Shouto Todoroki - Blog Posts

He can be a little wind swept maybe

my little mini tiger shotoroki :3

Same...

this is somehow very embarrassing,,,

it wasn't meant to be so lewd, but i guess "love drunk" just inherently feels like it ;w;

People ask me Lexi, why do you think Todoroki is a massive simp? My main reason and response: Todoroki received a text with only a location from Midoriya and immediately runs to help him, abandoning helping civilians get away from the danger. He didn't question it, he just ran to help this guy whom he had only been friends with for a week(?) and immediately helped him (and Iida) take down Stain. If that isn't simp behavior i don't know what else is.

Strawberry Daiquiri

By:fairystar111

Rating: Gen

Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia

Summary:

Homelessness wasn’t part of Shouto’s plan for the future Neither was finding refuge working in a less than legal host club but anything was better than living with his father He wasn’t expecting to get a creepy stalker out of it Or to be kidnapped by him and find out he was truly his brother who disappeared ten years ago after attempting to murder him. But hey, when has life ever been easy for him?

Characters: Dabi | Touya Todoroki, Shouto Todoroki,

Tags: Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia),Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Host Clubs, Kidnapping, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Physical Abuse, Conditioning, Mind Break, Crossdressing, Past Child Abuse, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Gang Violence, Moral Ambiguity, Yandere Dabi | Todoroki Touya, Mental Instability, Infantilism, Forced Infantilism, Platonic Yandere, Yandere, Dehumanization, Stockholm Syndrome

When Shouto ran away from home at fifteen, he had no idea what he was getting into. He had never realized what privilege of a life he lived until he tried to make it out on his own. Despite the abuse he knew comforts most normal people never know in their entire lives. 

He was the heir to the multi-million dollar corporation, Endeavor Industries. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and raised in a mansion. He didn’t know how to be homeless, let alone find a job.

But anything was better than going back home. He couldn't stand another day in the hell he was raised in. He couldn’t be his father’s perfect masterpiece and his mother’s rape baby any longer.

You see, his parents were not wed out of love but by a contract between companies. His mother was traded off to his father for shares in Endeavor Industries. The Hirmuras were given a percentage of the company in exchange for their most beautiful and intelligent daughter, Rei. His mother would produce three possible heirs for his father and then be free to do whatever she pleased so long as she stayed legally married to Enji.

Only that never happened.

His mother hadn't known the monster she had been married off to. She didn’t know the abuse she and her children would have to endure. She didn’t know how angry his father would get taking out all his frustrations on her. Or how broken she would become seeing each child born be rejected and discarded as worthless. Nor did she imagine she would be forced to carry another.

His mother hadn’t wanted any more children after Natsuo. Their contract had only ever included three, but his father had forced himself onto her after hearing the boy speak for the first time. She spent the entire pregnancy tied to a bed, force-fed, and sedated. His father had been worried she would try to find a way to kill the baby if he hadn't. He was right.

Shouto was the fourth and final child his mother birthed before she stabbed herself in the lower abdomen, rendering her uterus fruitless, and was institutionalized. Before him were the three so-called “failures.” Natsuo was born with a speech impediment that deemed him useless. Fuyumi, while incredibly intelligent, was a woman and could never be an heir. Touya, the firstborn and rightful heir, was born with multiple learning disabilities, including dyslexia and dyscalculia, and deemed unfit.

Shouto was separated from his siblings at age four when he began to show signs of being a prodigy. He was trained from dusk until dawn. All his time was spent studying with private tutors and working alongside his father. He wasn’t allowed to go to school like his siblings; he was different. His father believed he was the solution to finally surpassing All Might Incorporated. 

Touya was furious, naturally; he believed it was his birthright as the firstborn to become his father’s successor. He began to rebel. He would ditch classes, miss curfew, and set fires in the woods behind their house. His father was at his wits end with his behavior. No amount of screaming or beatings would dissuade him from his goal.

It all came to a boiling point when Shouto was five years old.

The day Touya tried to kill him.

Their mornings were usually painfully dull. They would eat breakfast, his tutor would arrive, then his father would leave for work, and his siblings would go to school. But that day his tutor was running late, and his father didn’t have time to call someone in, so he left him alone.

Or he was supposed to be alone.

But ten minutes after his siblings left for school, Touya came back. He said he was going to watch over him just until his tutor came. They waited around for a bit while Shouto did his class work, but one hour later the man still hadn’t arrived. He had suggested they call their father to see what was wrong, but his brother had adamantly refused.

Touya suggested he stop working and have fun. He let him watch television, and he let him play with some of Natsuo’s toys; they even played a game together! Shouto hadn’t gotten to act like a kid in so long. It was the most fun he had in years. Then when he was tired out, he took him to his room to take a nap. He had fallen asleep peacefully, not knowing he would wake to a burning home and his brother nowhere to be found. 

He was awoken by the smell of smoke and the dry ache in his lungs. His head pounded as he struggled to push the blankets off himself. He staggered to the door only to hiss when the metal doorknob burned his hand.

The fire was already outside his room. The whole mansion was likely up in flames. His bedroom was on the third floor. He had no way out.

The five-year-old began to panic. His room was filling up with black smoke, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. He made his way to his window and opened it up, sticking his head out, trying to breathe clean air. 

“Help! Help!” He screamed out, but their home was unfortunately very isolated. They didn’t have any neighbors for miles. Tears filled his eyes as he realized no one was coming to help. 

He was going to die.

In a last-ditch attempt to save his life, he called out to the only caregiver he’s had his whole life. He sucked in all the air he could into his lungs and yelled.

“Father!"

“Help!” His throat burned, and his vision was starting to go spotty. He wobbled toward the door crying, “Daddy! Please!”

Then he heard it. 

“Shouto!” 

His father’s deep yell pierced through the air.

“Where are you! Shouto!” 

“In here!” He rasped out as he collapsed to the floor. His lungs rattled in his chest as he coughed out smoke. 

Seconds later the door to his room was kicked down, and his father rushed in, picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder as he dashed through the halls. Making his way out and avoiding the collapsing parts of the house.

As they crossed the living room, they heard a weak voice call out, “Father!”

Touya! 

Shout had forgotten his brother didn’t go to school today. He needed help too. 

“Daddy, help Touya!” He pointed a shaky finger in the direction of the living room. His head hurt, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep, but his brother needed help. He couldn’t let go. Not yet.

Only his father didn’t stop. He ignored the cries of his firstborn and ran out of the house. His father had saved him but left Touya behind to burn. He’ll never forget being carried over his father’s shoulder and seeing Touya stuck underneath the flaming rubble, screaming out for help. Then he blacked out.

He remembers the rest in flashes. Being placed on the lawn outside their home. His father doing chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth. The distant sirens coming closer and closer. The deafening sound of a house collapsing. Then silence.

He awoke three days later in the hospital as his father’s third child. All records of Touya’s existence had been wiped. Shouto’s existence had never been announced to the world. All people know is that Enji has two sons and one daughter. And that's all they’ll ever know.

Shouto hadn’t understood why his father tried so hard to keep Touya a secret.

It wasn’t until years later that he found out the reason why. During the investigation into the cause of the fire, they find out Touya had sent a message to his tutor from his father’s phone to take the day off prior to breakfast. Then they found a small worn trail leading to a shed in the backyard and a backpack belonging to Touya filled with burn cream, matches, gasoline, and other flammables. All signs pointed to Touya being the cause. He had organized and staged the fire himself. For what? Revenge? Attention? Notoriety? No one will ever know. 

He took that secret with him to the grave. 

After the fire, life became even more suffocating. His father bought a much smaller, more discreet house even more isolated than before. His father hired around-the-clock security to patrol both the inside and outside of the house at all times. He sent Natsuo and Fuyumi away to a private boarding school in fear they would too become like Touya and try to kill his masterpiece. 

Shouto wasn’t allowed outside. He didn’t even have a tutor anymore. He learned from a program online. For years all he did was stay inside and study. He had no choice. He was surrounded around the clock by guards paid to keep him trapped inside. 

It was terribly lonely. 

He had no one to talk to aside from his father, who was dreadful company. The man only listened to what he wanted to hear. He expected perfection and absolute obedience. If he were anything less so, he would be belted until he couldn’t walk. He even implemented maintenance spankings so he never forgot to be good. His behavior could be perfect, and he would still be beaten to discourage even the thought of misbehavior in the future. It was a barbaric way of parenting.

The small size of the house meant there was nowhere to hide when his father went on a rampage. If stocks in All Might incorporated went up or Shouto’s grades dipped even by just 1%, he would tear through the house, breaking everything he could in a violent rage. He would regularly destroy Shouto’s room in a fit of rage.

It would all be replaced the following day, of course, but it always left Shouto feeling so empty and scared each time it happened. Eventually he learned to never allow himself to get attached to anything. There was no point if his father could tear it all away from him in an instant. He got rid of everything he didn’t need, only keeping the bare minimum in plain colors that showed no personality and could be easily replaced. His life consisted of plain, monotone grey in every aspect. His father enjoyed it, said it was very utilitarian and mature of him to live so efficiently.

He hated it.

He hated him.

He spent years in that hell until the summer of Natsuo’s eighteenth birthday arrived. His brother was finally a legal adult; he was set to go to university with a full-ride scholarship separate from their father’s finances. He was safe from their father’s influence. He could go on to live a carefree life free from their past. The same goes for Fuyumi, though she stays tethered to their father by her dream of having a happy family. 

Once he knew they were safe. He left. 

He ran away exactly one month after his brother’s birthday. He didn’t want Natsuo to be blamed for his disappearance. He left one night and never looked back. It was quite easy. He knew the guards' schedules by heart. He waited until it was time for the guards to switch for the night shift. Usually there is about a five-minute lull where no one is watching him while they make the switch. He could have left years ago, but he didn’t want Natsuo to be forced to take his place.

While he had sympathy for his mother. He never met the woman, and he thinks it's unlikely that his father would take her out of the hospital just to create another heir. It would be too suspicious and would make people look into their family and the mysterious disappearances of the Todoroki heirs. 

Now that he's free, he’ll make sure his father will never find him again.

===

The first few months were rough. He had no idea how to survive in the real world without his father. He had no idea where he could safely sleep and take showers or how to get a job and make money. The times he did go into a shop to ask for work, he was sent out once they heard his age. Even if they did hear him out without his legal documents or parental permission, no one would hire him. He resorted to eating out of dumpsters and sleeping in filthy alleyways.

It didn’t help that he had to keep moving constantly. He couldn't settle down anywhere. His father has men crawling all over the city looking for him. While his father didn’t release the information of his disappearance to the general public, he knows he told people in the underworld of a reward for his capture. He heard some thugs talking about it once while he hid behind a dumpster, terrified at the news. 

It wasn’t until he was caught outside Club UA that he was able to find work. The place was a cafe during the day and a bar at night with both hostesses and hosts on duty around the clock.

Shouto hadn't even known what a host was, let alone that host bars existed. He was introduced to the life by a seasoned female hostess he had met one night while wandering the streets looking for food. She had come on to him, flirting playfully, trying to get him into the bar to spend money with her. Shouto tried to refuse, but the woman was very pushy. She teasingly tipped his hat off his head when he began to walk away, calling him too serious. But her voice went quiet and her eyes widened when she saw the distinct red and white hair that had been hidden beneath his hat. Shouto Todoroki, she said, like she had won the jackpot. Maybe she had; Shouto doesn’t know the amount of money promised for his return, but he knows it must be high.

He tried to flee, but a strong grip on his arm stopped him. A blond man with bright green eyes and a weird hairstyle dragged him into the club along with the purple-haired woman. They sat him at a table, and then for the first time in years. He burst into tears.

“Please!” he cried. “I can't go back; I just can't!” 

He sobbed, begging them not to report him. He spilled his guts, telling them of the abuse he had to endure every day under his father’s care. The looks he was receiving got more concerned as he went on. The pair had been under the impression that he was just a spoiled brat rebelling against their rich daddy for no reason, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. They whispered conspiratorially to each other for a moment before introducing themselves as Midnight and Present Mic.

Then they brought him to a room in the back of the bar leading up to the top floor of the establishment. Which seemed to be offices of some kind? There were lots of doors lining the walls in a maze-like pattern. Each door was decorated in a strange, unique sort of way.

They stopped at a plain black door, knocking and waiting patiently. A grouchy voice answered, grunting, “Come in,” and then he was sat in an armchair sitting opposite a man with long black hair and an eye patch covering one eye.

“Another stray?” He rolled his eye, sighing, “You can’t keep doing this, Mic.”

“Oh, come on! It wasn’t even me this time!”

“Mmph.” 

“Tell him Nem!” The women began speaking, telling the man of his identity and what they learned of his past. Then she told him he should offer him a contract.

“A contract? Him? Seriously?”

“Yes, Shou! You know what will happen if we don't!” 

Aizawa unfortunately does know what happens to most runaways. The homeless-to-sex-worker pipeline is very easy to fall into when you are young and desperate to survive. If Aizawa can help, he will. He'd rather they work at the cafe safely than be out in the streets unregulated and unprotected. 

“Alright kid, you in?”

Shouto hadn’t understood what he was agreeing to when he signed the contract, but the promise of a roof over his head, running water, and regular meals was just too good to pass up.

He was brought to an empty room and given a key, saying it was his now. They offered to have someone escort him back to where he was staying to retrieve his things, but he declined, stating he had nothing to bring. They handed him a tablet, telling him to order everything he needed with a pitying glance. Murmuring to each that his contract was going to start out high.

To become a host at the high-class Club UA, you must sign a contract, indebting yourself to them. The contract covers outfits, room and board, food, makeup, training, etc. Essentially everything to become a top-class host. The host or hostess must make back all the money spent on them each month before they can start earning money for themselves. The less they start out with, the higher their contract will be. If a person signs the contract, the club legally owns them until they pay it all back. They cannot quit or leave if their contract is not paid in full. If they try to escape, they will be dragged back by members of the gang One for All, who own the establishment. If a host cannot pay, their contract can be bought out by a client. But what they do with the host afterwards is up to them. As their debt will be transferred off to their client instead of the club, the host will be indebted to them instead.

It's quite predatory.

They take in pretty people who come from bad situations and put them in debt to work as hosts at their establishment. If they can’t pay up by the end of the month for everything the club spent on them, their contract will go into the negative, and they will dig themselves further into debt. It wasn’t great, and it wouldn’t be Shouto’s first choice if he had any options, but there wasn’t any abuse, and it was better than being homeless, so he stayed and learned the life of a host.

The job of a host is primarily to entertain and flatter guests. To giggle at clients' jokes, bat your eyelashes, flirt, and boost their egos. The goal is to make each client spend as much money as you possibly can and make sure they keep coming back for more. Hosts make clients feel like they're on top of the world, the handsomest man alive, or the prettiest girl in the world so long as they keep spending money. 

Most people that come into the host club are categorized into two types. Type A’s were wealthy, usually businessmen or yakuza that came into the club after work to discuss business deals with clients while hosts and hostesses entertained them.

Then there were Type B’s. They were usually poor, unattractive, socially awkward if not downright antisocial, overweight, or simply lonely. They came in for human connection and companionship. And they were quick to fall head over heels for a pretty host giving them attention.

Now Shouto doesn’t like essentially tricking people into loving him, but work is work. As shady as it is, it was the only job willing to ignore his age and help him hide his identity, and he desperately needed the money. So he dyed his hair black and bought turquoise contacts for his gray eye, hiding his most identifiable features, and began to work.

It was difficult at first given his lack of socialization but became easier the longer he did it. He got training from the older hosts and was eventually able to enter the ranks. 

Club UA had an intricate ranking system based on popularity, customer feedback, number of regulars, and quality of service. The higher the rank a host has, the more money they can make. Every host's goal is to make it to the top of the ranks.

Shouto was quite popular from the start. Despite his lack of social skills, most clients were willing to overlook that for his beauty.

He is beautiful; that is a fact.

His mother was chosen specifically for her beauty and intelligence, and his father, despite being an abusive bastard, is a handsome man and was even more so in his youth.

Shouto is a perfect mix of both. 

He learned quickly to use both of his traits given to him by his parents to his advantage. 

When he has male clients, he plays into the softness of his face. He applies rosy blush to the apples of his cheeks, curls his lashes and applies mascara to give him an innocent wide-eye look, and applies pretty pink lip tint and lip gloss to give his lips a pouty appearance. The clothes he wears are typically more feminine and cutesy but change depending on the client. 

For female clients, he usually goes for a more handsome, princely type of look. He contours his face, sharpening his cheeks and jawline, uses eyeliner to darken his eyes and make them appear sharper, and uses red lip tint to make his lips look like they'd been bitten or kissed. The clothes, while frilly, are still masculine and give him a sort of otherworldly, ethereal look.

It all depends on the person. Each client may want something different. Before each shift, he’s given a picture of each client that booked him in advance and a list of their likes and dislikes before their first meeting. Some may want him to look more goth, emo, cute, sexy, etc. So it's up to him to find a way to make their fantasy come true. He even changes his personality depending on the type of character he is going to play. 

He doesn't know how convincing he is, but most of his clients were willing to overlook his short stature and baby fat still clinging to his cheeks. A clear sign of youth. It was disgusting, but as long as they kept their distance, it was tolerable.

Thankfully, there is no touching of any kind allowed inside the club. That doesn’t completely stop customers from trying, though. Thankfully the club has good security, and the overseer, Nedzu, keeps a close eye on the place through the security cameras. 

During the day, the establishment is a cute host cafe. They open at nine am and serve coffee and other sweet drinks and desserts and offer a variety of hosts and hostesses. During the day they keep it PG; they dress more modestly and have more innocent interactions with their clients. The cafe advertises them as lunch dates. They do things like feeding each other cake, giggling and flirting, and drinking tea with clients. This time of day is mostly full of type B clients since the day services are much cheaper than at night. Then the cafe closes at five pm. They are given a five-hour break to do as they please, then the club opens up at ten pm and closes at three am.

At night they switch to more risqué outfits. They show more skin and are more provocative. During the night shift, they dance and pour drinks for wealthy Type A clients and their guests. It is customary for clients to buy their host a drink for each drink they order. So the night is filled with drinking faux alcoholic beverages, flirtatious dancing, and endless flattery as they pretend to be drunk. No hostess is ever actually served alcohol while working; it's just another way to get their clients to spend money. 

If a client is especially rich, they can buy a private dinner date with the host of their choice. This option is usually only used by type A’s, but sometimes a type B will scrounge up enough money or put themselves in debt for one. They are often incredibly uncomfortable for the host, but thankfully Club UA always has a bouncer escort them on their “dates” so nothing truly bad ever happens.

After a year of working at the cafe, Shouto became the first-ranked male host. Second was a blond named Kacchan, and third was a green-haired boy named Deku. He goes by Firefly, a nickname given to him by his first client ever. No one ever discloses their real names to customers at the bar. Lest someone find out their true identities and their real ages. He is cordial with the other hosts; some would even call them friends, but that doesn’t quell the competitive nature of their job. It's a cutthroat industry, and everyone is aiming for the top. The rankings often fluctuate, but Shouto is almost always in the top five. He’s one of the bar's highest earners now.

He’s made back the amount of his contract tenfold and is just waiting until he is eighteen so he can finally start university. He’s been saving all the money he’s earned to use for college; he already graduated high school early years ago in his father’s care and has multiple college credits from a program he was completing before he ran away. Shouto knows he can achieve his dream of being a child welfare lawyer. He wants to save children from abusive households like the one he was raised in. He wants to save others the way he was never saved. It’s his dream. He’ll even keep working at the host bar past eighteen if that's what it takes to make it come true.

===

One Friday afternoon. He had just finished up a short two-hour day shift that consisted of four thirty-minute bookings with a couple of regulars and one new client. He was on his break eating the tasty soba their chef Lunch Rush had prepared for him when his grouchy manager decided to interrupt him. Aizawa dropped off a file with his latest booking onto the table. 

Shouto picked up the paper, skimming through its contents, raising a brow when he saw something peculiar. “The whole night?” 

So that was why his shift had been so short. Someone had bought out all his time slots for tonight. Shouto knows how expensive it is to book him nowadays, especially during club hours. To book him for the entire night would be at least a couple of thousand dollars, and that’s not even including the drinks and added purchases they’ll have to make throughout the night. Just how rich is this guy?

“Yup, better make sure to leave a good impression and leave him craving for more. Who knows? If you charm him enough, you may get yourself a rich sugar daddy who’ll buy you out of this place.” The man joked.

“Pfft, as if.” The boy scoffed, rolling his eyes as Aizawa chuckled, walking away towards the bar to start setting up for the night. 

That life may be something most of his peers desire, especially the less popular ones who are thousands of dollars in debt, but not him. He would never judge his peers for choosing to do so, especially if they managed to find happiness or even love on the job. Like one of his older friends, Denki was bought out by a rich girl with popular music producers for parents. What was her name again? Koka? Jira? Something like that. From what he's heard, they're doing really well, and he is quite happy being a spoiled little boy toy. 

Life is hard, and they're all just trying to survive, but even so, it's just not something Shouto would ever consider for himself. He wants to be free to live his life as he pleases. He never wants to rely on someone else's riches ever again. It reminds him too much of life with his father.

“I’ll do my best.” He calls out to the man, receiving a half-hearted thumbs-up in return.

He stared down at the file, thinking, ‘Well, I might as well see who’s owning me for the night.’

Name: Dabi 

[Image]: A photo of a dark-haired man with vibrant turquoise eyes. He looked to be in his mid-twenties with intricate black snakeskin tattoos covering textured burnt skin. The bottom half of his jaw resembled the unhinged jaw of a snake, and his tongue was split in two like one as well. His face and ears were covered in shiny silver piercings. 

Type: A

Likes: 

Feminine clothing

Cute makeup

Shy or sweet personality

Dislikes: 

Male Clothing

Bold makeup

Loud and aggressive personalities

So a delinquent pervert with a fetish for cute boys. Great…

The man is definitely some sort of criminal. Yakuza maybe? Definitely bad news. Well…nothing he could do about that. The most he can do is bat his eyelashes and pretend he knows nothing about it, especially if the police come knocking again.

He heads upstairs to take a nap before he has to get ready for his next shift. He’ll need all the rest he can get. It’s going to be a long night.

Shouto wakes up around eight. He takes a shower and blow-dries his hair. He took notice of the red and white roots growing out. He would need to re-dye it again soon. He fluffed his hair out to make them less noticeable and began to apply his makeup. He did his usual look for male clients with an added bit of sparkly highlighter on his eyelids and cheeks along with a glittery pink lip gloss to make his features shine in the club's low lights. 

His outfit was simple since the man wanted something more shy and sweet yet feminine. He went for a white pleated miniskirt, an oversized pink sweatshirt, white thigh-high socks, and tennis shoes. He hates wearing this sort of getup, but it's what sells, so he can’t refuse. At least he can use the shy request on the client’s file as an excuse for why he’s not showing much skin. He hates the skimpy outfits the club usually gives them to wear. But hey, at least it's not a theme night this time.

Once a month the club has a night where all the hosts and hostesses wear the same outfit and roleplay a theme. Last month he almost had a heart attack when he saw just how tiny the maid outfits they had bought everyone were. He pretended to be sick that evening so he didn’t have to participate, much to Aizawa’s ire.

By the time he was finished getting ready, it was already nine forty-five. Time to head down to the bar. 

He sat at the secluded booth that his client had reserved. It was near the back of the club towards an exit, far away from the bar and other tables. It was one of their best tables for one-on-one interaction away from prying eyes and listening ears. It cost five hundred dollars alone to reserve. How much has he already spent on him?

Shouto was doing the math in his head when he noticed someone walking towards him. 

Oh, it was him.

Dabi, right?

He looked the same as his picture, though he was much taller than he was expecting. He was wearing a black leather jacket with staples decorating it, a t-shirt with some band’s logo on it, matching leather pants, a thick grommet belt, and black combat boots.

Shouto got up when he neared the table, bowing lightly and taking his hand. 

“Hello sir, my name is Firefly, and I’ll be your company for the evening. I hope we can have a good time together.” He said, looking up at him with big doe eyes and a small shy smile. Though he momentarily froze when he saw the look he got in return. His heart stuttered in panic. Did he get the theme wrong? He thought he followed the man’s interests to a T. Why is he staring at him with such thinly veiled contempt? Shit, if he loses this client, he’ll never hear the end of it. 

The man snapped out of it in seconds; the look on his face was unreadable. He grunted, “The name's Dabi. Don't forget it. I don’t like to repeat myself.”

Kind of rude, but okay. Shouto’s dealt with worse.

“Yes, sir.” 

“So how long have you been working here, Firefly?” 

