Shoto Todoroki

Todoroki released a wintry sigh while awaiting a response from his complacent classmate. Truth be told, he was planning on jumping from the rooftop that night. Yet, as the rain saturated his clothing and rational thoughts glazed over the ones commanding him to fall to his freedom, Todoroki found himself wandering through an endless forest of thought.

Bakugou curled his hands into fists. "You don't know shit about me. Don't act like you do. I'm sick of goddamn assumptions." Beneath the murky wires of shadow mantling his face, his expression contorted with scorn.

"Assumptions?"

"Tch," Bakugou hissed. "Whatever. C'mon, get out of the rain—you're gonna get sick, and then your dumb ass is gonna spread it." Not a vestige of haughty malevolence permeated his words.

"I don't need anyone to care about me," Todoroki muttered. "You can leave, but I'm go—"

Bakugou gripped the dripping hood of Todoroki's hoodie and began yanking the latter towards the entrance back into the building. "Did I say I cared about you? Hell no. I care about the fact that your shitty decisions are gonna impact my health."

At first, Todoroki didn't give enough of a fuck to waste his energy on struggling against Bakugou, but with piqued curiosity, he resisted the ash-blonde's pull. "What a cold thing to say," Todoroki sighed while gripping Bakugou's hands to pry them off of his own property.

"Huh?!" Bakugou snarled as he shattered Todoroki's grip on his hands. "That's rich coming from the rich bitch of this class that literally has 'cold' in the name of his damn Quirk. You're cold, Icyhot. Move… Your… Fuckin'... Ass!" As Todoroki abruptly and silently did as he was told, Bakugou staggered back towards the building entryway.

"Fine."

Walking in compliance with Bakugou, Todoroki deliberately walked beside his classmate to see if Bakugou would combust with fury. Although it was heavily anticipated that Bakugou would do what he did best—explode—he made no snarky comments as they walked together.

"Oi."

"What?"

In the dim rays of saffron leaking from the lights on the walls, Bakugou rubbed the back of his neck. "Tch. I feel chatty for no damn reason. You hungry? I was gonna make some spicy curry." The swift pivot to his question struck Todoroki as perplexing.

He seems like he wants someone to talk to, Todoroki thought while a soft yet ponderous "ah" fell from his lips. Of all the things you could have offered…it had to be that. I'd surely be scolded.

"I guess?" Todoroki quizzically replied with manifest dubiety. "You're oddly considerate."

"It's too damn late at night to be workin' up my anger."

Once the two arrived at the kitchen, Todoroki seated himself at the kitchen counter and observed as Bakugou began to prepare his spicy curry. "So, why are you up this late?" Todoroki decided to ask.

Bakugou glanced over his shoulder at Todoroki—a silent acknowledgment of his focus being on the latter. "Fucking insomnia." His brows were lowered, and his words were quiet yet abrasive.

"Oh. I hope it gets better. When was the last time you got any sleep?"

"Two fucking days ago. Feels like insects are crawling all over my arms. I can't focus on shit. I say even more shit that I don't mean. My head's all over the place. Tch. Said too much."

Todoroki forced down the lump in his throat as the actualization that he would have to eat crept over his mind. "It's all right," he assured the scarlet-eyed student. "It's not a burden or anything. Ah… Can I help you with getting some sleep in any way?" Shortly after he spoke, his stomach expelled quite the rambunctious growl.

"The hell're you suddenly bein' all nice for? Whatever. Doubt there's anything you could do." He paused for a moment. "Enough about me. What's up with you?" Anomalous tranquility pervaded his voice.

Play it off, Todoroki reminded himself as trepidation transiently trampled his thoughts. Never let your guard down. Cold. Speak. Don't let anyone understand you. Show the fake that is their truth. Let it grow into a separate identity. Let it learn without the real one learning anything. Let it take over and devour the border between real and fake. Let it become the truth.

With a shrug, Todoroki rested his head against his hand that was being supported by his elbow against the counter. "Nothing much, I don't think. But maybe I feel like being nice. If there's anything I can do, don't be afraid to tell me." He shifted his position so that his chest and the side of his cheek rested against the cool counter.

Bakugou scoffed, "Sounds like bullshit to me." With a series of clanks and clicks, he soon slid a bowl of spicy curry towards Todoroki. "Eat."

