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Todoroki slips out into the hall after mumbling an excuse to Aizawa. He heads down the hall, careful to keep his footsteps silent as he enters the bathroom. He can smell the distress saturating the room, just as he figured it would be.
He frowns, his nose scrunching up at the pungent scent. He feels an unfamiliar pain in his chest- some sort of mixture between worry and sadness? Must be a reaction to his partner’s current emotional dismay. Shinsou had been working with him on identifying his emotions for the past few months they’d been together and Todoroki was making ample progress.
None of that prepares him for what to do now, however, as he nudges open one of the stall doors and finds Shinsou smoking a cigarette with shaky hands and tear stains down his cheeks. He stands, unsure in the doorway for a few moments until Shinsou offers him the smoke. He accepts it, rolling it between his fingers before taking a long drag.
They stand in silence after Todoroki hands it back, Shinsou’s gaze focused on the floor while Todoroki can’t pull his eyes away from his mate. He startles when Shinsou chuckles, unsettled by the emptiness of the sound.
“This is where you’re gonna say goodbye, right?” Shinsou rubs across his eyes with his empty hands, sniffling. “Where you say ‘Yeah, it’s been fun, but it’s time for me to find a real mate.’ Don’t worry, I get it. I never figured a Beta would satisfy you forever anyway.”
When the two had first met, back in their first year at UA, Todoroki never would have thought he’d be privy to the always aloof Shinsou having a meltdown in the boy's bathroom. Obviously, things changed over the years, he thinks as he tries to figures out how to comfort his mate.
He reaches a hesitant hand out toward Shinsou, a croon starting low in his chest involuntarily. He coughs and drops his hand back down to his side, a light blush spreading across his face as his Alphan instincts attempt to steer him in the right direction.
“Why would I leave you, Shinsou?” He’s honestly baffled, unable to figure out the logic that brought his partner to this assumption. His inner Alpha worries, -had he not been supportive enough? Attentive enough? Had he been oblivious to someone else flirting with him, as he had been guilty of in the past? He shakes his head, face pensive as he mulls over the possibilities.
As the scent changes around him, Todoroki sniffs, picking out the bitter notes of disappointment. The pain in his chest compounds and he can’t help fisting the front of his shirt. Of all the fights he’s had with villains, the pain he’s been through with the abuse from his childhood, all the damage he’s dealt with throughout the years, nothing has stabbed quite as deep as whatever he’s feeling at the moment.
Shinsou leans forward, the forgotten cigarette left burning in his hand as he finally peers up at Todoroki, “Graduation is coming up soon. Your dad is the #1 Hero in Japan, you have a legacy to continue.”
Todoroki bristles at the mention of his father, still not entirely over his deep seated discontent for his abuser.
“That man should know that whatever he expects of me, he won’t get.” He crosses his arms in front of him, still unsure how this ties in with his and Shinsou’s relationship.
“Todoroki. Honestly, I knew you were fucking dense, but this is a whole new level. Are you really going to make me spell it out for you?” Shinsou’s scent curls around him, now a cloying, irritated aura. Todoroki can feel his own essence spread out in reply, dabbled with notes of confusion and…hurt.
He knows deep down that Shinsou only throws out the insults when he himself is scared, afraid of betrayal or abandonment. But Todoroki’s been working on being better, promised long ago he would do his best to keep Shinsou away from any emotional pain as best he could.
Shinsou sighs, flicking the cigarette into the toilet before running his hands through his hair. Todoroki waits as his mate lights up another and takes a drag. While the silence stretches on he becomes impatient, stepping forward into Shinsou’s space and taking the cigarette from his lips and placing it between his own.
“Tell me what’s wrong, Hitoshi.” He mumbles around the smoke as he exhales. He watches as Shinsou’s blank mask wavers. Todoroki may be dense, sure, but even he knows how his boyfriend will react when he uses his given name. It helps, too, that he slips in his authoritative Alphan tone, not nearly as compelling as Shinsou’s quirk, but still effective.
Shinsou trembles as his hands come to rest against Todoroki’s chest, running them down the front of his body. He lets out a shaky sigh as he presses harder, feeling the firm muscles of Todoroki’s abdomen. “What good will a Beta do you when you need to fulfill your duty to produce a Todoroki heir?” His voice is barely above a whisper, but with how close the two are standing Todoroki can hear him just fine.
He instinctively pulls Shinsou to him, careful of the lit cigarette as he nuzzles his mate’s face under his chin, smothering him in his scent. He can feel Shinsou relax against him and presses a kiss to the top of his head. After his growth spurt in their second year, he was delighted to find Shinsou fit his head perfectly in the crook of his shoulder, like he was made to be there.
“Do you think I care about any of that?” His voice is gruff, a gravelly version of it’s usually stoic tone. He chalks this up to another type of emotional reaction. “You know I’m not worried about all that Alpha and Omega bullshit. I don’t care that you’re a Beta, I never have. You’re better than any Alpha or Omega I’ve met, anyway.”
His instincts continue to instruct his body, rubbing his hands up and down Shinsou’s arms in what he hopes is a comforting way. It must be working, since Shinsou’s scent has mellowed out and he thinks he can hear the beginnings of a purr. He can feel his face growing hot, embarrassed at this intimacy, which is highly illogical, considering all of the physically intimate situations he and Shinsou have engaged in before.
The two enjoy each other’s close proximity for a few more moments, simply appreciating the physical touch and contentment it brings. Todoroki is confident that Shinsou feels better as he feels a lick against the scent glands on his neck, a gesture that sends a shiver down his spine and straight to his cock.
He pulls back before they get too carried away, wanting to make sure Shinsou understands, and, more importantly, believes him.
“I love you, Hitoshi, for who you are. Not what you are.” He feels like his quirk’s been activated with how hot his cheeks feels. His first instinct is to look away in embarrassment, but instead he maintains eye contact, needing to prove his point to his partner.
“Shouto….” Shinsou simply stares, wide eyed for a couple seconds. Then, as if he wasn’t extremely distressed just a mere twenty minutes ago, a devilish smirk appears on his face. “Lock the stall, yeah?”
Todoroki’s confused, but complies, twisting back around to find Shinsou on his knees before him.
The Beta looks up at his Alpha through thick eyelashes, slowly working his hands up Todoroki’s thighs. “Let me show you how much I love you, too, Shouto~.”