried him the most, aside from his unclear goals, was that the enemy seemed to know his abilities, while he could only suspect that he had some power to control snow or weather and a high tolerance for it. Even if Todoroki wanted and could fight him, he was at a complete disadvantage at the moment, so the smart thing to do would be to escape and continue with his original purpose. But the man who was smiling cheekily at him in the sky, seemed to read his thoughts, because the direction of the wind and snow changed drastically and hit him. Shoto covered his face and cursed in his mind. Unfortunately, he soon understood that in order to escape and warn Aizawa, he had to defeat Snowman first.

His ice helped him move to his left and take cover with the trees, never taking his eyes off the enemy. The wind and snow that he was controlling followed his movements at the same speed and every time Shoto tried to get closer, more of this snow and cold slowed him down. Keeping up was difficult when the same cold and air extinguished his flames that were trying to keep him warm and thaw his right side, so he made use of his ice to create a barrier and hide deep in the forest.

Todoroki took advantage of the silence to catch his breath and properly thaw his body. The soft steam rose from his left side and he soon felt refreshed.

Suddenly, Snowman appeared in front, with a look full of madness. The wind hit Todoroki and threw him backwards, until his back and head collided with the trunk of a tree. The intensity of the wind decreased as Snowman rose up while laughing, and only because of that Todoroki was able to open his eyes and dodge the attack with snow and air.

"Come on, kid, entertain me" joked the villain from afar.

Shoto moved through the forest, keeping a safe distance, while dodging the air and snow, which were ridiculously cold enough to freeze the trees in his path. It was there that he wished he hadn't underestimated the weather and had prepared with more effective clothing and equipment. Although he had his left side to keep him at bay, he couldn't reach a critical freezing point, or he would be unable to use it.

The villain flew as more air and snow protected him. From his behavior throughout that battle and the qualities of his quik, he was better at medium and long range. If Todoroki could get close enough, maybe he could defeat him. However, it would be hard to pull off with his ice, he needed to use his fire to move faster, but the weather was affecting his left side, the air was causing him to lose control of his flames and the snow was extinguishing them. But if he could get close enough to evade the attacks, he could end the battle. Todoroki looked down at his left hand as he formulated a plan in his head. It was obvious that Snowman not only controlled winter, he also had a high tolerance for it. Shoto seriously considered using his fire to finish him off.

Putting more effort into his ice to speed up his movements, he managed to dodge the attacks and briefly hide in the forest. Snowman hummed as he searched for it and it was only when Todoroki realized his back was turned that he launched into a violent summoning of his ice.

"There you are!" Snowman yelled ecstatically, waving his arms for the storm to attack Todoroki. The trees helped cover him, and when he reached a clear area, he made a strong blaze of fire to propel himself up into the sky. Less than 4 meters away, Snowman grinned madly as the fire began to get out of control, but Shoto kept moving forward to try to catch up with him, or tried to, until torrential rain doused his flames and the wind hurled him hard to the ground.

He barely had time to recover when the wind and rain again chilled him. Shoto activated his ice and moved around the forest again, ignoring his frozen, numb and injured body. He began to breathe hard, from exhaustion and cold, but whenever he tried to stop to activate his fire, the rain would put it out.

"Is that all you have?!" Snowman madly yelled “Aren't you the masterpiece?!”

Todoroki's numb mind couldn't really analyze those words or wonder why they sounded so strange and familiar, but he could feel discomfort and despair. If his father were to see his poor performance he would be very disappointed, and his entire family's sacrifice so that he could become the perfect balance of his parents would have become meaningless. Shoto gritted his teeth to get rid of the heavy feeling in his head. He only had to activate his fire for a moment to balance and resume his performance, but Snowman's attacks had increased in intensity and speed, preventing him from achieving his goal. He needed an opening.

With a groan, he created a mound of ice again, briefly concealing him.

"That trick again?" Snowman's laughter echoed through the forest, before he unleashed his powers and freezing rain covered the entire area. The fire that Todoroki created was barely saved by the makeshift structure of ice, which covered it briefly.

Once his body temperature rose again from his fire, his mind woke up and he managed to get out of the mist. What he knew of his enemy was that he could summon and control blizzards and change conditions at will; that he had great tolerance to temperature and resistance, since he had been using his abilities without stopping for at least 2 hours, on the contrary, increasing his intensity and speed; and that it probably had an enormous range, since a large part of the forest was under its powers but it could also reduce it to affect a specific area.

Despite the catastrophic scenario, Todoroki was confident that he must have a weak point, the problem was that he didn't know what it was. The only thing that his instinct told him was that he should approach and drag him into a hand-to-hand battle, because in a distance fight he had the absolute advantage. Shoto didn't consider himself especially skilled with physical combat, not like Midoriya or Kirishima, but if it was what he had to do, he'd do it, all he needed was an effective enough distraction so he could get close without being noticed.

The last time it was a resounding failure. To win, he would have to get high enough to attack from above so the rain wouldn't put out his fire, but for that he would have to bring Snowman not only down physically, but also down his defenses. Looking around, the wind, snow, and rain clouded the landscape, but perhaps Todoroki could use it to his advantage to hide and make the villain come down to find him. He briefly recalled the image of Bakugou making his way through the snow. He almost smiles wryly. If Katsuki found out that his plan not only helped his team move through the forest but also gave Todoroki an idea, they would never be able to bring his ego down. His left foot heated the snow at his feet and Shoto fell two meters into cover, then activated his ice to create a path that he made sure to extend long enough to push the villain away.

"Are you running so soon?" Snowman yelled before quickly flying in the direction of his ice, bringing rain and snow in his wake.

When he was far enough away Shoto rose up with his fire, just in time as his cold side was starting to freeze, and he flew to the top of a tree to wait. From that height he could observe the movements of his opponent, who, once he discovered that it was all a trap, went mad and attacked the poor forest with his powers.

"He told me you'd be fun!" Snowman made hail in frustration.

Shoto frowned in confusion.

"That you could bear this!" Despite the fact that the wind drowned out most of his cries, Todoroki could hear a few things "Are you that weak?!

Todoroki clenched his fists. All his childhood he grew up hearing the same words from Endeavor and although he already had a better relationship with him, if ignoring his messages could be said better, the word still made him feel sick and angry. Still, he breathed slowly to calm down and wait for the exact moment for his move. He couldn't screw it up, Snowman was strong and very smart, he was starting to read his attacks and see through him so he had to hurry. He activated his ice, freezing the tree that was holding him up, then making the same path of ice that distracted Snowman but this time to attract him. He turned excitedly and advanced and when Todoroki was close to him, he jumped from the tree and pushed him into the snow, where they began to fight.

