Aggression. Shouto is much too familiar with this particular concept and its repercussions both. He isn't a particularly aggressive person, sure he gets angry sometimes and he tends to give off a cold intimidation when he's wary of someone or something and that can be misconstrued as aggression. But more often than not he isn't prone to violence or hateful reactions because he has lived with the prime example of how miserable it makes everyone around him. Even if he loses his temper, even if he acts rashly once in a while or wonders 'wouldn't it be easier if I just blew up?' Shouto will feel awful rather than relieved of his ire.

It is painful to be able to recognise aggression from one word alone, from a nickname that apparently so many people use as endearing. Shouto wonders if this was the way it was originally intended to be said or if the one who said it ever meant it the soft way before. Whichever the truth, for some reason, both options send an unfamiliar pang through Todoroki's chest.

"Kacchan!" Midoriya's voice breaks through Shouto's trance as the ashy blonde by the door stalks forward and towards them.

The defensive stance the other assumes, placing himself between the angry arrival and Shouto, doesn't sit right with him.

"Who's this fucker? This why you ended things? You fucking him too?"

Shouto isn't sure what he feels first. The shock, the offense, the outrage or the hurt. In that moment, some things suddenly become much clearer, pieces of a puzzle fall neatly into place and paint a bigger picture that isn't necessarily pretty. Why Midoriya was at the club, why he will suddenly flip from easy-going to close to tears, why the mention of one name seemed to trigger such a reaction. The ex. This 'Kacchan', this person who exudes explosive fury and is quickly getting closer was Midoriya's ex and their break up is the cause for his grief. Although, Shouto can't help but wonder why, staying with an even bigger question than the ones before.

"What? No, Kacchan, wait." Midoriya steps further away from him, closer to the other, hands stretched out towards him as if reaching for him and Shouto understands what it means.

"When did this start? I will break his fucking pretty face."

A multitude of things happen after this. First, Shouto's hands clench to fists, but not because of the blatant threat to his person, no. The fact he has the nerve to accuse someone as clearly kind as Midoriya of simply disregarding the feelings he obviously still harbours for him for a 'pretty face' is infuriating. Second, the blonde lunges for Shouto with the intent to jump him and, no doubt, hurt him. He would have been ready to fight back, not that he actually wanted to do anything of the sort, but his first instinct was to defend himself when he was so used to facing the brunt of someone's rage. Third, Midoriya jumps in between them, pushing against the other guy's chest and crying out for him to calm down.

Fourth, the image sparks memories long past back to life, shooting them to the forefront of his mind like a freshly opened wound. Suddenly he is standing behind his mother while she barricades his father from getting to him. Fifth, Midoriya is resisting against the other's advances, but those red eyes that are darkened with rage are focused on Shouto and he feels his throat closing up with a mix of fear and anger when he confuses them with blue ones. Sixth, in his fit to get to Shouto, he shoves Midoriya out of the way, who falls ungracefully on his side and cries out in pain. Their frame is in no way similar, their hair even less so, but somehow, Shouto finds himself at five years old with blisters on his feet and tears in his eyes as his mother tries to get his father to just stop for a moment.

Seventh, Yaoyorozu's hand wraps around his wrist and Shouto realises with a start that he's started to shake, his breaths coming out ragged and sounding much too loud in his ears. The simple touch is steadying and it reels him back in from a haze of forgotten memories, and the fear is slowly replaced with a fiery hot animosity that consumes him in a matter of seconds. Eighth, Kirishima and Kaminari are holding the other guy back, grabbing his arms to prevent him from launching himself at Shouto with snarls and fangs bared, like a wild animal who only knows violence. Yaoyorozu seems ready to do the same to him, but when he shakes off her hand he walks straight to Midoriya, still on the ground and with his arm close to his chest.

Ninth, he kneels next to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and asking him if he's okay. His wrist looks like it hurts from the way he fell on it and Shouto is concerned that he might have sprained it, ignoring the shouted insults that ring loud in the back of his head. They're reminiscent of the angry demands he hears and heard from his father and they make his blood run cold, images overlapping, sounds mixing together. It's confusing and it's terrifying but Shouto only sees Midoriya squeezing his eyes shut and trying not to cry. Whether the reason for that is the pain from the fall or the one from the encounter, he doesn't know, but one thing is for certain, and it's that this guy is at fault.