"Not yet. I don't eat anything hot. Spice is fine." He dragged himself up from being slouched across the counter, but he had no desire to eat any of the curry sitting in front of him.

"From now on, if you weigh any more than one hundred and five pounds, Fuyumi will suffer from your decision to overeat."

"That's… I'd be so thin."

"You take up too much space in this world as it is."

"Then cool it with your damn Quirk."

"What a waste of energy."

"The hell? That's such a fucking petty reason."

"I'm a petty person."

Bakugou rolled his eyes and began to scoop bites out of his curry. "Not half-bad, if I do say so myself. Guess yer not half-bad either." After uttering his last statement, Bakugou visibly recoiled as his expression compressed into a scrunched, thrawn look of regretful ire. "Fuck. You better not tell anyone that that shit came out of my mouth."

"Not a soul." With a blank stare, Todoroki pushed his curry around a bit as the steam began to dissipate. "You're not as 'bad' as your personality would imply." He ensured that he added physical quotation marks with his middle and forefingers.

The ash-blonde's mien was tugged on a bit. "Tch. Oi. Why don't you take that soaked hoodie off? That can't be comfortable." He pushed another spoonful of curry into his mouth.

"It's warm now. It's fine. Why do you care?" Suppressing the urge to grimace, Todoroki lifted his chopsticks and plucked a clump of curry from the bowl and transferred it into his mouth. "It tastes nice. Sorry. I have a habit of saying that. It's delicious. You're good at cooking."

"Didn't need your shitty taste to confirm what's already unequivocally true." He shook his head. "You always wear that damn hoodie everywhere. Why?"

Todoroki offered a perfunctory shrug. "I just do." He forced himself to continue to slowly choke down the curry he'd been prepared.

Bakugou squinted a bit as his garnet glare scorched the air. "Well, it's my turn to make assumptions. Yer not hidin' anything under there, are you?"

Todoroki slovenly shook his head. "Not as far as I'm aware."

"Mmhm. Real convinced."

"You really want me to prove it?"

"Knock yourself out."

"Fine."

With a hefty sigh, Todoroki slid his slick hoodie over his head to reveal his white short-sleeved shirt that hung over his shriveled frame. His frigid gaze crawled up to meet Bakugou's imperial rings of ruby. Honestly, Todoroki thought Bakugou's eyes were stunning, but his gaze didn't waver as he peered into those cerise pools.

"Damn."

"What?"

Bakugou rubbed his eyes that drooped with dark eyebags. "Nothin'..."

You won't find what you're looking for unless you asked me to take my pants off, Todoroki thought while setting his chopsticks down; his stomach throbbed. Obviously, I'm not doing that, and I don't think that even you have the chutzpah to ask. I guess I still have some bruises from being thrown around, but Endeavor usually doesn't beat me around my limbs. Thankfully, my broken rib was healed the last time I was in the infirmary. Dammit, I know what he's thinking. Damn… Finish it. You're too skinny as it is.

Todoroki stood up and fetched a glass of water before sitting back down and forcing himself not to gag as he finished off the remainder of his curry. "Just say it," he finally sighed. "I can read you like a book."

"Fuck you. You're…hella damn thin."

Todoroki shrugged again. "Genetics. I get weird looks if I don't hide it." He sipped slowly on his water. "Anyway, I'm tired. Thanks for the curry. I enjoyed it. I hope you get some sleep, Bakugou." With that, he scooped up his dishes and rinsed them out in the sink.

"Oi," Bakugou called out to Todoroki as he began to exit the kitchen.

"Hm?"

Bakugou's gaze was averted to the floor. "Forget it."

You must be desperate if you're willing to stall for more time with me, Todoroki cogitated while turning back to face his classmate. "Bakugou." He watched as the ash-blonde canted his head. "I'll stay with you, but I can't guarantee how long I'll make it before falling asleep. Just let me change."

A perfect excuse, Todoroki thought while his aching stomach creaked and sagged with his movements. It's not a complete lie.

Arrant astonishment besmeared Bakugou's countenance. "No way in hell. Go slee—"

"Yes way in heaven."

"Fuck you."

"What do I have to lose?"

Bakugou scowled. "I don't owe you anything."

"Yes."

"Fuck it. Fine. If yer really offerin', come to my dorm when you're done," Bakugou muttered under his breath, much to his audible chagrin.

I figured, Todoroki pondered while nodding. You're lonely, aren't you, Bakugou?