For some reason he sounded like he was mocking him when he said his alias. Shouto chose to ignore it, responding cheerfully.

“About a year and a half. What about you, sir? What would you do for work?”

“Nothing you have to worry your pretty little head about.”

Well, that just about confirms what he thought. They're interrupted by a waitress coming up to their table.

“What would you like to drink, sir?”

“I’ll take a bottle of whiskey and for him—” Dabi paused, his eyes flickering to Shouto for a moment before he leaned over to whisper into the woman’s ear. The waitress blushed, leaving quickly to give their orders to the bartender.

“What did you get for me?” Shouto asked curiously. 

“It's a surprise, firefly.” 

“Oh.” The boy feigned sadness, looking down with a cute pout.

An ominous grin. “Don’t pout, baby, I’m sure you’ll like it. It was made especially for you.” 

“Well, I’m sure anything you pick will be delicious, sir!” He said softly, biting his lip. 

A look of disgust briefly crossed the man’s face, leaving Shouto to wonder what he was doing wrong. Usually the cute submissive act works well for male clients, but for some reason the scarred man doesn’t seem to be enjoying it. 

“So how old are you, Firefly?”

He kept his face perfectly even. “I’m nineteen!”

The bottle of whiskey arrived, the waiter leaving behind a small bucket of ice and a short round glass.

The man gave him a look. “You seriously expect me to believe that?” 

Shouto grabbed the bottle, carefully ignoring the man's question, instead asking. “Would you like your whiskey neat or on the rocks, sir?”

“Call me Dabi. And I’ll have it on the rocks.”

“Yes, Dabi.” 

Shouto picked up the small scoop from the bucket, filling the glass about halfway with ice, before opening the bottle and pouring the whiskey. The drink’s smell was strong and burned the inside of his nose. He tried to keep the displeasure off his face, but somehow the man spotted it. 

Letting out a raspy sort of snicker, “Not a fan of whiskey?” he asked.

“No, I can’t say I am.” He wrinkled his nose cutely. “I’d love to have a drink with you, but it’s much too strong for me.” 

He placed the drink in front of the man. 

A pause. Silence filled the air until the man decided to break it.

“So are you going to keep ignoring my question?”

“Hmm?”

“Your age? The real one?”

“There’s nothing more for me to say, Dabi. I am nineteen.” Shouto leaned closer to the man, whispering into his ear. “Please stop asking. It could cause trouble for not only the club but also you if rumors circulated that some of the hosts are underage. I know I look young, but please just accept what I say as true.” 

“Trouble for me? Well, aren't you a considerate little one.” The man let out a rough laugh. Shouto had a feeling he had no idea why the man was laughing, but he just giggled along into his palm.

“I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree then.” 

The rest of the night felt more like an interrogation than a date. The man walked him into questions he didn’t ask or tried to trick him into answering truthfully. Dabi had a sharp mind and a quick tongue despite his outside appearance. It was like he was talking circles around him. Shouto felt like he was being analyzed and mocked the entire time.

He was left feeling especially unnerved when his drink arrived. The beverage was a strawberry daiquiri with an added layer of vanilla cream. The drink was perfectly layered, white on top of red. Half and half, just like his hair beneath its dye. The words Dabi had said earlier fluttered to the forefront of his mind. 

It was made especially for you.

He had frozen in place, staring down at the drink. 

There's no way. How could he have known? No. It’s just a coincidence, right? It has to be.

“Something wrong?” Dabi purred, raising a brow.

The boy looked up to see the man watching him with an intense look in his eye, like he knew something he shouldn’t.

Shouto chuckled nervously, a cold sweat dripping from the back of his neck. “Oh, nothing, it's just strawberries, my favorite. How'd you know?” 

“I know a lot of things about you, baby.” Dabi responded with a wink.

A loaded statement, considering this is their first time meeting.

He took a sip of the sickeningly sweet drink; it felt heavy in his stomach.

===

Shouto honestly didn’t want to service the man ever again. If he had a choice, he wouldn’t, but that’s just not how things worked at the club. He had tried asking Aizawa if he could ban the man from booking him but was told a resounding no. He was booted from the office with a warning to behave, considering he was already booked for the next Saturday night too.

Turns out Dabi spent around twenty thousand dollars at the club that night for both him and his associates. So they're not allowed to turn down a single booking that man makes. They’re to welcome him with open arms and serve him to the best of their abilities.

Eventually Saturday comes to be known as his night, and they would reserve it for him in advance. He constantly switches up the styles he wants to see Shouto in and picks him apart like it's his favorite thing to do. He always offers to buy out his contract at the end of the night. Shouto rejects him each time he asks, thinking there would be nothing worse than being in debt to that man. Dabi had been very offended the first time he said no.

“No?” A laugh of disbelief, “You’re saying no to me?” 

“Yes. It's very kind of you to offer such a gesture, but I could never accept.”

“I could set you free. You’d never have to work again, and you’re saying no?”

“I’m sorry, but my answer won't change.” 

The man just shrugged, “Fine, have it your way. But know this: you will be mine one way or another.”

After the first visit, weird things began happening around Shouto. His higher-paying clients stopped coming in one by one. It was strange because he knew people were booking him. He's seen new clients come in and book him, but five minutes after leaving, they’d always come rushing back in to cancel. He’s tried to follow them out to see what scared them so much, but each time he did, he was met with nothing but thin air. 

Slowly he began to fall down the ranks, his price dropped, and he was making less money per booking. Shouto was somewhat fine with it; the more time he had off, the better. It's not like he liked doing the job, but he’d rather not start dipping into his savings so soon. As long as he keeps making enough to cover his room and meals, he should be fine. 

The problem was the eyes. Shouto could never tell where they were coming from, but he could always feel them on him. Whenever he was down at the club, out running errands, or even in his bedroom. He could feel someone watching him.

If he happened to say he really wanted something he couldn’t afford, or couldn’t find a particular snack in store, it would appear on his doorstep the next day. It was creepy. While it's not uncommon for hosts to be given gifts by clients, they are usually not so personal unless they are being stalked. Which Shouto suspects he is being, by the only recurring customer he's had in weeks. So despite Aizawa’s warning, he confronts Dabi the next time he comes in.

“Where’s the outfit I got you?” Dabi asked gruffly, raising a brow and pointing to the casual loungewear he was wearing instead. The boy hadn’t bothered getting ready that day knowing he wasn’t going to be working.

“I didn’t wear it, and I'm not going to wear anything for you ever again. I’m firing you as a client. You're welcome to pick a new host for your current stay; just remember to book someone else for any future bookings.” He turned around to head back up to his room, but a strong grip around his wrist stopped him. 

“Don’t fucking walk away from me, Sh-Firefly.” Dabi growled, tugging the struggling boy onto his lap. “I already paid for the night, remember.”

“And I told you I refuse! Let go of me, you creep! Security!” Shouto screamed, trying to squirm free from the man's arms.

“Shut up, brat! You’re making a scene. I just want to ask you something!”

“No! I don't want your stupid offer! I won’t ever accept it! I don’t care if you chase away my other clients. I’m never going to go with you! Just leave me alone!” He grabbed the man's drink, spilling it down his shirt. The man momentarily lost his grip in shock, and with that opening, Shouto escaped, running away as security came to escort the man from the bar.

“You’ll regret that Firefly! Just you wait!” He heard the man yell as he made his way up the stairs, carefully ignoring him. 

Shouto’s heart hadn’t stopped hammering in his chest until he got to his dorm, firmly locking the door behind him. In the safety of his own room, he broke down into tears. He cried over his job, his family, and his life, just the unfairness of it all. Why did he have to sell himself to make money? Why did he have to deal with creeps all day? Why couldn’t he just have a normal family and live life like a normal teenager? It wasn’t fair!

It's been one month since the incident, and there have been no signs of Dabi. Shouto’s regulars have begun to come back; he’s been climbing back up the ranks, and he couldn’t feel the eyes anymore. So he guessed the man had finally given up.

Things have finally gone back to normal in the bar for the most part. They were all getting ready to celebrate Mina’s birthday. Mina, known as Pinky, was one of the most popular female hosts, known for her bubbly personality, eccentric dancing, pretty pink hair, and expressive golden eyes. She was finally turning eighteen, so the club was going to have a huge party themed around her, though they are advertising it as her twenty-first birthday. 

They had closed the cafe early and were all helping decorate. They were blowing up balloons, hanging streamers, putting up banners, and setting up tables. Shouto apparently had been doing a bad job because Bakugo yelled at him to go pick up the cake instead of making a mess. He gave him the address to the bakery and told him to fuck off. The bakery was about a thirty-minute walk away, so he had to leave early to make it back in time for his first shift. 

He grabbed his coat and slipped on his outside shoes before leaving. He put on his earphones and made his way downtown to the bakery. He decided to walk instead of being driven by the club's chauffeur; he liked walking, given how many years he spent trapped indoors. He liked to run around the bustling city, people-watching, petting stray cats, and listening to music. 

If he hadn’t been wearing his headphones that day, maybe things could have been different.

He kept walking unaware of the men following him or the van waiting to speed away with him inside. He turned the corner just a few blocks away from his destination when he was pulled into an alleyway by two men. The force made his headphones fall off his head, clattering onto the ground. A hand slammed over his mouth as he made to scream. He was quickly tied up, gagged, and blindfolded before being thrown into the back of the van. The doors slammed shut, a rough slap to the doors likely a signal, and they were speeding off. 

Shouto could feel the ground beneath him moving. He tried bucking his body into a sitting position but was met with a sharp kick to the ribs. A whimper escaped his mouth without permission. It had been so long since he’d last been hurt; it seems he lost all his tolerance.

His panic increased as he tried his best to figure out where they were going. He tried counting how many stops and turns they've taken but lost count quickly since each time they hit a bump, his head would slam into the ground, making it hard to keep track. His tears were now soaking through the blindfold, the only sound in the car being the hitching of his breath as he struggled to catch his breath. He doesn’t know how long it’s been, but eventually the car slows to a stop.

The doors open, and he is hauled out by his feet. He kicks and screams as much as he can, but his efforts are futile. His body is roughly hauled over a shoulder. The air is knocked out of him when he lands on his stomach. He’s wheezing as he’s carried through somewhere; he can hear the opening and closing of doors and voices that don’t quite make sense. Shouto’s thrown onto a bed, the mattress bouncing beneath him with the force of the fall; he hears the sound of a door being shut and locked, then silence.

The gravity of the situation weighed on him. He was alone. Trapped god knows where. With no rescue in sight. 

Oh god, he's screwed. 

There was no Aizawa or Father to save him this time. He forced himself to calm down; nothing good would come from panicking. He assessed the situation. His legs were tied together at the ankle while his arms were tied at the wrist behind his back; his hands were still able to move. All he had to do was get his feet to his hands and untie the rope. Simple. 

He did his best to roll off his side and onto his stomach. Then he bent his legs backward towards his wrists. It took a couple of tries, but eventually his hands grazed the rope; he grabbed on tight and blindly felt around for the knot. He clumsily grabbed onto it, untying the mass of knots holding his legs together. Once undone, he pushed himself upright and carefully pulled his legs off the edge of the bed, dipping his feet until he found solid ground. He got up and began to explore the room, searching the floor with his feet for any sharp objects to cut himself free and feeling around the walls for anything he could use to pull the rope against to create slack.

A muffled chuckle sent ice shooting through his veins.

Shouto whipped his head around, looking for the source. He couldn’t see how close they had gotten with the blindfold or block the hit coming straight at him. He cries out as a fist connects to his temple, sending starbursts shooting behind his eyes. He falls back on the bed when another fist connects to his stomach. He wheezed, struggling to catch his breath after the air was punched out of him.

“I knew the first thing you’d do is try to escape. You’ve always been such a smart boy, haven’t you, Shouto?”

He didn’t have time to panic over his name. A prick to his wrist sent drowsiness flooding through his veins. His limbs feel impossibly heavy as he is rearranged on the bed to his captor’s liking. He falls asleep to the raspy humming of an unknown man.

===

Shouto wakes up hours later without his bindings. He sits up, still feeling drowsy, and looks around. He was in some sort of concrete prison cell. The bed is wiry metal with an old-looking mattress and a small stained blanket on top. In the corner there is a metal toilet and sink, and then next to it a shower head pokes straight out of the wall. There are no windows, only a flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling to light the space. He stood up to take a look at the door and was startled by a rattling noise. Connected to his ankle was a thick metal chain connected to a cuff. The chain was only long enough to reach the toilet and the bed but not the door. 

He was trapped. 

The room looked like it was for long-term stays. He was probably going to be held for ransom and then sent back to his father. He knows the reward for his capture is up in the millions at this point. They were probably going to try to drain as much money as they could out of his father before sending him back. 

His breathing picked up as he imagined a life back with his father. There’s no telling how bad he would punish him for running away or the new restrictions he’d put on him. Shouto wouldn’t be surprised if he had a cell like this waiting for him back at his house. His head was spinning. Each breath he took in felt shorter and shorter; his lungs couldn’t catch up to his mind.

The creaking of the cell door only drove him deeper into a spiral. In a panic he dove underneath the bed, crawling beneath the frame as far as he could go. He knows realistically his captors will immediately find him, but his frazzled brain can’t handle the door opening and facing reality.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he heard footsteps enter the room.

“Shouto. Oh, Shouto. Where are youuu?” A raspy voice called out in a mocking sort of sing-song tone as if he were playing hide and seek with a child. 

“Found you.” 

The chain rattles as the man tugs it. Shouto’s shirt rides up as he is dragged across the concrete floor with no regard. The delicate skin of his belly and chin getting scraped in the process. He kicks and struggles as much as he can, but the man takes hold of his ankles and pulls him out the rest of the way before throwing him atop the bed.

Shouto opened his eyes, looking up to see, “Dabi?” 

“That's not my name, Shou.”

“What? What are you talking about? Where am I? Why-” A hard slap sends his head careening to the left. 

“Say my name, Shouto.”

“What? I-” The man’s hand raised again as if to strike again. “Dabi!” the boy blurted out, flinching.

“Wrong.” Another hit. “Guess I’ll have to jog your memory. You have until I’m done fixing you to say my name or you’ll be punished.” 

Fixing? What did he mean by—“Ah! Stop! What are you doing?!” he screamed. The man took his coat and tore off the button-up shirt he was wearing in one swift move. Shouto shuddered as the cold air touched his skin. He panicked as the man reached for his pants and used all his strength to kick the man in the chest. It hardly moved him and only served to enrage him further.

Dabi grabbed his throat and tightened his grip, choking him. Shouto’s vision blurred, and his struggles all but stopped as the oxygen failed to reach his brain. Once weakened, the man finished taking off the rest of his clothes, leaving him bare. Next he grabbed the boy’s jaw and pulled the left eyelid upward, digging his finger into his eye none too gently and removing the false blue contact. Then he pulled out a bottle of clear liquid and heavily doused a rag in it. He pushed up the boy’s bangs and began scrubbing off Shouto's makeup. 

“There, you finally look human, not like a painted doll.”

By the time he was finished, some of the boy's energy had returned, and he was beginning to struggle anew. Dabi grabbed a fistful of Shouto’s hair and dragged him to the shower area. He threw the disoriented boy onto the concrete floor and turned on the shower. The water was freezing as it ran down his body. Shouto shuddered and tried to move from the stream but was kicked back into place. 

“Close your eyes.” He was warned as the man took out a new bottle and poured some into his hair. The harsh chemical scent burned his nose. The man would harshly scrub at his hair, rinse, then repeat, over and over again. Shouto didn’t know what result he wanted, but he washed his hair over ten times until he was satisfied.

Shouto opened his eyes and saw the man staring at him with an odd expression. There was almost something familiar in those cruel turquoise eyes. Maybe the mistreatment is making him see things, but Dabi sort of reminds him of his father.

The thought left his mind as he was forced to stand, and Dabi began to wash his body. Shouto trembled, terrified at the man's intentions, but Dabi kept his cleaning strictly clinical. The soapy cloth was dragged harshly over his skin, leaving it pink and irritated. He was scrubbing so hard it felt like he was trying to scrub his skin off. 

Shouto had tried to beg him to stop but was met with a cold expression and even colder words. “It’s necessary, Shouto. Who knows what type of filth you've been exposed to working in a place like that? You’re disgusting and need to be purified.” The process was repeated multiple times until he was in tears and his skin was left red and raw. 

The man rubbed him dry just as aggressively as he had bathed him. The old towel's scratchy texture burned against his sensitive skin. Shouto felt like a stray animal being washed and dried before being given to a new owner. Why was this happening to him? He didn’t want this. Was he even going to be sent back to his father? Was the man planning to keep him? Why-

Dabi flicked his forehead to catch his attention before asking one last time. “Do you know my name?”

“I-I don’t!” Shouto said, squeezing his eyes shut and bracing for a hit.

“Hmm. Well, guess you won’t be getting any clothes or food tonight then.” The man walked towards the door, turning his head to the side and saying, “Oh, and I hope for your sake, you behave better tomorrow. The consequences won’t be this light again if you don’t.” 

The door locked shut with a deafening thud. For a moment the boy just stared at the wall in shock. D-did that really just happen? The creepy client from the club really kidnapped him, and now…now he was standing in the middle of a concrete cell, freezing cold, with nothing to wear. 

He crawled into bed, pulling the blanket over himself. It didn’t help much; it was too short to cover most of his body lying straight down, so he curled himself up as tightly as he could beneath the blanket. It could only help so much, though, with his hair still damp and his feet poking out into the cold air. 

Why did this happen to him? How long had Dabi known his identity? Was he planning this all along? Just who is Dabi? He wondered as shivers racked his body. 

He hardly slept the first night. In the morning his teeth ached from chattering all night long. He was ‘awoken’ by Dabi ripping off his blanket and pricking him with another needle. Only this time he didn’t lose consciousness. All the muscles in his body were forced to relax. All he could do was lay limp as the man changed him into a thin white hospital gown. It does nothing to stop the chills racking his form. He was blindfolded once more and unchained before being carried out of the room. 

He felt the man's heavy footsteps, and though he couldn’t see, he did his best to map out the building he was currently being held captive in. But as much as he tried, he just couldn’t figure out the layout of the place. Seriously, at some points it felt like they were walking through a maze. Just how big is this place?

Eventually the man comes to a stop; he hears a door open and is set onto a cold metal table. He shivers as his exposed skin makes contact with the metal; the gown hardly covered anything, and the room was freezing. Another set of footsteps entered the room soon after.

“Oh hello, what can I do for you today?” A new voice spoke. They sounded friendly.

Shouto tried to speak out for help. He wanted to tell them he was kidnapped and was here against his will, but it all came out a jumbled mess of sounds. It seems even the muscles in his tongue were forced to relax.

“Hey Doc. I need you to do a full examination on the kid. Test him for everything you can. I want to know if he’s harboring any diseases from his time in that filthy line of work.” 

“My, my, Dabi, I thought you said the boy was a simple host, not a streetwalker.” A man said in an overly fake jovial tone. 

Oh. He’s not going to help him. The doctor is like Dabi. He was in on the kidnapping and knew he was coming.

“Well, you never know with those One for All types. The club advertises itself as a decent establishment, but our men have found evidence that many of the lower-class hosts have been partaking in prostitution outside of work. The club knows of the issue and turns a blind eye so long as it doesn’t happen within their walls. I need you to check to see if he was whoring himself out or not.” 

What? What is he talking about? No clients are ever allowed to touch the hosts; it was the most important rule. But now that he thought about it, the less popular hosts did spend a lot more time outside of the club. And there were a lot of hosts that were very hostile toward Shouto when he first arrived and started quickly making his way up the ranks despite a lack of experience and training. Oh. Maybe Dabi is right, but he never did anything like that! He would never!

“So crude,” he muttered under his breath before replying, “As you wish.”

“I’ll be back for him in two hours; make sure to be done by then.”

“Of course! That’s more than enough time!” Shouto could hear the grin in his voice and an underlying hint of darkness.

“And doctor? No experimental treatments or unnecessary prodding on this one.” The door slammed shut. 

“Well, he’s no fun, is he?” The doctor cooed. “Poor thing, looks like he already put you through the ringer, didn’t he?” Shouto flinches as a hand grazes his temple; he doesn’t need a mirror to know his face is bruised along with most of his body.

“Well, we best get started lest he come back in a fiery mood.”

Shouto spent the next two hours being poked and prodded. His blood was drawn, and every inch of him was thoroughly examined. His eyes, ears, and mouth were all checked. Then he was stripped again and checked physically. Each touch was torture; he could never tell when it was coming or what was going to happen with the blindfold covering his eyes. He could tell the sadistic doctor was finding amusement in his fear too. Making himself as silent as possible before prodding him with a needle or pressing down on a sore bruise, then softly chuckling at each flinch and cooing sweet words he truly doesn’t mean. By the end of the appointment, he was left trembling and in tears, waiting anxiously in anticipation for the next violating touch. Relief floods his body when he hears the door slam back open. Dabi was back. 

Shouto heard the man's footsteps coming towards him. He flinched as a large hand gently carded through his hair. He cried out, begging to go, but he was hardly understandable. It seems Dabi got the message, though, seeing as he growled angrily at the other man.

“I thought I said no experiments, Doc.”

“Of course not, young Dabi! The little one is just being a bit sensitive; I'm sure he can attest to that as soon as the relaxer wears off.” 

“He fucking better.” Dabi said gruffly. “So how is he?”

“He is still intact and in perfect physical health aside from the damage you've done. There are no signs of disease on his body, though the results for his internal test will take a few days to process, but I believe they will all return negative. He shows no signs of sexual history or abuse.” 

“Hmm, we’ll see about that. Send me the results as soon as they're done.” Dabi picked the boy up and began walking towards the door. 

“You should really take care of him better. He’ll get sick at this rate.”  The doctor said in a knowing tone in his voice.

“He’ll be fine,” Dabi responded dismissively. 

The door swung shut. The only sounds in the halls were Dabi’s heavy footfalls and Shouto’s sniffling. He didn’t like the way relief flooded his body when Dabi came back. He was the one who left him there in the first place, but he couldn't help but feel safe in the man's arms. 

Everything around him is unknown; he doesn’t know what is happening or what's going to happen in the future, but at least he knows Dabi. He’s the only familiar thing in this place, and that brings him a tiny bit of comfort, though it probably shouldn’t. There is just something about him that is so nostalgic. He’s starting to think he may have known him from before he was a host. But from where?

He can’t remember.

They arrive back at his cell; his ankle is cuffed, and Dabi pricks him again with a needle. He hears the door close and assumes the man left. After about twenty minutes the relaxer wore off; he stretched his aching limbs and reached up to take off the blindfold. He was startled when he noticed Dabi sitting at the foot of his bed. 

“Do you know my name?”

Shouto hesitated. The last time he failed to answer correctly, he was beaten and had his clothes taken away, but silence would only anger the man more. He lowered his eyes and braced himself before replying, “No.”

Surprisingly he wasn’t punished, at least physically, this time. The man just threw a water bottle onto his lap and left, stating. “That's all you're getting today then.” 

He chugged half the water immediately and decided to save the rest for later. His stomach grumbled, aching for food. He hadn’t eaten since the day before he was kidnapped; the day of, he had skipped breakfast, assuming he would fill up with snacks at Mina’s birthday party.

He was starting to feel lightheaded; every time he stood up, black spots would cloud his vision. The water in his belly emphasized just how empty it was. With nothing to do and no viable plans of escape, he decided to go to sleep. If only to take away the hunger pain. Luckily he was able to keep the gown; it didn’t cover much, but it was better than nothing. At least it gave him another layer to protect him from the bitter cold that haunted the cell.

The lights are off when he awakes. He didn't know how much time had passed; it was impossible to tell without windows. He woke up with a splitting headache and a hot, feverish body. Everything hurt, his nose was runny, his throat was sore, and he could hear an uncomfortable rattling in his lungs when he breathed. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he sobbed alone in the darkness.

He doesn’t know how long he spends like that, but eventually the light flickers on, and Dabi comes back. He looks down at him in concern? That's weird; maybe his fever is making him see things. The man placed the back of his hand on his forehead. 

“Shit.” He cursed quickly, uncuffing the boy's foot and sitting him up. “Come on, Shou, we’re going back to the doctor, okay?”

“No!” The boy shouted. The only word he heard in his feverish state was doctor, and he refused to go back there.

“The Doc’s not that bad. He’ll help you feel better. Come on.” Dabi picked the crying boy up bridal style.

Shouto struggled against the man as if he was being sent off to his death. Kicking and bucking in his hold, all while tears blurred his vision and sobs left his throat. “Please no!” 