Tenth, Shouto looks back at the blonde and says nothing, only staring with a steely gaze that could drain any warmth that might be in its path and makes the air feel frigid. Shouto is not prone to violence or aggression, but his eyes can be as cold as ice and they quell any fire that might dare to defy them. The other glares back, not showing any signs of backing down, not even when Kirishima and Kaminari are still trying to keep him from advancing. His gaze darts from Shouto's face to Midoriya behind him and he violently shoves them away too.

Shouto stands, taller than him and so, looking down on him with his unwavering stare. If there is anything he learned from his father, it is how to put someone down with his eyes alone, and even if only one of his is like that man's, he knows that he can be every bit as intimidating. It's not something he's proud of, it's not even something he likes to acknowledge, but without even knowing him, there's something about this guy that brings out something nasty in him.

"Kacchan, please… it's not like that…" Midoriya whimpers and Shouto has to fight the urge to tell him not to waste his breath on someone like that.

When that only seems to spark his irritation further and he takes a step towards them, Shouto's body tenses and he walks forward as well. Yaoyorozu calls his name but he doesn't back down. It isn't an acceptance of a challenge, it isn't a show of strength, not even a matter of pride. Shouto just doesn't want him to get any closer so that he can hurt Midoriya again.

"Bakugou." Kirishima says simply, a warning hidden in plain sight in his tone.

The guy clicks his tongue, almost spitting venom with the action as he turns on his heels and walks back out with the redhead in tow.

As soon as they are out of sight, Shouto turns back to where Midoriya is holding on to his right arm, whining lowly any time he tries to move it and tears threatening to spill from the corners of his eyes. Uraraka and Ashido are kneeling on each side of him, the former brushing his hair out of his face in a tender gesture as she whispers soft words that Shouto can't quite hear. That same hot feeling burning in his gut is back, but he ignores it along with the ghosting fear making the hairs on the back of his neck stand in order to go to them.

Ashido helps him sit up and he leans against his friend, his breaths stuttering with the sobs he's trying to choke back. Shouto wonders how bad the damage actually is for him to be so distraught, for a moment worrying he may have fallen so badly that he broke his wrist, until he makes out Uraraka's words.

"You're okay, Izuku, breathe. He's gone, come on, you can get through this."

Shouto clenches his jaw tightly, glancing anywhere but at them because he doesn't want to see the anguished look on Midoriya's face knowing that awful person was the cause of it. It is painful beyond measure to know someone can be that unpleasant towards someone as wonderful as Midoriya, especially when Shouto had first-hand experience of a similar situation. It makes his stomach churn to see that he is still hurting so badly even when he's no longer in that relationship, more so when it's so agonisingly obvious that he still has feelings for that guy.

He would be a hypocrite to tell him it's not worth it though, when he's still enduring his own personal hell, even if it's for his mother's sake. At least Midoriya had made a clear effort to get away from his. Shouto was still stuck under someone's thumb, crushed into submission by the love he has for someone else and it's suffocating.

"Shouto…"

He blinks at Yaoyorozu, noting her concerned expression before he realises that the room is somewhat spinning. She holds on to his shoulders and that's when he feels his breaths are a little too short and his legs a little too unstable again. Stranger's eyes are on him and he doesn't know where to turn as he starts to hyperventilate.

"T-Todoroki-san? Are you okay?"

His vision goes in and out of focus when he turns it towards Midoriya, seeing worry twisting his features on top of the sadness that's still spilling down his cheeks. Yaoyorozu's hand grips his shoulder tightly in timed squeezes and Shouto matches his breaths to them, closing his eyes for just a moment and willing the walls to stop closing in around him. He pushes the anxiety clawing at his insides down and runs a shaking hand through his hair after slowly removing his friend's hands from his shoulders.

