He cries in the restroom.

It's really not that different from Middle School, is it? Izuku sobbing to himself after being violented verbally and physically for the thousandth time?

He should've kept his mouth shut. Yelling back at a teacher is no behavior of a hero.

But the voice inside Izuku yells, IT'S NOT FAIR.

It's never been fair.

It really started out of nowhere.

Classes have been difficult as hell in the past days. Izuku was forced to team up with Katsuki again – because, according to Aizawa-sensei, the two needed a lot more work to do together. Izuku couldn't object, otherwise his grade would be affected.

Izuku and Katsuki were expected to fight off one of the giant training robots, and while the former tried to come up with a plan, the latter was already blowing off steam for no reason. The two yelled the entire time, allowing the robot to kick their asses. But mostly Izuku's.

After class, Katsuki was still yelling at him – "you're fucking useless", he'd insist – and everything in Izuku hurt, his arms, his legs, One for All giving him a headache and now this?

That's how the entire class found them, Izuku and Katsuki screaming at one another. Aizawa-sensei was not very happy.

"Midoriya, Bakugo, quit the bickering," he warned them, sounding tired.

"But he started it!" Izuku defended, "I was trying to—"

"I don't care who started it. That's no hero behavior. You need to work it out together."

"I AM trying to work with him, but he won't listen to me!"

"YOU won't listen to me, you bastard!" Katsuki protested.

"You both need to listen," Aizawa concluded.

Izuku only stared at his teacher. He… He has been used to this, really, but—

But it should've been different at this point, shouldn't it?

Izuku is at the school of his dreams, studying with amazing and talented classmates, learning from the best heroes in the country, and he's trying so goddamn hard, and yet not a single soul seems to listen to him. Even his teacher who is said to be strict, who is said to be fair, was putting an unnecessary blame onto him and not the literal explosion to his face.

His green eyes burned blue, his veins glowed red and Izuku's mouth opened before he thinks.

"What KIND of teacher are you?!" He yelled. "I'm ALWAYS doing my best, how come you can't see it? How come NONE OF YOU SEE THAT I'M TRYING?! And WHY do you let Kacchan get away with EVERYTHING?! Just because he blows stuff up?! Is that it?! Because for someone who claims to be strict you certainly don't fucking show it!"

Instead of more scolding, Izuku gets nothing.

And he means that.

His quirk, his voice is taken away from him. Aizawa-sensei's red eyes silence him.

He doesn't want to listen.

No one does.

Izuku stares at everyone else; no voice, no hand dares to stand. Everyone stares and judges.

He's…

He…

He can only run.

If any voices yell his name, Izuku doesn't hear them.

Because he can't sense anything else through the tears, the frustration, the pain.

When Izuku is far enough from Aizawa-sensei's glare, One for All leads him as far away as possible, until he reaches the dorms.

And that's how he ends up here, in the restroom, the only place he could be.

The boy replays the entire scenario in his head, and he feels sick. He can't believe he actually yelled at Aizawa-sensei, the most feared teacher at U.A. But he can't believe that the hero had the nerve to silence him despite seeing and hearing very clearly that Katsuki doesn't know how to communicate healthily.

Aizawa-sensei did the very thing Katsuki does to Izuku. Maybe it's not explosive, maybe it's not loud; the mere fact it's silent, however, is probably why Izuku feels the most hurt he's ever felt.

Oh, he's getting expelled for sure.

And the teen doesn't even know if he's right or not.

God, what is he going to tell All Might? Or his mother?

His anger has always been frowned upon, that's why Izuku never gets angry. But he's so tired.

And alone.

So, so alone.

Izuku can only cry.

…

The door opens.

Izuku jumps and glances back, instantly recognizing distinct colors. Heterochromatic eyes and hair. Calming, deep blue. Still, he cowers and hides.

"… What are you doing here?" He wonders, sounding harsher than he meant, but Todoroki doesn't seem to mind.

"I- we wanted to check up on you." In the meantime, Izuku frowns. "Uraraka and Iida are outside. We're worried about you."

The greenette doesn't think he wants to see them, either.

"You- You saw what happened, I-I yelled at Aizawa-sensei. I"— he sniffs —"I'm going to get expelled. M-My one chance to prove myself and I blew it, Todoroki-kun. All because I overreacted—"

"You didn't overreact, Midoriya."

"I literally screamed- I cursed at our teacher!"

"Because he didn't listen to you. He silenced you. It was unfair," Todoroki approaches, "wasn't it?"