“Shouto! Calm down-” The boy was making his fever worse, getting so worked up. He needed to calm down.

The loud yelling. Turquoise blue eyes. It was all so similar. His fever-riddled mind couldn’t tell the difference.

“Father, no! Please don’t make me go!” 

“What did you say?” 

“Father?” He cracked his bleary eyes open, and oh. He had forgotten where he was. He’s not home with Father or back at the host club. He’s with Dabi, and boy, does he look terrifying.

“No. You’re wrong. You're still fucking wrong.” 

“Look at me, Shouto.” Dabi grabbed the boy's jaw forcefully, moving his gaze upwards, gripping the boy’s face so hard his knuckles turned white. He ignored the boy's crying, shouting. “Fucking look at me! Think, Shouto, who do I remind you of? Who do I look like? Who am I?”

Shouto paused his struggles, opening his eyes and looking directly at the man. Once he looked past the piercings, tattoos, and burns. He saw his mother's delicate face shape and slender figure. He saw his father’s vibrant turquoise eyes and the volatile anger that came with them. He saw Natsuo’s long white lashes and Fuyumi’s eye shape and smile. He saw his family.

He saw.

“Touya-nii?” 

“Finally! I know it’s been a while, but I had hoped you wouldn’t have forgotten your dear older brother so easily.” A teasing smile crossed the man’s face, so similar to Natsuo it hurt.

For a moment he just stared in shock. It couldn’t be. There's no way his deceased older brother was alive. All this time he spent blaming himself for his death just for him to be here in the flesh. Just for him to kidnap him and treat him the same as their father.

Why? Just…why? How could he do this?

Then what the man said caught up to his mind. He scrambled to explain himself through stuttered sobs.

“I didn’t! I w-wouldn’t! I-I saw you burn, the house i-it collapsed…Father left you behind…Y-you died. It was m-my fault…father didn’t s-save you because of m-me. B-but how? H-how are you alive?” 

Touya wiped away the tears from the boy's eyes. Looking down in satisfaction at the mess he had created. “Shh-shh, it's okay, baby. None of that matters right now. All that matters is getting you healthy again. We can talk about all that other stuff later.” 

“No doctor?” The boy whimpered. Looking up at his brother? with pleading eyes. He was so tired, everything hurt, and he just wanted to go to sleep. His body felt like it was on fire, and his head felt like it was stuffed with fluff. Everything was hazy and blurry; he felt like he was on the verge of fainting.

“No Shouto, no doctor.” He leaned his head down, placing a kiss on the boy’s forehead. “Shit, I need to get you in the bath quick; you're burning up.” 

His brother carried him through the halls, not bothering with the blindfold. From what he can tell from the long hallways and tall ceilings, they were in a wealthy estate similar to the one they grew up in. The crown molding, expensive wallpaper, and art hanging from the walls were dead giveaways to the wealth and power that resided in these halls. Whatever his brother’s been up to these past years, he’s clearly been successful at it.

They stopped at a large wooden door. They entered a large, luxurious bedroom. His brother left him resting on the king-sized bed in the center of the room while he entered another room. He heard the sound of running water as he laid there, teary eyes squeezed shut in pain. 

After a couple of minutes, Touya came back. He stripped him of the medical gown he was wearing and carried him off to the bathroom. The boy gasped, eyes snapping open as his legs were dipped into the freezing cold bath. He whined, tightening his grasp around Touya’s neck, not wanting to let go and be fully submerged in the icy water.

“Let go, Shou. It’s for your own good.” The boy refused, squeezing his eyes shut and holding on tighter. “Come on now. You don't want to be punished this early, do you?”

The thought of being hit in his current state was enough to have him quickly releasing his hold. He didn’t want to risk the man getting angry and beating him again, especially not when he felt so weak. He shivered as he slipped the rest of the way down into the bath. The tub was huge; the water was chest level.

His body shook as his brother cupped his hands in the water and brought it up to his head, wetting his hair and face. He let him soak in the frigid water until it was lukewarm, then checked his temperature and drained the bath, refilling it with new cold water. He repeated the process five times until the boy's high fever began to lower. Once his temperature was back to being at a safe level, the man began to clean the sweat and grime that had accumulated on the boy’s body.

Shouto braced himself when he saw his brother grab a pink bottle and squeeze some shampoo into his hand. He shut his eyes hard, expecting the rough hair pulling and harsh scrubbing to start, but it never did. His brother gently ran his fingers through his hair, massaging the shampoo in, and gently raking his fingers against his scalp. His head was tilted back as Touya poured water through his hair, rinsing it free of soap suds.

The gentle scent of strawberry wafted through the room. His brother’s eyes were soft as he took care of him, nothing like he was before. It was hard to believe that this Touya and Dabi were the same person.

Touya lifted him to stand on his knees and then began to wash his skin. He moved the loofah in slow circles, softly washing away the sticky sweat that had left an uncomfortable itch beneath his clothes all night. Then rinsed away the soap before draining the bath and taking him out. 

His brother dried him off with a fluffy white towel, tenderly dabbing away all the water from his skin and hair. He wrapped him up in a new dry towel and picked him up, bringing him back to the bedroom. He lays him down on the bed and disappears into another room, presumably a closet. 

Shouto’s head feels a bit better; it still hurts, but at least he doesn’t feel as unbearably hot anymore, though now he’s freezing. He curls up using the towel as a blanket while he waits for his brother to come back. The thought of escape briefly crosses his mind. He was unchained and unsupervised; he could try if he wanted to…but he doesn’t know anymore. Everything was so confusing, and he still felt so sick. He doubts he’d even get very far, and it would only anger his brother, who for once seemed to be in a good mood. He debated with himself for a while before deciding to save those thoughts for another day. He'll definitely escape…eventually…just not today.

Touya came back with a stack of clothing in his hands. He lifted the towel off of him and pulled his legs straight, moving the boy to lay on his back. He moved each of the boy's feet into the leg hole of the boxer briefs, lifting them up his legs and lightly slapping the boy's thigh and telling him, “Up,” when he reached his upper thighs. Shouto whined; he could dress himself, but his brother wouldn’t listen.

The man had just scoffed, “I know that, but why would you when I’m here? Now lift your hips. I won’t ask again.” a bit of irritation leaking into his voice. The boy was quick to obey in fear of being punished. He lifted his hips and his legs, sat up, and raised his arms, doing whatever the man ordered of him. When Touya was finished, Shouto was left in a warm set of pajamas. A baby blue hoodie with matching sweatpants and white fluffy socks. 

Touya moved him to lay beneath the covers, resting his head on the soft, silky pillows. He rummaged through the nightstand beside him, pulling two bottles. He opened the first one and offered him a pill. Well, more like ordered, he put it up to his lips and grunted, "Open,” like it wasn't even an option to say no. 

“Don’t swallow it yet.” 

Shouto held the pill on his tongue; he had assumed the man was going to give him water to wash it down, but he just opened the second bottle. He poured red viscous liquid into the clear cap and held it up to his mouth, waiting for him to open it. The boy could smell the unappetizing bitter scent of cherry cough medicine, though he ignored it dutifully, opening his mouth and allowing the man to pour it in.

“Swallow”

Shouto obeyed the order, choking down the thick mix of medicine. Grimacing at the awful artificial cherry and medicinal taste stuck on his tongue. While his brother chuckled, ruffling his hair and calling him a ‘good boy’ as if it were a compliment.

“Good little boys who listen to their big brothers deserve rewards, don’t they, Shouto?” Touya purred, teasingly waving a water bottle he seemingly pulled out of nowhere in the boys’ face.

“Yes, please.” Shouto doesn’t care anymore; he just wants the gross taste out and to go to sleep.

He allows his brother to tilt his chin up and feed him sips of water all while cooing and saying, “See, baby, life could be good here. All you have to do is behave. Just like this.” 

The boy didn’t know how to respond to that, so he simply gulped down another mouthful of water and ignored it, drinking until the bottle was empty. After he was done, his brother tucked him under the covers and finally allowed him to go to rest. 

He wakes up some time later to his brother lying next to him absentmindedly petting his hair while scrolling on his phone. 

“How are you feeling, baby?”

“Better,” He groaned, yawning and stretching out his limbs. His stomach lets out a loud grumble. He is starving. He hadn’t eaten in days; his stomach felt like it was eating him alive.

There's this mocking smile on his Touya's face when he asks. “Hungry?” As if he didn’t know the answer to his own question. As if he weren't the reason Shouto was starving.

Shouto takes a breath, quelling his rising anger, and looks up at his brother with doe eyes and answers pitifully, “Yes. Can I please have something to eat?” 

“Of course all you had to do was ask.”

Yeah right, when could he have asked when all the man did was rough him up since he got here. He only started acting nice today, and Shouto can’t even figure out why. It was bizarre.

A couple of minutes later, there's a knock at the door. His brother goes to answer and comes back with a tray of food. Shouto sits up expecting his brother to put the tray on his lap, but of course he doesn’t do that. Instead he takes a seat beside the boy and begins to blow on a spoonful of soup. He brings it up to Shouto's mouth with an expectant look on his face.

Shouto doesn’t hesitate, opening his mouth and accepting the food. It was just plain chicken rice porridge, but it tasted so delicious to the starving boy. He swallowed it quickly and opened his mouth for more.

Touya snickered as he watched the boy. His little brother looked so pathetic, like a baby bird waiting to be fed by its mother. It was adorable.

Shouto’s face flushed in embarrassment, the irritation from earlier rising once more. He forced himself to calm down. He can’t risk setting the man off and having his food taken away.

He allows him to continue feeding him, giving him occasional sips of tea, until all the soup is gone. The only thing left on the tray is a small cup of diced fruit jelly. Shouto grabs it without thinking, taking the small plastic spoon off the top and going to peel it open when his brother growls.

“Did I say you could do that?”

“N-no, I’m sorry.” 

“Put it back and give me your hand.”

Shouto followed the command, putting the jelly back onto the tray and putting his trembling hand into his brother’s. Touya struck his hand five times in quick succession, slapping the skin hard until it was pink.

“Bad boys who don’t listen don’t deserve dessert,” he said sternly. 

Shouto doesn’t know why something so simple, a childish punishment really, was his last straw, but it was. All his emotions just came crashing down at once. Everything he had to endure because of him floated to the forefront of his mind. The man invading his workplace. The stalking. The harassment. Dabi revealing himself as Touya. His deceased brother coming back to life and kidnapping him. The beatings. The doctor. Everything just accumulated and came out in the form of heart-wrenching sobs. Sounds he didn’t even know he could make were slipping from his mouth, expressing his despair to anyone that could hear them.

“Oh baby, are you seriously that upset over a little thing like this? You really ar-”

He couldn’t handle the patronizing cooing anymore. He threw aside his better judgment and screamed.

“S-shut up! Just shut up! What is wrong with you! Why can't you just leave me alone! Why are you even doing this!? What did I ever do to you-” A hard strike to his cheek sends him falling back onto the mattress. He tries to throw a punch of his own, but the man caught his arms, pinning them to the bed. 

“Don’t sit there and act so fucking innocent! You took everything from me! I should have been the Todoroki heir! I should have been his father’s favorite! Instead, it was you, and all you did was throw it away like it was nothing. An ungrateful little brat like you should have never even been born! Your whole existence is proof that I was never enough for Father!” 

“I never asked to be born! I didn't want to be his heir! I didn't want any of this!” Tears flowed freely from the boy’s eyes, his head was pulsing in pain, and all he could think was why? Why is he always blamed for actions he had no part in? It seems in every universe Shouto is the catalyst to his family's suffering.

“Oh please, because the life of a prissy little masterpiece is just sooo hard. You threw it all away to be a cheap whore at some host club! I wonder how Father would feel knowing just how pathetic his golden child really is.” The mocking tone and smug look on his face were enough to send the boy's blood boiling.

“If you hate me so much, why bother bringing me here? Why spend all this effort toying with me if you despise my existence so much! Why not just take advantage of my disappearance and go back to Father? Tell him you're alive and take my spot! Why are you bothering with me at all!” 

A long pause. His brother stared down at him silently with an unreadable look. 

“Answer me! Why am I here, Dabi!” 

“It’s too late for any of that. I'm going to right our father’s wrongs and make you what you should've been all this time.” His brother's eyes darkened; for a moment, Shouto really thought he would finish what he started all those years ago.

“Are you going to kill me? 

“No…no..you’ll see.” 

The answer did nothing to calm the boy.

===

Dabi may not have been the heir to the Todoroki conglomerate, but the second in command to a massive criminal organization with ties in the police force, politics, and million-dollar corporations is not so bad. Though his journey up the chain had been a difficult one. 

After his failed murder attempt in which he barely fled with his life. He was found unconscious on the forest floor miles from his home by a pair of hikers. He was rushed to the hospital, where he stayed in a coma for a year. The burns left him unable to be identified, with no ID or missing persons report; he was treated as a Jane Doe. The doctors had removed all the burnt flesh, replacing it with skin grafts that, despite healing correctly and closing up any open wounds, left behind a marred, scaly texture to his skin.

After he woke up, he was subjected to a year of both physical and speech therapy to heal the damage not only externally but also internally. Over a year in a hospital bed had left his body and stamina extremely weak. Thankfully the nurses watching over him in his comatose state were very attentive, and none of his muscles had atrophied. But his lungs had been damaged from the smoke inhalation along with his vocal cords. 

He had to relearn how to talk with his new voice and walk more than a couple of steps without being winded. It was a long process during which he faked amnesia. When he had first awoken, he had been unable to speak, therefore unable to answer any of the doctors pressing questions. Once he moved forward in his physical therapy and was able to speak again, he decided against telling them his true identity. If his father hadn’t found him yet, then surely it was for good reason he had assumed.

Once he had regained most of his strength and mobility, he ran away. He had overheard the head nurse in charge of him mention foster care and their plans for his future and wanted no part in it. He had snuck out in nothing but the hospital gown he was given. 

He had tried to go back to the only home he's ever known but found only ruins in its place. He walked and walked until he found a public library. He went in ignoring the wary and horrified looks. He had honestly been confused; ever since he left the hospital, people on the street would avoid him like the plague, their eyes almost bulging out of their skulls as they stared at him. He knows the thin gown he was wearing was a bit bizarre outside of a medical setting, but it can’t be that bad, right? 

He took a seat in the computer section and began his search for his father, only to be left gutted at what he found. In a recent interview, his father had mentioned how he had three children, two boys and a girl. The interviewer joked, “Are you and the missus ever going to make things equal with a fourth?” His father had replied, “No, I am content with my children as they are.”

His existence had been erased. 

All the grace he had given his father crumbled away as he faced reality.

During his recovery he had deluded himself into thinking that his father had not saved him because he trusted he could get out of the burning house on his own. That he knew in his heart, he was better than Shouto and didn’t need someone to rescue him. But no, he left him for dead on purpose. He was comfortable with him burning. He was content with his death.

The hospital he had been staying at was only thirty minutes from their home and the closest one in the area. If anyone had bothered to look, they would have found him immediately, but no one ever did.

He ran to the restroom feeling nauseous. He slammed the door open to an empty stall and proceeded to empty his stomach. There wasn’t much to begin with, only some soup and water he had been given in the homeless shelter he briefly stayed in. His hands gripped the sides of the toilet as bile burned his throat on its way out. He slumped over when he was finished and began to cry. Sobbing quietly with his fist in his mouth to muffle the sound.

When he got up, what felt like hours later, he felt empty, like there was no place for him in this world. He robotically made his way to the sink, washing his hands and rinsing his mouth. His eyes caught his reflection in the mirror, and his heart stopped. He looked like a monster. Red swaths of textured burns covered his body. The bottom of his face and neck were marred. The stress from his home life had been giving him white hairs even before the fire, but now his whole head was white, not a strand of red left. All of this combined with his voice, it was no wonder everyone was staring at him. The hospital never allowed him to look in the mirror; they believed it would send him into a state of shock. 

They were right. 

When he looked at his reflection, all he saw was a stranger. He thought to himself, ‘That couldn't possibly be me. That can’t be Touya Todoroki, the firstborn son and rightful heir to Endeavor Industries… No..Touya died in the fire.’

He was now something entirely new.

He was homeless for a long time, spending his days doing whatever was necessary to earn money. He didn’t like to think about all the time he spent in dark alleys on his knees or pressed up against walls. When he was sixteen, he was kidnapped by one of his regulars, a drug dealer who took alternative forms of payment for the pills Touya couldn't afford that he needed to soothe the ache in his skin from the fresh scars. He didn’t notice the signs of obsession forming in his dealer’s eyes before it was too late. He was imprisoned and used as the sick man’s *** toy for months. It wasn't until members of a gang the man owed money to showed up and freed him. They had murdered the man and each of his grunts in cold blood. The only reason he had survived was because one of the killers realized he wasn’t there by choice. He took mercy on him and offered him an ultimatum. 

Leave with them or die here alone. 

He joined the gang All for One and began work as a grunt in one of Japan's largest crime syndicates. Since he was so young and inexperienced, he spent a lot of time training his body, learning to use weapons, and doing anything to be useful. He didn’t want to disappear like the others who tried to run. For the first two years, he was essentially an illegal errand boy, lookout, getaway driver, or really anything they asked of him. He spent any free time he had honing his skills and getting stronger. 

Once he showed them how capable he was, he was moved up. He started to be put on larger missions, and the better he did, the bigger a name he made for himself. Eventually he found himself stationed as Tomura Shigaraki’s bodyguard. It was during this time that the other man took notice of his abilities. He took notice of the success rate of missions he went on, the clever strategies he would employ, and the ease with which he used weapons. 

He was quite skilled with a gun; he had a deadly accurate aim and sharp intuition on when to use it. Of course he was still quite partial to arson, though flamethrowers were too bulky for most jobs, but bombs and other explosives weren’t. That’s not to say he wasn’t good at the subtler modes of fighting; he excelled at hand-to-hand as well as knife and stealth training. If not for his distinct scarred skin, he would've been an excellent spy.

Before he knew it, the successor of the All for One mafia began to include him in confidential strategy meetings along with asking directly for his input on new recruits and his opinions on his plans. He even met all of his most trusted confidants. He was doing all the work of a higher-up, but he was still being kept at a distance for some reason. It wasn't until he went on a mission with them all that he found out why. It had been a test, though he hadn’t known at the time.

They were ‘meeting’ with a rival gang who wanted to join forces. Dabi was going to act as a bodyguard for Shigaraki. The first half of the meeting had gone well, then a fight had broken out. A sniper hidden somewhere in the room had taken out the entirety of their associates in the blink of an eye. Touya moved to stand in front of Tomura, reaching for his gun, but it was one against ten. Ten guns pointed at him as the opposing leader barked at him to keep his hands where he could see them.

“If you leave him behind, we’ll let you walk out of here alive.” The man offered, gesturing to Shigaraki.

Dabi had done the only thing he could. He pushed Shigaraki to the ground, screaming at him to run as he fired as many rounds as he could before he was knocked down by the rain of bullets hitting his body. He had laid there in pain waiting to die, but after a minute he realized he wasn’t bleeding. He sat up confused, groaning in pain, and saw the rest of the League sitting there with Shigaraki, no sign of the 'rival gang' anywhere, as if nothing had happened. 

Turns out they had been firing rubber bullets. It had been a test to see where his loyalties lay. Since he was a part of the gang by force, taken as compensation for his dealer's mistakes. They wanted to see if he’d take the opportunity to run or protect the boss if given the chance. He had passed.

After that he was the boss's second in command. He took on the identity Dabi and tattooed over the scars of his past. He left his old life in the past, never looking back. At least he thought he did; it wasn’t until rumors of Shouto’s disappearance began to circulate the underworld. At first he had thought ‘good riddance’ and left it at that, thinking nothing more of it.

It wasn’t long until he found out the brat ran away on purpose. The ungrateful little shit took Dabi’s birthright and spat it out right in his face. He was going to find him and make him regret ever being born.

He used every contact he had and set off his search for Shouto. He was unsuccessful. For an entire year, the boy managed to evade him. It wasn’t until he was on a mission to infiltrate a club rumored to be owned by their rival gang One for All that he found him. 

It had been a complete accident; he was flipping through the options on the host menu while booking his ‘date’. He was going to pick one randomly just to get it over with when his brother’s picture caught his eye. He stared at it in disbelief. Shouto’s hair was dyed black and his grey eye was covered, but he couldn’t fool him; that was his brother through and through.

Rage like he’d never felt before filled his veins, infecting every part of his being. 

How dare he? 

How fucking dare he!

He had the life Touya dreamed of, and he threw it away willingly to sell himself off like a whore. Something Touya was forced to do to survive.

Fine!

If Shouto wants to know what life is like outside their father’s protection so badly. He’ll show him exactly what happens when you leave the nest.

He’ll discard him and make him feel worthless as he did when Enji left him to die in that burning building. 

Then he’ll remake him into something new just as he had become.

He’ll make him into something useless. Something that holds no purpose other than to please. 

The dumb, adoring little brother he should have been. 

The kind of brother who would've looked up to him with stars in his eyes instead of looking down upon him. 

It was something he realized during the fire. He liked seeing his little brother weak and reaching out for him. He liked seeing him broken and screaming out for help.

It felt right.

He would make it that way again.

Even if he had to break Shouto over and over again to make it happen.

===

Figuring out how to survive living with his brother was a nightmare. 

The first thing he learned was that Touya is very mentally unstable. The smallest things can set him off and end in punishment for Shouto. It was terrifying and left him trembling each time it happened. The man could change at the drop of a hat. Suddenly he’ll be aggressive, verbally tearing him apart or lashing out physically, and he’ll have no idea why, or he’ll be so sweet it’ll give him whiplash.

He was given a new room next to his brother's connected by a door. It was a medium-sized bedroom lacking any windows but filled to the brim with soft pastel colors and cute childish items. The walls were a pale eggshell blue plastered with decals of soft clouds and pale yellow stars. He had shelves lined with children's storybooks and soft plush animals and toys littering almost every surface. His bed, if you can even call it that, was a mix of a baby's crib and a dog's kennel. There were wooden bars surrounding the entire bed, and it opened and locked on the top. Though as restricting as it was, it was very comfortable; the mattress and pillows were plush, and the blankets were so very soft.

He was given an extensive new wardrobe that rivaled the one he had back at the club. Inside were all sorts of clothes, both female and male, some that looked more like costumes than outfits. His brother liked to use him as his own personal dress-up doll and loved to humiliate him. If he dressed him in his kitty onesie, he was expected to 'play pretend' and act like his personal pet cat. If he tried to refuse his 'games,' he would be punished. 

His brother expected absolute obedience; anything else was unacceptable. It was something he was forced to learn very early on.

“You will never be your own person.”

“You're my piece to use. Mine to own. Mine to have.”

“If I say walk. You walk. If I say jump. You jump. You listen to me no matter what!”

“No one will ever love you if you can’t even follow such simple directions, Shouto.”

Eventually, Shouto noticed the pattern and learned. Touya only likes him when he’s acting weak and dumb. When he feels like he’s in his proper place, beneath him. He believes as the last-born son he should have been the one deemed useless and pushed aside by Enji.

The thing about his brother is that he hates Shouto for who he truly is. He hates that he is naturally smart, that he can pick up new skills as quickly as he starts them, and hates that he was their father’s favorite. He says he loves him, and maybe he does in his own weird way, but it's only when he's acting “correctly” that he gets to feel that love. 

There’s always this unhinged glint in his eyes wherever he slips up. He’ll be all too happy to throw him in isolation, stripping away all his nice things and spanking him until he conforms. Sometimes it feels as if he’s baiting him to misbehave just so he can punish him.

He had been dozing off during his ‘school time’–A time where Touya pretends to be his teacher and punishes him for every right answer.—He hadn’t slept much the night before and was struggling to stay in character. Touya had asked him a question, and he answered instantly without thinking.

“What is 8 x 12?”

“96.”

Dabi slapped him across the face. Just because an answer is correct doesn’t mean it’s right with his brother. He’s learned that the hard way.

“What’s 8 x 12?”

“I-i don't know n-nii-chan!” He cried out despite knowing the right answer. 

“That's right, baby, you don’t know. That kind of work is too hard for a little boy like you to understand.”

The worst day of his life takes place a few months into his forced stay.

The day he learned he could never escape. 

Shouto’s natural instinct had always been to fawn. He's never been much of a fighter. It's always been easier for him to become what his abuser wants until he can safely get away. So when his door was accidentally left unlocked by a servant at feeding time, he took the chance to escape. His brother had been busy working and hadn’t visited him all day. He thought it would be safe to leave.

