Chapter 8


A 50% match? Match?

What in the world did that mean?

Did that mean… the killer was related to them?

It just didn't make any sense. How could this be?

"You know I have to tell Lieutenant Aizawa about this, right?" Kendo said.

Aizawa?

Oh, of course. Of course, Aizawa would have to know about this.

But what would happen then? Would he be arrested? Questioned? Targeted?

Aizawa wouldn't suspect Shouto of all of the murders…

Would he?

How sad, Shouto Todoroki.

"Todoroki?"

Shouto jumped when he felt an arm grasp his elbow, and he turned his head sharply to glance down at Kendo, who was wearing a worried expression on her face.

"Are you okay? You've turned pale all of a sudden," Kendo asked, her hand gripping his arm.

Shouto swallowed and tugged his arm out of her grasp, nodding and trying to convince himself that he wasn't about to have a mental breakdown.

"Yeah, just… yeah," Shouto said. He ran a hand through his hair and turned towards the door to the lab. "I just… need to rest for a bit."

"Oh. Okay," Kendo said, her voice small as he stormed out of the room.

He headed straight back to the break room to find a way to relax—regardless if there was a cot available or not. His mind was a tangled mess as he took dizzying steps towards the break room, his panic beginning to take over completely.

Shouto wrenched open the door and paused—nearly tripping over himself—when he was face to face with Monoma once again, who had just finished cleaning up the last empty coffee cup. His face twitched into a wide smirk, which did nothing to stop the unraveling panic in Shouto's chest.

"Ah, you're back again. Did the blood test give you no leads?" he teased, and Shouto was really considering the possible negative outcomes for punching a colleague in the face. "That's too bad. I might've actually rooted for you if you hadn't been such a—whaa, hey!"

Shouto's body moved on its own, his hand reaching out to grab Monoma by his collar. Shouto dragged him to the door of the break room and literally threw him out, the man falling to his side on the carpet.

"Ouch! What the hell?!" Monoma yelled, glaring up at Shouto. "You bastard! I'll make you pay for—"

Shouto slammed the door shut and locked the door, his heart still roaring in his ears. He needed calm and quiet to push the strange thoughts from his mind. If he didn't calm down now, he was going to spiral out of control.

He turned off the lights and stomped over to the small couch that was against the far wall and fell onto it face first, burying his head in his arms.

Just sleep, he told himself. Forget all about this nonsense until later.

Don't think about your father. Don't think about your past.

Don't think about Midoriya's smile that was directed towards someone else.

Shouto tugged on his hair angrily, feeling his stomach twist with anxiety. He huffed and curled in on himself, squeezing his eyes tight and trying to get his breathing under control.

Happy thoughts, he told himself. Think happy thoughts.

He pictured his mother still smiling at him before she lost her way. He pictured his favorite café where he would get tea and listen to calming music. He pictured a vast field that was covered in green grass.

He pictured green eyes and how they perfectly reflected the light, making them shimmer and sparkle beautifully.

How sad, Shouto Todoroki.

Shouto took deep breaths, focusing on the pictures over and over in his mind, but the pain in his chest did not cease. He reached up and covered his ears with his hands and listened to the sounds of his beating heart.

It felt like ages until he eventually lost consciousness, his exhausted body finally giving up.

Sometime later—how long it had been, Shouto was unsure—Shouto's eyes cracked open when he heard a soft click. He thought he heard footsteps approach him but he was too tired to move.

Something touched his head. A hand? Whose was it?

Was he dreaming?

The hand moved through his hair gently, and Shouto fell right back asleep, his mind unaware of the person touching him.


"Shouto. Hey, Shouto, wake up."

Shouto stirred in his sleep, his eyes bleary as he opened them to his bedroom. Someone was standing in front of him, shaking him from his slumber, but he couldn't quite make out his face. He recognized the stark white hair and low voice, though.

"Mmm. Touya-nii?" Shouto mumbled, yawning as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with tiny fists.

"Come on, sleepy head! Get up!" Touya urged.

It was strange. It was as if Touya's face was blurred. Shouto knew he was speaking, but he couldn't see a mouth moving.

