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It’s unreasonably cold outside. Far too much for anyone in their right mind to be walking around, but Shouto would much rather brave the snow slowly gathering on the roads than go home a second earlier than he needs to. And hell, if he gets stuck some place because of the worsening weather, then all the better. Perfect excuse to miss training.
Letting out a breath that, for once, blends perfectly with the outside temperature, Shouto decides to push his luck even further and take a scenic route. His body is still beyond sore from the day before and he is finding a new way to spite his father other than refusing to use that wretched hell flame. The old man already doesn’t take his statement seriously, saying it’s just a rebellious phase, so call him a petty teenager, but he feels like actually acting like it.
He only notices that he may have strayed a little too far from his usual path when the streets are already too foreign, emptier than they probably should be now that the snow is falling even harder. But as he takes a look around, considering whether he should come back the way he came and find a familiar landmark, Shouto stops dead in his tracks at the sound of sniffling.
At first, he thinks it may have just been the wind, a shift in a heavier pouf of snow bringing it down from a rooftop with a wet thud, but then he hears it again, followed by a harsh hiccup, and there is no way for him to confuse it with anything other than crying. In the Todoroki household, that sound is far too common for him to not recognise it this easily. And knowing exactly what it’s like to be drowning in his own sorrows, Shouto doesn’t think twice before dragging his feet towards the source.
He rounds a corner and finds a young kid that looks about his age sitting outside the door to a rather decrepit building that may have been a bar, once upon a time, if the dead neon sign is any indication. He is wrapped in a puffy green coat, wiping at his face with gloved hands, but he is trembling like a leaf in the wind; whether it’s due to the cold or the tears, Shouto doesn’t know, but he approaches all the same, gripping the strap of his messenger’s bag a little tighter as he does.
“Hey, you okay?”
The kid looks up with a gasp, hiding behind his arms and choking back another sob as he nods stiffly, then hugs his knees to his chest, not really saying anything that would even begin to convince Shouto. Pulling his lips into a bit of a pout, Shouto starts to turn around with a shrug, but at the sound of another small hiccup, he pauses, his chest squeezing tightly for a moment.
How many times had people ignored his cries? How many times had they looked past his injuries and chalked them up to kid’s play? How many times had he told those who dared to ask if something was wrong a lie for fear of making things even worse then felt all the more crushed when they took him at his word?
Facing the other once more, Shouto diverts his gaze somewhere off to the side, chewing on the inside of his cheek in a nervous habit.
“You don’t look okay.” Shouto whispers, shifting his weight slightly. “You’re all alone out here crying. It’s snowing.”
“Ah… I’m just… Well, I think I did something I shouldn’t… So, they threw me out and won’t let me back in.”
At that, Shouto feels anger boil in his veins for a split second, part of him wanting to find out who they are, and give them a piece of his mind. It’s bullies like these that make people’s lives a living hell, that send them to hospitals, to early graves. Clenching his fists at his sides, Shouto takes a deep, steadying breath, taking in the other’s posture. He doesn’t need more anger and violence.
Wordlessly, Shouto sits to his right, shifting uncomfortably when his uniform immediately starts soaking through. For all the grief it has given him, at least that man’s quirk serves to keep him warm, and from the way he is shivering, Shouto doesn’t think this kid has a similar luxury.
“What are you doing?”
“Keeping you company. So you’re not alone.”
“I’m fine.” The other sniffles again, hiding in the collar of his coat with a soft flush rising to his cheeks. Are those freckles? Cute.
“You’re not.”
“I deserved it. I messed up their plans and now they’re gonna have to be fixing it for months. That’s what Tomuchan said. He was mad. He’s been getting mad at me a lot lately.”
“Just because someone is mad, doesn’t mean they’re right. And it definitely doesn’t mean you deserve this.” Shouto mutters in return, feeling him shiver yet again and scooting just a little closer to share the warmth that naturally radiates off his left side. “I’m Shouto, by the way.”
This time, the sniffle sounds almost amused as he leans into him as well, not so much that it’s invading his personal space, but that their knees touch ever so slightly. “I’m Izuku.”
Shouto nods in acknowledgement, crossing his arms over his knees to rest his chin atop them, staring up at the cloudy sky and watching the snow fall with Izuku mimicking him after wiping at his puffy eyes one last time.
“Do you have anywhere else to go?” Shouto asks after a few beats, wanting to fill the silence just a little (or maybe he is worried that whoever kicked him out will leave him to freeze).
“Yeah. I just wanted to apologise first. But Tomuchan probably won’t be letting me back in for a while.”
“I don’t know who this Tomuchan is, but they sound like a jerk.”
Shouto looks at Izuku when he lets out a snort, shrugging a little. “He’s my friend. He helped me out of really tough spots as a kid, so I’m helping him as much as I can too. Though it seems like I keep making things worse for him and Sensei.” He finishes with a puff to his cheeks before blowing out a frustrated breath.
“I see.” Shouto goes back to staring up at the sky, feeling a chill when the wind blows a little more mercilessly towards them. “For some reason, I get the feeling you’re too good for them. If they’re treating you this way just for a few mistakes.”
The blush on his cheeks turns a shade darker, and Shouto wonders if the cold is really getting to Izuku. “I don’t know about that. B-but thanks, I guess.”
“You should go home.” Shouto suggests, pulling himself up to his feet and shaking the snow off his hair before offering Izuku a hand. “You’ll get sick if you wait longer. You’re looking feverish.”
“A-ah… I—”
Pinning him with something akin to a glare when he senses the next few words out of his mouth, Shouto narrows his eyes at Izuku, and he snaps his mouth shut with an audible click, taking his hand and standing as well. He nods at Shouto, muttering a quiet word of thanks before heading to what he can only hope to be home. Just before Shouto turns the other way, Izuku twists on his heel and calls back to him.
“I’ll see you around, Shouto-kun!” Izuku smiles, and despite the tears still glistening in his green eyes, it’s so bright that it puts the sun itself to shame. “Hopefully Tomuchan won’t get too jealous.” And when he giggles, Shouto swears that his heart does something weird in his chest.
Whatever the reason, it can’t be healthy. But he decides not to dwell on it as he starts on his way back home too, hoping against hope that he might just miss his father and get a moment to rest.