"Little bastard!" Snowman roared as he struggled, trying to push Todoroki away with the wind, but Shoto called down his fire to surround them and neutralize the villain's powers, just for a moment since, as Shoto had already analyzed, the closer he got to his target, the more intense it was. It was the storm that he could control, so it was easy for him to make it rain and snow to drench Todoroki and therefore put out his flames. Snowman smiled with amusement and mockery "I thought the perfect son was smarter!"

"Stop saying that" Todoroki growled, feeling really affected by his words. If he couldn't use his fire, then he would teach the villain the opposite. Pushing his limits with ice, lowering the temperature of both until one of both stops. He would bet everything on his mother's side, as he did for a long time.

Cold and ice began to surround them. Snowman smiled with tension and emotion when their temperature began to drop drastically and they began to freeze, him from being subdued and Todoroki from making constant use of his quirk. Definitely only the one with the greatest resistance would be left standing and if Snowman was honest, he doubted that he could make it, despite the Trigger he injected himself, because his opponent could always light a small flame to save himself. His heart began to beat slower and his body lost coordination and strength from the strong tremors. The struggle they were having stopped when they both began to suffer the first symptoms of hypothermia, but even for that, Todoroki did not stop, in fact, he gritted his teeth and exhaled cold air before trying harder and finishing freezing him, only stopping when finally, the storm stopped.

Shoto looked at the frozen body in front of him without really seeing it. He felt tired and sleepy. The noise and chaos that he remembered somehow finally faded and he might have dropped if not for an annoying noise, now in his head, urgently telling him something he couldn't comprehend.

Maybe if he closed his eyes, just for a second, he would feel a little better and he could understand what his mind was trying to tell him. According to him, he closed them for a second, but when he opened them again, with some difficulty, he found that he was lying on his side.

Although all he could see from his position was that mound of ice and despite knowing, somehow, that he was surrounded by ice and snow, he stopped feeling cold. In fact it felt good. His breathing slowed as he relaxed and closed his eyes. He would just rest for a few minutes and then attend to whatever was important.

Todoroki closed his eyes and did not open them again.

***

After Todoroki's departure, they talked for a few minutes, not making much noise despite the fact that most of the team members were noisy by nature; but, in due time, silence reigned, save for the soothing sound of the campfire. It was a pleasant silence that no one wanted to break, perhaps because anyone could shake the concern they felt for their friend and did not want to share it with the others. With the calm that surrounded them, they were also aware of the loud sound of the storm, but when the sound of hail hitting the igloo broke their peace, they began to shudder. Then Midoriya couldn't silence his anxiety any longer.

"We must go find him"

"Even if we wanted to, we can't go out" Kaminari recalled, guilty for having suggested that Todoroki go out.

"Calm down. It's only been half an hour" Uraraka smiled nervously "He'll barely have reached the Ryokan"

"Leaving now would put our lives in danger and we wouldn't be able to help him" Iida commented in frustration.

"We just have to wait" Tokoyami muttered, clenching his fists.

"But it's strange that it's hailing now" Ashido commented as he placed another branch on the fire "It must definitely be someone's quirk"

"There's no use speculating" Iida exclaimed "Until Todoroki returns or the storm stops, we can find out"

"But if it's an enemy we should make sure it doesn't want to attack us" Kaminari said in alarm.

"Can't you hear anything?" Midoriya asked Jirou.

"No. The storm prevents me" she answered, feeling guilty for not being able to help.

"You should go out and verify that the enemy isn't here" suggested Mineta.

"And why don't you go?" Ashido asked angrily. Mineta raised his hands appeasingly.

"I could die!"

"And we couldn't?!"

Ashido and Mineta started arguing. The others tried to stop them, until Bakugou, who had been very quiet in his corner away from everyone, started yelling for them to shut up.

"We're just worried, Bakugou" Kaminari commented ruefully.

"Well, all of you come out and die, damn it!"

"I'll go" Midoriya offered, being stopped by the others.

"Stop, Midoriya. If the enemy really were outside they would have attacked already" Iida explained firmly. It seemed to be the right words because they all sighed and took their seats again, resuming silence from being lost in thought.

Bakugou rolled his eyes in exasperation. If he could get out of the fucking igloo he would have already done it from the beginning, or rather, if there wasn't that storm he would have finished the fucking exercise and he wouldn't have to deal with those idiots, but until then he had to continue to tolerate their bullshit. He clenched his fists impatiently and sullenly.

Outside, the hail began to disappear, drawing Katsuki's attention. But when the storm abruptly disappeared, he couldn't avoid getting up quickly.

"What the fuck?"

Bakugou's sudden movement and his words caught the attention of the rest, who looked at him confused, until they directed their attention to the entrance of the igloo, where it was appreciated that the storm had completely stopped, as if it had never existed. They all got up with the same uncertainty.

"It can't be" Midoriya whispered.

"I told you the enemy could show up!" Mineta yelled, hiding behind a pale Kouda.

Some panicked, until Iida restored order. Midoriya was the one who didn't hesitate to move and leave the igloo quickly. He heard the screams of his friends but could not respond because he was again surprised by the absence of the storm. The sky was completely clear.

"Deku" Uraraka called as she ran to his side, stopping in amazement when she also witnessed the absence of a storm.

"It's impossible" Izuku muttered.

"I can't believe it" Iida said, coming closer. Behind came the rest.

Bakugou was the last to leave, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"We're saved" Kaminari commented weakly, then smiled and started jumping up and down and yelled happily "We're saved!"

Jirou was also smiling but when Kaminari took her hands and pulled her to jump with him, a deep blush came over her face and she began to argue.

"We are not going to die!" cried Mineta into Kouda's chest.

"He did it! Todoroki saved us!" Ashido smiled at Midoriya and Uraraka who shared his joy.

"He really did it" Tokoyami said with a grateful smile.

"Now we can go back to the Ryokan" Uraraka commented happily.

"Hold on" Jirou interrupted in alarm before reaching down and plugging his headphones into the snow "Something's coming…"

The brief peace they felt was replaced by worry and fear, but before they succumbed to panic again, they allowed Jiruou to focus and waited patiently for her to report.

