Chapter 18

Jessylane318

-Midoriya-

Up to Chapter 48 of TBAH: Determined.

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Midoriya Izuku holds out the candy apple, stomach churning, heart in his throat. Eri-chan, happily munching on her own treat, seems to pause, her large eyes blinking owlishly up as Mirio-senpai and Aizawa-sensei both quiet.

Hoki Rin, with dark hair fluttering in the breeze, stares back uncomprehendingly.

"Don't you think one apple is enough?" she asks, lips turning down. "She doesn't need two."

He…

For a moment, he isn't sure what she's talking about.

"Rin," she snap, eyes piercing as her hair floats about her in the breeze. "You know, I don't get it. Why is it you can manage to call Eri by her first name after only knowing her for a day, but I ask the same for months, and I get ignored?"

His feet had fumbled, eyes wide.

She—

She wanted him to call her—

His eyes widen, throat closing as she looks back.

There's sunlight in her hair, soft caresses that warms her features and glitters off her eyes. She turns away, a flash of hurt passing across her face before she's scowling endearingly down the road.

"Never mind."

Her pocket buzzes before he can think of what to say.

Then she's pulling out her phone, fingers swiping across the screen and a picture of her and Shinsou-kun posing displayed across the top. She pulls up texts, sighing in exasperation at whatever she sees there.

"Obviously…"

"Rin-chan," he says, fingers twitching to reach for her, to apologize.

She sighs.

"It's fine. I just… I just wanted to think about something else. Let's just… Let's go get this… this apple stuff or whatever and you can make your candy."

He can't help but smile at that.

'Your candy.'

He decides then and there he'll make her one as well.

"But- It's- It's not for Eri-chan! Rin-chan, this one's for you!"

The expression of fear is… unexpected.

And the way she steps back, eyes wide before narrowing the way she does before an attack—hurts. As if she expected him to laugh. She hadn't expected a gift—hadn't even considered it despite watching him pick out several apples.

"What?"

Izuku doesn't set down his arms, though he's half-tempted, with the way she's retreating.

His mind can hardly compute it.

She's scared.

Scared in a way she hadn't been during the fight with the Gentle Criminal. Shaking like—like that time after the battle during capture the flags.

She'd been absolutely brutal during the battle. Black shadows spilling across her open skin, dripping from her lips in inky puddles. Hoki was always dangerous, no matter whether she used her quirk or not, but now… Her eyes were the color of a moonless night, staring back with a haunting nothingness and shadows seeming to consume her alive. The change had been so strange, he'd been completely caught off guard when she'd knocked Ka-chan through a wall.

And when Todoroki had attacked, he'd been even more surprised when she shattered one of his ice walls.

A wall meters thick, like the ones he often used in battle, and she'd shattered it—like—like nothing! Like it was paper.

He could only stand there and gape, glittering ice shards raining across the rooftop. He hadn't expected the strike, hadn't expected her to literally grab and throw their classmate clear across the rooftop.

"TODOROKI!"

Lightning flaring across his body, he'd raced forward, the darkness turning his way. Then her mouth unhinged, a massive pillar of shadow bursting towards him. He dodged and it followed, dark-shadowy figures reaching out, crying, clambering over each other as if in terror.

Was… Was that what Hoki was scared of?

Or was she scared of causing it?

Those old memories of what her family had made her do with the gas stations…

He can't consider it too long. She catches Ka-chan mid-strike, one of his grenades smashed, and Hoki looks feral enough to destroy far more than that.

He rockets forward, snapping a kick towards her head.

Almost none of his classmates block.

Nearly 20% of One-for-All breaks bones—exploded his own bones—but Hoki doesn't dodge. She braces, skids, and he nearly falls over when the fury-blind eyes rip back up to him. His heart thunders, her body coiling like a spring.

She—She rockets forward.

He grabs an arm, hoping to restrain her—to bring her back to herself. But she flips him across her shoulder, a move he's watched her perfect on Shinsou, and he stares up, her fist cocked back.

The ice that blooms between them splinters before he manages to think straight. And he has seconds to get out from beneath the ice before massive shadow claws gouge the roof. Crap. He's up, beside a rather ragged Todoroki, when massive chunks of roof and cement walls are flying towards them, black flames pouring from her mouth.