He made his way down the long, winding hall searching for a staircase to make his way to the ground floor. He looked out one of the windows for the first time and was horrified at what he saw. Miles and miles of uninterrupted treeline; there was no sight of civilization aside from a long dirt road. He put it out of his mind and kept going. He was going to try to escape no matter what!

Eventually he ran into a flustered young man turning a hall; he was dressed in black tactical gear and had a gun holstered to his belt. The man’s eyes had widened almost comically at the sight of him. 

Shouto didn’t hesitate; he ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could, ignoring the guards' terrified pleas.

“W-wait please, you don’t understand! He’ll kill me if he finds out!”

Shouto ran faster, finding a staircase and jumping down three steps at a time. 

He didn’t listen. He should have listened. It was all his fault.

He made it to the next floor and made his way through identical-looking halls as multiple sets of footsteps pounded behind him. He only turned to look behind him for one second when he felt his body slam into someone.

“Shouto?”

The blood drained from the boy’s face as he looked up to see his brother staring down at him incredulously before anger flooded his face. "What the fuck are you doing down here?"

“Where is his assigned guard?” Dabi barked at the group of guards standing a foot away from them, staring anxiously.

A young man shakily stepped forward. 

“Look at him, Shouto. Look at what happens when you disobey me.” His brother grabbed his jaw forcefully, moving his head to stare forward.

It happened in slow motion. Shouto watched in horror as Dabi drew his gun and fired five shots. Four in the man's chest and abdomen and one in his neck. The guard fell to the floor, lying in a puddle of his own blood; his throat made an odd gurgling sound like his lungs were expelling the last of his breath, then silence.

He was dead.

Someone died because of him.

There was a high-pitched ringing in his ears. He thinks Dabi was saying something else, but he couldn’t hear him over the ringing and the burning in his lungs as he hyperventilated. He vaguely remembered being thrown back in his cell, but it was honestly all a blur. 

The subsequent punishment for escape paled in comparison to the realization that Touya has killed before. He did it with the practiced ease of an experienced killer. 

Just what did he do for work? What really happened to him in those years he disappeared?

It was all he could think about in his confinement.

He could hardly sleep. All he could see was the man's dead body lying there whenever he closed his eyes. It was terrifying. The uncertainty was killing him. Touya already tried to kill Shouto once; who's to say he won’t try again? If he steps one toe out of line, will he be next?

His head felt like it was filled with static. Something was changing, and he knew nothing would ever be the same again.

1 year later 

In an attempt to protect itself, the boy’s mind began to change his perception of reality. As his living conditions worsened, Shouto’s mind began to degrade. He unconsciously began to separate his brother into two separate entities as a coping mechanism to help deal with the stress and trauma in his life. 

There was the mean stranger from the club, Dabi, who comes to punish him and his big brother Touya, who loves him and saves him from Dabi. So long as he behaves, he doesn’t have to see Dabi anymore.

An unexpected result from the conditioning, but Touya can’t say he doesn’t like it. It was euphoric to see his little brother come crying to him, telling him “Dabi” was being mean and he needed Touya-nii to make it better. To have him cuddling up to him without care or begging for his affection like it was something sacred. It was like staring into a mirror of his past, though unlike Enji, he gave his baby brother all of his attention. 

It felt like a part of himself that had been aching since childhood could finally rest.

As he stared down at his little brother, playing with a puzzle meant for young children, he finally acknowledged it.

“I love you, Shouto.” 

His baby brother looked up, giving him a smile so pure and undeserving of someone like him, and replied, “I love you too, Touya-nii!” 

It felt right.

Oh Baby Blue, don't you know I love you?

By: fairystar111

Rating: Gen

Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia

Summary:

How far would you go for your family? To Enji Todoroki family means everything. He knows he’s made some mistakes in the past but doesn’t he deserve a chance to make up for all the hurt he caused? To right all his wrongs and create a new happy family. Shouto would beg to differ. He doesn’t want to be his fathers second chance. He just wants to be free.

Characters: Todoroki Enji | Endeavor, Todoroki Shouto.

Tags: Infantilism, Forced Infantilism, Age Regression/De-Aging, Kidnapping, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Yandere, Brainwashing, Conditioning, Gaslighting, Mind Manipulation, Medical Inaccuracies, Yandere Todoroki Enji | Endeavor, Platonic Yandere, Possessive Todoroki Enji | Endeavor, Post-Final War Arc (My Hero Academia).

✧❅🕯❅✧

It started after the war. The battle had been ruthless and barbaric; many lives were lost on both sides, heroes, villains, comrades, and civilians alike but in the end the hero's won. Shouto had helped bring an end to evil or so he had thought…Thinking back on it, this is probably around the time the crazed look began to resurface in his father’s gaze. It probably had to do with his older brother coming back from the dead, only to almost die yet again trying to take Shouto down with him. Shouto had not died but was put into a medical coma since his injuries were so severe. He doesn't know what happened in the time he was asleep but when he finally awoke his father had begun to act strange . 

They were given a mandatory semester off to take in the after effects of the war. During this time his father had been very accommodating, a little too accommodating if you asked Shouto. Anytime he needed anything his father was right there one step ahead. Whether it be feeding Shouto, helping him walk to the bathroom, carefully bathing him when he was too weak to do it himself, helping him with his physical therapy or simply fluffing his pillows. Shouto had allowed it, thinking maybe he was overcompensating for the past,  he did say he would give him a chance so he sat back and allowed himself to be taken care of. Big mistake. 

Soon he couldn't lift a spoon without his father there to fuss over him. He thought as the end of the semester neared and his physical therapy lulled to a stop, the man would stop his endless pampering. He was wrong . Even as his physical capabilities increased the man still insisted on helping him bathe, spoon feeding him as if he were a child, and tucking him into bed hours before his usual curfew. He doesn't know why but whenever the man is caring for him, his gaze is always so intense, eyes roaming Shouto’s face like he’s looking for something. What he’s searching for, Shouto doesn't know. Maybe an indignant reaction or a bratty retort like the ones he used to spit at him before the war. Whatever it is he’s looking for, he never finds, his father always walks away disappointed. It makes the little part of him deep inside that still wishes for his fathers approval angry to think even when he is being civil he’s still not enough for his father.

When the last week of their mandatory break drew to a close, Shouto was more than ready to leave the suffocating house he was forced to call home. The tension in the house had been steadily rising each day with Shouto trying to avoid his father’s odd treatment and Enji breaking through any boundary the boy tried to put in place. It all came to a boiling point when his father caught him off guard, grabbing him unexpectedly as he was walking to his room after a particularly stifling dinner. And carrying him to his office to have a discussion, one week before he was supposed to go back to school.

“Ugh what do you want now?” Shouto groaned as his father finally set him down onto a plush office chair, slapping away the hands gently carding through his hair.

“Behave Shouto, I brought you here to speak with you regarding your schooling not to fight. As I was saying, this fall you will not be returning to classes. I’ve made the decision to pull you out of school to focus on your health and well being.” Enji gently chided him, voice so soft and unlike anything he used to use before. The memories of harsh words and violent outbursts echoed in Shouto’s mind reminding him to not fall for the act. His father may be trying to be “better” but he will always be the same obsessive controlling man he once knew.  

The boy scoffed. “My health? I’m fine now. I can go back to school just fine like everyone else.” It was true, the head injury he had received had healed and with regular stretching and exercise the scarring he received in his fight with his brother no longer bothered him. There was nothing left to heal.

“I’ve already decided Shouto.” Tone leaving no room for argument, face stern but eyes staring at him so softly. It made him uncomfortable. Shouto didn't know how to deal with softness when it came to his father. Pummeling fists and demeaning words he could deal with but this: the kind loving stares and endless spoiling he had no clue what to do with. “This is for your own good.”

His voice was a soft one as if he was placating a tantruming toddler; it only angered Shouto further. “I don't care what you think I need. You're not my only parent. If you won't let me go to school, then I’ll have mom help re-enroll me.” His mother was doing so much better and was currently being evaluated and prepped to be discharged. Soon she’ll be living on her own in her own home with Natsuo and Fuyumi. He’s sure she wouldn’t mind if he came to live with her instead. 

His father's face saddened as it always did whenever he brought up his mother. “Your mother cannot make any decisions on your behalf considering her previous struggles with her mental health. She lost any legal rights over you due to the incident.” Issues he had caused with his selfishness and abuse.

The boy's face flushed in anger. He couldn’t believe he was doing this again. He was so stupid to believe his father could ever change.“Y-you can't do this to me! You have no right!” he yelled.

“I am your father. I have every right to make what I feel are the best choices for you. This is all in your best interest son. I’m not trying to hurt you.” His arms reached forward, likely trying to pull him into a hug, but Shouto flinched away. 

“Well it's not like that's ever bothered you before. When have you ever cared about hurting your children.” The boy hissed, dismissing himself quickly before his father got his hands on him again.

✧❅🕯❅✧

After their discussion life in the Todoroki home became tense more so than ever switching between constant screaming matches and cold silent treatment. Shouto doing his very best to avoid his fathers constant coddling and failing miserably resulting in more fights than he can count. It all came to a head the day he tried to leave, the day everything changed. 

Shouto had woken up before sunrise for the first day back to classes. He figured if he got there early he could speak with Nedzu and figure something out, like possibly becoming a ward of UA. He had carefully put on his uniform as quietly as possible before sneaking to the entry way to slip on his shoes. He put his bag over his shoulder and gently opened the door, tensing when he felt a large hand land on his shoulder. He turned to see his father. He didn't know how someone so huge could be so silent on his feet to have snuck up on him. 

“It’s early, you should go back to bed.” His fathers voice gruff voice sounded through the silent halls, still raspy from sleep. He was likely roused by some sort of alarm system Shouto had unknowingly tripped. 

“No, I'm going to school.” Shouto tried to stay firm despite the slight tremble going through his body. He can’t stay in this house any longer. Everyday he spent here he could feel the life being drained out of him. He fears if he doesn’t leave now he’ll end up like his mother did. A mere shell of what she once was, living like a ghost in her own home before her mind shattered completely. 

“We've already discussed this Shouto, stop this foolishness.” His father let out a resigned sigh as moved him away from the door, having to pry his hands off the frame before closing it.  “Now let’s get you out of this uniform and tucked back into bed.” Gently pushing him toward his bedroom, his grip still tight on his shoulder. 

Shouto tried to pull himself out of his fathers hold yelling, “Let go of me!”, struggling harder as he used his other hand to land hits on his father’s wrist hoping to loosen his hold on him.

“Please stop fighting! Shouto stop squirming!” Enji said in between hits, “We do not hit others, Shouto! Stop it NOW!” The man accidentally raised his voice, reaching down for his son's other arm. 

Shouto couldn't help the yelp that escaped his throat as his body automatically flinched back, freezing at the hand coming towards him too quickly. His dad’s face softened and he pulled him into a hug taking advantage of his frozen state and whispering gentle reassurances that he would never hurt him again. “How about we spend the rest of the morning in my room? We can sleep in and have a nice big breakfast later, alright?”

It's asked like a suggestion but really it's an order, that is what’s going to happen, Shouto has no choice in the matter. “Okay,” he responds, letting out a sad sigh as he is picked up and carried into his fathers bedroom. His uniform is shed and replaced with a soft pair of pajamas he’s never seen before. A soft pale gray footed sleeper with little white bunnies decorating the footies, a fluffy white belly, and fuzzy bunny ears on the hood. It oddly reminded him of something a infant would wear, his father looked strangely happy to see him in it. He shrugged it off, chalking it up to be more of his fathers strange new behavior and left it at that. Not bothering to argue, too devastated from being caught to think too hard about it. 

As the anger fled his body all that was left behind was a deep sadness at the thought of what he will lose. All his friends he’s bonded with will move forward in their paths to become heroes and he will be left behind stuck in this house with no one but his father. His father pulls him close to his body resting his chin on top of his head cuddling him like a teddy bear when he begins to cry as if that would comfort him. He wonders if his father even cares about why he’s crying himself to sleep. If he didn't, it wouldn't be the first time he ignored his children's pain in favor of doing what he wants. He falls asleep dreading waking back up at all. 

✧❅🕯❅✧

Then the next day his father had gone out briefly to consult with his doctors on a treatment plan for what exactly Shouto doesn't know. He feels fine but apparently something is still wrong since his dad arrived with a new medication prescribed specifically for him by his doctors. He said it was to prevent any latent negative effects to his brain, the head injury might have caused. He took the pill offered to him without further question. 

He didn’t notice the changes at first or his father’s underhanded plan at work. Looking back on it he should have been more suspicious of his fathers eager, almost giddy attitude whenever he took his “medicine”. Or the fact that every time he was given his daily dose of medication his father made sure to include a word that he now recognizes as a trigger. He didn't catch it at first but as time progressed and the dosage was upped the emphasis on the word became more overt and less subtle as the symptoms began to get stronger. 

“It’s just a little pill, it shouldn't be too hard to swallow, ” He took it, not much changed aside from him starting to feel a bit spacy and losing track of time. 

“It's just a couple more pills than usual Shouto. They're so little it shouldn't matter.”   He started to feel more tired in the day, often leading to his father putting him down for naps midday or else he’d find him sleeping in random spots around the house. His attention was also beginning to be drawn to the childish cartoons his father insisted on playing on the television for him. He had never paid attention to them before finding them boring but now he could hardly tear his eyes away. 

“It's time for your medicine, little boy.”   He began to stumble both on his words and his feet. Big words made his tongue feel heavy and his mouth syrupy, unable to move in a way necessary for complex speech. Instead of fighting through the thick fog to speak normally he found himself adjusting to broken speech and foggy state of mind. When he became frustrated with his unsteady steps and wobbly legs his father was quick to suggest a solution. ‘Maybe it would be easier if you crawled? There's less risk of serious injury if you fall when you are closer to the ground,’ he said as if it was the most obvious choice in the world. The pills made him more vulnerable to suggestion and easier to accept changes without noticing the oddity of what was being asked. Soon it was second nature for him to crawl around when he began to feel small.

“It’s time to be little , Shouto.” He doesn't know how long it's been but Daddy hasn't been giving him medicine anymore. With only a word the fuzziness invades his mind, reducing him into nothing more than a helpless child. Logic and complex thought are thrown out the window along with his fine motor skills. He finds simple things so much more painful and his emotions feel so much stronger. Tears are seemingly always leaking from his eyes followed by wails for his Daddy. But as easily as he is hurt, he is quick to forgive and forget, his little self is quite endeared with his father. Always reaching for Daddy to be picked up or cuddled, happy to play and indulge his Papa’s every whim. Or getting upset when his father leaves, whether to use the bathroom or make dinner. He finds himself tearing up wishing for his Daddy to come back, missing the man despite him being just down the hall.  It was irrational illogical but…somehow his father has managed to turn him into a sort of ghost of the past. He’s managed to bring out the child he once hurt and use him against Shouto.

By the time he had broken out of the trance and realized the word was what was triggering the fuzzy childlike state of mind, it was too late. He had already been trained. As soon as his father says the word, he doesn’t want to fight back any more. His little self doesn’t want to leave. He likes the new father, the kind father, the never violent father. He had been fooled.

What's worse is, he’s found that his mind is beginning to revert to that little headspace on its own. Whenever he is stressed or in pain he’ll regress back to that childlike state of mind even without his father around to initiate it. He’ll go back to being that naive dumb little boy, vulnerable and longing for a family that has long since left him behind.

His inner child is too trusting and helpless; his father doesn’t deserve to handle this part of him, especially not like this. Not when the only reason he got to see it at all was by betraying his trust and forcing him out. He should have never trusted in his father. He never realized how far his father would go to keep him trapped under his control until he did…

It had been during one of the rare moments that his father allowed him to be big, that he caught a glance at the date on his father’s phone screen. He had forgotten it on his bedside table while putting him down for a nap. Shouto had grabbed it, meaning to return it to his father when the screen lit up automatically. Then he saw it. Six months had passed. ‘No it can't be.’ he thought to himself shocked. It felt like just last week he had been trying to sneak out for the first day of school. There’s no way this could be right. Is this why his father had forbidden his electronics? Why he had any and all clocks removed from the house? The reason he couldn't watch any news? His body trembled as he clutched the device tightly in his hand. Rage lit his body as he heard heavy footsteps walking back towards his room. 

“Shouto baby, have you seen my–” Enji froze as he took in his son’s stormy expression looking down at the device in his hand. ‘Ah, I guess we're doing this today.’ he thinks to himself. It's a bit sooner than he expected but his baby has always managed to surpass his expectations so he shouldn’t be too surprised. It's alright he can work with this, though it is down to Shouto which route he takes. He hopes he chooses the path of least resistance but alas his baby has never known what's good for him.

“Is it true? Have I really been stuck here for half a year?” his father nodded in a nonchalant manner, seeming unbothered by his discovery. If that was true, how long has his father been on leave? There's no way the commission would allow him, The Number One Hero, to put off work for six consecutive months. And how come no one has reported they haven't seen Shouto in months. He knows he doesn’t have that wide of a social circle like most kids his age but surely someone must have noticed. Why hasn't anyone come to save him? What lies has his father been feeding everyone?

“Why–why would you do this?” Shouto asked dumbfounded because how deranged of a person do you have to be to brainwash your own child?! He knew his father was a bad man but this… The man may have truly lost his mind.

 His father simply answered, voice smooth and unperturbed, “It was for your own good.” 

“My own good?” The boy scoffed, “ How could stripping away my autonomy be for my own good! How could making me a prisoner of my own mind be good for me?! Huh? How dad! How could that ever be good for me!” his voice steadily rose with each remark until he was shouting at his father though the man remained unfazed. His expressionless face was beginning to piss Shouto off.

“You wouldn’t have stayed any other way.” Nothing about the man’s body language showed a hint of remorse. He doesn’t care what Shouto wants. He never has.

“Of course I wouldn’t! I never wanted to be here! You knew I wanted to go back to UA. Just how long did you plan on keeping me here!” Shouto screamed, before going quiet as a chilling thought crossed his mind. “If I hadn't caught on would you have ever let me go back?” 

“...” 

“Answer me dammit!” He was met with the silence, his fathers slack face and seemingly bored expression was enough of an answer. 

“You never changed, you're still the same controlling bastard you've always been. I was a fool to ever believe in you.” Tears of frustration welled up in heterochromatic eyes. Everything felt so big and out of his control. If he doesn't get his emotions under control soon he may slip back into his headspace. It’s game over if that happens. 

“My my you’re being quite fussy, you'll upset your stomach at this rate. We can have a talk after you've calmed down and had your nap. You'll feel better once you've slept a bit.” His father's face softened and voice returned to a gentle coo. It was like he could sense he was slipping and was trying to push him over the edge. 

Both sides of the boy lit up with flames and frost as he yelled. “Stop it! Stop with your wretched coddling! Stop acting like I’m a child! I've had enough! You can’t take away the life I've built just because you want a chance to right your wrongs. What's done is done, you can't change the past! You can't change me, I won't allow it! I don’t care if I have to fight you, I'm leaving!”  

“Shouto please you can’t go you're too li– ”

“Shut up!” he screamed, shooting spikes of ice towards his father knocking him off his feet. Encasing him in ice up to his nose leaving only enough space to breathe before kicking him in the head effectively knocking him out. He hurried out the bedroom encasing every door and corridor in ice on his way out to buy as much time as he could. He ran, wasting no time in changing out of his pajamas, only slipping on his shoes and running out of the house. He needed to find his mother.

•❅──────✧❅🕯❅✧──────❅•

The treatment really was working. He had been skeptical of the method at first but it truly was a miracle. Shouto will be the key to bringing his family back together. Soon his little boy will be reborn into the perfect baby, happy to be loved and cherished forever. If all things go according to plan he’ll have his family back in his pocket and a little one to adore. He'll have to call Kiego back later to thank him for all his help.

In the meantime he spent his time methodically melting the ice and cleaning up the place at a leisurely pace giving his son some time to run before he properly hunts him down. This is all a lesson for his own good afterall. If Enji really wanted to, he could have ended the fight the moment he entered the room by activating his conditioning but he didn't. Shouto needs to learn that he can never run from his father, on his own. He needs his spirit to be broken so no further attempts to distance himself from Enji can be made. Afterall Enji is only doing what's best for him. He just wants to care for his baby and love him like he never had before.

It took him seeing Shouto lying comatose in a hospital bed too big for him to realize the truth. He never wants to see his son on the battlefield ever again. He never wants to see him in hero garb fighting for his life or using that wretched quirk again. The future he had planned for him and the method of his creation had all been a mistake. Hero work wasn't safe for his baby. Because that's what Shouto is, his youngest baby. And he needs to protect him now unlike how he failed in the past. If only the boy would stop trying to run away.

Well if this is how the boy wants to play then Enji is happy to play along. He kept on his damp clothes even tearing them up in some places and finished applying his makeup before slipping on his house slippers before walking out the door. 

He hopes Shouto understands that he will never have another chance to run so he better get all that energy out of him now and realize he’ll never be able to escape his Daddy.

✧❅🕯❅✧

Shouto sniffed in his seat quietly letting out the last of his sobs as he watched the scenery rapidly change through the train's window. He felt the adrenaline from the altercation with his father slowly fading away leaving him tired and drained. He wiped away his tears with a handkerchief a kind old lady had given him two stops ago. It was pink with fluffy little bunnies hopping along the border. He wishes he were a little bunny, free to run and play with his bunny friends and be with his bunny family without a terrifying wolf constantly looming over them. 

The train car jostled, signaling it was coming to a stop. He shook off the childish train of thought and fuzziness beginning to creep into his mind. His mind was slipping but he couldn’t afford to lose focus now, he had to go see his mother. He walked out into the crowded station making his way towards the steps leading up to the exit. The hospital his mother is staying in is only a thirty minute walk from the station. If he runs he can get there in ten. He makes his way through the sea of people not caring who he was bumping into or listening to them cry out after him. He didn’t notice a familiar head of green hair looking his way. 

The run to the clinic wasn't a long one but it felt unbearable. He hasn't exercised in such a long time. His lungs were burning, his throat ached thirsting for water, and his legs were already cramping. Usually a little run like this would be a breeze but thanks to his father’s constant babying he’s hardly walked in months let alone ran. By the time he made it to the hospital he was panting and dripping with sweat. “I definitely did not make it here in ten minutes. I’ll need to work extra hard to get back into shape once I get back in school”, he huffed in thought as he pushed open the door leaning on it to catch his breath for a minute before walking up to the service desk. 

An emotion Shouto can’t quite discern flickered over the nurse’s face for a moment as she took in his appearance before returning to a polite smile. “Hello there, how can I help you?” 

“I need to see my mother, her name is Todoroki Rei. The matter is urgent. If you could give me clearance quickly it would be very much appreciated.” he said through harsh breaths, cheeks flush from physical exertion. 

“Alright, one second let me pull up your records. Your name is?”

“Todoroki Shouto.” 

“Alrighty…hmm,” the nurse's brows furrowed, staring at the computer screen before asking. “Would you mind answering some quick questions for me first Todoroki-kun? 

“Please keep it brief. I need to see my mother,” Shouto answered tersely. He had no time to waste who knows how long his father will stay unconscious. He needs to act fast.

“Alright now what is the reason for your visit?”

“I need to speak to my mother regarding my schooling and father’s behavior.” That’s putting it briefly. He needs to tell her how that man had been brainwashing him and keeping him prisoner for months now. And to apply for custody and get him out or tell Fuyumi or Natsuo to try. He doesn’t care who it is, living with any of them would be better than his Father.

“And how did you get here? Did you come here all by yourself?” 

“Yes I took the train.” Do they ask everyone their mode of transportation when visiting?

“Alright and does anyone know that you're here right now?”

“No. Are we done yet? Can I go see my mother now?” He knows hasn’t visited in a while but these questions seem odd. 

“Sorry sweetie, just one more question, okay?” 

“Fine,” the boy snapped, beginning to feel irritated. While he knows this particular hospital typically  is for high profile patients usually heroes, celebrities, politicians and their families alike. He’s never been interrogated like this. Usually they just ask for his name, check his file, and let him through. He’s never had this much trouble before.

“You said there was an issue with your father, who is listed as your primary guardian. What is it?”

“He’s been acting insane. He locks me away in our home and won’t let me go to school. He keeps treating me like a child and won’t listen to me when I tell him to stop. He’s awful. I want to come live with my mom instead.” Why is she looking at him like that? Oh…oh no. He knows that look. She's looking at him the same way his father does, like he’s helpless and in need of protection. 

“Oh honey but you are a child and judging from your file a very sick one who's been through a lot. How about we call up your Daddy and see what he has to say about all this okay?” The nurse's tone was both condescending and sickeningly sweet just like his father. Dammit she’s not taking him seriously.