"There are two vehicles" she exclaimed, puzzled.

Bakugou stepped forward towards the direction she pointed.

"If it's that villain, I'll destroy him"

They waited expectantly until the vehicles appeared in their field of vision, but they immediately discovered that one was the same transport that had left them from the beginning and the other was a small ambulance. They let them come closer, until a hero and medical personnel came out and rushed towards them.

"Are you injured?" asked a paramedic, looking them up and down.

"We're fine, sir" Iida replied politely "We took refuge in that igloo during the storm"

"I'm glad you're okay" the hero said with a sigh of relief.

"What's going on?" Midoriya asked, taking a step forward, fearing the worst.

"The storm was the work of a villain" replied the hero. Although it was something they already suspected, they felt overwhelmed. "As soon as we found out, we tried to get closer to come help you, but we couldn't move forward until the storm was over"

"Does it mean that the villain was arrested?" Uraraka asked.

"I can't confirm it but, as far as I understood, one of your companions was fighting him"

Everyone's heart skipped a beat with anguish and anxiety.

"Where is Todoroki?" Midoriya asked in alarm.

"A vehicle is heading towards his location. Your teacher is also going there" the hero answered, a little uncomfortable.

"That's not what he asked you" Bakugou said intimidatingly "Which direction?"

The hero blinked, surprised by the blonde's attitude. Although he's going to berate himself later for losing control and not doing his job of getting everyone back to safety, it was better than dealing with the teen's threat. He slowly pointed to his right, gasping as a sudden gust of air clouded his vision.

"Midoriya! Bakugou! Get back here!" Iida's cry was lost as they walked away.

The cold had almost completely disappeared and without the presence of the storm they were able to move nimbly through the forest, which had been impossible before. As they got closer to the direction the hero pointed, they began to see that the forest was affected more. Midoriya sped up his flight with worry hammering at his heart. Beside him, Bakugou also increased his use of his explosions to keep up, or perhaps for another reason, he didn't seem particularly interested in competing with him.

"Why did you come?" Izuku inquired curiously. Bakugou insulted him before replying.

"I want to kill that stupid villain"

Izuku settled for the answer, because he had learned to read Kacchan between the lines. Perhaps the time Todoroki and him spent together in extracurricular classes had brought them closer than Katsuki was willing to admit.

"Besides…" Bakugou continued, barely in a whisper that Midoriya had trouble hearing "I'll hit the half-half idiot if results that he lost to him"

Midoriya didn't reply, but they came to a mutual understanding as they both looked ahead and kept moving. They advanced five kilometers and knew they had arrived when they discovered an area much more frozen than the rest. Then they visualized an ambulance and two vehicles. They took one last jump on a branch to gain momentum, before falling in front of the people who were gathered in the place. As soon as they raised their heads, the first thing they saw was...

"Todoroki!" Midoriya yelled in a panic, trying to get closer but being stopped by Aizawa.

"If you want to help, stay out of the way, Midoriya" he growled angrily. His eyes were red and his hair was up, giving him a creepier appearance.

Midoriya swallowed hard and watched helplessly as a paramedic was giving CPR to his best friend.

"What happened?" Bakugou asked with his fists clenched tightly. How Aizawa ignored his question, then directed his anger at tracking down the villain and smashing his face in. What he saw stunned him. The villain was frozen.

"He's unconscious" the Commissioner spoke and only then did Aizawa deactivate his quirk "We'll take him for interrogation"

"Keep me informed" he replied without taking his eyes off Todoroki.

The police and the Commissioner took the villain away and then they were left alone with the medical personnel. Aizawa walked over and crouched down next to one.

"He's breathing" he informed him kindly before placing water bags on Shoto's exposed chest and neck "But his temperature is worrisome"

Two other paramedics came up with a gurney which they unfolded and placed to one side; between the three of them they very carefully laid Todoroki down on it. The first checked his pulse while his partner removed the sodden scarf and suit. The next thing they did was cover Todoroki with a thermal blanket.

Aizawa remained silent as he watched the paramedics work.

"We can't move him too much or he could lose his life" explained the paramedic "We must wait for his body temperature to come out of the critical point" [3]

Shouta nodded and stood up with a sigh to go over to his other two troublesome students, who looked so distraught that he considered removing their punishment for disobeying and not getting on the van that went to help them.

"What are you doing here?" he asked wearily.

"We… sorry" Midoriya whispered, only taking his gaze off Todoroki because Aizawa stood in front of them and blocked their view "We were worried about Todoroki"

"Todoroki wasn't in your assigned group, how did you know what was going on?"

Bakugou and Midoriya exchanged a look.

"He came to save us" Midoriya looked guilty "He made an igloo so we could shelter from the storm. Then we began to suspect that something strange was going on, because we discovered that the maximum temperature of the place did not go below -25 °C, and Todoroki said outside we were at -50, which is illogical and…"

"The idiot came out to ask you but I guess he ran into the villain on the way" Bakugou completed as Midoriya began to mutter.

Aizawa massaged his temple as he put part of the puzzle together. Blessed be the stubbornness and foolishness of his students. He doesn't know at what specific point they became such a tight-knit group, but if it hadn't been for Todoroki disobeying his directions, he would have his entire class severe hypothermia or worse, dead.

"Eraser head" interrupted one of the doctors.

"We'll talk later" Shouta told his students before walking towards the paramedics and giving them his full attention.

"We need to make sure there is no damage on his organs"

"Will you take him to the hospital?"

"It's an option. But I thought it would be better to take it to Minako. She has the scanning quirk and will be able to give us a diagnosis just as effective as the exam at the hospital. But I wanted to ask you first"

"I appreciate it" Aizawa didn't know if he would regret it in the future but he definitely preferred to have his student around to watch him "In that case, I'll take your suggestion"

"We are ready to move him" proceeded the paramedic. Shouta nodded and signaled to Midoriya and Bakugou to come closer.

"Although a good punishment would be for you to go back to the Ryokan alone, I'm too tired and fed up to worry about you doing another stupid thing" he signaled the ambulance for them to get on. This time both obeyed without hesitation.

***

The ride back was silent, as everyone inside the vehicle was deep in thought. When the storm stopped abruptly and two vehicles approached within a few minutes, neither really suspected that they were affected by a villain's quirk until the hero in the van explained the situation to them. They got into the vehicle overwhelmed and guilty for sending Todoroki into danger.