"Why?" Shouto asked, sitting up, still dazed from being woken up in the middle of the night.

Touya grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "It's snowing, Sho!"

Shouto's eyes briefly lingered on the bandages that covered Touya's arms, and once the words processed in his ears, he perked up, glancing up at his brother's blurry face.

"It is?!" Shouto asked.

Touya nodded, and Shouto could somehow tell that he was smiling.

"Yeah, c'mon! Let's go!" Touya said, and he grabbed Shouto's hand and pulled him out of bed.

"Ah, Touya-nii, w-wait!" Shouto called. "What about Father?"

Touya scoffed as he led Shouto down the hall. "That old man is gone doing detective work, remember? He won't be back 'til morning!"

Shouto bit his lip, still feeling a bit unsure. And why was Touya awake at this hour anyway? Shouldn't he be exhausted from training earlier that morning? Last he saw, Touya was being patched up by Fuyumi, barely saying a word. Now, he was lively and talking a lot.

But Shouto relented, choosing to follow his brother out to the courtyard. And as soon as they both stepped outside and Touya turned on the terrace light, Shouto felt his lips pull into a wide smile.

"Whoa," he whispered, watching as the large snowflakes drop quietly to the ground. The cobblestone was already covered in a good layer of snow, which meant it had been snowing for quite some time.

"Isn't this awesome? First snow of the year," Touya said cheerfully, and Shouto could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yeah. I hope it sticks so Mommy can see it," Shouto said, looking up at the sky with wide eyes.

"Me, too! She loves the snow, right?" Touya asked.

"Mmn!"

They stared at the snowflakes for a bit longer before Touya tugged on his hand.

"Come on! Let's play in it!" Touya said, guiding Shouto towards the snow-covered ground.

Shouto hesitated, his eyes locked on the back door. He worried his lip between his teeth. What if someone were to find out?

"Don't be nervous, Sho. I'll keep an eye on the door, okay?" Touya said softly.

Shouto swallowed and nodded, allowing Touya to pull him out to the terrace, his head tilting back to look up at the snow. Several flakes fell onto his cheeks and he flinched at the cold, his eyes sparkling.

"It's pretty," Shouto said, letting out his hands to catch snowflakes.

"You're right. You think it's enough to build a snowman?" Touya asked.

Shouto nodded at him, and they walked over to the middle where a pile of snow had gathered. They knelt down and started pushing the snow together as best as they could, but it was difficult to mold the mushier snow together into a solid form.

"Hm. This looks like it might be difficult. You think Fuyumi and Natsuo could help?" Touya asked.

Shouto looked at him with wide eyes and nodded in excitement. Touya chuckled softly and patted Shouto's head as he stood to his feet.

"Okay, I'll go get them. Stay here and guard the snowman, okay?" Touya said.

"I will!" Shouto promised.

Touya chuckled again and hurried back inside, sliding the door shut behind him. Shouto turned back to his snow pile, trying to roll the snow into a ball. He wanted to do his best to keep what little of the snowman they had built safe. He would do just about anything to make his brother happy.

He thought of the bandages on his brother's arms. He hoped that they would heal quickly. Their father had been so angry with Touya that morning. Touya had been out late the night before, goofing off as usual instead of resting for his training. When Touya snuck back in this morning, he was whisked away and immediately forced into more training. It was brutal, and Shouto could tell his father was taking out his anger on his big brother.

Shouto brushed the thoughts aside. It would be fine. He was sure it would calm down soon. And then, Touya would grow up to be an awesome police officer one day!

The door slid back open, and Shouto smiled, turning towards the door.

"I kept the snowman safe, just like you—"

"What are you doing here this late at night?!"

He stopped in his tracks and his heart dropped into his stomach.

Instead of his big brother standing at the door, it was his father, still in his uniform.

"F-Father," Shouto whimpered, moving to stand to his feet. "I was… It was just—"

"Just what?" his father asked, moving towards him. "You should be in your room!"

Shouto flinched, taking a step back. "But, I was—"

"It seems that my lack of discipline in your life has affected you. I suppose I should start training you as well!" his father bellowed.