“No! You can’t call him! He’s crazy, he’ll lock me back up again!” Shouto begged her to listen. “Please, I don't want him to come get me.”

“It's alright honey, I'm just going to make a quick call. Have a seat in the meanwhile.” No. He can’t just wait here to be caught. If the nurse didn’t believe him, maybe the police would. He’ll just have to take that chance. 

Shouto ran to the exit and pushed the doors but no matter how hard he tried they would not open. They had been locked remotely. He looked back to see the nurse eyeing him sympathetically before tapping her headset and saying. “Hey I got a child of a patient expressing very concerning behavior. His file contains multiple illnesses and injuries within the last year. [It states the patient is incompetent, experiences PTSD, Delusions, Paranoia, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Panic Disorder, Depression, Antisocial Personality Disorder, etc] It states that the child is both a danger to himself and others and is in constant need of supervision. He’s down here alone showing signs of delusion. I need security down here now to help restrain him while I call up his family.”

“No please you don’t understand. If he catches me, I’ll never see the light of day again.” Shouto pleaded but all the nurse did was put a finger up to her mouth and made a light shushing noise at him as she dialed the number into the phone. 

He tried to use his ice to weaken the doors but for some reason his frost would not stick, it would slip right off the door. The windows wouldn’t shatter either; they were both likely quirk proof. He could start a fire and force the staff to evacuate everyone and escape during the chaos. But it felt wrong to cause stress to already sick patients staying in the hospital, especially when his mother is one of them. 

Lost in thoughts of escape he didn’t notice the security guards barreling towards him until he felt strong hands locking around his waist pulling him away from the exit. He struggled and fought against the burly man's hold, kicking and screaming "Let me go!”. But the man held him still, sitting down on one of the chairs and folded him onto his lap while another guard forced Shouto’s arms behind his back and wrapped quirk restraints around his wrists and another set on his ankles. Then sat him on his own chair to wait for his father, each still keeping a firm grip on one of his arms. 

Soon enough his father was bursting through the clinic's doors eyes scanning the waiting room before zeroing in on him. He looked like he had been beaten and dragged through a storm. His clothes were damp and ragged, likely from breaking himself out of the ice though that didn't explain the injuries. Where did he get that black eye and busted lip from? Shouto certainly hadn’t given it to him. He struggled against his bonds harder as he walked towards him, picking him up and quietly thanking the guards. 

He tried to buck out of his hold but the look his father shot at him sent shivers up his spine and made him go still. That look promised hell when they went back home. He’s known that look since childhood it meant ‘behave while we're in public or I’ll make you wish you were dead. He stayed quiet as his father followed the nurse he was speaking with earlier to a private office. The paper crinkled underneath him as he was placed in the treatment chair, his father sat across from him on a waiting chair, while the nurse sat on her desk turning on the monitor..

“Thank you so much for calling me. I’ve been looking everywhere for him.” He heard his father tell the nurse. He couldn't believe she couldn't see the smug satisfaction radiating off the man under the overly fake concerned look on his face. 

“Your welcome, I noticed the changes in his chart and knew he was not supposed to be here on his own. He ended up making quite the scene trying to leave before you arrived and had to be retrained for his own safety.” What? What changes is she talking about? He shifted to glance at the monitor but couldn't quite move the way he wanted in the restraints.

“I am so sorry about him, we had an argument this morning and he got a bit violent. He knocked me straight off my feet. I must've hit my head on the way down because when I woke up hours later, he was gone. I’ve been running all over the city looking for him.” Enji said, putting a hand behind his neck as if he were embarrassed. In his pajamas with messy hair and bags under his eyes. The man looked like nothing more than a disgruntled dad. The nurse was already eating the act up and eyeing him with pity as if Shouto was the real problem here, not his father. 

“Oh how terrible! Does he usually have violent outbursts?” 

“He does but it’s not his fault. The commission should have never allowed the students to help aid in battle. His brain suffered serious damage from the fight that will affect him for the rest of his life. Ever since he’s been having trouble taking in his surroundings and remembering that he's no longer fighting. He has no way to distinguish reality from his delusions and often confuses myself and others for villains.” Enji spoke gravely, eyes glistening as if what he was saying were true. 

“Stop lying! I’m not crazy! He’s lying! Tell her the truth!” Shouto’s shouting was ignored; they spoke over him like he wasn’t even there. 

“Oh dear, that is very concerning. Is he currently being treated for these issues? Why isn’t she listening? Why can’t she see he’s lying?

“Yes, he’s currently out of school to be treated.” His father answered, sounding exhausted. 

“He mentioned something about needing to see his mother and his schooling.” 

“Yes he has a certain delusion where he believes his mother is in danger and only he can save her. He most likely–”

“Stop it! Tell the truth! Tell her! Say it you damn liar!” He felt like he was going to burst a blood vessel as he screamed. Why is no one listening to him? Why does no one else ever see the man for what he truly is? A monster, a wolf in sheep's clothing. Why can no one ever see past the word hero?

“Oh no the poor dear is becoming quite hysterical, would you like me to administer a mild sedative to quiet him down?” 

“That would be great, thank you.” His father answered with a bone tired sigh, that even he would believe if he didn’t see the corners of his lips quirking up as the nurse turned around to prepare the medication. 

“Alright it’ll just feel like a little pinch. I’m sure a big boy like you can handle that right?”

“No stop please! I don’t want that!” He flinched as he felt the needle piercing his skin. 

“There there, you’ll start feeling better in a minute sweetheart.”

“N-nothing w-rong…wi’t me.” Shouto slurred, trying his best to stay awake. Who knows what else his father may start lying about. 

“One more thing I’d like to touch on before you leave today is his quirk usage. We noticed in an attempt to escape he tried to use his quirk on multiple occasions against the facility's doors and windows. Thankfully they are reinforced with quirk suppressing technology and we had cuffs on hand for particularly powerful patients but it would have been a very difficult situation if we didn't.  Controlling his power output would be very helpful to prevent more accidents like this one from occurring. Modern suppressants are fairly low risk and come in chewable tablets for children or neck cuff form. I would really recommend them for your son.” 

“No…no mor’..m-med’cin’...” Ignored once again. They were treating him like he was a pet that was too dumb to comprehend the conversation so they didn't bother trying to speak with him. Will everyone treat him like this? As soon as he speaks out against his father will they turn against him and treat him like a dumb pet too? “Will anyone ever believe him?”

“I’ll take both. I've been trying to get him on suppressants for a while now but his primary doctor kept insisting his behavior didn’t warrant them. Thank you so much for listening to me.” Why do they always listen to him?

“Of course! I just have to take off these cuffs now and switch them out for his necklace and he should be good to go.” Shouto tried to move once he felt the cuffs being removed but his body felt like it was full of lead, everything felt so heavy he could hardly wriggle his toes let alone lift an arm. He couldn’t fight against the sleek metal collar being placed around his neck clicking into place in a way he knew meant it had been locked.

“I’ll send over that prescription to your nearest pharmacy and they should call you when it's ready to be picked up. If that's all you can go ahead and take him home. Have a good day!”

“Thank you so much for your help. We’ll be off now.” Enji carried the limp boy out of the room walking through the halls towards the exit quite pleased with himself.

“H-he’ crazy…don’t wan’a go! D-don’ let..h’m…take m-me!” Shouto slurred one last call before the doors closed. Urging someone, anyone to help him, to come save him. As usual his call was ignored as it had been his entire life. 

“They won’t believe you Shouto. Do you want to know why? Because who would ever believe a sick little boy over the Number One Hero? It’s your word against mine. And your word means nothing . It never has and it never will.” Enji whispered into his ear, shushing his son softly as he began to cry. Soft cries turned into wails as he slipped into headspace. 

“Oh baby mine don't you cry. Daddy loves you so much.” His father cooed, patting him gently on the back while rocking him side to side. To everyone else in the hospital he just seemed like a caring father doting on his poor sick son, none of them could see the unhinged glint in his eye or hear the crazed tone of obsession in his voice. “We'll be going home soon.” The place where you will stay once and for all.

✧❅🕯❅✧

Omakes

-Izuku spotting Shouto's hair in the crowd: Now wait a damn minute🤨

Shouto running away: I am speed 💨

-Enji to Shouto this entire fic: Gaslight💋, Gatekeep✨, Girlboss💅

-Enji: I will never ever hurt you again~𖹭

Also Enji: No one will ever believe you because no one cares about you or what you have to say.

Shouto: Guess he just meant physically🫤

Twisted Endeavor AU WIP:

Enji trying use of age regression to heal both Shouto's past trauma but also make him weak and under his control though this time in a softer way. He wants to take him away from hero work for good and keep him at home as his little baby, caring for him in a way he missed out on the first time around.

They were given a mandatory semester off to take in the aftereffects of the war. During this time his father had been very accommodating, a little too accommodating if you asked Shouto. Anytime he wanted or needed anything his father was right there one step ahead. Whether it be feeding Shouto, helping him walk to the bathroom, carefully bathing him when he was too weak to do it himself, helping him with his physical therapy or simply fluffing his pillows. He had allowed it, thinking maybe he was overcompensating for the past, Shouto did say he would give him a chance so he sat back and allowed himself to be pampered. Big mistake.

“Stop this! Stop pretending that I’m a child! Stop trying to coddle me!“

“You can’t take away the life I've built just because you want a do over. No, I refuse to accept this. I don’t care if I have to fight you, I'm leaving!” 

His dad doesn't punish him, at least not with large pummeling fists or harsh screaming. No he just gives him a little white pill and covers his mouth until he swallows, he does, he doesn't fight it anymore. He used to but the man would just crush the medication into fine powder slipping it in his food and drinks throughout the day anyway. The pill weakens his muscles and fuzzies his mind, the man rocks him back and forth pacing the room whispering sweet words of affection until he deems him calm again. He is not calm but he's too tired to fight. At least Daddy’s not angry with us, his fuzzy mind supplies.

Soon his mind was starting to turn fuzzy on its own, no medication required. It scared Shouto. Sometimes he could feel himself slipping away. He would catch himself being sucked into the childish cartoons on the television or found himself smiling while playing with the soft foam blocks his father bought for him. He hates it but sometimes when his father leaves, whether to use the bathroom or make dinner, he finds himself tearing up wishing for daddy to come back, missing the man despite him being just down the hall.

The Heirs of Yesterday

By: fairystar111

Rating: Gen

Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia

Summary:

The worlds come to be a dark place. So why shouldn't Shouto regain the childhood he lost? And why shouldn't he stay with his brother through it all?

Characters: Dabi | Touya Todoroki, Shouto Todoroki.

CW/Tags: Kidnapping, Emotional Manipulation, Infantilism, Toxic Codependency, Moral Ambiguity, Yandere, Yandere Dabi, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Stockholm Syndrome, Big Brother Dabi, Manipulative Dabi, Minor DabixHawks.

Start/Previous/Next

If Touya was being completely honest, he absolutely despised his youngest brother in the beginning. When he first saw Shouto’s distinctive red and white split hair he knew that this boy was going to replace him in their fathers eyes. Shouto would be the Todoroki family prodigy while he would be the defective runt. Touya hated the toddlers adorable little face and his sweet little smile and how no matter how much he pushed him away Shouto still found a way to worm himself into his heart. When Shouto turned four his quirk came in and he began his training with their father. All Touya’s hate for him died when he walked in on their father beating his baby brother in the name of “hero training”. Touya had originally hated Shouto because he had thought that Shouto would be treated as something precious and would be loved as his fathers masterpiece unlike how he treated the rest of them. It wasn't until he walked into Shouto’s training that he realized that even if Shouto was a perfect prodigy and exactly what his father wanted he was still being treated just as badly as the rejects like him.

Touya tried to get Enji to stop training Shouto by offering himself instead but nothing he said would ever change their father’s mind. He even tried to report their father to the police and multiple heroes but was ridiculed. They said he was lying and looking for attention because there was a new baby in the house. When their mother had her breakdown and burnt Shouto’s face, Touya decided that no one was ever going to help them. He was going to have to be the one to take down their father before he ended up killing his siblings. He lured his father to Seketo Peak and ambushed him with the intent to kill; his father held nothing back when fighting his eldest that day. Touya was left for dead by his father with third degree burns covering fifty percent of his body.

The only reason he survived was because he was found by one of All for One’s lackeys and taken to his doctor. He's pretty sure he's technically more noumu than human now but whatever at least he’s still alive. During his rehabilitation with Dr.Giraki he met a pale haired boy with bright red eyes named Tomura. Tomura had told him that he was just like him too; he had an abusive father until his sensei came to save him. Tomura invited him to stay with him and his caretaker Kurogiri. It took him a while to realize that Tomura and his sensei were villains and what they did was not exactly legal.

Touya was conflicted while he had begun to grow fond of Tomura as a little brother, he sort of reminded him of Natsuo. He was raised to be a hero and heroes can't be friends with villains . When confronted, Tomura explained how heroes only cause pain for the people around them. He told him how his grandmother had been a hero and abandoned her child making him into an abuser. It left Touya thinking, the heroes in his life had only ever caused him pain and suffering while these villains were the nicest people he's ever had to care for him. He asked if he could join them and if they could help him take down Endeavour but Tomura said his sensei had been grievously injured recently and they were not strong enough to tear down an entire society just yet. So they spent the next years training and recruiting strong but loyal members to their league under the watchful eyes of their sensei. By the time Shouto is entering UA they should be able to launch the war on heroes starting with taking down the top ten. He hopes his baby brother won't be too mad at him for leaving him behind all those years ago but he's coming for him now whether he likes it or not. His family belonged to him; they were his to love, his to control, his to own.

Shoto awoke groggily to the feeling of an unfamiliar plush bed. Why am I on a bed? The base doesn’t have any of those he thought. He glanced around the room and found it to be decorated in a very childish way. The room he was in looked like it was meant for a small child. There was a canopy hanging over his bed and rails surrounding the bed, plushies everywhere, the walls were painted a soft powder blue, and he was even wearing a fluffy penguin onesie. Hmm this is a little strange, this room sort of looks like a nursery, Shoto thought. Endeavor would rather die than have his masterpiece be caught dead in something like this. So where is he?

Then it all came rushing back to him, the league had infiltrated their base and come for him and his friends. Touya wasn't dead anymore and now Endeavor was. Touya had come to take Shoto away like he had always promised he would. Shoto was conflicted, Touya his big brother and protector was finally back, but he's not just Touya-nii anymore he's also the villain Dabi. He’s supposed to be a hero; he can't just ignore all Dabi’s crimes just because he wants his big brother back. He has to stay strong, heroes can’t love villains and Touya-nii is gone.There is still a whole society out there that needs fixing and he’ll have to be there to help pick up the pieces.

Shoutos head shot up when he heard the door start to open slowly as if someone was trying not to wake him. He carefully lowered himself off the bed and into a crouch ready to attack when he tripped on a chain connecting him to the railing. The door slammed open when Dabi heard the loud crash.

“Shouto are you alright? You shouldn't be out of bed without me.” Dabi scolded, picking up the boy and placing him back on the bed.

“...” Shouto glared at his brother in defiance, refusing to talk back. The brother he remembered is gone now all that’s left is this villain.

“Listen Shou I understand your anger you're probably thinking why did I have to uproot your life once you were finally doing okay but I had to. I wanted to come for you sooner I really did but dad basically murdered me back when I tried to take him down as a kid. It took a long time for me to gain my strength back and find enough powerful allies to be able to take you back.” Dabi said, ruffling Shouto’s hair.

“I wanted to take you out of that home as soon as possible more than anything but I was too weak. I'm sorry Shouto, I never wanted to hurt you but this had to be done for the good of everyone. Hero society was a toxic breeding ground for abuse and corruption. It needed to be brought down one way or another. I was never going to let you become a hero and be abused for the rest of your short life before you get killed off and forgotten.” Dabi said, angry just thinking about some pathetic villain laying hands on his baby brother.

“I am a hero and when I leave this place I'll fix what you have done to society.” Shoto responded startled when he was grabbed harshly and pulled onto his brother's lap.

“You're not leaving me again. Now that I finally have you back I am never letting you go.” Touya growled, cutting Shouto off before he could speak.

“And I know damn well you're not being a hero. I didn't spend all this time fighting for you just for you to get yourself killed living out a dream you don’t really want. Think about it Shouto did you ever truly want to become a hero by your own volition or were you groomed to be one since birth. If you weren't praised by everyone around you for having such a heroic quirk would you still want to be one?” The villain growled out.

“I've always wanted to become a hero,” Shouto mumbled, eyes focused on his lap. At least that's what he had always thought. If he couldn't be a hero what could he do? It's not like he can waste his quirk on a regular job. Being a hero has just always been what he’s supposed to do. His mother went through hell to give him his quirk; he had to use it to become a hero or she went through all of that abuse for nothing.

“No Shouto you've been groomed to believe being a hero is the only thing that will bring meaning to your life but it's not. Don't you want to live a life free of danger and the pressure of heroics? A life where you can finally act your age and just be a kid. Don't you want to live with your big brother Shouto? I sacrificed so much just for you, can't you make your Touya-nii happy?” Dabi asked, watching his little brother's eyes well up with tears. He almost has him right where he wants him. Shouto just needs a little push in the right direction and then he'll be all his.

“I-i cant. I-i don't know what to-… Please dont make me-” Shouto sobbed as crystalline tears flooded his face. He didn't know what he wanted, he just wanted peace. He didn't want to be constantly attacked by villains. He didn't want to fear for his safety everyday. He didn't want to go up against an army. And he sure as hell didn't want to rebuild an entire society but what is he supposed to do? How can he even start to fix this mess? Did he even want to? All he could do was sob into the arms of his brother turned villain.

“Shh shh It's okay Shou. I think you don't know what you want and that's okay because that's what your big brother is here for. As long as I'm here you won't have to worry about a thing you can leave it all to me.” Dabi cooed, gently wiping the tears off Shouto’s face. Shouto said nothing as he buried his head into the crook of the villain's neck.

“Come on Shouto it's alright you don't have to cry everything is going to be fine. Just give up all control to your big brother and you won't ever have to worry about a thing.” Touya whispered into the boy's ear while running his hands through the soft red and white hair.

“P-please no I don’t w-want to be a villain.” Shouto sobbed. He just wanted his brother. He just wanted to be safe and happy for once in his life.

“Oh firefly, you could never be a villain. You could never have what it takes to be one.” Touya cooed, gently grasping the boy’s chin and forcing him to look him in the eye.

“I don’t want to fight anymore Touya-nii. I c-can't fight you.” Shouto stuttered out through his sobs.

“And you won't have to not now not ever again if you give up your hero fantasy. I’m the only person who really cares about you Shouto. The heroes don't care if you want to fight or not, they just want a mindless soldier. I just want to make you happy.” Touya purred, he could see his baby brother’s resolve crumbling.

“What can I even do if I'm not a hero? I'm useless.” Shoto sniffled. 

“Don't say that firefly you could never be useless to me, maybe to the heroes but not to me. And you don't have to do anything really as long as I'm here I'll always take care of you Shouto. No fending for yourself, no more long sleepless nights, no more fighting for your life. As long as I'm here to take care of you unlike those heroes you like so much.” Touya said, watching Shouto’s eyes twinkle when he was called by his childhood nickname. The villain could tell it was getting harder for Shouto to differentiate the villain Dabi from his big brother Touya. Soon he will be falling right into his arms and he will never let go.

“So firefly, will you give up being a hero for your big brother? No one else will ever take care of you and love you the way I do.” The villain purred.

“Okay,” Shouto whispered. Maybe this is the best option for me, he thought. No one has ever cared about what he wanted except Touya.

“What was that?” Dabi asked with a smirk wanting to hear the exact words come out of his little brother's mouth.

“Yes Touya-nii I give up. Please take care of me.” Shouto said, looking up at him with pleading teary eyes. He could feel a small part of him finally letting go. He knows he's never been the most morally righteous person in the world but he never thought he would be siding with villains when Japan needed heroes most. But a little bitter voice in the back of his head always knew this was coming. Why should he have to give up his life to save everyone when no one ever bothered to save him when he was getting beaten black and blue by his father his entire childhood.

“Good boy,” Touya said, grinning so hard the gaps between his staples showed. He knows Shouto will still need some minor attitude and behavioral adjustments but he wants to stay with Touya willingly and that's way better than how the others are doing with their kids.

“There will be a probationary period before you can walk around freely. Just a couple of weeks at most. I want you to be on your best behavior and prove to me you really meant what you said. I don't want to punish you for lying to me, Shouto.” Touya lectured in a stern tone. He didn't think his brother was lying but he just wanted to make sure.

“I would never lie to Touya-nii” Shouto said in a scandalized tone, his eyebrows furrowed as if lying to his big brother was a strictly forbidden act that can never be done. Touya snorted; it seems that his baby brother hasn't changed all that much since he left. He doesn't know if it's the lack of socialization at a young age or all the abuse he endured but Shouto is pretty stunted for his age. Sometimes he’ll say something or do something only a small child could think of, not a teenager.

“That's good Shou but I just want to make sure. I don't know what they've been teaching you at that hero school of yours but if it's anything like what Keigo went through, there was probably some infiltration and undercover training.” Dabi seriously doubted Shouto could pull something like that off though. No offense to his little brother but from what he remembers he has seriously got to be the worst liar in Japan. 

“Okay nii-chan. Does this hurt?” Shouto murmured distractedly, his little fingers lightly tracing the villain's facial scars occasionally poking the shiny staples in wonder and concern.

“No firefly it doesn't hurt. Not anymore, the doctor fixed me up after my ‘accident’ and Tomura gave me a fire resistance quirk. You don't have to worry about me. The scars and staples are more aesthetic and to scare people off more than anything harmful.” The scarred man replied.

“You're not scary,” Shouto said with a confused look on his face, squealing when his brother dug his fingers into his tummy.

“Only you would think that Shou.” Dabi snorted fondly, tickling his little brother mercilessly.

“Stop, stop. Wait, I have a question!” Shouto cried out through peals of laughter.

“Okay, okay” Dabi said as his fingers slowed to a stop leaving him with a flushed breathless baby brother in his lap.

“What was so important you had to stop our fun?” Touya asked.

“Shigaraki Tomura, the leader of the League of Villains, gave you a new quirk? That's very kind of him, is he nice?” Shouto asked in a confused tone.

“Yeah he’s a real softy on the inside but don’t tell him I told you that. You can meet him some other time. He is pretty busy wrangling your green haired friend right now.” Dabi whispered with a smirk. He can share embarrassing stories about his and Tomura’s youth later on once Shouto gets to know him better.

“Oh-” Shouto uttered sullenly. He had forgotten about his classmates. What will they think of him when they find out he betrayed them? Will they hate him because he doesn't want to be a hero anymore? Shouto could feel himself start to tremble as his eyes filled with tears. He didn't want his friends to hate him. He doesn't know what to do. He needs help. He needs his big brother.

“What's wrong firefly? I thought we were getting along. What's with the waterworks?” Touya cooed, placing a kiss on his brother’s forehead, smiling when he felt Shouto lean into his touch.

“My friends, I don't know if they'll be okay. I know you love me and will take care of me but you're my brother it's different. What if the others are mean? What if my friends get hurt? I don't want them to be sad, I don't want them to hate me.” Shouto sobbed in his brother's chest, feeling his brother's hold on him tightening.

“Calm down, your friends are going to be just fine. I know you must think we all must be horrible villains and maybe we are to everyone else. But with each other the league is family and we take care of our own. And starting today your friends are also part of the family, they won't be hurt any more than a timeout or some other kiddy punishments.” Dabi said, rubbing soothing circles into his little brother's back.

“Are you sure?” Shouto sniffled, wiping his runny nose childishly on the sleeve of his onesie.

“Yeah Shou trust me Kurogiri and Compress are like strict dads to all of us, Shigaraki, Spinner, Magne, Twice, Toga, were all like siblings. We would never hurt each other and we could never hurt you. You all belong to us now, we'll take good care of you.” Dabi cooed gently, rubbing the tears away from Shouto’s puffy eyes.

“ I trust you Touya-nii. Will I be able to see them again?” Shouto asked.

“Yeah, after your probationary period you can have a playdate with some of your friends. It all depends on your and their behavior. If they're not behaving correctly you won't be able to see them for a while bud.” Dabi said resting his head on his little brother.

“Oh okay” Shouto pouted sadly, knowing that Midoriya and the others were not going to submit to a stranger’s will so easily. He probably won't be able to see his friends for months.

“Don’t pout at me. I'm sure you can play with Sako’s kid soon after you finish. He's pretty sassy just like Compress but I'm sure you'll get along. He wasn't in your class but you two will have to play nice. He's going to be your cousin now.” Dabi chided.