"It's my fault" Kirishima said helplessly when they reached the Ryokan and entered "I was the one who suggested that he leave"

“We all did it, Kirishima” Momo commented sadly.

"Even if we hadn't, Todoroki would have gone" Sero exclaimed. They all agreed with that but still felt regretful.

The reception of the Ryokan was empty, which wouldn't be strange if it weren't for the hurried footsteps and voices all around.

"What's going on?" Ojiro inquired, starting to tense up. His companions began to grow alarmed as well, fearing that the villain had escaped and was at the Ryokan, but before any of the staff could explain or they could move to investigate, they heard another vehicle approaching.

They moved to the entrance just in time to see a car pull up and their companions get out of it.

"Guys!" Denki greeted. He looked pale and nervous as he approached and ran to hug Kirishima and Ojiro.

"Everyone is fine?" asked Yaoyorozu in anguish.

"We're all fine" Iida replied seriously. There was a collective sigh.

"What happened?" Kirishima asked as he checked and made sure one last time that the rest of his companions were truly unharmed.

"It's long to explain" Jirou sighed.

Yaoyorozu and the others noticed in the rest of their friends a shared anguish and guilt.

"Where are Todoroki, Midoriya, and Bakugou?" Satou inquired, frowning as Iida turned pale and lowered his gaze.

"Deku and Bakugou left when they discovered that Todoroki fought against the villain" Uraraka replied calmly.

“Wait, wait” Sero said slowly, eyes wide open as he looked at the other team “Why was Todoroki fighting the villain?”

"Bakugou discovered that the storm was not normal and we began to suspect that something strange was happening" Ashido explained "We didn't know if it was Aizawa's work for training or if it was a villain"

"Todoroki said he would go ask him" Iida finished. The class president looked defeated and that distressed the other team.

"Where is he?" Tsuyu asked.

"We don't know anything about him" Tokoyami said solemnly. The silent atmosphere was filled with anguish and fear.

"Come on, Todoroki must be fine" Mineta interrupted nervously, trying to cheer up or maybe trying to take the blame off "He's the only one who could have survived that"

No one dared to assure or correct it.

A second vehicle approached and Class 1-A stood at the entrance with uncertainty and expectation. Their hearts pounded with anguish when they saw an ambulance arrive. Bakugou and Midoriya walked out of it, looking at the class for just a second, before rushing over to them.

"Deku, where is Todoroki?" Uraraka was the first to ask.

"He's in the ambulance" Midoriya replied with some urgency, making his way over his companions when Bakugou pushed him "Right now we'll explain"

"What's going on?" Iida asked.

"Get out of the way, idiots" Bakugou pushed some of his companions before entering the Ryokan with Midoriya.

The rest didn't know whether to follow them or continue to wait where they were, but they didn't have to decide when Aizawa got out of the vehicle and escorted the paramedics to the entrance, who were carrying a dying Todoroki on a stretcher. Neither could ask or externalize their anguish because Aizawa silenced them with a warning look; but what they could do, after coming out of their stupor, was to follow their teacher to the dining room, where the Ryokan staff had conditioned the place to receive them.

"Leave it here" Aizawa instructed, as Midoriya placed a futon near the burning fireplace.

The paramedics lowered the stretcher and between the three of them moved Todoroki. He was not even flinched by the movements, he kept his eyes closed, his cracked lips were slightly parted and his skin almost white. There was a bit of frost on his white hair, which Mrs. Minako, the owner of the Ryokan, gently brushed away as she knelt behind him. Afterwards, a greenish light appeared as she very gently placed her hands on his face. Although everyone had the question on the tip of their tongues, no one dared to break the seriousness of the situation. Aizawa crouched down and looked at Todoroki during that time, until the light disappeared and he made eye contact with the woman.

"How is he doing?" Shouta asked hoarsely.

"No organ damage" she reported with a small smile. Aizawa relaxed his features after a soft exhalation "I think the characteristics of his quirk saved his life"

"Good to know"

"He'll be fine, honey" she exclaimed empathetically "He just has to stay warm and get plenty of rest"

“I'll check the water bags” the paramedic said as he lifted the thermal blanket and removed them when he discovered that they were already cold. Still, unperturbed, he took the temperature and showed it to Mrs. Minako, who nodded her head.

"He's stable" she confirmed "I'll take care of it from here"

The paramedics gave a quick bow as Aizawa thanked them, before picking up the stretcher and leaving the Ryokan.

"Sensei, can you explain to us what happened?" asked Iida, considering that he would have to be the one to ask the question.

Aizawa sighed but nodded his head.

"Okay, but let's Mrs. Minako work" next he stood up and started walking towards the exit. His students had no choice but to follow him, although most of them turned to see Todoroki, being attended by the owner of the Ryokan. As the dining room doors closed, Aizawa faced them with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket.

“I imagine you are aware that there was a villain who caused the blizzard” his students nodded “Todoroki was the one who confronted him and stopped him by freezing him, causing himself severe hypothermia in the process. You can connect the dots from there"

"Where is the villain?" Kirishima asked.

"The local police took him for interrogation" he exclaimed, making a mental note to call the Commissioner in case he forgets to keep him informed. "Another question?"

"Is Todoroki going to be okay?" Aoyama inquired with concern and guilt. [4]

“You listened to what the paramedics and Mrs. Minako said. We just have to wait for his body temperature to rise and wake up"

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Yaoyorozou inquired.

Aizawa thought carefully about his answer.

“Go back to your dormitory and rest. It was a long afternoon for you too”

He must have imagined that his students would not obey, too worried about their fallen classmate and although Aizawa felt affection and admiration for his commitment, the last thing he wanted was a bunch of teenagers breathing down his neck.

"If there's anything you can do I'll let you know" he added slowly. They all grimaced and exchanged glances, before dispersing down the hall and walking head down to their assigned rooms. Once completely alone, Shouta allowed himself to sigh heavily. He was so tired from that trip.

When he re-entered the dining room, he found Minako and Todoroki in the same position he had left them. Not knowing what to do, he took a seat next to him and watched as Minako brought out some hot water bags.

"You look tired, honey" she told him sweetly "You can go rest if you want. I'll take care of your student"

Aizawa was tempted but couldn't forgive himself if he abandoned Todoroki now, without first making sure he was fully recovered.

"Thank you, but I prefer to stay"

It was the correct answer because his heart felt relieved, or maybe it felt that way because Todoroki no longer looked as pale as when they found him. He still remembered the horror and despair he felt when they saw him. For an instant Aizawa thought he was dead and there was nothing to do; and just remembering it made him shudder with fear. It would definitely be a difficult image to get out of your head.

