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Connected

She was furious.

It was just so easy for Endeavor. He never cared all that much for Touya's wellbeing—just that the boy could never perform to his idealized standards. To him, Touya was a pawn, a piece on his game board that he could use and manipulate as he wished.

When Touya could no longer perform to his standard, he'd been tossed aside—forgotten like yesterday's trash.

Azure eyes thinned at that.

She would not allow that to happen. She would not submit to Endeavor's will. Not this time.

Kagome stomped out of the stadium towards the front courtyard. It was taped off from the crowd so that the students could safely enjoy themselves in between their matches. In this case it seemed as if she weren't the only one who was frustrated.

"Something happen?" She cast the young man in front of her a warm smile.

His shoulders twitched before he cocked his head towards her curiously.

"I didn't even hear you coming," Todoroki met her gaze. "You guys finish the first round already?"

Her smile turn wry, "Fixing to start the third in a few minutes. Things ended up going by pretty fast." Her grin widened, "At this rate I might be able to watch your finals."

Kagome slid into the spot next to him upon the concrete stairway. It was only a few steps high but it was a popular hang out spot for the hero course students during the week. The scenery often was beautiful in the midst of spring due to all of the cherry blossoms that'd been planted up front. Their colors had already faded for the season but come this time next year they would return to their usual vibrancy.

Todoroki glanced at the concrete beneath their feet, "You don't have to force yourself, you know." His expression soured as he clenched his hands together tightly. "Playing pretend like this isn't something you need to do. Not for me."

Her smile fell away at that.

It'd been several years since they'd last talked one on one like this.

She'd known that Todoroki had shouldered a burden far heavier than she could imagine. Touya often spoke of his envy towards his youngest sibling but she knew that Todoroki never had things easy either. Both of them had suffered immensely at their father's hands.

She didn't want to make the mistake she did before.

Not now.

Not ever again.

Kagome closed her eyes, "Who says I'm pretending? Besides, I already put Endeavor in his place. I don't think he'll be pitching any more suggestions at us for a little while yet."

The teen's expression sharpened, "He didn't...?"

"Oh he did," She clasped her hands behind her back. "I told him that he needs to confront his past before he starts looking at the future. Besides, you still get a say in this."

Her smile softened at the shocked look that crossed his features.

"What? You really expect me to drag you kicking and screaming down the aisle?" It was a funny image to say the least but she wasn't going to put the poor boy through something like that. Not after everything they'd already been through. "In any case I just wanted to check on you. I had a feeling that Endeavor might've said something to piss you off. Looks like I was half right."

His mismatched gaze lowered to the floor, "I'm sorry. I know this hasn't been easy on you either."

His fingers flexed as he spoke.

There was more that he wasn't saying. That neither of them were saying.

"I'm fine, really." She tried to reassure him as best as she could. The things they couldn't say would always be there. The feelings of frustration and suffering would always lie just beneath the surface of their interactions. Even so, she didn't want that to interfere with what she had to do next.

The young woman flashed him a warm smile, "Touya isn't gone. At least not completely."

She pressed her palm against her chest, "So long as these feelings remain then we'll never truly be separated."

She couldn't bring herself to mention his current identity as Dabi. Nor did she have the heart to reveal the fact that he was now living with her.

Touya was Dabi just as Dabi was Touya.

They were two in the same.

Dabi's past was something none of them could run from but at the very least she could try to help the brothers as best as she could. Dabi's envy was still palpable even after all this time while Todoroki's pain was starting to twist him into an image similar to Dabi.

If she let things continue then there was no doubt that Todoroki would eventually follow in his brother's path of villainy.

It wouldn't be much but there was one thing she could do to help him.

"Touya just wanted to earn Endeavor's approval. Even though his body couldn't handle his quirk, he tried his best." She clasped her hands together, "To Touya, those flames were a blessing and a curse however he always saw them as his. Despite what they did to him, they were his to control and his to wield. He didn't have an ice quirk like yourself, Natsuo or Fuyumi. All he had was that fire and he used them until the very end."

The teen cast her a short look, "What are you saying?"

Her smile softened, "I'm saying that you shouldn't look at your power as either your mother's or your father's. Both of them belong to you. Just as the fire Touya had belonged to him. They're yours, so don't ever be afraid of using them."

Kagome turned on the ball of her heel, "That's all I really came here to say. Your future is yours to decide. Just as your power belongs solely to you." She pressed an index finger to her lips thoughtfully, "For what it's worth, Touya and I decided to go through with the engagement on our own. Endeavor never decided that for us. Just something for you to think about."

With that she left the teen to mull over her words.

Their fate was theirs to decide.

Nothing and no one would ever take that from them.

Not from Dabi, nor Todoroki.

She'd make damn sure of it.