His father raised his hand and slapped Shouto across the cheek, making him fall to the cold, snowy ground. Tears immediately sprung to his eyes as he held his cheek, staring up at his father in fear.

"I-I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" Shouto begged. His cheek was throbbing.

"I will make sure that you don't," his father said, his eyes bloodshot and fierce.

He raised his hand again, ready to strike, and Shouto shut his eyes and moved his hands up to shield his face. He cried out, begging his father to have mercy, and he braced for impact.

But the impact never came.

Instead, Shouto heard a sharp cry and the sickening sound of skin slapping skin.

Shouto glanced up from behind his arms to see Touya's back, his head turned to the side from where his father had struck him. Shouto was horrified.

"T-Touya-nii…" Shouto whimpered.

Touya spit blood on the ground, the red starkly different in the white snow. He turned his head back towards their father, and Shouto could no longer see his face.

"You're training me, remember? Not Shouto," Touya snarled. "If you want to take your anger out on being a lousy detective, then take it out on me! Not him!"

Their father bared his teeth and let out a low growl. "How dare you speak to me this way! I am the head of this house!"

"Yeah, a pretty lousy one!"

Shouto reached up and tugged on Touya's sweater. "T-Touya-nii, s-stop!"

Touya pushed Shouto's hands away without even looking at him. "Stay back, Sho."

"You all need training! You need more discipline! How dare you all treat me with such little respect!"

His father smacked Touya again, sending him stumbling back a few steps. Shouto reached up to grab onto his brother again.

"Touya—"

"Don't, Shouto," Touya snapped, pushing him back.

Shouto fell into the snow again, his lips quivering. He glanced up at Touya as he turned his head back, his face suddenly covered in blood. It was a red blur, and even his eyes were covered in blood.

"If you interfere, you'll end up just like me," Touya said. "Isn't that sad?"

Shouto's eyes widened. "W-What?"

Touya chuckled.

There was an eerie chuckle…

Shouto jumped, suddenly feeling strange. His body felt heavy, and all of his surroundings started to melt except for his brother's standing figure. Even his father wilted away from the picture, along with the house, leaving just Shouto and his brother standing a few feet apart.

His brother stood up straight and he could see a strange smile splitting on his face through the blood.

"Isn't this entire situation just… sad, Shouto?" his brother asked.

"T-Touya-nii, what's wrong?" Shouto asked, his frame trembling. "What's going on?"

Touya didn't respond. Instead, he leaned forward and grabbed his hand around Shouto's neck, squeezing it tightly.

"Ack! T-Touya-nii!" Shouto gasped.

"This situation. Is bad," his brother mocked. "How sad. Todoroki. Shouto."

Shouto's breath hitched as he struggled to get his brother's hand off of his neck. His body tightened into panic as he scrambled, his neck feeling like it would collapse under his brother's grasp.

"No… T-Touya-nii…" Shouto wheezed.

"How sad. Todoroki Shouto."

"Todoroki?"

How. Sad.

"Todoroki!"

Todoroki.

Shouto.

"Todoroki!"

Shouto's eyes popped open and he gasped in a harsh breath. He scrambled for purchase, but he felt tight hands holding him down, which only added to his growing panic.

"Todoroki! Calm down!"

Shouto had heard this voice before but he couldn't discern who exactly it was in the dim room. Where the hell was he?

He managed to shake off one of the hands and he swung it upward, weakly hitting the person's shoulder.

"Oof! Todoroki, it's me! Midoriya!"

Shouto froze, his chest moving up and down rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. He squinted in the dark at the tanned face hovering over him, green eyes wide in concern.

"Hey, hey, calm down. Can you hear me?" Midoriya asked as he squeezed his shoulders.

Shouto was still disoriented as to where he was. Wasn't he just in his home? What day was it?

His eyes flitted around the room, finally recognizing the counter with the old coffee maker and faded cabinet doors. Ah, that was right. He was at the station. He wasn't a child anymore. He was trying to make the rank of detective.

"Todoroki."

Shouto glanced up at Midoriya again, taking note of how close their faces were. Was he… resting on Midoriya's lap? In the break room?

Wait… wasn't he at the hospital with Bakugou?

