Boiling blood sloshes to the surface, burning, but not quite as bad as the aching pain in his stomach. A harsh pounding contracts his heartbeat with his body, that same strong slam in his head. Izuku can't resist the intense force anymore, he can't remain upright; he lands on all fours. The boy reaches up to cover his mouth just as fast, squeezing his eyes shut as he gags on the pain. Even crouched over a toilet, with the sturdy structure to keep himself braced, he sways side to side. Izuku's eyes shoot open and he pulls his hand back just in time as he vomits. Puke excelling stomach acid is streaked through with a darker shade of crimson. He coughs, sputtering, and wipes his mouth on the back of his hand. An aftershock, a dry heave, leaves a thin line of sticky blood dripping from his mouth to the ground. Izuku has to spit to get the metallic taste out of his mouth.
Every day as the Sports Festival drew nearer, Izuku's bloody coughs became increasingly more violent as they have become more frequent. If it weren't for the hereditary condition of his mother, it could have been dismissed as a nervous sickness. Minus the copious amount of blood that comes with those fits of regurgitation. Nevertheless, he passed it off as such to his mom and teachers as an excuse to rough it out in the restroom. The bathroom stall becomes claustrophobic when he thinks about one of them walking in and discovering the truth; the effectiveness of that feeling increases when he hears the squeak of the restroom door as an indication of somebody entering. Which, of course, is soon followed by the slaps of shoes against bathroom tile.
Izuku stiffens, his body tensing to the point that he can feel his own pulse palpitating. It doesn't help that he begins to hold his breath when the footsteps draw closer to his stall. When the feet stop right outside his door, he can see the blue sweatpants and matching uniform sneakers that belong to U.A's gym outfits. A ragged exhale gives away his position but he doesn't quite care if it's just a member of his class that he's in the presence of. Before he can wonder which of his peers shares his company, the fellow hero student asks with a familiar voice, "Midoriya?"
"Todoroki?", Izuku tilts his head away from the toilet just enough to take another glance behind himself. Through the slither of the door frame, sure enough, he recognizes his classmate's unique split hair pattern. And if Izuku is not mistaken, Todoroki's usually stoic expression appears mildly concerned. "What are you doing here?", Izuku's own face twists and scrunches as he tries to decipher the meaning behind his classmate's presence. Considering Todoroki didn't go into the stall beside him, use a urinal or wash his hands, he can only assume…
"I came to check on you", Izuku does a double take when he hears Todoroki audibly confirm his assumption. As though Todoroki can somehow see that reaction despite the barrier between them, the boy awkwardly explains himself, "You've been gone awhile, and the festival is about to start soon.." Todoroki shifts his weight, feet shuffling ever so slightly in a strange sort of nervous fidget. Even if Izuku closes his eyes not to see, he can still hear the other boy's shoes squeaking.
"Aizawa-Sensei sent you?", Izuku tries to think of the most rational reason as to why Todoroki would bother to care. He keeps his eyes closed, trying to make the dark void of his mind less suffocating than the bathroom stall he's in.
There's a delay before Todoroki's response that fools Izuku into thinking the boy left him alone. "No.. I was personally concerned..", but the eventual reply shocks him enough to make his eyes snap open. Back in the festival stadium's bathroom, his gaze is drawn back in the direction of his competitor for the day. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about before the first tournament", Todoroki's voice draws Izuku's ear next.
Izuku pushes himself up before he flushes the toilet. When he opens the stall door, Todoroki seems taken aback to be met face to face. Izuku then inquires, "There is?"
Todoroki shifts to be straight now that he's seeing Izuku's face. As he had previously, he takes his time to collect his thoughts and formulate his words properly. "You… Have a powerful quirk, but choose not to use it unless absolutely necessary", there's something in the boy's tone that makes Izuku keen to listen, "I can relate."
Suddenly, all of their strange encounters prior to now make some sort of sense to Izuku. His eyes widen momentarily when he makes the connection of their quirks, but he quickly recomposes himself to match Todoroki's mellow attitude. "Your fire.. Right?", he treads carefully just in case he made a mistake with his assumption.
Todoroki's eyes narrow, a glare directed at nobody in particular shining through his heterochromic gaze. "My father's fire", the low growl is also a switch in tone that Izuku isn't expecting. "Don't let it be misconstrued, I still have my mother's ice and that alone will be enough, which is why I'm stronger than you", there's suddenly a thick tension in the air that wasn't there previously.
"Huh?", Izuku doesn't bother hiding his broadened eyes this time. The statement that just came out of Todoroki's mouth was firm enough to sound as though it had come from a senior. Such conviction coming out of nowhere unsettles him.
"I'm more capable", Todoroki reaffirms his bold proclamation; the hand he uses to create ice forms a fist that appears to be holding determination as he declares, "I will beat you."