“He wasn't in my class? Who is it?” The boy asked.

“His name was Monoma Nieto though he goes by Sako Nieto now.” Dabi responded.

“Oh I don't like him.” Shouto pouted, anyone else would have been better than Monoma.

“Come on, Shou don’t be like that. He follows Compress around like a little duckling. I'm sure he's not that bad. You don’t like the old him but he's been here for a while now and Sako has straightened him out. He's a sweet kid mostly…He hasn't had company his age besides Toga in a while and she's mostly in and out of the house with her dad. Come on firefly can't you at least try to play nice with him for me?” Touya pleaded with his little brother.

“Okay I’ll try,”Shouto responded, the pouty expression still stuck on his face.

Three Weeks later

Shouto’s probation is finally over and if he’s being honest he'd rather it not be over. He’s been having fun spending every day with his Touya-nii. He doesn't really want to meet everyone else, especially not Monoma or Sako now I guess. They all seem nice from what his brother has told him but he’s still nervous to meet everyone.

“Firefly are you ready?” Touya called, knocking on the door.

“Shou?” Dabi called and received no answer.

“I'm coming in.” Touya opened the door to find no one in the room.

“Shou? Firefly? Where are you? Please come out now?” Touya yelled momentarily panicking. There's no way his brother escaped right? Shouto could not have been playing the long con right?

“Himura Shouto if you don’t come out by the count of three you're going to be punished.” Touya snarled. He is three seconds away from putting the entire mansion on lockdown.

“One”

“Two”

“Thr-” Dabi was cut off by a whine.

“Nooo” Shouto whined, the sound coming from underneath his bed.

“Shouto what are you doing down there? You almost gave me a heart attack.” The villain asked crouching down relieved to see two little feet sticking out from under the bed.

“I don't want to meet them…too nervous,” Shouto finally spoke.

“Come on Shou they're aren't going to bite, they're all pretty excited to see you again. They're nice and remember all the stories I told you about. They all have been waiting to meet you. We cleared this day off specifically for you to meet everyone.” Touya cooed trying to coax his baby brother out of his hiding spot.

“Do I have to meet Monoma? I can meet everyone else but not him. He’s going to be mean to me.” Shouto whined.

“How about this you can meet the league first and then Nieto separately later.”  Touya negotiated.

“Fine,” Shouto answered reluctantly, wriggling out from under the bed.

“Jeez firefly you haven’t even started getting ready yet, your hair is a mess. Hurry up, lift up your arms, they've been waiting on us for a while.” Dabi said, dressing him in a pair of powder blue corduroy overalls and a creme top.

“Well I was going to hide for the whole day so I didn't bother.” Shouto said with a shrug as his brother helped him snap the overalls in place and brushed his hair.

“Okay let's go.” Dabi said, grabbing his little brother's hand and leading him out of the room.

This was Shouto’s first time out of his room. It seems their living space is quite big. Their floor is a pretty wide space with a large living room, kitchen, elevator and a lot of other rooms he saw on their way out. This place must be a pretty big mansion if just him and Touya-nii have an entire floor to themselves, the boy thought. The elevator was taking them down to one of the common areas where the league shares the place. Apparently they all have their own floors. As the elevator went lower Shouto could feel butterflies in his tummy, his grip tightened on his brother's hand as the doors opened.

Shouto darted behind his brother as they walked out of the elevator. He peeked behind his brother's arm to see the league in a lounge area hanging out and happily chatting amongst themselves. He quickly ducked behind his brother's back when their eyes shot up to them.

“Come on Shou, will you introduce yourself for me?” Dabi asked. He felt Shouto slowly shuffle in front of him and placed his arms around him in a hug.

“Hi…my name is Himura Shouto. It's nice to meet you.” Shouto spoke quietly before he turned around and pushed his head onto his brother's stomach. He didn’t notice all the eyes of the league softening, staring at him with adoration and fondness.

“Aww that was sooo cute! You have such an adorable little brother Dabi!” Toga squealed, twirling a knife around in her hands.

“Come on Shou let sit down” Dabi sat down on one of the couches next to Hawks and pulled Shouto onto his lap.

“Hi Shouto! Do you remember me? It's been a long time since we've seen each other,” Hawks spoke gently, trying not to spook the kid. He did kinda help murder his dad on live television. He just wanted to make a good impression on his mate's little brother.

“Hi Hawks.” Was all Shouto responded not feeling up to talking too much.

“You can call me Keigo. I don't go by Hawks anymore.” The bird said cheerfully.

“Ok.” Hawks looked up at Dabi, perplexed as to why Shouto was not speaking. Wondering if it was something purposely against him or if he was that way with everyone.

“He woke up pretty shy this morning. You guys can talk to him all you want but I'm not sure you're gonna get much of an answer.” Dabi explained before his pretty bird worked himself in a panic over what Shouto thought of him. He hasn’t introduced Keigo to Shouto yet but he was sure they’ll get along.

“Well this is quite different from the show stopping Todoroki Shouto we saw in the UA sports festival.” Mr.Compress put into words what everyone else was thinking.

“Yeah, his demeanor is so much cuter than before. He’s so much weaker now” Twice blurted out.

“Ignore the second voice, the first one is what he really means.” Touya murmured into Shouto’s hair, feeling him nod in response.

“Well I think this Shouto is the cutest. I wish Ochako was acting like this already. Why did Dabi have to get the perfect little sibling?” Toga whined.

“How is Uraraka?” Shouto asked curious about his friend's new homelife.

“She's good! She lives with me and dad now!” Toga giggled pointing at Twice.

“Twice is your father? The quirks would make sense in a way. Are you his secret love child by any-?” Shouto is cut off by his brother's hand covering his mouth.

“Shouto! We do not ask questions like that!” Dabi scolded though he was laughing on the inside at the shock on Jin’s face.

“Why?” Shouto asked, genuinely confused as to why that would be rude.

Laughter exploded around them as Dabi tried to explain that asking people if they were created by accident and kept a secret is rude to Shouto. Even Kurogiri was cracking a smile by the end of it.

“Man Dabi, your brother sure is a riot” Spinner said, the lizard man still chuckling.

“He’s not trying to be,'' Dabi said with a small smile. All the laughing had helped Shouto relax a little bit; he didn't feel as stiff in his lap as he did before.

“Okay that's enough of that I want to hold him too.” Magne said, making grabby hands at Dabi. Dabi looked down at his brother who just shrugged in response. He was handed off to Magne who carried him with ease.

“Hi sweetie I'm your Aunt Magne. I'll be taking care of you whenever your brother is out on business.” Mange cooed as she placed him on her lap. She had always wanted kids but the time never felt right. This will do for the time being.

“We get to be Aunts? I want to be Auntie Toga!” Toga squealed, loving that she is not the youngest anymore with all these new kids around.

“Wow I've never had an aunt before,” Shouto said, eyes filled with wonder.

“Really? How come honey?” Magne made the mistake of asking not seeing Dabi shaking his head and making an x with his arms.

“My father did not have any siblings and my mother was sold to my father by her family so we never saw her family again.” Shouto said nonchalantly as if he was talking about what he wanted to eat for lunch.

“Oh sugar, I'm so sorry.” Mangne replied, hugging the boy.

“It's okay, Keigo and Touya-nii killed my father so everything is good now.” Shouto replied; Hawks made a choking sound while Dabi chuckled at how uncomfortable Shouto was making everyone.

“Dabi, do you believe young Shouto here is ready to begin his studies again?” Kurogiri asked, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah he should be able to start soon. He isn't a flight risk anymore so he can go.” Touya replied.

“I have to go to school again? I don't want to meet new people” Shouto pouted. He didn't want to go to a public school where people would expect him to be a hero for them because they saw him in the sports festival.

“We would never make you interact with the public. We had a small learning institute built in the mansion for you children. Currently the only member is Nieto. Once the others are all fully conditioned you will all be able to complete your studies together again.” Kurogiri explained to the pouting child.

“Oh I don’t know if that's better or worse.” Shouto said.

“What seems to be the problem, little one?” Compress asked.

“My friends are very stubborn so I'm going to be stuck with Monoma for a long time. I don’t like him, he is very mean.” Shouto murmured not wanting to offend Monoma’s father.

“Shouto I already explained he better behaved now it won't be the same as when you were in UA.” Dabi said gently.

“Indeed Shouto. My little magician is quite the sweet boy with me but… I know how he is so I will be there to supervise his behavior on your playdate later today. I can assure you if he is mean to you in any way he will be punished swiftly.” Sako said sternly.

“Hmm okay.” Shouto said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He could get revenge for all the times Monoma terrorized his class.

“Anyways, how are the rest of your kids doing? I've only heard about Nieto so far.” Dabi asked. They've all been so busy with getting their kids settled in they've hardly had any real time to sit down and talk to each other.

“Izuku was acting like a brat so he's in isolation right now.” Shigaraki muttered sadly, missing the misbehaving brat he calls little brother.

“Ochako is still a bit too feisty for my liking but at least she is letting us take care of her now. She's a little brat. She was so underweight when we first got her but she’s doing better now. She's still too skinny!”Jin said.

“Yeah she's so cute when she stuffs her chubby cheeks full of the sweets we get her! I want her to call me Himi-nii but she won't say it yet. Honesty Dabi, how did you get Shouto to call you such a cute name?” Toga whined.

“Can’t help you there. Shouto is just the best, no training required.” Dabi said smugly, grinning at all the annoyed and envious looks sent his way.

“Fumikage is doing pretty well since both our quirks are avian in nature. I can use his bird biology against him to imprint on me. It's actually pretty cute since he’s never had an older avian in his life so he doesn't really understand that he's acting like a newborn hatchling. He'll be ready to play with Shouto soon.” Hawk spoke excitedly, trying to change the subject before someone attacks his lover for his bragging.

“How's he handling the quirk suppressors?” Dabi asked genuinely curious since it seems Shouto has forgotten about his collar or doesn’t seem to mind it.

“That's the only thing that's been rough on Fumi since his quirk is sentient and he's had it since he was a toddler. He keeps asking for his brother and saying he’s lonely. And I want to take the collar off, I really do but Dark Shadow is an extremely strong quirk that will do anything to protect its user so he probably won't be getting it back for a long time. How’s Shouto taking not having his quirk?” Keigo asked, hoping little Shou isn’t having as much trouble as his Fumi is.

“Honestly I don’t even think he remembers that I took it away. He hasn't tried using it as far as I know and doesn't seem to care that he can't.” The villain explained glancing over to his brother playing a game with Toga on her phone.

“Lucky you Izuku wouldn't stop trying to use his quirk to attack me the whole time I visited him.” Shigaraki snarked, secretly a little jealous of Dabi. Not that he would ever admit it but he really wished Izuku would act a bit more like Shouto. When he spoke, the little Himura’s head snapped up to look at him. He could see him hesitating before he nodded and began crawling over people’s laps. Shigaraki had assumed he was trying to get back to his brother but Shouto stopped at his lap and sat down.

“Um, what are you doing?” Tomura asked awkwardly, wrapping his arms around Dabi’s little brother so he wouldn't fall.

“How is Midoriya? He must be having a hard time without All Might.” Shouto asked.

“He’s been a brat but that is what I expected so… Why would he have a hard time without All Might?” Tomura asks, confused. Did Shouto know about One for All? He didn’t think Izuku had told anyone about the origins of his quirk.

“Because he's All Might’s secret love child.” Shouto said casually.

“WHAT!” Shigaraki shrieked.

“Shou we just talked about this.” Dabi groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“All might is NOT his father! All for One is!” Tomura exclaimed, wondering if Shouto was dropped on his head as a baby. Knowing his and Dabi’s history… maybe.

“Who’s that?” Shouto asked with a confused pout on his face.

“Ask your brother later. Anyways, what was so important that you needed to come sit on me?” Shigaraki's dry voice scratched out.

“Oh I want to thank you for helping Touya-nii when he was hurt and for giving him a new quirk so he won't burn himself. Thank you for saving big brother.” Shouto said quietly.

“Oh it was nothi-” Shigaraki started but was shocked silent by Shouto hugging him. Tomura’s cheeks flushed pink as he was thanked so sincerely by the kid. He had never had anyone react so kindly to his actions.

“Y-your w-welcome.” Tomura stuttered as he watched Shouto scooch back over to his brother.

“Wow that was bold of you Shouto.” Dabi smirked looking over to their leader looking very flustered.

“Yes, I saw on the Tv that the best way to thank someone is to give hugs.” Shouto said with a very serious expression on his face, as if he didn't get the information from a kids show.

“Can we leave now? There are too many people. I want to go home” The boy whispered into Dabi’s ear. He didn’t mind the league, they were actually kind of fun but he wanted to go back to his room now. He hasn't been around this many different people in a while. It was tiring for him.

“Okay the kid is sick of all of you, we’re leaving. Come on Compress, Shouto wants to go on his play date with your brat.” Dabi grunted smirking at the disgruntled faces of the rest of the league members. He knew they all liked Shouto but they could spend more time with him later.

Shouto almost choked when he heard about the playdate. He was having so much fun talking to his new family he had forgotten he was supposed to meet Monoma after! Is it too late to say he wants to stay longer?

“Come on Shou say bye.” Dabi cooed as he picked Shouto up and placed him on his hip.

“Bye bye, you all were nice to talk to.” Shouto mumbled, sticking his hand out to do a little wave before he put his head back into the crook of Dabi’s neck. He missed all the longing and adoring looks that were being thrown his way as they left. The league was absolutely smitten for the boy.

As they rode the elevator to Sako’s floor Shouto’s stomach dropped. He felt like there were one hundred butterflies playing tag in there. This is going to be the first time he’s going to see someone from UA since his brother came to get him. He can't help but think it's going to go very poorly. Class 1B never really got along with his class and Monoma especially hated 1A a lot.

When the doors opened they walked into an extremely extravagantly decorated home. It was very different from his brother's more traditionally decorated home. They were seated on a flamboyant red sofa while Compress went to get Monoma from his room. His heart hammered in his chest as he heard two sets of footsteps leading to the living room.

“No way… This is my surprise, the Todoroki Shouto. Ahahaha of course a member of the inferior class 1A would be kidnapped by villains!” The blond laughed, looking at the boy from class 1A dressed so childishly and in the lap of a villain.

“You're here too stupid.” Shouto muttered, averting his eyes.

“Well only because I was caught helping your stupid class escape. If you inferior 1A students hadn’t needed so much help, I wouldn't be here right now! But no you useless heroes couldn’t even-” Momona screamed all his anger from the past months coming to the surface and boiling over.

“Nieto. I would stop talking right now if I were you unless you want to be punished in front of little Shouto here.” Sako scolded, satisfied with seeing Monoma’s face pale.

“Why don’t you two head to Nieto’s room to play.” Compress added, hoping to ease the tension between the two boys.

Shouto could feel Monoma’s death glare on him as they walked to his bedroom. He wishes he had just stayed in his room.

“When did you even get here?” Monoma asks, cutting through the thick silence.

“Um, I'm not sure. I think it's been a couple weeks, maybe a month ago.” Shouto replied.

“You're still fairly new then. I suppose you have an escape plan already?” The boy asked with a scrutinizing glare.

“No, why would I?” Shouto answered, confused. He hasn't thought about leaving his brother since his first day home. And even then it was a more reluctant thought that he really didn't even want to do.

“Because you're a hero that was kidnapped by villains! Of course you should be planning to escape!” Nieto exclaimed. He knows he’s not the poster boy for typical heroes but before he gave up being a hero even he had tried to escape a couple of times.

“I'm not a hero anymore and I wasn’t kidnapped. My brother just came to pick me up like he had always promised me. As for escaping, why would I do that? I like it here.” Shouto answered honestly.

“Are you really that pathetic? Your morals didn't even last a month before you gave up! You were supposed to be one of the most promising heroes of our generation. What is wrong with you?!” The blond boy screamed outraged with Shouto’s behavior.

“Well I never wanted to be a hero! Everyone around me just expected me to. If hero society hadn’t crumbled, yes I would still be one. But only because I could never get away with not being one. Everyone would always look at me as the son of Endeavor and powerful quirk and wonder when I was going to become a hero, not if I wanted to be one at all. Now that it's gone and the only option for people who want to be heroes is to rebuild an entire society. I would rather not fight my own family for some stupid dream I didn't even want to begin with.” Shouto yelled back.

“So you were blessed with a perfectly heroic quirk and the number two hero as your father and you’d give it all up like it meant nothing.” Monoma yelled.

“Shut up! You know nothing about me or my life and what I went through.” Shouto growled.

“Oh please like a perfect little rich boy like you ever went through hardship.” Monoma scoffed.

“I was created from a quirk marriage for one purpose and that was to create the perfect hero that would beat All Might like my father never could. My father bought my mother and forced her to have three children before I was born. My oldest brother had a defective quirk not suited for his body and my two other siblings had weak quirks so they were neglected. Before I was born my eldest brother was trained by my father until his skin would burn from the inside out. His body was made to handle ice but he had a fire quirk. When I turned four my quirk came in and I was abused everyday in the name of training. Do you think it's a blessing to beat a four year old until they vomit everyday? Later my eldest brother tried to stop my father and was almost killed. The stress eventually made my mother go insane and she gave me the scar on my face. The ‘training’ went on for years until I got into UA and then my brother saved me.” Shouto explained with big tears running down his face.

“Do you want my quirk since you think it such a waste not being used for heroics. Because I can ask Shigaraki and he can give it to you because I don’t care anymore. You can take it and go try to be a hero because I won’t. I didn't even want the stupid thing in the first place!” Shouto cried out, staring at the sick looking blonde.

“Hey, what's going on in here?!” Dabi yelled as he and Compress rushed into the room to see Shouto sobbing and Monoma looking pale.

“Papa I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to make him cry! I'm sorry.” Monoma apologized with teary eyes turning to hug his father.

“Its okay Neito, can you tell me what happened?” Sako asked only to receive no response but a head shake and eyes looking anywhere but him.

“How about you Shouto, can you tell me what Nieto did to upset you?” Compress asked, looking over to the sniffling boy being held by Dabi.

“He said that I was pathetic for not trying to escape and that I was wasting my quirk not being a hero.” Shouto said, pointing at the blond in question, happy to get him in trouble and finally get a taste of his own medicine.

“Neito, is that true?” Sako asked. The boy just nodded looking down at his socked feet.

“Well seems like this play date is over. We can try again once you retrain him.” Dabi said ready to take Shouto and walk out of there.

“Yes it would seem it is. You two can let yourselves out. I've got a brat to punish.” Compress said as he closed the door to Monoma’s room.

The ride back to their floor was silent beside the sound of Shouto’s sniffles.

“Well that went well…” Touya said sarcastically, as the doors opened to their floor.

“I told you this would happen Touya-nii. He hates me.” Shouto cried. He doesn’t really care if Monoma likes him or not. But his reaction to him scared Shouto. What if his actual friends react the same way.

“Shouto he doesn’t hate you he is just having a hard time adjusting to his new life and needs some re-education. You’ll see eventually all the other kids will be like you too. Some just take a bit longer to train.” Touya explained gently, trying not to make Shouto break out into tears again.

“Okay Touya-nii,” Shouto replied sullenly. Even if it takes them a while eventually all his friends will be with him again. 

Five months later

In the following months his brother sorted out a routine for them. Most days Dabi would be there to wake him up, play with him a bit and give him a bath and dress him before taking him to school but when he was away on league business Magne and Keigo usually filled in and were suitable caretakers. Shouto started his schooling with Monoma soon after their fight and they have settled into quite a rocky relationship of playing/learning together and having fun but also hating each other and trying to find ways to get the other in trouble. They were frenemies… for now just until Shouto can get his real friends back.

He’s allowed to roam the mansion within reason now and allowed to visit whoever his heart desires. He usually likes to visit Toga, Kiego, and Tomura the most. The girl would act like his big sister and never hesitated to spoil Shouto and give him something fun to do. While Tomura showed him how to play video games and was always happy to play with him. Shouto liked him; he never got mad at shouto when he made them lose or got frustrated when Shouto couldn’t understand the mechanics of a game, he also regularly liked to spoil Shouto with new games and consoles much to Dabi’s ire.

Hawks would take him on mini flights around the mansion and tickle him half to death with his feathers. The man would regularly spend his free time with them on their floor. Keigo was always happy to entertain him playing hide and seek with him or tag. Shouto really likes Keigo and Keigo really likes his big brother too so that makes him one of Shouto’s favorite people. He doesn't like when they send him away while both of them are home though. He doesn’t know what they're doing and why he can't be there with them but whenever he asks anyone in the league they just give him amused looks and tell him he’ll understand when he’s older. But knowing how Dabi is that day may never come, many of the league thought.

The others also really liked Shouto’s presence and would regularly seek him out to spoil and cuddle. Twice was really funny and always made Shouto laugh. The man was really sweet despite the contradictions he would blurt out. Jin was what Shouto thought a good father should be like. Sometimes when he saw the way the man interacted with Toga it made his heart ache. He wishes he could have had a kind father like Jin when he was younger.

Magne was a kind and motherly figure in their home. She was one who he seeked out when he was longing for his mother. When his heart ached and he wanted nothing more than to see his mom. She would brush away his tears and comfort him until he felt better. She wasn't his mama but it helped and he appreciated her a lot. For now he just had to wait until the rest of his family was found and relocated. He really wanted to see his Mom and his other siblings.

Spinner was fun too. He taught him how to be a super secret ninja and how to use swords. Until his big brother found out and after that visits with Spinner had to be supervised to make sure he didn't give more swords to the baby. Shouto pouted for an entire week when his lessons were taken away but the restrictions were never lifted.

Mr.Compress was nice and showed him his magic tricks and would play with him too. But Shouto rarely goes up to him for that because Monoma always gets a jealous pout on his face and will be mad at him for days. Which he understands he doesn't like sharing his brother either. One time Monoma asked Dabi to carry him to his room just to make Shouto mad. And his brother did it?! He couldn’t carry both of them at the same time so Shouto had to trail behind them with Monoma giving him smug looks the entire time. That was the only time Shouto wished he had his quirk so he could fight the other boy properly. And fight they did, the next day Shouto waited until no one was looking and tackled Monoma pulling his hair and biting him while the other boy flailed, slapping him wherever he could reach. They were eventually separated by Kurogiri and sent off to their parents to be punished. Neither boy could sit very well at dinner that night after the spankings they received.

Kurogiri was a strict but kind man. He didn't hesitate to swat them when they were acting bratty but he also loved making them sweet desserts and cute bento boxes for lunch. The man said they both reminded him of his days taking care of Tomura and Touya. Much to the younger villains ire insisting that they had never been as bratty or as cute as Nieto and Shouto are. Kurgiri disagreed stating that they most certainly were a pair of cute brats making the duo blush.

One day Tomura stopped Dabi out of the blue to ask how Shouto’s behavior has been recently.

“He’s been good, why?” Dabi answered, confused. 

“Because Izuku has been behaving really well and making a lot of progress recently and has been begging to see the little peppermint for a while now. I thought I could give him a little reward to help him settle in.” Tomura explained.

“He’s been good enough for a playdate? That’s new, but yeah when do you want them to have to meet?” Dabi said surprised that the stubborn green brat was actually doing well.

“I promised Izuku today. If you're not busy.” Tomura winced, hoping they weren't busy; he would hate to disappoint his little brother.

“That's fine I'll go get Shouto ready then. We can meet at the play area in the garden in half an hour.” The scarred man said, already walking away.

“Okay. See you in a bit.” Tomura replied.

Dabi rode the elevator up thinking of how excited Shouto was going to be to see his friend. When he got to their floor he went straight to Shouto’s room and opened the door. Privacy is a concept Shouto has never understood so he doesn't bother knocking.

“Hey Firefly I got some good news,” Dabi said, walking in to see Shouto on his bed playing a game on his switch.

“What is it nii-chan?” Shouto asked, pausing his game looking at his brother with big round eyes and a cute little smile.

“Tomura says Izuku’s made a lot of progress recently and he wants to reward him with a playdate with you today.” Touya said watching his little brother's eyes light up.

“Really!!” Shouto gasped, bouncing a little in excitement. He's been waiting so long to see his friends. He’s so happy they're starting to like it here too.

“Yeah firefly. Come here let's get you dressed then we can go meet them in the garden.” Touya replied while picking out an outfit for Shouto to wear.

“Okay nii-chan!” Shouto answered, lifting his arms up to be undressed. He thought his big brother changing him and giving him baths was a little strange at first but if it makes Touya-nii happy he doesn’t mind. His brother thinks he had grew up too overly independent so he often did things like spoon feeding him and carrying him around to try to break him out of his old bad habits. Now that he has Touya-nii back, he's not supposed to be independent ever again.