"Hey," Midoriya said, tapping his unscarred cheek lightly with two fingers. "Focus on your breathing. I think you were having a nightmare."

Midoriya tapped a few beats on Shouto's cheek, and he automatically matched his breathing to the rhythm, slowly calming himself down. His vision cleared and he was finally able to make out the freckles on Midoriya's cheeks. Midoriya's fingers slowed in their tapping and then stopped altogether when Shouto started breathing normally.

"You okay?" Midoriya asked lowly, his hand still on Shouto's face.

Shouto swallowed, the last echoes of his memory—nightmare?—fading out into thin air. He nodded in response to Midoriya's question and then took deep breaths, closing his eyes for a moment to recollect himself. He sighed once he found that his lungs could breathe normally and he gazed up at Midoriya.

"Sorry," he apologized. He moved his arms to push himself up but Midoriya put a hand on his chest and forced him back down.

"You don't need to get up. Or apologize," Midoriya said with a smile. "You look like you haven't slept in days. Just rest, would ya?"

Shouto blinked at him, slowly processing his words, and then his face fell into a pout.

"You're really telling me that? The king of neglecting one's health?" Shouto asked.

"Hey, we aren't talking about me, here!" Midoriya said, his face playful.

Shouto huffed out a small laugh and relaxed, letting his body sag against the couch and Midoriya's thighs. He was so warm that Shouto thought he could actually fall asleep like this. And he thought he was about to, but the image from the hospital suddenly flickered in his mind.

Bakugou.

"Wait, I thought you were at the hospital," Shouto said, looking up into Midoriya's eyes again.

Midoriya tilted his head. "I was. And then I came here looking for you."

Shouto's brows furrowed. "Me?"

"Yeah, of course," Midoriya said with knitted brows. "Uraraka was out in the lobby and she said you had left in a hurry. She seemed pretty worried."

Shouto winced. Damn, he didn't mean for Uraraka to get so worked up about him, too. He averted his eyes, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed.

"I didn't mean to make her worry," Shouto said.

"Well, she wasn't the only one, you know!" Midoriya said with a frown. "You had me scared, Todoroki! I had no clue where you went! I wanted to talk to you about what happened but then you just… disappeared!"

Midoriya's eyes were watering and spilling over as he got more flustered, and he raised a balled fist to swipe them away before they could slide down his flushed cheeks.

"Damn. Now look at what you've done! I'm sitting here crying like a baby," Midoriya said pathetically.

"You're not a baby," Shouto said softly.

Midoriya sniffled and gave a wobbly smile at him, muttering a soft "thanks" as he wiped the snot from his nose. He wiped his eyes one last time and put on a serious face.

"So… what happened? Was it really a nightmare?" Midoriya asked.

Shouto swallowed, remembering in vivid detail the dream that made him descend into panic. He took a shaky breath as he wracked his brain for an answer. How could he even begin to explain the harsh treatment of his older brother? He barely even remembered him, for crying out loud!

Shouto's hands twisted on his stomach as he tried to formulate a sentence. Midoriya's hand squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. Shouto glanced up at his green eyes and saw nothing but gentle kindness glowing back at him. It was as if he could feel the warmth and comfort radiating from his body, and it was just from the look in his eyes.

It made Shouto feel a little braver to speak.

"Um… Well, I guess—"

Suddenly, the knob on the break room door jiggled, cutting Shouto's sentence off. After a few more twists, the door swung open, and Lieutenant Aizawa stood in the doorway with a to-go cup of coffee in his hands.

"Ah, good. Looks like Sleeping Beauty is finally up," Aizawa said, lazily drinking his coffee.

"Lieutenant!" Midoriya exclaimed, releasing Shouto's shoulders. Shouto scrambled to get off of Midoriya's lap and he sat up on the couch, feeling his cheeks grow hot.

Aizawa frowned as he swirled around the coffee in his hand. "I had to go across town to get my own coffee since this room was… occupied."

Shouto bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant."

He hadn't realized how much the room had been used. He should've just gone home instead of trying to make his bed in the break room. His mind was cloudy earlier when he just stormed in and kicked Monoma out. He hadn't been thinking properly.