"I'm fine. I should be the one asking you that." Shouto rasps, his throat too scratchy and tight for his liking.

The others all turn to their friend and Shouto finds himself relieved to not be under their scrutiny any longer. Though, seeing Midoriya hide his face in shame and let his injured arm fall limply to his side isn't at all better.

"I'm okay… It's just a little sore, it'll be fine soon." True or not, Shouto can't help but wonder about his emotional state rather than the physical. "Sorry, I didn't think Kacchan would react like that… Honestly, I didn't think at all, I'm an idiot…"

"Hey, Deku, that's not your fault, Bakugou totally overreacted." Ashido frowns by his side.

"Yeah man, we'll talk to him. That was defo uncool." Kaminari agrees with a small nod. "Pretty sure Kiri's giving him an earful."

"I'm gonna punch him in the face." Shouto would gladly join Uraraka.

"Ocha…"

"What? He just saw you calmly talking to someone and his first instinct is to accuse you of cheating on him? Who does he think he is?" At least someone said it. He couldn't agree more. "That possessive piece of-"

"Ocha!" Midoriya cries out, squeezing his eyes shut and hunching in on himself. "Please…" His voice sounds as defeated as he looks and it feels so wrong to Shouto's eyes that he almost turns on his heels to find him himself. But that's not his place, they hardly know each other yet after all.

"Let's all just give Midoriya some space to breathe." Another voice that Shouto doesn't recognise sounds from behind him and he cocks his head slightly to see a tired looking person with dark hair almost wilder than Midoriya's. "Not sure what the hell happened here but by the look on blasty's face it can't be good."

He slowly approaches the group, taking in the scene with a seemingly uninterested demeanour, but there is the hint of displeasure in those reddened eyes that only translates to the downward tilt of his mouth when someone summarises the events in a few short words. The guy tilts his head towards Shouto and raises one eyebrow for little more than a second before returning his attention to the others.

"It's fine guys." Midoriya dismisses everyone's worries with a shaky sigh, and they all look at him sceptically as he lifts himself up off the floor and walks past them towards Shouto, eyes downcast. "I'm really sorry this happened."

"It's not your fault." Shouto says immediately, thinking it's so obvious that he shouldn't be the one apologising, it hurts that Midoriya doesn't see it.

"I should have thought this through, Kacchan is on edge and-"

"Don't excuse his actions," Shouto interrupts, a spark of irritation flickering so suddenly, that he doesn't even process it before the words start spilling out of his mouth. "He's the only one responsible for them."

"But I-"

"But you what? You should have stopped him? You should have been able to change him so that it wouldn't have happened to begin with? He's rash and quick to jump to conclusions that don't even make sense and he clearly has no regard for anyone's feelings but his own," A hand is on his arm but he hardly feels it as he keeps talking without thinking "and it's not your job to make him a good person. If you keep this up it won't just be your body he's breaking."

"Shouto!"

Yaoyorozu's shocked call snaps him back from the confusing mix of feelings that are overlapping his experience with Midoriya's own. He pales when he comes to, playing back what he just said on over and over again, and feeling worse after each time. "Excuse me, I… I shouldn't… I'm sorry…"

Without another word, Shouto walks out and Yaoyorozu follows right after him, his name dripping with concern as it tips from her lips repeatedly. He only stops when he is already outside and his eyes land on the back of Kirishima's head and, consequently, Bakugou's face as well. They lock gazes for a moment, until Yaoyorozu finally catches up to him and starts pulling him down the street and away from that aggressive stare.

He starts walking faster once he's no longer in his line of sight and the temptation to go and give him a piece of his mind isn't so strong. Yet he still feels his insides burning, his lungs in particular, each breath like fire and scorching him on the way down.

"Shouto, calm down, you're shaking…" Yaoyorozu whispers softly, and he slows down his pace, wheezing slightly as he inhales painfully. "You haven't gotten this worked up in a really long time. Are you okay?"