“So what are you going to do with your friend?” Dabi asked as he changed Shouto into a fluffy light brown hooded sweater with bear ears and matching brown pants with a bear’s face on the butt. Again Shouto thought the clothes were a little bit childish but if it made his brother happy then he doesn’t care. 

“I’m going to tell him all about my new school and my new game Tomura got me and the lessons spinner taught me and what Monoma and I do so at school and-” Shouto babbled on about all the things he was going to tell Midoriya while his brother watched him fondly responding with the appropriate hmms and ahhs. Touya hasn’t seen Shouto act so excitable since before his quirk came in, it was good to see it coming back. His baby brother has been through a hard life. He deserves to be a happy kid for once.

Once he was finished putting on Shouto’s brown fuzzy boots Dabi picked the boy up, placing him on his hip and headed to the elevator. On their way down Shouto continues to babble to his big brother about anything and everything that has happened in the past six months that he was going to tell Izuku about. The closer they got to the garden the more Shouto would wiggle happily wanting to get there faster. Dabi held him tighter as they walked into the garden towards the play area.

“Shouto!” Izuku yelled, still holding onto Tomura’s hand. This was his one and only chance he and Shouto had to escape and make a plan to come get the others once they find some outside help. Maybe they can find a way to bring heroes in from other countries to help.

“Izuku! Can I go down please?” Shouto called back happily before asking to be put down. 

“Of course,” Dabi said watching the boy start to run toward Izuku the second his feet touched the ground.

“I missed you.” Shouto murmured as he pulled Izuku into a hug.

“Yeah I missed you too,” Izuku said, tearing up. Tomura and Dabi watched fondly off to the side, letting the boys have a moment to themselves.

“Let's go play,” Shouto said, pointing towards the massive playground in the garden.

“Um okay, let me ask Tomu-nii first?” Izuku answered confused as to why Shouto was asking to play with him. Maybe he wants to hide in the structure so they can plan their escape without prying eyes watching them, Izuku thought walking back towards the adults.

 “Nii-chan can I go play on slides with Shou-chan please?” Izuku asked with pleading puppy dog eyes towards Tomura.

“Sure, just stay where we can see you.” Tomura replied.

“Thank you nii-chan!” Izuku yelled hugging Tomura quickly before running back to Shouto. Not noticing Shouto watching him and Tomura with a happy smile.

“Let's go!” Midoriya yelled, taking Shouto’s hand in his and ran toward the play structure.

“Let's go on the slide first,” Shouto said, already climbing the ladder.

“Um okay,” Izuku answered, following his friend up the ladder.

“Um Shouto,” Izuku tried to talk to the boy but he was already sliding down. Izuku reluctantly followed him down.

“Let's go again.” Shouto giggled racing back to the top of the slide before Izuku could catch up to him.

“Shouto wait-” Izuku tried but his friend was already going down the slide again. Maybe he was just trying to make them look less suspicious, Izuku thought. He decided to wait on the platform near the slide for Shouto to come back up.

“Izuku, why aren't you playing? Do you not like the slide?” Shouto asked, confused. Maybe Midorya had never been on one and he didn't like it. Shouto had also never been on a playground before he came here. But he found the experience fun; it was kinda like a little obstacle course.

“No it's not that I thought maybe we should talk first. Since we haven't seen each other in so long.” Izuku explained trying to get Shouto to stop playing. Shouto is acting a lot different from how he remembered him. He’s acting a lot more childishly and happy than ever before and while that should be a good thing he doesn’t know if it is necessarily by choice or if he was being brainwashed.

“So what have you been doing since you got kidnapped?” Izuku asked, startled by the look of displeasure Shouto sent him.

“I don’t know why you guys keep saying that. I wasn’t kidnapped, Touya-nii just came to pick me up like he always promised he would. A big brother taking back his little brother is not kidnapping.” Shouto answered with an irritated pout.

“S-sure... so what have you been doing?” Izuku stuttered, feeling like ice was being dripped directly into his veins. There's no way he is being serious right?

“Oh yeah I was just about to tell you at first I was only with Touya-nii and I couldn't leave my room and then I was good and I got to meet everyone and they let me walk around now. You don’t have to worry about the league, they are all very nice. Tomura plays games with me and Toga plays with me and Spinner teached me how to be a ninja, and Twice is really funny-” Shouto babbled on not noticing the boy in front of him no longer paying attention.

Izuku felt like he had been stabbed in the chest. From what he heard it sounds like Shouto has had access to roam around freely for a long time now. So why hasn't he tried to escape?! Maybe he's been waiting for help?

“So Shouto, have you tried to escape yet?” Izuku asked gently, trying not to anger the boy in front of him again.

“Um no.” Shouto answered confused. Mononma had asked him the same question when they first met too. 

“It's okay, I'll help you now. I need you to help me break my collar and then I'll break yours and we'll make a run for it towards the nearest exit.” Izuku said urgently.

“W-wait, you want to leave now? B-but you and Tomura looked like you were getting along so well.” Shouto stuttered, feeling his heart break. He had thought his friend was happy to be here too but he just wanted to betray Tomu-chan.

“I know it's sudden but this is our only chance. We'll come back to rescue everyone else once we can get some help from other heroes. And don’t worry about Tomura, he thinks I'm happy being his dumb little brother. He won't notice a thing until it’s too late.” Izuku said with a smirk.

“You've been lying this whole time?” Shouto questioned feeling angry for Tomu-chan. Tomura was so nice to him he didn’t deserve Izuku acting this way towards him.

“Well yeah it's not like anyone can actually like it here.” Izuku scoffed, not understanding why Shouto was acting this way. They needed to hurry up and get out of here he thought. When suddenly Shouto bolted down the steps toward the edge of the yard. Izuku, thinking Shouto hadn't heard the plan correctly, ran after him.

“Wait! We were supposed to break the collars first!” Izuku whisper-shouted. Well he can pretend they are playing tag. It wasn’t until he heard Shouto scream for his brother that he noticed that they were actually running toward their kidnappers instead of away. Izuku stopped dead in his tracks but it was too late.

“Touya-nii” Shouto screamed, while tears ran down his face. Tomura and Dabi exchanged looks of concern.

“What wrong firefly?” Dabi said, picking up his little brother. Not again he groaned internally. What’s with all these little brats and making Shouto cry?

“Izuku said he wanted to escape and that he was going to take me with him. He said he was lying to Tomu-chan the whole time so he could get a playdate to escape.” Shouto stuttered out through his sobs.

“Shouto what are you doing?! You're supposed to be a hero! We need to get out of here.” Izuku screamed in rage. His only chance at escape had just been destroyed by Shouto. 

“I don’t want to be a hero! I just want to stay with Touya!” Shouto yelled back. They're screaming match was interrupted by an angry Tomura.

“Izuku” Shigaraki growled as he stalked toward his little brother. He can’t believe the brat has been lying to him for months. Oh he is going to be punished severely.

“Wait Tenko-nii he’s lying. I promise I wasn’t trying to-” The boy tried to lie.

“Save it Izuku. Shouto has a much better track record when it comes to lying than you do.” Tomura snarled.

“I-” Izuku couldn’t come up with any excuse so he just ran as fast as he could trying to get away. 

Tomura just pressed a button on his phone and Izuku could feel a needle puncture his neck. Soon he was falling on his back looking up at Tomura Dabi and Shouto staring down at him as his vision started to fade.

“Shouto how could you…” was the last thing Izuku said as the world went black .

“Touya-nii I want to go home” Shouto whined into his brother's neck. The exhaustion of Izuku’s betrayal started to weigh on him.

“All right firefly, anything for you” Touya purred with a deranged smirk on his face. He was thoroughly satisfied with how today’s playdate had gone. While Tomura grimaces carrying his reckless brat back already thinking of all the ways he’ll punish him for his misdeed. 

What neither boy had known was that today had been a test for both of them. Their collars have hidden microphones built into them. Touya and Tomura had been listening the entire time… 

Start/Previous/Next

Dark New World

By: fairystar111

Rating: Gen

Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia

Summary:

The age of heroes is over… the League of Villains had won the war and Japan was now under their rule.   Class 1-A is declared missing in battle and a hefty bounty is announced for any information leading to their capture.   What horrors will they face if caught by the League?

(A villains win AU featuring found family and forced family.)

Characters: Izuku Midoriya, Shouto Todoroki, Tokoyami Fumikage, Ochaco Uraraka, Asui Tysuyu, Tomura Shigaraki, Dabi | Touya Todoroki, Hawks | Keigo Takami, Spinner | Suuichi Iguchi, Kurogiri, Magne | Kenji Hikiishi, Mr.Compress | Sako Atsuhiro, Himiko Toga, Twice | Jin Bubaigawara.

CW/Tags: Kidnapping, Stockholm Syndrome, Yandere, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Hostage Situations, Non-consensual Drug Use, Parental Yandere. Also all relationships between minors and adults are platonic! Fucked up but still platonic!

Start/Previous/Next

The age of heroes is over…the league had won the war and Japan was now under their rule. It happened so quickly the war had begun on an ordinary day, no one was expecting the country to be taken under siege so swiftly. Up until that point the League of Villains had seemed like a bunch of amateurs with only two known members. The heroes had been taken painfully by surprise and suddenly half of the hero population was dead and the rest had gone into hiding once All Might was killed. The number one hero had been their last hope to turn the tide of the war but the hero had died protecting his protege from All for One. At least that monster had died with him when All Might used his last of his power to pummel him into the ground, turning his body into nothing more than a pile of sludge. With All Might gone chaos spread through the streets, people were panicking and didn't know who to turn to or who to trust.

Government officials were being murdered on live television and no one was doing anything to stop it. A video of Hawks killing the president of the Hero Public Safety Commission was released shortly after he exposed the abuse he and many others had undergone in their care. With the HPSC gone, the heroes had no one to turn to to organize a large-scale attack on the league. Many died without the support while others took it as a sign to flee the country or go into hiding. 

Former heroes were being exposed for heinous crimes that were swept under the rug by the HPSC. The most shocking being Dabi or Todoroki Touya exposing Endeavour’s abuse to the public before slaughtering him with the former winged hero Hawks. The rest of Japan's government had forty-eight hours to report that they surrender and pledge allegiance to the leadership of the League of Villains or they would be slaughtered and their corpses used as a warning for those who commit treason.

As much as the remaining heroes tried they could not defeat Shigaraki and his army of villains. With All for One dead and Shigaraki inheriting his power, he and his league quickly overwhelmed them. Midoriya was only barely starting to understand how to use his power and was not strong enough to stop Shigaraki despite him thinking it is his mission to do so.

When Midoriya almost died trying to fight off a muscled quirk villain from Shigaraki’s army, Shouta and Hizashi had to make the hard decision to stop fighting and bring the class into hiding. Fully trained pro heroes were dying everyday and his inexperienced students were going to be killed if they continued to fight.

There was an old UA fortress hidden in the mountains Nezu had told him about, it was only to be used in dire situations so Aizawa had never actually been there before. But he knows the location where it is hidden and that it was an old stronghold from the dawn of quirks that had been modified for extreme post apocalyptic type disasters. The base should be strong and hidden securely enough to protect his students. With the help from Soaring, a hero that was visiting Japan when it fell, Shouta and Hizashi were able to get the kids there safely. They arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs but they were safe at least for now. 

Something that struck Shouta as odd had been the difference in treatment they had gotten in the war compared to other heroes. While their classmates and fellow teachers were being slaughtered mercilessly, Shouta and his class were only mildly injured aside from Midoriya. In fact he could have sworn during the fighting he heard someone mutter “Remember not to hurt ‘em too the big boss wants ‘em alive.”. While he is worried about what the villains meant by that. He can’t help but be grateful for it because it gave him more time to protect his kids and make a plan to escape. Now he can only worry about what is in store for them if they are caught. He knows the League had it out for his class, he can only hope they were not being spared only to be captured and tortured by them later. 

===

For the last couple of months the League has been working meticulously to build a society they think would be fair to everyone and set up official laws and appoint figureheads to step in place of them in the public and run the country exactly how they want to. They have officials who handle the public but have no real power to change things. They follow their orders and the minute one steps out of line they are slaughtered and displayed for everyone to see. The League usually only makes public appearances when squashing rebellions or publicly punishing those who disobey their rule. They may not be the faces of the country but everyone knows who is truly really running everything behind the scenes. 

It has been months since they've taken over Japan and there have been no sightings of their targets. They would find them soon enough, no matter where they run or where they hide they will never be free. The League will always chase them to the ends of the earth. They take what is theirs and those children belong to them. 

“It's been ages since there have been any sightings of class 1-A. How far along are we on locating them?” Shigaraki growled out, frustrated beyond words. He hasn’t had a chance to see Izuku since the initial decoy attack on the USJ. Last he heard his baby brother almost died fighting a rogue villain named Muscular and he wasn’t there to save him. Said villain was then brutalized and tortured by Tomura on live television to show what happens to rouges. He needs to find Izuku soon. Clearly his little brother has no survival instinct in him at all and needs his big brother there to protect him. 

“They were last spotted boarding a plane escorted by the flying hero Soaring exactly three months ago, current location unknown.” Hawks replied, angsty to get his hand on his baby bird again. He doesn't know how the poor chick is surviving without him there to watch over him.

“Have any of our soldiers been able to locate and interrogate the hero?” Tomura huffed, miffed that they were able to hide so well considering the five million yen bounty they put on each of them. Surely some civilians will be selfish enough to report them for the reward, right?

“Soaring fled Japan shortly after helping the targets escape and is currently missing. We have had several plans to locate him but none have succeeded at this time.” Mister Compress replied gently, trying not to upset Tomura more than he already was.

“This is all taking too long; they could be anywhere in the world at this point. We’ll be lucky if they decide to hide in Japan at all.” Shigaraki rasped out, roughly digging his nails into the soft skin of his neck. The idea of his little brother hiding out in a foreign country made his skin crawl.

“Hey look on the brightside, they’re not dead so that means we'll always have time to catch them later. They can’t run forever. Eventually they'll slip up and we’ll be there to take back what is ours! ” Toga said, smiling brightly. She really wants to see Ochaco again. She had met the girl in the beginning stages of the war. Ochaco had saved her from her fellow heroes and Toga has been infatuated ever since. 

“Yeah! We’ll never stop looking for them. No matter how far they try to run or where they hide we’ll always find them. Who are you guys looking to take anyways?” Hawks asked, realizing after all this time they never actually talked about which kids they wanted. They had been so busy setting up an entirely new government they hadn’t had much time to really talk about it. He just knew they were all part of the same class his baby bird was in.

“Izuku is obviously coming with me.” Shigarki said sternly. No one is getting their hands on his little brother but him. Father had left Izuku in his care and Tomura promised he would take care of Izu whether the boy liked it or not. The kid was way too reckless and seriously needed to be reined in by his big brother.

“I'm taking Shouto.” Dabi replied easily.  Endeavor did a lot of damage to his family, to Shouto in particular, but Dabi was sure he could turn his stoic brother back into the adorable baby brother he had left all those years ago. He’ll probably fight a bit at first but he’ll realize soon how much better things are here. He can be a good pseudo-father figure for his little brother and help him regain some of the childhood he lost. 

“I don’t want to adopt kidnap any children personally. But I'm always happy to babysit for those of you who will.” Said Magne, the big sister of the group. She loves children but she is just not ready to have one of her own. And of course breaking the little heroes in, is not something her heart can handle. She hates seeing children in pain and she knows that the first few months will be a very harsh adjustment on the baby heroes. 

“I already have Himiko but it would be nice to have an innocent child at home that has no blood on their hands. I hate kids! Who would you like, koko? You’re not getting any siblings! ” asked Twice. While he does already have a daughter of his own and he loves her the way she is. Having a sweet non villainous child at home waiting for them while they're out does sound appealing to him. 

“I wanted Izu-chan and Ochaco,” Himiko pouted. She wanted Izuku to be her little brother, not Shiggy’s. She had seen the boy fighting savagely in the beginning of the war and liked him and he’s one of Ochaco’s best friends so that made him even better.

“No! My little brother is coming with me!” Shigaraki screeched from across the large meeting table.

“Okay well then Ochaco is better than Izu-kun anyways!” Toga said, sticking her tongue out at Shigaraki. Ochaco would make an adorable baby sister with a little bit of work from her and her dad.

“I personally want Asui. No one knows mutant quirks better than a mutant themselves. I would take the best care of that little girl.” Spinner explained. He originally had wanted nothing to do with the kids but when he found out that there was another animal mutation like himself he started to think it wouldn't be so bad. He also saw that there was a student with a bird mutation but he did not want to get killed by Hawks for trying to take his fledgling. He had never had any siblings or planned to have a child of his own; everyone in his life has always rejected him because of his quirk. So Asui would be his child to love and raise. 

“Well I for one do not need anymore children. My little magician is all I need. He’s made quite a bit of progress recently and he will be very happy to know he will be receiving new playmates soon.” Mr.Compress purred. He had gotten his little boy months ago and while he is still a little argumentative at times he is sure that is just part of his personality. He has already made quite the breakthrough with the boy, getting him to call him papa and rely solely on him for all his needs. The others will be so jealous when they meet him, they had only seen what the boy was like months ago when he had been originally captured.

“No need to brag.” Hawks drawled coldly. He is honestly really jealous that Atsuhiro was able to get his kid so early into the game when he is still struggling to find his fledgling. 

“Anyway I’m taking Fumikage but you all probably already know that.” Hawks said lazily. He had met his baby bird while he was doing his internship and found it hard to let him go. His instincts had reacted so violently when the boy had told him he was leaving, though he knew the internship was only temporary, the thought of his baby bird leaving him had made him feel so angry and empty. Hawks wanted to keep Tokoyami for himself more than anything. Fumikage had been the reason he had turned full villain. Since there was no easy way to take the boy from his family legally, he figured when the league eventually took over Japan he could finally get Fumikage all to himself. 

“And I will be taking Eraserhead and Present Mic. And no I will not be answering why.” Kurogiri said. Shirakumo is looking to complete his collection of friends. At least the ones that are still alive, poor Nemuri will have to undergo the same process he did when he died.

Just as Shigaraki was about to reply to Kurogiri, the doors to the conference room burst open and military personnel filed into the room.

“WHAT!” Shigaraki snarled, watching the general shrink back in fear.

“Sir we've just received info that there have been reported sightings of a large group of children and two adults living on Mount Yama. The descriptions of the children and adults match the 1-A students and teachers.” The man said.

“Send in a group of stealth operatives to get their exact location while we close in on them. Gather the troops and station them all around the perimeter of the mountain, and be ready to storm the mountain in case they want to put up a fight.” Shigaraki barked with a smirk. Their kids are coming home soon whether they like it or not.

===

It had been three months since they arrived at the camp and while it was hard at first they were mostly happy. Yes there are days where they were terrified about what would happen if they were ever caught but the kids were just happy to be alive together and have a home with their teachers. Because despite everything they went through their teachers love them all and would protect them until their last dying breath. 

There had only been enough viable rations for the first month because of this they had to learn how to grow and hunt their food quickly. It was very difficult for many of the kids, most of them didn’t even know how to cook yet let alone hunt to survive. They taught them how to cure and dry meat, how to fish and hunt for animals, how to plant a garden and how to preserve food to last for months. Their teachers were very patient with them teaching them all the skills needed to thrive in the wilderness.

They have been trying to get into communication with other surviving heroes to get them to come to their base but have had no luck. The few who had answered had been terrified of even being associated with them. Apparently the league had put out an announcement that anyone that was caught helping them would be charged with aiding and abetting criminals and sentenced to execution. But those with any information on them leading to their capture would be rewarded generously. While it was hard being treated as criminals they couldn’t blame people for not wanting to die. And while most didn’t help them in any way, they were kind enough to not immediately report them to the league for a reward.

One day while out foraging for food the class could swear they felt unfamiliar eyes on them but Jirou confirmed that there was nothing out of the ordinary that she could detect nearby so they went deeper into the forest. They were out hunting for pigs to make for dinner, the wild pigs are the best source of protein on the mountain but you have to travel deep in the forest to catch them. The deeper they went the more they could sense that someone was trailing them, it felt like they were prey being hunted by a dangerous predator. Aizawa would sometimes test them by stalking them in the forest and seeing if they could sense him but… these eyes did not feel like the teacher they loved, they felt malicious. They decided to head back to camp early and alert their teachers that there was something in the forest making them uneasy and unable to focus on their hunt. When they finally arrived at their base they ran as quickly as they could to find their teachers.

“Mr. Aizawa! Mr. Aizawa! Mr. Aizawa!” The students yelled frantically, finally finding their teacher.

“What's wrong?” Shouta asked, alarmed by the frazzled state of his kids. Most of them had tears in their eyes and were trembling, holding tight onto one another. As soon as he asked, all his kids started trying to explain what happened all at once.

“Shh, one at a time please. Iida explain what happened to get you all so upset.” Aizawa asked calmly, wanting to know why the students were back from their hunt so early and why they were in such a state.

“Sir there seemed to be someone following us on our hunt today. At first we thought it  might have been you but something about the presence following us didn’t feel quite right. It felt like someone was spying on us. We're worried that someone may have leaked the location of the safe house.” Iida explained voice cracking and shoulders trembling.

“Okay calm down your teachers will figure this out. Hizashi, it's go time someone found us. They might possibly already be on the way to our location with reinforcements. I need you to come here as soon as possible and help me get the kids ready to run. What is your eta?” Shouta said urgently into the walkie talkie. Actual phones are too easy to track so they have been mostly using radio to communicate.

“I'm coming Shouta, I can be there within five minutes. Please start getting them ready without me. I'll be there as soon as I can.” Hizashi responded, worried voice coming out distorted through the small speaker of the walkie talkie.

“Affirmative, alert me as soon as you arrive.” The teacher said, quickly signing off.

“Alright I need you all to be calm and pack a bag with a couple of days worth of food in it each and dress as warmly as you can. We need to be ready by the time Hizashi arrives. Then we'll need to run as fast as we can alright.” Aizawa ordered.

“But where will we go, sensei?” Shouta heard a teary little voice ask. 

“I don’t know yet but your teachers will figure it out. Don’t worry we'll be fine. I need you all to be brave right now. Can you do that for me?” Aizawa said, heart breaking at the sight of the frightened uncertain eyes of his students all being directed at him.

“Yes Sensei.” Twenty wary voices answered back.

“Good, now go pack your bags. We need to be as quick as possible.” Shouta ordered.

The students hurried to pack while the teachers wondered where they were going to go. With the temperatures dropping they weren't going to be able to camp just anywhere unless they wanted to risk hypothermia. They needed to find a secure shelter but they didn't know if there were any left that were not out in the open or in public use. They decided that they would just have to move into any abandoned building they see and keep moving so they do not get caught. It was going to be difficult hiding with such a large group but their priority for now was getting off the mountain without getting captured. The trip down the mountain would last at least three days on foot if they were lucky. It was a risky move but they needed to leave now. The teachers quickly backed their bags of food, once they were done they went to meet with the students who had gathered by the entrance to announce their plan of action. But before they could get to explaining they heard a banging noise getting louder and louder towards the door. They quickly dropped into a battle stance as the doors to the facility were blown off their hinges.

“Well well well look who it is. You heroes have been quite difficult to track down, you know. ” Shigaraki purred, smirking with the rest of the villains around them.

“What are you doing here? They're only children, you have no business with them! ” Eraserhead yelled, ready to defend his kids or die trying.

“Hey, no need to be so aggressive, we don’t have to fight as long as you give us what we want.” Hawks said with a lazy smirk eyeing Tokoyami. He looked ready to snatch the little bird up and fly him back to his nest.

“What do you people want?” Aizawa asked, trying to think of a way to get all of his kids out of here safely.

“The answer is simple really. We want you ,” Shigarki answered with a devilish smirk as Kurogiri opened portals underneath several students depositing them in front of different league members.

“Now no one needs to get hurt as long as the ones we call surrender to us willingly.” Shigaraki said, holding four fingers to Iida’s throat.

“Izuku Midoriya, come here or your friend dies.” Shigaraki said knowing the boy would always put others before himself. The boy in question walked forward on shaky legs with a determined look on his face. ‘Aw look how determined he looks, that won't last long’ Shigaraki thought as he snapped on the quirk canceling collar around Izukus neck. He can’t have his little brother hurting himself with a quirk he was never supposed to have. Oh well he can deal with that permanently when they get back to their base. He pressed a button and the collar sedated Izuku making him fall limp in his arms. He waved his hand to his teammates to quickly get this over with. He needs to go home soon to put Izuku down for a nap.

