Todoroki stands in the doorframe, blood running down his neck and along his collarbone, mingling with the rainwater. If his hunched posture and the left hand pressing against his right side is anything to go by, he's in a lot of pain. Izuku stares in absolute disbelief as Todoroki coughs and pants before he pulls himself together and ushers him inside.

He quells the panic bubbling in his chest and levels his voice, but it comes out broken and high anyway. "What happened?" Todoroki shakes his head and stumbles inside, grunting under his breath. Izuku notices the way his shoulders are trembling under the ragged blue jacket. It's drenched in rainwater and red liquid – blood, his brain supplies, that's blood. Izuku closes the door and walks Todoroki to the couch, his hands hovering over Todoroki's back. "Sit down." Todoroki does so like a robot, his movements erratic and measured.

Running to the bathroom, Izuku grabs alcohol, gauze and painkillers. He almost drops the pills as he sits down in front of his friend. "Where are you hurt?" Izuku knows it's bad because Todoroki hasn't uttered a single word since showing up at their doorstep. When he lifts his head and looks at Izuku for the first time that evening, Izuku's heart stops. His body freezes, his jaw clenches painfully.

Izuku is used to the red scar taking over half Todoroki's face, but the sight greeting him now makes his blood run cold. He has to close his eyes and catch his breath before he can bring himself to look at it again. The skin around his friend's eye is red and blotchy and bloody and gone. Little pieces of skin hang down in shreds, the edges around it black and brown. His eye is teary and red, his eyelashes are nowhere to be seen and tears are streaming down his cheek incessantly.

"W-", Izuku almost chokes on his words. "What happened, Todoroki?" He knows he's almost screaming, but he doesn't care. Todoroki's breath hitches, and he seems to sink into himself. His mouth opens, as if to say something, but no words fall over his lips.

"I-It's okay," Izuku soothes. "It's okay." He wants to say more, but it's the only thing he can manage. "It's okay. Let me-"

Todoroki flinches away from his touch as if his hand was a knife. "I'm sorry," Izuku mutters. "I'm so sorry, I-"

Izuku tries again, extending his hand - another flinch. "Todoroki, I have to look at it, please." He can hear the desperation in his own voice, and takes another deep breath. You have to stay calm. You're a pro. Calm down. Calm down. Calm the fuck down Izuku. It's going to be okay. You have to stay calm. For him. For Todoroki. He looks at his friend, trying to convey how important this is. Todoroki looks at him and swallows. He nods.

Izuku extends his hand – it doesn't escape him how Todoroki moves back – and tilts his chin up. It's then he realizes he's not qualified to deal with it. "We have to bring you to a hospital," he whispers. "I can't- I don't know- I'm not a doctor."

"No hospitals. No doctors." Izuku almost topples over at the harshness in his voice.

"But-"

"No."

Izuku looks at him, looks into his mismatched eyes, and sees unwavering determination. They glint in the dimmed light of the living room, and Izuku knows he's fighting a losing battle. "Fine," he says. "It's fine. I'll- I'll patch you up." He doesn't look away. "Trust me?"

The nod is instantaneous. Izuku tries to smile, but it feels pained and must look the part. "Thank you." He takes the alcohol and bites his lip. "This will hurt."

"It's fine." Todoroki sends him a crooked, forced smile. "It already hurts anyway."

Izuku can't help the watery laugh.

When Uraraka and Iida return to the flat, all hell breaks loose. Uraraka lets her bag fall to the floor, almost tripping over her own feet as she rushes over to the couch. Todoroki sits there stone-still, his entire left face wrapped in bandages, his torso bare and littered with bruises and scrapes. Uraraka kneels down, her lips trembling, eyes searching for answers. Iida is by their side in an instant.

Before Izuku gets a chance to speak, tears gather in Uraraka's eyes.

"Oh my god." She lifts her hand to touch Todoroki's shoulder, but Izuku grabs her wrist and shakes his head. The hand falls down like a dead weight when he releases it. "What happened?" Her voice is barely above a whisper, and Izuku can hear the tremors in it. Since graduating U.A. and moving in together, the four of them had grown very close.

Izuku compresses his lips. "He hasn't told me."

"Why aren't you in a hospital?" Iida asks, his voice not carrying a trace of his usual strictness and boisterousness.

"He doesn't want to."

Iida turns to him, and Izuku can see tears glistering in his eyes. "Izuku, that's no excuse, he needs a doctor."

"No hospitals. No doctors," Todoroki repeats. He looks at his friends, and they stare back. "I'll be fine."

"You won't!" Iida yells. "Don't be stubborn, look at yourself."

"No hospitals," Todoroki stands, supporting himself on the couch, "No doctors."

Uraraka approaches him with nervous gestures, her hands flying around him but never close enough to touch. "It's fine, Todoroki. Everything's fine. Please sit down." To everyone's surprise, he does sit down, and it's a testament to how bad he's feeling. His breathing is laboured, his face scrunched up in pain.

Izuku gnaws at his fingernails, walking back and forth. The initial shock is gone, but the dread in his stomach continues to grow with each minute. He feels his throat close up, but he swallows the tears down. Stay calm. But staying calm is difficult, and he doesn't know what to do. He comes to a halt in front of Todoroki, crouching down. "Please tell us what happened."

Todoroki straightens his back but winces and leans back into the couch. A drawn out breath leaves his lungs. "I got into a fight. That's all."

Izuku stares at his bandaged eye, and a sense of foreboding overcomes him. Gulping down the anger he feels, he sends Todoroki a meaningful look. "Was it him?" He knows he can't say his name when Uraraka and Iida are here.

But Todoroki understands, and he shakes his head. "No."

Letting out a breath he doesn't know he'd been holding, Izuku plops down onto the couch next to him. Todoroki doesn't flinch this time, but he does turn his head away. Uraraka and Iida share a confused look, clearly not knowing what this was about. All Izuku can do is send them an apologetic smile. It's not his story to tell.

"It was a villain," Todoroki finally says. "Nothing to worry about. He's been taken care of." Izuku wants to butt in, but Todoroki is faster. "I was distracted, he got me. That's all there is to it." He lets his shoulders sag. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

Izuku stands and helps him up. "I'll help you."

"It's fine."

"I'll help you."

Todoroki doesn't fight him. He lets Izuku guide him to his bed and doesn't complain when the blanked is being draped over his body. His eyes stare at the wall unblinking. Izuku has to restrain himself from firing questions at him.

Who hurt you?

What happened to your eye?

Will you be fine?

"Get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

Izuku readjusts the pillow under Todoroki's head, turns out the lights and leaves the room. He hopes at least Todoroki will get some sleep, because he sure as hell won't. And when he re-enters the living room and looks at his friends, he knows; neither will they.