Aizawa didn't respond to his apology. Instead, he closed the door behind him and flicked on the light, making both Midoriya and Shouto squint from the harsh light.

"Well, I suppose you needed your beauty rest. Even though you should have gone home," Aizawa said as he sipped his coffee. Shouto was about to apologize again but Aizawa waved him off. "Doesn't matter. I need to speak with the two of you alone anyway."

Shouto straightened his back, and next to him, he felt Midoriya stiffen in attention. Aizawa took another sip and then pulled out a file that he had tucked under his arm. Shouto hadn't noticed it in the dark but now that the lights were on, the color was almost blinding. He handed the file over to Shouto, who took it and opened it up. Midoriya leaned over his shoulder to read it, and he could feel his breath on his neck.

"I had forensics take samples of the blood you all mentioned at the warehouse. According to these results, there was blood from over 6 different people," Aizawa said.

Shouto's eyes snapped up at him. "What?"

"T-That many?" Midoriya stuttered.

Aizawa nodded solemnly, his eyes downcast for a moment. His shoulders rose as he took a deep breath and then he let them drop slowly.

"They're all from the officers who have been murdered by the fire killer this year," Aizawa explained.

Shouto swallowed, feeling his stomach clench as bile threatened to claw up his throat. His name—that message… was written with those officers' blood. How messed up was this situation?

"And that leads me to my next point," Aizawa said, looking at Shouto directly. "Todoroki, I think it would be best if you stayed in a safe house for now until we can find this killer."

Shouto's eyes blew wide. He stood to his feet in protest.

"A safe house? You have to be kidding me," Shouto said.

"Todoroki…" Midoriya called, also standing to his feet to touch Shouto's shoulder.

"I'm not going to just stand by while this guy goes after our officers," Shouto said. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. But I don't want to be confined while others are at risk—"

"Will you calm down and let me explain? Sheesh, you young people always give me migraines, "Aizawa interrupted dryly. He rubbed his face and sighed, letting his hand drop back by his side. "I didn't say anything about you sticking around in one place. You're still on the case. But I just don't think it's a good idea to go back to your apartment."

Shouto blinked for a moment, taking in Aizawa's words, and then he relaxed a bit. He felt Midoriya gripping his shoulder tightly and he immediately felt a sense of comfort. He cast Midoriya a thankful look, which was returned with a smile.

"It's the safest option right now, especially since you're most likely the next target," Aizawa said. "But… to be honest, you being the target might be used to our advantage."

Shouto tilted his head in curiosity and Midoriya made a strangled noise, releasing Shouto's shoulder to step in front of him.

"You don't mean using him as bait, do you?!" Midoriya asked, clearly appalled.

Aizawa paused for a moment, his eyes gazing up to the ceiling to ponder it, and then he shrugged one shoulder.

"I suppose, yes. That's what I was thinking," Aizawa said.

Midoriya's cheeks went red as he frowned hard. "That's not safe! Why are you playing with Todoroki's life like this?! Haven't we—"

Shouto gently touched Midoriya's shoulder, making the short officer jump and whirl around to face him. Shouto nodded at him and then looked back at Aizawa.

"I'll do it," Shouto said.

"Todoroki!" Midoriya said, aghast.

"Good. We'll come up with a plan for that later. For now, let me show you to the safe house so you can become familiar with it," Aizawa said.

"Yes, sir," Shouto responded, getting ready to follow, but Midoriya suddenly grabbed his wrist and held him fast.

"W-Wait a minute!" Midoriya exclaimed. "I'll stay at the safe house with Todoroki!"

Both Aizawa and Midoriya glanced at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Shouto said dumbly.

"Why on earth do you want to do that?" Aizawa asked, looking bored now.

Midoriya didn't back down, however, and kept his free hand curled in a tight fist.

"I won't let another friend of mine get captured! I want to stay by Todoroki's side to make sure nothing will happen to him," Midoriya said. He bowed his head to Aizawa respectfully. "Please, Lieutenant! Let me stay by Todoroki's side!"

Shouto's jaw dropped slowly, shocked by the display in front of him.

Wasn't Midoriya more interested in… Bakugou? Why was he focusing on Shouto all of a sudden?