Izuku wants to protest, but he doesn't, not at his friend's gentle tone.

He finally looks up, and Todoroki looks absolutely far from judgmental.

"No one… No one seems to listen to me, Todoroki-kun," Izuku admits. "It's been like this for as long as I remember."

Todoroki stands on his knees in front of the other boy, who's sitting on a closed toilet, nodding for him to continue. Izuku tries to dry his tears over and over, but it's useless at this point.

"Kacchan always hurt me. He hurt others." He knows not to give too many details, the weight of his secrets getting the best of him. "But the teachers… t-they never punished him for it. A-And if I ever got angry… I would be the one punished. I would be suspended."

One for All burns brightly in his scarred hands, exposing all the anger he's kept for himself.

"T-They kept telling me that I should be better than this. I should be better than wanting to hurt Katsuki back. That I'd be as bad as him," Izuku retells. "I-I'm trying to be better. I'm trying to be a hero, to not get angry and hurt others. I would never want to hurt anyone else. But then… it hurts me, Todoroki-kun." He sobs, "W-Why doesn't it matter? Why don't I matter?"

Izuku's tears blur his view and his senses, only for a hand to gently land on his knee. Todoroki squeezes it, reaffirms his presence, reaffirms they're real and in the restroom, and that someone is actually listening to him and not judging him.

"I want to matter," Izuku sniffs, "but I'll never be enough. I-I'll never be protected. Maybe…" he gulps, "Maybe I don't deserve to be protected."

When the last words come out, the hand on his knee shakes.

The contact disappears, only for the hand to stretch out to him.

Offering itself.

He's afraid of what might happen. What if it betrays him? What if it silences him, too?

But the look on Todoroki's eyes tells a whole other story. They're not a deadly red. He's not like them.

So, Izuku takes it.

And…

He's wrapped in Todoroki's arms.

"… You do," the heterochromatic boy whispers. "You matter, Midoriya."

Izuku freezes, but not because of his friend's quirk. If anything, he's warm.

"T-To whom?" He questions.

"To me." Todoroki puts a stable hand on the back of his head. "To Uraraka and Iida. We care about you."

Izuku knew that, didn't he?

Then why is he crying so much more?

Why does he hold onto Todoroki so tightly?

Still, he's held gently, carefully. The anger is embraced and recognized and comforted.

The anger is loved.

Izuku is loved.

He cries his heart out and Todoroki lets him.

For the first time in his whole life, Izuku is not silenced.

He screams, he mourns, he lets out all that was repressed.

Maybe it sounds harsh and painful and heartbreaking.

But it's necessary.

Izuku cries for maybe twenty minutes. An hour. Years.

No matter how long it takes, Todoroki hugs him all the way. His arms soothe him from breaking into pieces and ceasing forever.

Izuku is so relieved.

At peace.

Though, when it all stops, he's so uncertain.

What is he going to do next?

Izuku is the one that pulls away, but Todoroki doesn't let him go far.

"Are you ready to come out?" The latter suggests.

The other gulps. "W-Will you stay?"

"Of course."

"Thank you," Izuku cries in joy. "Thank you so much, Todoroki-kun."

Todoroki rubs his back without saying a word. Yet it's so clear how much he loves him.

The taller boy holds his hand when they leave the restroom. Uraraka and Iida were expecting them.

"Deku-kun! Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" Izuku sniffs, "I think so."

"Aizawa-sensei was so unfair to you!" Uraraka says angrily. "You didn't deserve to get scolded like that!"

"I agree! He was very inconsiderate as a hero and our mentor!" Iida supports her.

"But…" Izuku gulps, "I don't think he's going to change his mind. I might actually get expelled."

"We won't let that happen, Deku-kun!"

"Bakugo-kun's behavior is inexcusable," Iida gestures with his hands. "As class representative, it's my duty to help my classmates and correct conduct!"

"Whatever it takes, we're sticking with you!" Uraraka emphasizes.

Todoroki only hums in agreement, but it's enough.

Izuku's eyes fill with tears again. "You guys…"

They let him cry once more.

"Hey, would you like some water?" Uraraka offers.

"We don't need to face them right now," Iida reassures him. "Your health is our priority, Midoriya-kun!"

Izuku laughs and sobs harder – but this time, in absolute relief.

Todoroki's arm around his shoulders, Uraraka's words of encouragement and Iida's stability are really all Izuku needs right now.

Part of him wonders what he's done to have such wonderful friends.

But he deserves it.

Izuku deserves better.