Resisting the urge to ask her if he looks okay, Shouto just shakes his head weakly, trying to level his breathing. He's disoriented, feeling equal parts guilty for what he said and beyond upset for not only snapping at Midoriya for simply having feelings for someone who doesn't deserve him but also walking out without so much as a goodbye. Yet, even if he feels awful about it, he somehow feels that, despite being harsh, everything he said had been the truth.

Still, he shouldn't have said it. He'd spent all of his childhood biting back similar remarks until it was too late and now he'd gone and near threw them back at Midoriya's face when he was already hurting. He had no right to meddle, much less to do it so bluntly without even being asked.

"I screwed up…" Shouto lets out, his voice as shaky as he feels when it dawns on him that Midoriya will probably not want to talk to him again after what he'd said. And he wouldn't blame him for that either.

"Maybe a little, but-" Yaoyorozu places a comforting hand on his arm "-Midoriya-san seems like an understanding person. You were clearly shaken and I'm sure he knows you didn't mean to be so… ruthless."

"I shouldn't have said anything in the first place, ruthless or otherwise."

She offers him a small, apologetic smile, gently rubbing his arm in a soothing gesture. "You were always a little too honest for your own good."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" He asks, a little incredulous and undeniably miserable. "I wouldn't be surprised if he hates me now."

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that. You can't blame yourself for caring about him."

"His relationships are none of my business." He rebuts, scolding himself all over again and doing his best not to actually punch anything in his anger.

"Even when they remind you so much of your father?"

Shouto pauses, directing his gaze back to her with the look of someone who's just realised they've been shot and are only then feeling the pain. Her expression looks stern now, her dark eyes hard and her lips pulled to a taut line. She's still holding onto his arm, but her grip is tighter, like she is both trying to get him to listen and not letting him run away from what he doesn't want to hear.

"Do you think I'm stupid or blind? Must be one of those, Shouto, because there's no other way I could have missed any of what was going through your head then. You look at him stepping in front of you to protect you and you see her, don't you? You look at his ex and you see your father standing over her, ready to do anything necessary to put her in her place, isn't that right?"

"Stop that…" Shouto averts his eyes, suddenly feeling sick and like the world is spinning faster than it should be.

"No, you stop that. I know it's hard to see when you're so close to that situation but this is not the same. It's awful, of course it is, but Midoriya-san isn't your mother.

"He's hurting because he cares even though that guy is clearly a dick, pardon my French. But as much of a violent bastard as he seems, he's also not your father. Misguided? Sure. With a short fuse? Without question. But he didn't seem like the kind of person to send someone to a mental hospital."

"Momo, please."

"No, Shouto, you need to hear this. What you said wasn't wrong but you're also right when you said it's none of your business. You care, that's obvious, so be his friend, not his protector. He doesn't need one, he seems very capable, even if a little emotional."

She stops to take one breath and once again squeeze his arm tenderly. And Shouto thought he was harsh… Yaoyorozu really knows how to set him straight when he is spiralling out of control. Maybe that was why they'd always gotten along so well. She is the voice of reason in the back of his head when his thoughts become too clouded with the memories he tries so hard to forget.

"Now, take a few deep breaths and calm that hot head of yours so that you can properly apologise for meddling. And please, keep in mind, Midoriya-san isn't going to cave into despair, he's not under the pressure of losing everything if he tries to get out. He just has a really questionable taste in men." She eyes him up and down and tilts her head with a hum. "Makes sense."

"It's not like that." The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them. Also, twenty-four times he's had to say that. Maybe he should do something when it reaches fifty.

"Of course not. Good to see you're back." She smiles softly and pats his head a few times. "Let's go home and rest."

He nods with a sigh, feeling a headache coming that he hopes to be able to sleep off. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Shouto frowns at the floor as he follows Yaoyorozu down the street. She is a calm presence by his side, quiet but supportive and Shouto welcomes it. He couldn't ask for a better friend, someone less understanding might have given up on him the moment they met. He was awful to her, standoffish, never directing a word her way if it wasn't necessary… It was a miracle she'd stuck with him all these years.