Was he…?

"Oh, for the love of—fine. You can go stay with him," Aizawa said to Midoriya. "You're lucky you're Yagi's protégé or else I would've transferred you to another precinct by now."

Midoriya leaned up, his face set like stone. His mouth, albeit a little wobbly, was frowning, but he wasn't as teary-eyed as before. It was as if he was in protection mode, and Shouto knew he couldn't stop his partner now.

Aizawa sighed and chugged his piping hot coffee, earning shocked looks from both Midoriya and Shouto. But he ignored it and instead threw away his paper to-go cup like it offended him and then opened the break room door.

"Go pack your essentials and meet me back here in one hour," he said, and exited the break room, leaving behind his confused underlings to gawk at him in shock.


After an hour exactly, both Midoriya and Shouto arrived back at the precinct wearing civilian clothes and carrying one bag each. They were also wearing hoodies so they could cover their heads on the street to make them less noticeable. Aizawa had also changed into something less conspicuous—an all-black outfit with his hair crowding his face.

"Let's go," Aizawa said gruffly as he gestured towards the door of the precinct.

He led them into a car where the driver took them quite a few blocks away. It was a cozy neighborhood filled with single-family apartment complexes. Shouto felt a little unsettled about living next door to a family with small children.

The car stopped in front of a tall building. It was newer and pristine, but not blatant or blinding. It was definitely more upscale but it fit right in amongst the other neighboring buildings.

Aizawa was the first to get out of the car, grabbing a bag of his own, and Shouto and Midoriya were quick to grab their bags and follow. Their boss walked quickly inside and went right to the elevator. He pressed the 12th floor and up the three of them went towards the middle of the floor. Aizawa pulled out a special card that unlocked the room.

"Welcome to your humble abode," Aizawa said as he swung the door open.

Shouto and Midoriya walked inside, both taking in their surroundings.

The apartment was extremely… normal. It had a couch and TV in the living room as well as all of the regular kitchen appliances. It even included some silly decorations here and there.

"Um… Lieutenant, is this really a safe house?" Midoriya asked as he turned to face him.

Aizawa shut the door behind him and pointed towards a panel on the wall by the entrance.

"This room has a state-of-the-art security system installed. It will detect when intruders break in at any point in the space. Including windows," Aizawa said. He pointed to the door next. "The door and all of the windows are also bulletproof, so they're thicker than the rest of the apartments."

"Whoa," Midoriya said softly. "This is amazing."

"I suppose," Aizawa said, disinterested. He set down his bag and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well, you guys get comfortable. I'm not sure how long you're staying here."

Shouto paused, his thumb rubbing over the strap of his bag, his eyes watching closely as Midoriya disappeared down one of the hallways to explore further. Shouto glanced at Aizawa with an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Lieutenant, is this really safe? For the other people living here, I mean," Shouto asked.

He thought of his mother, his siblings… Touya. They were never safe and they were supposed to live in one of the safest places imaginable.

How were they supposed to keep an entire apartment complex safe?

"Don't worry about that. We've got people here working undercover and keeping everyone inside safe," Aizawa said.

"Undercover?" Shouto asked, blinking at him.

Aizawa nodded. "There's a receptionist downstairs. She's one of ours." He nodded to the doorway. "The custodians and housekeepers are also undercover."

The tension in Shouto's body suddenly flushed out of his system. He felt his shoulders fall, relaxed and calm as he leaned against the wall next to him.

"That's… That's good, then," Shouto said.

Aizawa paused for a moment, his brow quirking. "I thought with you being the son of the Chief of Police, you would've known all of this stuff pretty well."

The tension sprung back into Shouto's shoulders like a taut rubber band as he bristled at just the mention of his father. He averted his gaze so he wouldn't accidentally cast a glare in his boss' direction.

"We never really talked much," was Shouto's reply. He hesitated for a moment more before murmuring, "And still don't."

Aizawa remained quiet, his eyes studious and a little fond as he stared at Shouto's profile. His gaze was burning a hole through Shouto's skull. He could feel it.

Don't ask.

"Stay back, Shouto!"

Just leave things alone.

"You will train with me! You're already five years old!"