Minako had been taking care of Todoroki for hours, making sure to keep him warm and that his body temperature kept rising. Then she stood up and smiled at Aizawa as she concluded that he was completely out of danger now and they should just let him rest. Aizawa bowed in thanks and she left the dining room.

Shouta took advantage of the solitude to sigh and massage his aching neck, but his peace was short-lived when his cell phone vibrated with a message. The Commissioner wrote that they had found out about the villain and asked if it was a good time to talk to him. Although Aizawa needed to know this information, he didn't want to hear it in front of Todoroki but he didn't want to leave him alone either, that's why he felt slightly surprised when the dining room door was opened and a shy Midoriya peeked through it, just in time.

"Can we go in, Aizawa sensei?"

Aizawa waved his hand at them and watched with amusement as his students walked to a stop in front of him and Todoroki. Even Bakugou had walked in, angry and pretending he didn't care, but he had.

"How is Todoroki?" Momo asked.

"Stable. He is no longer in danger"

Everyone sighed with relief and happiness.

"Can we wait here until he wakes up?" Midoriya asked.

Aizawa already knew his class well enough to know that even if he denied them, they would find a way to disobey and enter. Which, right now, was what Aizawa needed the most. He had to take that call.

"Actually, I need you to take care of him before I get back" he said as he stood up "Just make sure he's warm"

His students affirmed with determination and Aizawa knew that he left Todoroki in very good hands.

When he left the Ryokan, he looked at the moon for a moment before dialing the Commissioner's number.

"We detected Trigger in his system" [5]

Aizawa trembled. That would explain why his powers seemed impossible to stop. He felt surprised and proud of Todoroki for having been able to stop him on his own but he also felt scared again for thinking that he really could have died.

"Do you know anything else?" Aizawa didn't think that the next piece of news would shake him more than the previous one.

"We suspect that he has been in contact with the League of Villains and probably attacked on their orders" [6]

Shigaraki's image appeared in his mind and made him feel sick.

"Thank you Commissioner" he massaged his eyes before saying goodbye.

The director was not going to like that news.

Returning to the dining room, he had to blink to make sure that what he saw was true. He couldn't help the amused smile that arose after seeing his students.

"Aren't you exaggerating?" Uraraka asked as she watched Ashido and Hagakure adjust another scarf to Todoroki's face, which was barely visible above the multiple layers of clothing and blankets that covered his body.

"Can he breathe, at least?" Kirishima questioned with wide eyes open.

"Of course he can breathe" Hagakure replied energetically, but still adjusted the scarf so that Todoroki's nose was more exposed.

"We must keep it warm, not bury it" Sero said as he walked over and took off some jackets, ignoring Hagakure's claim. Jirou and Yaoyorozu helped him.

"How long does it take a person to warm up?" Kaminari asked embarrassedly.

"It depends on the degree of hypothermia but it could be 5 hours or more" Momo replied as soon as she stood up.

"If the idiot woke up and activated his fire it would be faster" Bakugou commented, receiving an unimpressed look from everyone.

"He's unconscious, Kacchan"

Katsuki snorted.

"Besides there is no urgency for him to wake up" Iida commented.

"It's true. Let's let him rest as long as he needs" Uraraka supported.

"After everything he did for us, it's the least we can do" Tsuyu whispered.

They were all silent, sharing their gratitude and affection towards their companion. Aizawa didn't want to interrupt the homely and warm atmosphere that had been created, so he quietly left the dining room, knowing that Todoroki would be safe and secure with his friends.

***

Shoto felt a strange sensation in his head, as he slowly woke up. The next thing he realized, he was extremely hot, but when he tried to move to get rid of the sensation, he discovered a heaviness in his body that prevented him from getting up. For a second he panicked but relaxed again when he found he wasn't restricted, just overly fatigued. His mind, dazed and floating, began to work to try to remember what had happened and why he felt this way but he was blank and it bothered him enough to wake him up fully.

Opening his eyes, he visualized a high ceiling, dimly lit by a warm light that made him feel calm and safe. That's why he allowed himself the luxury of getting up slowly, after gathering enough strength to do so. Something fell into his lap and it took Shoto a few seconds to identify a scarf but then he noticed the many items of clothing that covered it. If before he was confused now he was more.

"Todoroki" someone called him and Shoto had to blink several times to clear the haze of confusion in his head so he could identify the person who was speaking to him. Aizawa was sitting next to him, arms and legs crossed. He looked tired, as if he had just woken up.

Todoroki was too exhausted to ask what was going on, so he settled for silently watching his teacher rise from his chair and crouch down beside him with a soft sigh. Without saying a word, Aizawa reached for something to his left, which Shoto was slow to recognize as a glass of water but which he urgently accepted and drank.

"Slow down, kid"

Todoroki ignored his teacher and finished drinking the glass. He immediately felt better.

"Do you know who I am?" Aizawa asked seriously, once he finished drinking. Todoroki nodded quickly and Aizawa's features softened with relief "Do you know where you are?"

Shoto frowned in concentration, but nothing came to mind.

"No" he denied, slightly surprised to hear his own voice. His teacher didn't seem pleased with his answer and that worried him.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

Todoroki looked down and thought. He remembered the sensation of cold, which made no sense when what he felt the most at that moment was very hot. In fact, that was the reason why he woke up and got up, to get rid of the heat source. A little annoyed at being uncomfortable, he began to kick and remove the clothes that were still on his body. Aizawa watched him with amusement before helping him, and when Todoroki felt lighter and fresher, his mind began to work and help him remember. They had made a trip to the north of Japan, for a training. There was a blizzard and Shoto was very cold, but no matter how hard he tried to activate his fire, something always put them out, or rather someone...

Oh, now he remembered.

"The villain…" he whispered, knowing that if his master was with him it meant that he was safe.

"He was arrested" Aizawa replied slowly. Relieved that Todoroki was starting to remember "You're safe now"

Shoto already knew that but it felt good to hear it, but his calm was quickly interrupted when he remembered the cold and the storm again. He had left his friends and never returned to tell them.

"Where are the others?" he asked in alarm, speaking louder than he intended.

Aizawa didn't respond instantly, causing Todoroki's heart to pound with worry and fear, but then he asked him to be quiet before inviting him to look around. Todoroki was slow to process the image.