Izuku has to blink back his surprise. Maybe some tears as well. And here he had believed for a second that someone actually cared enough to relate to him and his quirk. He makes a sound. Something along the lines of a scoff. "A declaration of war?", Izuku shakes his head and sighs, "You're not the first.." When his initial disappointment dissipates, he forces a smile and looks Todoroki in the eye, "I can't pretend I understand completely why you felt the need to single me out in particular, but I think I get it enough" Mimicking Todoroki to an extent, he makes his own fist and slams it against his chest, "If you don't need your fire to win, then I don't need my chainsaws!"
Izuku doubles over, blood spurting out of his mouth as he coughs uncontrollably. The burning sensation in his chest returns, the internal heat spreading towards his stomach. He had thought he got that out of his system. Apparently he thought wrong.
Todoroki takes a tentative step forwards, his hands at his sides twitching. "Are you okay?", he lingers while trying to figure out what to do. When Izuku glances up at him, Todoroki actually appears concerned as he had earlier.
"I'm fine", Izuku waves a dismissive hand for Todoroki to step aside before using the back of that hand to wipe his mouth. He staggers to the sink before running cold water. After Izuku splashes some on his face to cool off, he looks over his shoulder at his loitering classmate and says, "I'll be out in a minute" And then adds a little quieter, "Thanks for checking on me.."
Todoroki opens his mouth, closes it, and then reopens to reply, "If you say so.." Izuku waits until after Todoroki has left to turn off the faucet and pull some paper towels to dry off.
He waits roughly another minute after that, counting the seconds down in his head, to pull out his cellphone and call his mom. The dial tone makes him worry that he waited too long to do so until the line clicks over when she answers. "Izuku! I thought you would be starting by now! Not that I'm complaining to be hearing from you", her voice sounds chipper and energetic enough that nobody would ever guess her bloody coughs had intensified as well.
"I told you that I would call before any matches began!", he tries to match her upbeat mood as best as he can. He's well aware by now that she's probably acting just as much as he is not to worry him, but if she can see through his facade the same as he can hers, neither of them point it out to the other. "Do you think you'll be able to watch the first half of the festival, at least?"
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world, especially with my baby boy competing", Inko doesn't hesitate or pause like Todoroki had. Not in the slightest does she waver or ponder her answer.
"Moomm", Izuku whines and blushes from embarrassment but can't resist a goofy smile. The burning sensation that had been in his chest becomes a soothing warmth to his heart.
"The room I'm in comes with a television, so don't worry, I won't miss a thing", Izuku's smile fades at the reminder that his mom is currently in a hospital bed. Despite his mother's high spirits, he knows that her reason for being there is serious.
"Did the doctors tell you anything new yet?", the hold on his phone tightens as he presses it closer to his ear. Unlike his coughing fits, his mother had hers far longer. A cause for concern became much more pressing as of late.
"I'm afraid not", Inko's answer lowers Izuku's spirits even further, "They took their tests and the surgery is still scheduled for tonight though."
He nods. "Okay, well… Remember to text me if you learn anything new; I can still look at my phone in between matches and stuff", Izuku tries to maintain an encouraging tone but catches a glimpse of his downtrodden demeanor in the reflection of the bathroom mirror.
"I know, sweetheart, I won't forget", Inko's consoling response tells him that she can somehow see the same thing without even being there. A brief beat passes before she tries cheering him up. "Oh, but enough about me, you have to worry about winning too!", her change in attitude is enough to get a small smile out of her son.
"Oh, I dunno, it's a tough competition", Izuku chuckles at the thought of competing against Katsuki without his quirk. Not to mention Todoroki's challenge and the boy from Gen Ed who's quirk is a mystery to him.
"And you've got a tough quirk just like the rest", Inko's retort surprises her son so much that he nearly loses his grip on his phone. He manages to catch it and hold it back up to his ear, his mother listening to the fumbling all the while.
"If my class wasn't ready to see it yet, I don't think the world is ready yet either", he can feel the heat increasing in his chest again and clutches the spot where it burns most. Pochita's tail rests in his palm through the fabric of his P.E jacket.
"There are plenty of heroes who get critiqued because of their appearance, like Gang Orca, don't let it limit your potential", Izuku listens to his mom's voice over the line and can't come up with any retort to her logic. He can almost hear the smug smile in her tone.
Izuku lowers his hand to look at it. "My potential, huh?" Todoroki had said something similar. He wonders if his ability truly is ripe for the taking. When he coughs and a splatter of blood specks land on his open hand, he stops thinking about it in favor of wiping the mess off on his pants leg.
"Was that a cough? I told you to get checked with me while I'm here", Izuku can hear his mom's concern loud and clear through the phone. He has to hold it a relative distance away.
"I'm fine, mom, just clearing my throat!", he feigns another cough in an effort to sound convincing before scrambling for a way to hang up, "I have to go now anyways, we're about to start!"
That seems to do the trick well enough, Inko's startled response forgetting his cough. "Oh, okay! Good luck! Love you!", she returns to her bright and bubbly attitude.
"Love you too", Izuku speaks with a smile in his own tone before hanging up.
Then, he enters the fray of the Sports Festival.