Just let it go. Don't bring up the things that didn't need to be brought up.

"Touya-nii!"

Please, Shouto begged to Aizawa in his mind. Please understand that this isn't something I want to discuss.

"Um, Lieutenant!"

Before Shouto could spiral into a panic, Midoriya skidded back into the living room looking a bit flustered.

"I think we might have a problem!" Midoriya said, rubbing the back of his head.

Aizawa's brow rose, looking a bit annoyed. "And what would that be?"

Midoriya swallowed, his eyes flitting to Shouto briefly before landing back on Aizawa. His cheeks flushed red.

"Th-There's only one bedroom," Midoriya said.

Shouto's eyes blew wide at his statement, his jaw dropping slightly. He whipped his head back to Aizawa in a silent question, but Aizawa merely shrugged.

"You were originally supposed to be the only one to stay here, but some people," Aizawa emphasized, looking over to Midoriya, "insisted that they stay with you."

Midoriya swallowed and averted his eyes, his cheeks turning even redder. Aizawa sighed and shrugged, not looking too concerned about it.

"Just figure it out. You both wanted this, so you're going to have to deal with it," Aizawa said. He grabbed the door handle and turned back to look at them. "Be at the precinct in the morning around 0600. We'll discuss what needs to be done then."

Shouto and Midoriya bowed their heads respectfully, both mumbling a quiet, "Yes, sir."

Aizawa pulled the door open and was about to leave, but stopped suddenly in the doorway.

"Oh, yeah," he mumbled and then turned back around. He pointed to the bag he left on the entryway. "I brought some disguises for you two."

Midoriya tilted his head. "Disguises?"

"Yep. You'll need to hide your identities in case the killer is actually stalking Todoroki," Aizawa said. He turned to leave and waved a hand in the air. "I don't care what you choose. Just make sure you don't stick out. See ya."

The door clicked shut, and then Shouto and Midoriya were left alone in the entryway. It was suddenly awkward. It had been fine when Midoriya came to visit Shouto at his apartment, and it was fine when he and Midoriya were at the loft while he was injured. But this? This was uncomfortable.

Midoriya shifted, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, well… I guess I can bring over a futon? And maybe some extra blankets or…"

Shouto sighed, turning away from Midoriya and heading towards the living room.

"I'll take the couch," Shouto offered, plopping down and slouching, feeling himself settle.

"O-Oh, uh… won't that be uncomfortable?" Midoriya asked.

Shouto shook his head and gave a noise in response. He lifted his legs to rest on the shallow coffee table and released a slow breath.

"This is fine," Shouto said, feeling his body relax.

Midoriya paused and shifted on his feet, looking a bit sheepish and unsure. He fiddled with the bandages on his hand and gave a small sigh.

"Well, as long as you're sure," Midoriya said. "I'll figure out what to make for dinner. Got a favorite food?"

Shouto opened one eye to peek at him, considering the offer. "Soba. Cold Soba."

Midoriya beamed. "I can do that!"

He scurried to the kitchen to rummage through the fridge and pantry, and Shouto let himself finally relax. The awkwardness was still there, but he at least felt that he could sleep in peace.

But just as Shouto was about to drift off, his phone buzzed, almost violently, in his pocket. He sighed in aggravation and pulled his phone from his pocket, seeing an incoming call from Aizawa.

What the? Didn't he just leave? What more could he want?

"This is Todoroki," Shouto answered.

"One more thing," Aizawa started, not even bothering with a greeting. "I was notified of the results from that surgical staple you found a little while back. Which means, I had to inform the people that are involved."

Shouto raised a brow. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

"Ah, well. Remember you saying you didn't speak to your father much?"

Shit.

Oh, shit.

"Looks like you might get your chance to bridge that gap," Aizawa said. "Oh, and just a heads up. He sounded a little irate on the phone."

Shouto opened his mouth to respond, ready to beg for Aizawa to call his father back to tell him the results were mixed up, were falsified, anything so that he wouldn't have to speak to—

His phone buzzed and beeped in his ear, indicating an incoming call.

Shouto pulled the phone back to see another call trying to come through.

Incoming call: Father

Well, shit.