All of his classmates lay asleep around him, covering almost the entire dining room floor and it was only after Aizawa told him that he became aware of the sound of their breaths and soft snores.

"Even though I told them to sleep in their rooms, they didn't want to" Aizawa exclaimed, sounding exasperated and amused at the same time "They didn't want to leave you alone"

Shoto felt like crying, perhaps because of the helplessness and despair during the battle or knowing that his friends were safe or because of the gratitude and happiness of knowing that he was still alive... Whatever the reason, he didn't want to dwell too long on it. Because he didn't want to cry in front of his teacher, so he evaded his sadness as he lowered his eyes, but when he saw the clothes that he pushed so desperately at the beginning, he realized that they belonged to his friends. He identified Ashido's pink jacket, Kirishima's black and red jacket, Shouji's poncho, Kouda's coat, Sero's gloves… and, if he wasn't mistaken, the scarf that fell at the beginning belonged to Bakugou. This time he let the tears out, feeling a little guilty about wetting their clothes.

Aizawa didn't utter a word as he reached out and patted his head, lovingly. Although Shoto would feel ashamed in the future for crying like a little child in front of his teacher, one of the people he most admired and respected; he didn't care at the time. In fact, he put aside his pride and his mind and allowed himself to be pampered in the present, so he subtly leaned towards him. Aizawa hugged him from the side and Shoto let himself melt into his teacher's love and care.

They stayed like that for quite some time, until their silent crying stopped and his mind gave way to embarrassment and shame, but there was no need to express it, because Aizawa seemed to recognize, at the exact moment, when to let him go, which he did after squeezing it for a while instantly like a promise that everything would be fine from now on.

Not really knowing what to say, Todoroki decided to break the silence with the first thing that came to mind to avoid his recent meltdown, which was actually something he'd been wondering about since he'd seen his companions sleeping.

"What time is it?"

"Past midnight" Aizawa replied, monotone "We have a few hours before dawn, so you should go back to sleep"

"Okay" he said not very convinced. He wasn't sleepy but when Aizawa gently pushed him onto the futon and his head touched the pillow, a wave of exhaustion hit him that he didn't even have time to say anything. He was only briefly aware of his teacher covering him with a blanket before his world went pitch black and he fell asleep.

He had dreams. He saw strange images flash by, but the more he tried to hold them in his consciousness, the more they slipped away and disappeared to be forgotten. It was as if he was trying to capture snowflakes. Then he saw a light, which felt so good in his dream that he moved towards it and the closer he got, the warmer he felt. Todoroki understood that if he kept moving forward, that light would take him out of that space.

When he opened his eyes, he looked at the same ceiling, brighter than the last time he woke up. The next thing he noticed was that the silence from before had been replaced by some voices murmuring around him. It wasn't hot or cold and for the first time since this all started, Todoroki really knew he would be okay.

"He's awake" whispered someone to his right. Midoriya appeared in his field of vision with a huge smile "Hi"

"Hi" he replied awkwardly, blinking away the last traces of sleep before trying to sit up. Several hands reached out to help him and when he was sitting up and fully awake, he noticed that it wasn't just Midoriya at his side.

"How do you feel?" asked Iida to his left.

"I feel fine" he replied. His friends looked at him appraisingly, and when they saw he wasn't lying, they smiled with relief and joy.

Uraraka brought him a glass of water, which he drank slowly this time, but he didn't hesitate to ask for more when he finished. It was Kirishima who got up like a spring and went to a table, avoiding some companions who were still sleeping on the floor. In that time, Todoroki observed that his friends' clothes, which served as blankets, were neatly folded near his feet. He felt a little guilty for having pushed them so thoughtlessly.

"Here you go buddy" Kirishima said as he came over with the glass of water.

Todoroki took a slow sip.

"Where is Aizawa sensei?" he inquired when he realized his teacher was nowhere to be found.

"He went out to see about the return trip" Asui replied.

Shoto sighed a little nervously, remembering that last night he cried in front of him. Despite knowing that his teacher would not judge him, it would take time for him to be able to look him in the eye again.

"But we still have a long way to go, so you can rest a little longer, if you want" Ochako exclaimed.

"I think I've slept too much already" he replied. Although, he was honest, if he went back to bed he knew he would have no problem falling asleep again. He still felt worn out, but he was more tired of being unconscious.

"What do you want to do then?" Midoriya asked. His eyes sparkled with curiosity and determination. Shoto knew that even if he asked for something crazy, his friends would do the impossible to fulfill it.

"I don't know" he said before taking another sip of water, to order his thoughts "I guess something to make me feel better"

They all frowned in concern and were soon bombarding him with questions.

"You feel bad?"

"Are you cold?"

"What do you need?"

"I'm fine" Todoroki smiled nervously and when he saw that the others were about to tackle him he quickly added "I don't feel sick or anything like that, I just… I don't know… a little slow"

His friends exchanged glances, worried again and Shoto began to get exasperated with himself for not knowing how to explain how he felt. But he had to remember that it was normal for him, considering that he grew up in a house where he ignored himself, and even had to hide the way he felt, because any sign of fear or sadness was considered weak. So he sighed and tried to be patient.

"I just want to feel how I felt before what happened" he explained slowly.

"Oh, Todoroki" Midoriya whispered, sadly. Shoto didn't know why everyone had such a depressed face but he felt a bit infected. So he squeezed the glass between his hands and bit his tongue to avoid more tears. He was embarrassed enough to cry in front of his teacher, he didn't want to do it in front of his friends too.

"It's okay if you don't feel well" Kirishima commented.

"I'm fine" he contradicted out of inertia, to stop being the center of attention or to deceive himself that the events hadn't affected him more than he wanted to admit, because he believed there were no reasons to feel that way.

"It's normal for you to feel affected by what happened" Iida stated seriously.

"I shouldn't" he mumbled, beginning to despise himself for being so weak and feeling that way about something so insignificant.

"It wasn't easy what you lived through" Tsuyu stated.

Of course it was easy, he thought. Because he was supposed to be studying to become a hero. How could he be one when something so simple had him so scared? Why was he so weak?

Aren't you the masterpiece?