"Damn it-"

"Oh no," he whispers, eyes wide as Ka-chan rises suddenly behind her. "KA-CHAN! WAIT!"

She doesn't see it coming.

His legs move automatically, and he doesn't make it in time before the blonde explodes a grenade against her ear, twists them both, and pins Hoki beneath him. Even from a distance he can only watch as she gasps wordlessly, darkness receding with chest heaving.

"What the fuck was that?" the blonde snaps. He looks horrible, his face smeared in dirt and blood.

"Ka-chan-"

"No! Fuck off, nerd. What the hell was that?"

"Ka-chan!"

Midoriya kicks the blonde, knocking him off, and he watches with rising trepidation as the small girl rolls, wheezing and gasping for breath.

"It's a panic attack!" he snaps, reaching down and pulling her up to her knees. She tilts dangerous, one ear bloodied and features pale. Despite all of her deadliness, she was so small curled up like this.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know that?" the blonde snarls, dragging himself to his feet. "Oi, calm your shit."

"Seriously?" Midoriya growls. A moment later gloved hands are reaching out. He stares down, all of his good intentions disappearing in the face of wide, desperate eyes. "Deep breaths Hoki. Let's uh… let's count!"

She doesn't.

She just hyperventilates, panicking as the last few minutes seem to register.

"Hoki-chan," Midoriya tries again, leaning forward and squatting in front of the girl. He tries to ignore the missing sleeves and rather large swatches of flesh on full display, instead reaching out to rub a hand against her back in what he hopes is a calming motion. His heart feels anything but calm. "Hey! Hoki-chan! You're hyperventilating. You've gotta calm down. Come on, slower."

"Oi," Ka-chan snaps. "Don't-"

"Bakugou," Todoroki interrupts, his voice irritated as he limps over. "That's still not helpful."

He doesn't pay either of them attention though, not as Hoki finally seemed to settle. When she looks up at him, he offers what he hopes is a reassuring smile.

"That's- That's not funny," she growls, the wind whipping through her hair, body stiff.

It's not the apple, he realizes even as he meets her gaze.

"It… It wasn't supposed to be," Midoriya admits. Arms still extended, he doesn't lower the apple, but he does watch as she looks back at Aizawa-sensei. His chest constricting at the raised eyebrow. Both Aizawa-sensei and Present Mic had already caught him earlier, expressions dark as they and All Might interrogated him after the incident.

To say they'd been displeased was kind of an understatement.

Aizawa-sensei had made it clear that there would be discussions of his recklessness and bullheadedness later.

He tries not to squirm, especially as her eyes move back to him.

"I… I figured you'd never had one either. You- You didn't know how to make them when we were on our way to the store."

He… He expects a lot of different reactions, but the blush that colors her cheeks prettily isn't one. And he can't help but remember the soft brush of her hand in his hair, the feeling of her body tucked safely against chest, her quiet breath on his neck when he'd carried her back.

He remembers the way she relied on him in the practices.

The trust she always had when she leaped off the catwalk above the stage.

Somehow, he still doesn't expect the tears though, or her shaking fingers as she reaches out hesitantly. But he smiles anyways, because something warm and full settles in his chest when their fingers meet. She takes it, holding it as if in wonder like she's never seen such a treasure.

As if in awe that it's for her.

"But why?" she asks in a voice so soft it barely carries.

A dozen answers convalesce in his head.

Because you're my friend. Because you saved me. Because I think you're amazing. Because I respect you and the fact that your family hurt you so deeply but somehow, you still manage to get up and smile and live? Because you alone out of our entire class could actually understand what my life would have been if not for this quirk?

Because I wanted to make you smile.

"Because you're just as important as Eri-chan," he says instead, wishing he could somehow convey the swirling feelings into this single exchange.

Tears spill from her eyes, and his smile fades as Aizawa-sensei gives him a look that promises even more conversations.

"Rin-chan?" he asks, nervously.

"Ah… Thank you Midoriya-kun," she says, and wiping her face, she offers him her prettiest smile yet.