When they finally reach their apartment, Shouto digs out his phone and stares at his texts with Midoriya for a long time, trying to come up with a decent way to apologise that doesn't sound like he barely cares. He feels decidedly awful about his reaction and all of Yaoyorozu's points were perfectly valid, which only makes him even more miserable. He projected his own negative experiences onto Midoriya's situation and lashed out without meaning to.

Each time he tries to type something out, he second-guesses himself and erases everything all over again. His head is unbearably sore and all he can think is that he's royally screwed his chances of ever being Midoriya's friend and anything he can say isn't nearly enough. It will sound insensitive or dishonest. He didn't even say goodbye. God, why didn't he at least do that?

"Shouto… You're overthinking again, you're biting your nails." Yaoyorozu scolds him, coming out of her room in more comfortable clothes, and Shouto takes his thumb out of his mouth with a huff. "Come on, it's not that hard, you can do this."

"You sound patronising." She shrugs, sitting next to him and looking at the blinking line before 'Enter message' then turning to him with a cocked eyebrow.

"Just think of it like this. What would you have told him if he were here, right now?" Shouto narrows his eyes at her, still just as at a loss as before.

"I don't know. That's not very helpful." He exhales and slides down on the couch slightly.

"Get out of your head for a second and just apologise." She rolls her eyes at him, exasperated. "Offer to treat him to something to make up for it."

That's… not a terrible idea. Resigning to stopping his moping and actually doing something about it, he taps his message out and sends it with nary a lookover so that he doesn't start regretting it again.

[Todoroki Shouto 08:11 pm]

I apologise for the way I acted earlier and how I left as well. I spoke out of place and there's really no excuse so, please, let me make it up to you by treating you to something, sometime.

-delivered-

Honestly, Shouto doesn't expect a reply so soon, if at all. He's already bracing himself for another sleepless night of staring at his dark ceiling while trying to ignore the cold feeling that's settling in the pit of his stomach and making him feel a little nauseous. Yaoyorozu might have gone to do something else at this point, but she remains beside him, just scrolling through her own phone, as if to let him know she's there for him if he needs anything. Even if that is for her to just sit there quietly.

His heart nearly drops when he feels his phone vibrate a few times in a row. Yaoyorozu looks at him from the corner of her eye and he just stays frozen for what feels like an excruciating eternity. He's scared to open the text and see what he's almost certain to be a kind request from Midoriya to stop talking to him and not to contact him anymore in any way, shape or form.

With a quivering breath, he unlocks his phone and opens the text.

[Midoriya Izuku 08:23 pm]

Hey u don't hav anyfing to aplgse 4

U wer right, its not my respnsblty

It just kinda sux cus i wntd u to hav a gud time

& i shudv seen it cmng

We didnt rly end fings on a gud note. It was rly messy & hes a bit xplsv

Very xplsv.

I mean ders a reson Shinsou cals him blasty…

Im rambling again. Anyway, im the 1 whos sry. Kinda thought ud nvr talk to me again tbh. But yeh, if anyfing i shud b the 1 tretng u. tell me wen ur free, least i can do

Shouto takes a long time to decipher some parts of his texts and that gives him some respite because it means he's not as upset anymore. He thinks that maybe Uraraka had something to do with that, and suddenly Shouto is thankful that she's by his side to help him in his hardest times. If she makes him happy, there's absolutely no reason he shouldn't be happy that they have each other.

"See? Things aren't as bad as you make them out in your head. Not everyone thinks as negatively of you as you do." Yaoyorozu whispers, getting up and ruffling his hair playfully.

He feels a small tug at the corner of his mouth as he replies to Midoriya saying he'll let him know and that he's looking forward to meeting again. Hopefully with less incidents.

NOTE: When uni starts and drains your motivation but you vowed to try your darndest to get a chapter out each week...
I just slammed out the second half of this chapter this afternoon so I didn't have a lot of time to read it over a lot for mistakes! Please excuse some typos/lemme know if you see them!
But overall, I was really happy with how it turned out in the end, even though I struggled with a transition there for a while xD
Hope you guys enjoyed it too! And as always feel free to leave any feedback you may have! ^_^
Thank you for reading!