"Dude! You saved us all from the storm" he didn't realize he said his thought aloud until Kirishima spoke forcefully "You single-handedly faced the villain and almost died"

Todoroki could remember many things from the battle: the anxiety he experienced before the powers of that enemy; the anguish of not knowing what could happen, of not knowing if his efforts would be enough to win the battle and to save the lives of his friends; Snowman's words and taunts that reminded him of the dark days of his childhood; the feeling of suffocation and despair from the snow and cold, which not only extinguished the flames on his left side, but blew out the flame that kept him alive… he was dying and he was going to die alone…

No. He didn't want to bring that up right now.

He quickly looked for ways to change the conversation.

"I just need to get up" he said defeated. His friends stopped pressing. He wasn't sure when they got to know him so well, but they always seemed to know when to give him his space and he would always appreciate it. Still, he accepted the help that Iida and Midoriya offered to lift him up. They didn't let go of his waist and shoulders despite the fact that Todoroki showed no signs of getting dizzy or falling.

"Do you want to go somewhere?" Izuku asked.

He didn't know exactly where he wanted to go, he just knew that he wanted to get out of that place. Get out of the warmth of the fireplace still burning behind him and the warmth of his friends. It was unfair that he behaved this way, so ungrateful to his loved ones, but he was tired of not knowing how he should feel and why he felt so bad when he tried to think.

"I think I'll go take a shower" he murmured after a few seconds of silence. He then smiled weakly at his friends before letting go and walking alone to the exit. He didn't need to turn around to know they were looking at him, nor did he need to hear them to know they were worried. Todoroki didn't want to overwhelm them with something even he couldn't put into words, so he hoped the water would help silence his head.

As he left the dining room, he slammed to a stop when he bumped into Bakugou. The blond was wide eyed when he saw it, just as surprised. Since neither of them knew what to say in a few seconds, Shoto took the opportunity to evaluate his partner with his eyes, discovering that he was wearing the scarf that he recognized last night.

"Did you finally wake up, IcyHot?" Katsuki said surprisingly softly. Todoroki nodded "You were a complete idiot for freezing yourself almost to death"

Todoroki knew this but it was the only way he could think of to stop Snowman, which he shared. Katsuki snorted in response.

"Whatever you say" he crossed his arms and they fell silent again. Shoto couldn't take his eyes off the scarf "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to take a bath"

"And those extras let you go alone?" Katsuki whispered through narrowed eyes.

"I'm fine"

"Yeah right idiot" Bakugou rolled his eyes and started to walk away "Don't fall and break your head"

"Thank you" Todoroki interrupted. Bakugou stopped and turned to see him confused "Because of the scarf"

The blond blushed furiously.

"I don't know what you're talking about, idiot. You're probably still brain frozen" he muttered, before walking away, stamping his feet on the floor and muttering probably profanities.

Todoroki also walked away, heading towards the room he had been assigned. The room was empty, as he expected, without his friends or the futons. The only thing that indicated that the room was occupied were the closets that were slightly open, with everyone's clothes and items. Shoto walked to the bathroom and when the hot water made contact with his body, he sighed with relief. He didn't know how much he needed that and how much it was helping him feel better. He spent a long time under the hot water, more minutes than he was used to, but letting his rigid muscles relax and the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, or specifically, the anxiety that was growing in his chest, disappear. Despite feeling safe and knowing that the storm, really and metaphorically speaking, had ended, he still felt a discomfort that he associated with his confrontation with Snowman.

From the battle and losing consciousness, he hadn't really analyzed why Snowman's presence caused him so much discomfort. Maybe it had to do with the words he said to him, words that felt all too familiar.

Endeavor popped into his head, but even though he should have felt angry with him, he just felt a huge exhaustion, perhaps because it seemed like the ghosts of his past always reappeared, no matter how hard he tried to continue. He still didn't forgive Endeavor for what he had done, or maybe he did, he didn't know; but he could no longer see his father as he did before, because he had decided to change and not let himself be carried away by hatred and revenge.

When he came out of the bathroom he felt totally refreshed. He put on his pants and the sweater he brought, pleased to discover that his internal temperature was stable, since he didn't feel hot or cold. The next thing he had to cover up was the hunger that awoke during his bath, so he left the bedroom and returned to the dining room.

There was more noise inside and when Todoroki opened the door, he saw that the rest of his friends were already awake and were helping the Ryokan staff serve the food. Midoriya discovered him at the entrance, and hurriedly ran over, his previously worried face immediately calming down upon seeing him.

"I was about to go looking for you" he said.

"Sorry, I didn't think it would take me this long"

Midoriya shook his head and smiled at him.

"Don't apologize for that" then he gently took him by the hand to invite him in "But I was going to go look for you because it's time for breakfast"

Shoto let himself be led to one of the tables, where his companions approached him with words, claps, hugs and smiles that warmed his heart.

"It's good to see you" Ojiro.

"How are you feeling, dude?" Sero.

"We are very glad to see you" Kaminari.

"We were very worried" Yaoyorozu.

"You were amazing out there" Satou.

"Come sit down honey" the Ryokan owner interrupted as she served him a hot bowl of rice and curry "You must be hungry"

Midoriya gently pushed his shoulders to make him take a seat. The rest of his friends continued to greet, thank and congratulate.

This time Todoroki was not ashamed. He did not avoid the admiration of others with his silence, but allowed himself to be embraced by the pride of his friends, because, somehow, they made him see that he should also be proud of himself. Although he still had a lot to learn, his development so far made him feel happy. He had managed to balance two parts of him, to make him one. The destructive fire with which he associated his father for a long time had become part of him and he had learned to embrace it and find a new connotation for it, one that would allow him to provide warmth and protection to his loved ones.

Because his powers were part of him and he could transform them.

"Aizawa sensei told us that we'll be leaving in an hour and a half" Midoriya suddenly said from his side. Shoto blinked in confusion, until the words made sense. He briefly wondered how long it took in the bathroom because it seemed like a long time had passed.

The hour and a half passed quickly and soon they were lying at the Ryokan exit, saying goodbye to Mrs. Minako and her employees, and thanking, especially Todoroki after knowing about her care. They all said goodbye with smiles, telling them to come back whenever they wanted, that this was their home.

The truck arrived and Aizawa ordered them to enter calmly. Again Midoriya reserved the place for him next to the window and when Shoto took a seat, he immediately relaxed and closed his eyes. He felt Midoriya place a blanket over him and although he wanted to tell him that it was unnecessary because he wasn't really cold, he didn't have the strength to open his mouth. However, he found instantly, he didn't mind the extra warmth.

