The walk back to the Tokyo branch of their agency felt like it took far longer than it did. Todoroki spent it silently replaying his interactions with both ghouls. The omega named Kaneki looked like he needed help, but still refused when it was offered. The sad look in his mismatched gray and red eyes intrigued Todoroki, along with the scent that had lured him to Kaneki's location in the first place.
"You're better off forgetting about me, I'll only bring you pain."
Todoroki wondered what Kaneki could have gone through in order to believe that about himself. He was no stranger to tragic experiences, having suffered with an overbearing alpha father that was ruthless in his plans to ensure Todoroki would surpass him as the top alpha hero. Kaneki's mysterious past stirred up memories of his own that would have been better left alone, but once Todoroki fixated on something, it was difficult for him to pull his mind away.
"...roki… Todoroki!" Midoriya called out, repeating himself until Todoroki finally noticed and acknowledged him. "We're back at the agency, but it looks like they still haven't returned. Maybe it's best to just go back to our hotel for the night and come back in the morning? We've all had a long day."
In agreement, the trio went back to their hotel suite and took to their respective rooms, Midoriya and Bakugou fell asleep easily while Todoroki felt exhausted but over-tired. Resting in his futon on his back with his left leg hung out of the covers, he stared up at the plain ceiling and envisioned Kaneki's tear-streaked face displayed like a projection only he could see.
As he finally gave in to sleep, Todoroki wondered how soft Kaneki's face would be if he gently held it while swiping those tears away.
Waking before his teammates, Todoroki felt restless after the previous day. Thinking some fresh air and a walk would help, he left a note before leaving the hotel. Stepping out into the dawn, Todoroki was surprised at how different Tokyo was in the early morning hours. The crowded sidewalks from yesterday were only sparsely occupied now, though Todoroki knew that would change soon once people started to commute to their jobs or schools.
The quiet helped to ease his mind as he walked along the main street, noting the various businesses, inner rooms dark and unoccupied, save for the small building near the end of the street. Light shone onto the pavement like a beacon that lured him in, the scent of coffee growing stronger as he saw the small hand-painted sign by the door of the coffee shop.
"Anteiku…" Todoroki said under his breath, noting an underlying scent that was familiar. Pulling open the wooden door, he made his way through the foyer and into the coffee shop. He didn't often drink coffee, never finding the taste as enjoyable as the smell. The tension in Todoroki's shoulders left as he was surrounded by that warm aroma and soft lighting. The place was quaint, with a wooden decor.
The bar at the end of the room was lined with glass containers of whole coffee beans in various shades of brown. Steam floated up from kettles and machines behind the counter, though Todoroki found it strange that no one else was in the room. He wondered if he'd been wrong to enter without making sure the shop was actually open.
"Welcome to Anteiku, sorry I was busy in the storeroo—" a familiar voice called out before stopping abruptly. Turning to the open door, Todoroki saw the omega frozen in place with panic painted on his face. With a small white eyepatch that covered his left eye, Kaneki stared at him, distressed pheromones flooding the room. "H-How did you find me? You shouldn't be here."
Shaking his head, Todoroki gave off a soothing scent to calm the nervous omega, "I didn't know you were here, I swear! I was only taking a walk when I found this shop. Please, don't leave," Todoroki begged, stepping back to offer Kaneki more space as a way to ease the omega's anxiety.
Kaneki watched the alpha cautiously, struggling to keep his inner omega in check as it called for him to approach Todoroki. His heat was closing in, making it harder to control himself in spite of his instincts. It had been years since he'd last given in completely to his omega, and after witnessing the aftermath of that loss of control, had sworn to never let it win out again.
But this white and red-haired alpha was making the struggle even more difficult, with a scent that reminded him of burning firewood being stoked in a fireplace as a fierce snowstorm endures just outside. Blasts of arctic wind soothed by a reassuring heat is what Kaneki felt as Todoroki waited in patient silence for him to decide whether to insist he leave the shop or stay.
"I-I haven't fully prepared the coffee yet. Please take a seat and I'll be with you in a moment," Kaneki finally answered, taking the opportunity to duck behind the counter to provide a barrier between them. Relieved, Todoroki took a seat nearby, not wanting to jeopardize his chance to learn more about the omega by invading his personal space. Kaneki acted like he wanted to keep this interaction limited to that of a server and customer, so Todoroki behaved accordingly.
The bell above the door rang again as another visitor walked in, Todoroki's heightened sense of smell immediately knowing it as the alpha Tsukiyama who had attempted to assault Kaneki the night before. With a deep growl in his chest, Todoroki jumped up from the chair and positioned himself between Tsukiyama and Kaneki. "You didn't learn anything from yesterday, did you?" Todoroki said with anger in his eyes as his left side started to flame up.
"Oh my, it truly is disappointing to have to run into you again, just as I intended to indulge myself in an omegan delicacy I've been waiting so patiently for. I've no interest in humoring you though, alpha," Tsukiyama said as he evaded Todoroki, his kagune releasing around his arm as he swiped at the pro hero.
Todoroki flashed a sheet of thick ice around his forearm just before the sharpened spiral around Tsukiyama's arm bit into it, ice shavings and dust floated into the air as Todoroki fought to keep his ground against the alpha ghoul. A wave of distressed pheromones poured into the room, pulling Todoroki's attention momentarily to Kaneki, who had been calling out for the two alphas to stop and leave, though neither had heard him.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Tsukiyama quickly drove his kagune against Todoroki's left side, cutting through his civilian clothes with ease. The scent of blood in the air drove the two alphas closer to going completely feral, Todoroki flashing his sharpened teeth as he jumped free of Tsukiyama's attack. "Not eating him. Omega is mine!" Todoroki said with a growl, his head growing hazy with bloodlust as his alpha gained more control.
"Stop it, both of you!" Kaneki called out once more, his heart racing as he realized the two were almost completely feral now. Trying instead to calm them, he concentrated on giving off a soothing scent of lavender and chamomile. "Please, this has to stop, you can't do this here!"
Tsukiyama caught Todoroki off-guard once more, slamming into the hero alpha and sending him crashing into the nearby wall. Hardly conscious, Todoroki still managed to rise to his feet, his breathing ragged as he continued to mutter broken sentences while defending Kaneki against Tsukiyama.
"You're a poor example of what an alpha should be, hero. Kaneki would be wasted on you," Tsukiyama said as he gripped a handful of red and white hair and wrenched Todoroki's head back before digging the sharp point of his kagune into his right shoulder.
Todoroki went limp as his exhaustion and wounds finally overwhelmed him, a low growl that fell into a whine was the last Tsukiyama heard as he shoved the alpha off of his kagune and onto the floor. Flicking the tip back and forth to rid it of Todoroki's blood, Tsukiyama turned his head back to where Kaneki stood in shock, fear wafting into his pheromones as well as a slowly growing note of anger.
"Looks like I've finally made it for dinner, dear Kaneki…"