In his sleep he heard his teacher explain something and then his friends talk quietly, but he could never muster enough strength to wake up and find out everything he was missing. So when someone touched his shoulder and began to shake him gently, Shoto groaned in response but didn't try to wake up. Unfortunately, too soon, along with the shoving came calls.

"Todoroki" someone said and since he knew there was no way to get rid of it, he found the courage to open his eyes.

His vision was a bit blurry but the first thing he recognized was Aizawa, who was crouching in front of him.

"It's time to wake up, kiddo"

He moaned again but straightened up. Only when he was fully awake did he discover that Midoriya was still at his side, wearing a soft smile. Shoto was slow to realize that he had fallen asleep in his friend's lap. He would have been embarrassed and apologetic if it weren't for the next thing he found out: the truck was empty.

"What's going on?"

"We've already made it to the dormitories" Aizawa replied with an amused snort.

"I'm sorry" he said quickly, blushing with pity. Midoriya received the blanket and got up to put it away, while Todoroki also stood up with Aizawa's help. The three got out of the bus.

His other companions had already advanced several meters, but even so, their laughter could be heard. Before he and Midoriya could follow, Aizawa stopped him.

"Midoriya, take Todoroki's things inside" he ordered bored. Izuku nodded before looking Todoroki in the eye. They both watched him in silence until Izuku entered the building. At that time, Todoroki felt nervous because he didn't know what was going on. He still remembered crying in front of him and he hoped his teacher didn't want to talk about it "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine" he responded quickly.

"Is your body temperature stable?"

Todoroki frowned, still not understanding.

"It is" how Aizawa looked at him for a long time in silence, he decided to add something else, thinking that perhaps his teacher's discomfort came from the fact that he was sleeping too much "I just feel a little tired"

Aizawa nodded understandingly. Then he took his shoulder and gently pushed him to the entrance of the building but since he didn't let go yet, Todoroki knew there was something else bothering him and he confirmed it when they stopped at the entrance and he made eye contact again.

"You suffered severe hypothermia…You barely survived" he reminded seriously, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"I'm sorry" he quickly apologized, thinking he knew what was bothering his teacher "I know I should have more control of my powers by now, but it was the only way to stop the villain"

"I know" Aizawa squeezed his shoulder to reassure him and emphasize his next words "The villain you faced used Trigger"

Shoto exhaled in surprise.

"I understand" he whispered. Although he hadn't expected it, it made sense and even though he should have been scared, it felt so good, like a huge weight had been lifted from him. However, he wondered again why his meeting with Snowman didn't seem like an accident, but rather something planned "Why was he there?"

"We're still investigating" Aizawa replied, uncomfortable and unhappy at having to lie. Despite the director asking him not to tell his students, Aizawa disagreed. It was time his class found out, because they were always the most involved, but he couldn't disobey Nezu "But don't worry about that. The important thing is that you feel better"

"I feel fine" he replied stubbornly. Aizawa relaxed his features.

"It's okay if sometimes you're not" Todoroki remembered his friend's words and also the crisis he had in front of his teacher. Aizawa also reached the same point because he stroked his hair like that night "This trip was very hard for you from the beginning, since you were carrying the responsibility of helping your friends and being the only one capable of surviving during the storm. Also, you had to fight alone… Don't feel weak if you need a little more time to recover"

Todoroki let the words settle in his mind, to understand and believe them.

"You did what you could and that was more than enough" he finished in a whisper and his next words made Todoroki feel his eyes burn "I'm so proud of you"

Then Aizawa patted him on the back.

"Now go upstairs and make sure your teammates aren't doing weird things"

Todoroki smiled amused and nodded, but before entering, he looked at his teacher.

"Thank you, sensei" he hoped Aizawa could understand what he meant, because if he didn't, Todoroki didn't have the strength to specify.

"Whenever you need it" he replied, understanding.

When Todoroki entered the common room, he found that Midoriya was waiting for him at the entrance, with a sheepish smile.

"I left your things in your room" he exclaimed "I hope you don't mind"

"It doesn't. Thanks" Todoroki noticed that his friend had something else on his mind but he didn't have to ask.

"All good?" he honestly didn't know what he wanted to know and Izuku seemed to realize "Aizawa sensei looked very worried"

"He just wanted to make sure I was fine" he replied slowly.

"Did he tell you anything else?"

Bless Izuku for being so perceptive (and nosy, Todoroki thought fondly). It kept surprising him that sometimes he could read it better than himself. But even though he could tell him about the villain and the Trigger or tell him about his concern that he seemed to know him and planned everything to confront him; he didn't want to worry Izuku any more than he already had.

"Just that, Midoriya"

The green-haired bit his lip, probably knowing he was lying, but before he could further question or overanalyze him, Kirishima, Sero, and Kaminari rushed over and grabbed his shoulders and arms to guide him to the sofa.

"Make way for our hero" Kaminari announced, marching off.

"Our brave and strong hero" Sero seconded happily.

Despite the fact that his friends already knew that he was no longer in danger and that he no longer had symptoms of hypothermia, they seemed to cling to the idea, because, as soon as they forced him to sit down, Uraraka and Ashido came over and put a blanket on his back and then Yaoyorozu came over with a cup of tea that Shoto taken because he had no choice.

Midoriya sat next to him, wearing his own amused smile, probably guessing what Todoroki was thinking.

"Thank you" he said awkwardly, taking a sip of tea that immediately warmed his body. That, plus the sweater he was wearing and the blanket on his back, caused him to subtly activate his cold side to regulate his temperature. But it was worth spending a bit of heat just to see the smiles of his friends for accepting his help.

"No, thanks to you" Kirishima said softly "Because if it hadn't been for you, we would have died out there"

"You protected us and saved our lives" Asui added.

"We are grateful" Tokoyami commented with a nod.

"So now we're going to take care of you" Hagakure exclaimed energetically.

"And what better than food to feel better?" Satou exclaimed as he arrived with sandwiches and cakes.

"Well, food and a movie marathon" replied Kaminari laughing, as he turned on the television.

Everyone sat down and started watching a movie that Shoto wasn't really interested in, because he was more in awe of his friend's company and the peace they brought him.

Although he knew that his past would follow him and he would have difficult moments, moments where he would remember his fear and his weaknesses, he had decided to move on, since his confrontation with Midoriya. And the special moments that he could share with his friends would always be a light at the end of the storm.

"See? This is the way to spend the afternoon, not living a winter nightmare" Kaminari commented.

And Shoto couldn't agree more.

END