“What did you do to him?” The boys' teachers yelled, both charging at the villain but they were quickly handled by Kurogiri, collaring them and portalling them away. The rest of the students looked significantly less brave now that their protectors were gone, most dropping their battle stances and trembling, staring at the villains.

“Shouto come to Touya.” Dabi cooed with a soft smile, arms wide open. Todoroki hesitated, clearly this man is a villain that viciously attacked his school and fellow heroes but he's also Touya-nii and Touya would never hurt him.

“Come now Shouto don’t make me hurt one of your little friends here.” Dabi growled. That made the boy come running into his arms.

“Good boy Shou.” Dabi purred as he collared the boy and placed him on his hip. He didn’t think he needed to sedate Shouto; he's always been a good boy for his big brother. He gently rocked him, shushing him when he began to squirm as the others finished up.  

“Ochako come over here! You get to come home with me and dad!” Toga said happily, holding up her fathers hand. The poor girl they chose looked as if she was going to vomit over the idea of coming home with them. While that made Himiko a bit sad, she knew her baby sister wasn't going to like living with them at first. But it's okay she and her dad just have to train Ochako a little bit first then she’ll love them just as much as they love her. Twice quickly snapped the collar around the girl's neck and put her to sleep before the poor thing made herself sick. She couldn't afford to lose any more calories, she had already lost the adorable chubby pink cheeks she had in her photos. The poor girl barely weighed anything in his arms, the months in hiding must have been hard on his little girl.  

“Fumikage come here or else.” Hawks said, holding one of his hardened feathers to Shougi’s neck. The boy solemnly marched forward, he could not risk his best friend's life over his own freedom. Fumikage cried when he was collared and could no longer feel Dark Shadow. It hurt Hawks to see his nestling crying out for his quirk as the sedative started to work but Dark Shadow was simply too powerful to be allowed to roam free. Once Fumikage was a bit more settled into his new life then they could try but that won't be for a long time. 

“Um Asui Tsu can you come here please?'' Spinner asked and that was all the girl needed to march forward, while she didnt know why she was picked she could never risk her classmates' lives for her freedom. Surprisingly she did not receive a collar around her neck but she did get a bracelet that put her to sleep. She went limp in Spinner's arms wondering if she was ever going to see her family again.

“Are you guys done yet?” Shigaraki whined, tired of waiting and ready to go home. He signaled Kurogiri to open a portal back home when he received a round of eager 'Yes!’s from the rest of the league. 

“Gather and restrain the rest of them and bring them to location B. Place them in prison A and do not harm them or touch them unless ordered too.” Shigaraki barked at the troops he had brought along. The rest of the class would make great incentives to behave or rewards for good behavior.

“Alright guys, Let's go home.” Shigaraki said, smiling softly as he and the league walked into the portal with their prized possessions. 

Start/Previous/Next

Just some general warnings and disclaimers, this is an aged up Victorian era AU that I did a sort of collab with @bakugotrashpanda, so please check out BTP’s work as well. We had so much fun discussing this idea and breathing life into it, we would love to hear how these stories made you feel. Please also note that the woman in the banner is NOT the set skin tone for reader so please feel free to have that match your own skin tone! Also this is one of my bigger works coming in at a little over 14,000 words! (maybe a part two idk) but enjoy~

The room ebbs in the low light of flickering candles, people gather in clusters like lost geese as they honk their gossip at one another causing you to sigh. It would be another long night of mental games as your cold eyes fail to warm from the eccentric sights. Silk dresses, long gloves, shimmering gems, and endless drink and food. 

Yet you hated how little power you had over your choice of being here or not. 

Countless eyes rake over your long dress, always choosing a color so deep in hue it is often mistaken for black. They often murmur curiosities as they ponder over what exactly you are mourning.

Little do they know it is your freedom. 

Tonight you are in blood red with matching gloves to your elbows, diamonds, garnets and rubies drip from your throat and ears. A sight to be seen in your bold dark colors that are often frowned upon during the bright season of spring and summer. 

A bold male approaches and yet the closer he gets to your stunning form the more meek he becomes. He nods his head and reaches for your hand, pressing his lips to your gloved knuckles. 

“May I have your first dance?” He peers up at you as you stare down with an icy glare. Removing your hand with deadly precision from a man you know of but could not care less about. 

“You may not.” You say simply and all he can do is stew in his rejection, affirming your wishes with a small nod. Another male in a smooth storm grey suit approaches. His large hand grasping onto your fingers, bringing your knuckles to his lips. 

“You look exquisite my dear. Would you honor me with your first dance?“ 

"I shall not.” Another subtle yet swift removal of your hand from his, wishing you had worn two pairs of gloves for this sniveling little asshole. Not everyone knew his secret love for abusing women but you did. He would never get the pleasure of dancing with you and in the two years since your introduction into the market you’ve made sure he had no one to wed. Using the power and respect people had towards your Father’s name, towards you for guidance, ultimately steering them away from this pathetic sack of bones. 

And with your power you were dubbed the icy hot debutante of Alryne, fierce as a flame so hot, it felt cold. 

Keep reading

DEMON PRINCE SHOUTO AU | MASTERLIST

tags/warnings: modern supernatural au, aged up characters, demons, bonding bites, fem pronoun + afab reader

PART I (1k)

Things seem to going well with the prince of hell you've accidentally taken home. Until a surprise visitor makes an appearance, and Shouto must take action to stake his claim on you.

PART II (1.5k)

You learn just what kind of ancient bond Shouto has invoked to protect you, and come to terms with what that means for your future.

PART III (coming soon)

You learn that a mating bond has its downsides (and its upsides). nsfw.

drabbles will be posted under the tag #third prince of hell au

Ditto [s. todoroki]

𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝒾𝒹𝒹𝓁𝑒, 𝐿𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶 𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒, 𝒟𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓃𝑜 𝓇𝒾𝒹𝒹𝓁𝑒, 𝒮𝒶𝓎 𝒾𝓉, 𝓈𝒶𝓎 𝒾𝓉 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀, 𝑜𝒽 𝓈𝒶𝓎 𝒾𝓉 𝒹𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑜 — 𝒟𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑜, 𝒩𝑒𝓌𝒥𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓈

→ summary: when you transferred to U.A., you didn't anticipate slipping on a pair of chopsticks in the middle of the crowded cafeteria during your first week. however, what was more surprising was the unexpected fall for the boy who gracefully caught you.

→ pairing: shouto todoroki x fem!reader

→ genre: fluff, strangers to friends to lovers

→ word count: 13.1k

→ warnings & tags: sfw, female pronouns are used, usage of y/n l/n, Class 1-A are now third-year students aka 18+, swearing, the usual U.A. chaos, reader has a Quirk, misunderstandings, some training violence, minor injuries, mentions and discussions of insecurities, aizawa briefly belittles the reader as a form of motivation, beginnings of a panic attack but it's cut short, there is one instance of the reader appearing to be ‘flushed’ in regards to a fever, since this is my first bnha fic some characters might be ooc? | please kindly let me know if I missed any tags!

→ author's note: AHHHH HERE IT IS! I've been working on this for almost a year now and I am so excited to finally share it with all of you. Honestly, I didn't think I would ever finish this story, but I kept slowly chipping away at it thanks in part to the encouragement from @andypantsx3, @missrosegold, and @getstarried. Special thanks to @pikatsum for beta-reading this for me! Thank you girls. This is for you🫶🏻

The cafeteria at U.A. High School was a pretty chaotic environment, you quickly learned within your first week after transferring from another Hero Course in the countryside. There were multiple things that could and would happen after the famous students had gotten some much-needed nutrients in their systems.

It was only three days into the school year and nothing had happened just yet, but in the U.A. world, that something was overdue.

The first chaotic event of the year that everyone had been anxiously—or in some cases, excitingly—waiting for happened on Thursday.

The day started off average; you got to school with three minutes to spare, which was a new record, but you had forgotten your pencil pouch in your dorm room, so you had to borrow some pencils from a girl who sat in front of you; Mina Ashido.

“Thank you,” you whispered as you took the pastel pink utensil from her. There was even a cute little fluffy puffball at the end in exchange for an eraser. Good thing you had an eraser in your bag.

“No problem! I gotcha!” She physically lit up and gave you a bright smile before turning back to focus on the blackboard.

You somehow managed to get through your morning classes running on the four hours of sleep you got the night before. You were cutting it quite close to passing out at your desk during calculus class, but you were saved by the lunch bell.

As soon as you stepped foot into the hallway, you were wrapped up in the faint, delicious scent of your favorite food coming from the cafeteria. Your mouth instantly watered, and you made a mad dash for the source of the delicious scent.

“Hey!” a sharp voice made you freeze in your steps. You glanced over your shoulder to find Tenya Iida, Class 3-A’s representative, glaring at you. The light reflecting off his glasses made him appear more threatening than he really was, but regardless, you still found yourself shying away from his harsh glare and rapid-moving hands. As they passed by, some students gave you apologetic smiles while others were not shy about openly staring at the scene before them, wondering what you possibly could have done to induce the wrath of the student representative. “There is to be no running in the halls!” You cowered some more at his brisk and overly formal tone.

Geez, what a stuck-up, you thought to yourself.

“My apologies, Iida.” You respond with a bow. He accepted your apology with a curt nod before he continued on his way to the cafeteria.

You waited for him to pass before rising from your bow. “Wow, he makes it feel like I broke the law or something.” You mused aloud.

“Don’t take it personally,” a comforting voice said from behind you. You turned to find Momo Yaoyorozu, Ochako Uraraka, and Tsuyu Asui standing before you. Ochako gave you a slight wave in greeting. “Iida can be quite demanding,” Yaoyorozu reassured you.

“Thank you.”

Tsuyu regarded you with gentle onyx eyes. “It’s L/N, right?”

You smiled, happy that she remembered your name from roll call. “Y-yeah! I’m Y/N L/N.” You introduced yourself. “I, um, already know who you guys are.” You suddenly felt shy, and you bashfully rubbed the back of your neck out of nervous habit.

Before your transfer was finalized, you did extensive research into your future school’s history and future classmates. Thankfully—or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it—a lot of information is public knowledge; the various attacks on the school in the year leading up to and the conclusion of the War between the Paranormal Liberation Front and the Heroes, not to mention the various televised sports festivals, and the fact that the members of Class 1-A are practically household names even before their graduation.

The girls invited you to sit with them in the cafeteria. You had been keeping to yourself the first few days of school, choosing to observe from afar the already established social circles and friend groups. You had waited for an invitation to join one of said groups, and here was your opportunity.

The four of you made small talk as you made your way through the lunch line and to the table. Right away, Asui told you to call her by her given name. You told them about your life growing up in the countryside—with you and Uraraka bonding over your shared reason for becoming Pro Heroes—about the friends you had, embarrassingly funny stories from your junior high days, and eventually what led you to transfer to U.A.

“Well, this is the best Hero Course in the country!” you all laughed. “But to be frank, the only teacher at my old academy who could handle my Quirk retired, and none of the other academies within the prefecture had the resources to help me advance. Plus, my mentor is an U.A. alumnus, so naturally, the only other choice was U.A.”

Yaoyorozu hummed. “It is a shame about your mentor retiring, but that is what led you to transfer to U.A., and for that, I am grateful.” The class vice representative regarded you kindly. “I am a firm believer of things happening for a reason, and your transfer doesn’t change that.”

Uraraka nodded her agreement. “Momo’s right. U.A. is a place where anybody can make a difference, and I think you will find success here.”

You were rendered speechless. The tips of your ears turned red as your classmates regarded you with so much hope and sincerity in their eyes. “Uh . . . I,” you bashfully scratched the back of your head. Not knowing how to respond, you instead reached for the small bottle of milk on your lunch tray and brought it to your lips.

However, before you could take a sip, a BOOM erupted from the front of the cafeteria, accompanied by a gruff voice yelling, “Don’t walk in front of me, Icy-Hot!” You reflexively jolted at the loud noises and lost your grip on the glass, spilling the half-full bottle all over the front of your uniform.

“Shit,” you exclaimed as you instinctually rose from your seat, only to quickly sit down again when the liquid started to fall to the floor. The girls gasped and were quick to hand you all the napkins in the vicinity.

“Are you okay, Y/N?” Asui asked as she watched you pat down your sodden skirt.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” You waved off her concern as you continued to wipe away the remaining liquid. The napkins managed to soak up most of it, but your skirt was still damp. If you didn’t change skirts, you were going to smell of milk for the rest of the day, and you didn’t want to start off the school year with a reputation for smelling vile. “I’m going to go back to the dorm really quickly and change into a clean uniform. Please let Mr. Snipe know that I will be late for class.”

“Do you want us to accompany you?” Yaoyorozu asked. She began to rise from her seat, but you stopped her.

“No, no. I’m okay, really.” You gave her what you hoped to be a reassuring grin instead of a grimace. “Thank you for offering, Yaoyorozu, but I’ll be fine.” Before your classmates could respond, you stood from the table and made your way to the exit.

Great, this is just great, you thought as you walked, not really paying attention to where you were going. As soon as I make some friends, I make a fool of myself.

Unbeknownst to you, there was an obstacle in the aisle directly ahead. You were too distracted by your growing inner turmoil to notice the pair of metal chopsticks lying on the ground before you until your foot made contact and slipped out from under you.

It all happened so fast that you couldn’t even react.

Time froze as you became weightless, and you felt your body become briefly suspended in the air. Before you could react and rotate your body to prevent yourself from violently banging your head on the tiled floor, gravity took hold and yanked you back down toward the ground. You squeezed your eyes shut, not wanting to witness your classmates’ reactions to your misfortune.

Great, now I’m gonna embarrass myself in front of the entire school. Fuck you, chopsticks.

You prepared yourself for the pain of hitting the hard floor but were shocked when you were suddenly wrapped in a chilled warmth. You did slam into a hard surface, but this didn’t feel like the cold tile you expected.

“Are you all right?” a voice asked from above. You opened your eyes, only to find yourself captivated by a beautiful graphite and turquoise gaze. Your mouth opened to respond to the inquiry, but you couldn’t speak. This strange yet calming gaze hypnotized you, causing the rest of the world to fade into a buzzing silence. You watched as the perfect eyebrows of the owner of those magical eyes furrowed downward at your prolonged silence, the action momentarily drawing your attention.

With your attention span no longer zeroed in on the heterochromatic gaze, the world around you suddenly slammed back into your senses at full force. The volume of your fellow classmates’ conversations was deafening at first, but your ears grew accustomed once again to zone them out and focus on the person before you.

It took about thirty seconds for the entirety of your current predicament to register within your brain.

You were hanging about ten centimeters off the ground. The only thing keeping you upright and injury-free was Shouto Todoroki’s firm grip on your wrist.

“Um, hello?” the dual-haired teenager once again drew your attention to him. His grip slightly tightened before he tugged you up onto your feet.

“I think you broke her, Icy-Hot.” A rough voice drawled from your peripheral.

The intrusion of the other voice is what finally brought you out of your stunned silence. “No, I’m okay. Not broken.”

“Did you hit your head?” Todoroki inquired. He steadied you on your feet but didn’t release your wrist from his hold. Katsuki Bakugou was standing off to the side, trying to appear like he wasn’t involved with either one of you.

“I-I don’t think so.” As you reached down to brush yourself off, you caught a whiff of the unflattering scent of old milk emitting from your clothes. You held back your gag and turned to face Todoroki and Bakugou. “I’m sorry to rush, but I really do need to go.” You gave a quick bow. “Thank you for catching me, Todoroki. Bye!”

The two boys watched you sprint away like a bat out of hell. “T’fuck is her problem,” Bakugou muttered. “Fuckin’ extra makin’ me late for lunch.”

Todoroki didn’t respond to his classmate’s remarks. His lips pursed together as he watched you nearly run into a couple of first years before you disappeared around a corner, out of sight.

“Don’ even think ‘bout it, Icy-Hot.” Bakugou drawled from beside him. Todoroki cocked an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his otherwise indifferent expression. “Gettin’ involved with ‘hat extra will ruin your precious bloodline.”

You tried to forget about the cafeteria incident, but the embarrassing ordeal refused to secede from the forefront of your mind. As you lay in bed that night, your thoughts ran a hundred kilometers a minute, antagonizing and overanalyzing every second of what had happened.

As the night dragged on, your thoughts shifted from the overall event to one single individual: Shouto Todoroki. You knew who he was, of course. You didn’t grow up underneath a rock. Yet, you weren’t prepared for how much more handsome he was in person than on the news or in photos.

You overanalyzed everything he did in the brief two minutes you were blessed to be in his company, every word he said, and every brief flash of emotion that showed in his heterochromatic eyes. Todoroki had tried to approach you after training in Ground Beta once you had returned from the dorms, but you avoided him, not wanting to face him again so soon after the embarrassing first meeting.

By Sunday, you had begun to forget about your embarrassing cafeteria incident. Your newfound friends didn’t bring up the spilled milk, and thankfully, they didn’t see you slip on the chopsticks and fall into Shouto Todoroki’s muscular arms. You breathed a sigh of relief when you found out that last part. You didn’t want them to think you were a total klutz.

Todoroki may think otherwise.

As you were rounding the corner to walk back up the stairs to head back to your dorm room, Todoroki happened to be walking down. You both turned at the same time and walked straight into each other.

He wasn’t fazed by the sudden collision; however, you were taken completely off guard. No matter how strong you may be, suddenly walking into about a hundred kilos of pure muscle would make anyone stumble. While he remained steadily standing, you, on the other hand, fell back onto your ass.

It took about three seconds for the two of you to comprehend what the hell had just happened. You groaned out when pain flashed across your backside.

“My apologies, I did not see you.” Todoroki said as he offered you a hand. You begrudgingly accepted his assistance, face heating as your super handsome classmate helped you to your feet for the second time in a week.

“Thank you,” you bowed your head to him. You brushed away some dust from your sweatpants, finding yourself too shy to look back up.

You felt a firm, yet gentle hand land on your shoulder. You jerked your head upwards to meet Todoroki’s captivating gaze. “Are you injured?” His heterochromatic eyes searched you for any injury, and they glimmered with relief when he found none.

“No, I’m okay,” you reassured the male. “I may be a little bruised in the morning, but I will be fine.” Not to mention my bruised ego.

Todoroki hummed in acknowledgment, his hand still resting on your shoulder. His eyes were hyper-fixated on you, leaving you to feel bare under his intense gaze.

You shifted your weight back and forth as the silence between you dragged on for a couple more seconds. “Um, I—” You cleared your throat. “I should be on my way now. Got things to study, you know.” You told him with an awkward laugh.

You moved to step around him when it became obvious he wasn’t going to move. Your movements are what must have shaken him out of his stupor, with him bashfully stepping to the side to allow you access to the stairway.

“Right.” He said as you walked by. “Take care, Y/N.” You startled at his sudden usage of your given name, but nevertheless, you felt oddly relieved. You smiled shyly and bid him goodbye. Nothing else was said between the two of you, but you felt his eyes on you as you walked up the stairs.

I hope he likes cinnamon; you thought as you peered into the oven.

To be fair, you should have considered that before laboring for over two hours making kinako cinnamon cookies from scratch—which absolutely failed. Therefore, as a last resort, you were forced to run to the store and buy a box mix.

The he in question?

Shouto Todoroki.

It had been several days since your embarrassing first interaction with the dual-haired male and forty-five hours since your second, literal, run-in—not that you were keeping track, of course.

You wanted to do something nice for him as a way to apologize for your newfound clumsiness and thank him for his assistance in both instances. Your calligraphy skills were not . . . up to par, so to say, by any means, so a handmade thank-you card was off the table, and you highly doubt Todoroki was a flower guy. Not to mention his affluent background, so buying him a gift or offering to take him out to dinner was null—and way too straightforward for two people who were barely even acquaintances.

Therefore, you were left with only one option: homemade cookies.

Besides, all the old aunties back home always said the quickest way to win anyone over was through food.

“Ooooh, something smells amazing!” someone exclaimed from the stairway. Smiling slyly to yourself, you turned away from the oven to the new arrival.

You hadn’t interacted much with Rikido Sato save for the casual good morning greetings and thanking him for the delicious red velvet cupcake he baked for you as a welcoming gift to U.A.

“Thanks,” you said, grinning at the male.

The combined low mutterings of more approaching classmates brought your and Sato’s attention to the doorway where Mina Ashido, Eijirou Kirishima, Denki Kaminari, and Hanta Sero were entering the dorm.

“Woah something smells fantastic!” Kaminari said, gazing into the kitchen in hopes of spotting the source of the delicious scent.

“Yeah, it does!” Kirishima agreed.

“Oh my gosh, what is it?” Ashido asked as she walked over. Her eyes lit up when she spotted you. “L/N! Did you make something?”

“I did.” You confirmed with a slight nod. “I’m making kinako cinnamon cookies.”

“Oooooh, yummy!” the pinkette exclaimed as she bounced over to peer into the oven. Your other classmates quickly joined her, all of them staring into the soft, golden light of the oven with stars in their eyes.

“They look so good!” Kaminari was practically drooling at the tawny treats. At that moment, the timer went off with a soft ting! You politely shooed your classmates back as you pulled a hand towel over your hands.

“Step back, everyone,” you warned as you opened the oven door. “They’re going to be hot.” You carefully reached in and grabbed the cooking tray, cautiously sliding it off the rack and fully into your cloth-covered hands. Despite taking precautions, you hissed as the hot aluminum seeped through the towel and made contact with your flesh. As quickly as you could without dropping the pan of cookies, you turned and set it down on the kitchen island.

“These look delicious!”

“Woah, man, they look amazing!”

“I bet they taste as scrumptious as they lo—”

You zoned out the boys’ compliments as you moved to the sink and turned on the tap.

“L/N, are you okay?” Ashido asked as she followed you. Her question caught the other's attention, and they, too, turned to watch you quizzingly.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Your response ended with a wince as your skin made contact with the cool water.

“Here, let me see,” Ashido gestured to your hand. With your permission, she took your wrist with gentle fingers and held it up for you both to inspect. Your skin was reddened slightly, but it wasn’t anything serious. You let out a sigh of relief. “It’s not serious, thankfully, but we should still put some burn cream on it just in case,” Ashido advised as she turned off the tap.

You nodded your head again and followed the pink-haired girl as she went to retrieve the first-aid kit. Before you walked too far from the kitchen, you shouted over your shoulder to your classmates, “Please don’t eat the cookies, boys! They are still hot and are for someone special!”

There was a noticeable delay in response to your warning. After a pregnant pause, there was a muffled, “okamph!” in response. You were about to turn around and make sure that they weren’t eating your treats, but Ashido calling your name changed your plans.

“Let’s fix you up, yeah?” She said as you both entered the girls' bathroom. Ashido gestured for you to sit on the counter while she dug through the first-aid kit for burn cream.

“Thank you, Ashido,” you said a few moments later as she lightly applied the cream to the worst of the reddening. Your skin wasn’t blistering, which was a good sign, but it was beginning to ache.

“No problem,” she replied. She began to gently rub the cream into your skin, mindful of the sore spots. She beamed at you as she said, “And you can just call me Mina. We are friends!”

You smiled at her. “Okay, Mina.” The two of you were silent for a couple of minutes as Mina continued to dress your burns.

“So,” she started, breaking the silence. “Who did you make the cookies for?”

You sharply inhaled. “W-what? What do you mean?” You tried to play it off by playing dumb, but Mina gave you an are you kidding me look.

“Don’t play that game with me, girl.” She scolded you. “So, tell me, who is this ‘special someone’?”

You let out a heavy sigh, dropping your shoulders in defeat. “One of our classmates. . .” You trailed off, turning away from the pinkette, and absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair around your finger.

Mina’s eyes lit up and her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “Oh my God, seriously?!?” She squealed. You turned to face her again. “Girl, you absolutely gotta tell me! Who is it?!” She went to grab ahold of your hands but stopped herself when she remembered your injury. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” You said. “But, um, I—” You hesitated, searching for the right words, but you couldn’t find them. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” You said, barely above a whisper, turning away from your classmate once more in embarrassment.

Mina leaned back, taken by surprise by your change of tone. She studied you for a few seconds, her expression falling when she saw the look on your face; the clenching of your jaw.

“It’s okay, girl,” she reassured you. She set the roll of bandages down on the counter as she finished wrapping your hand. “You don’t have to tell me who your crush is if you don’t want to.”

You whipped back around to face her, eyes wide. “C-crush?!” you stammered out. “W-what?! I don’t have a crush! I never said I did.” you explained.

“Yeah, sure,” Mina smirked at you, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You wouldn’t of baked cookies for them if you didn’t like them.”

“Um, because I’m nice?” you asked with a lilt in your voice. Mina does have a point, though, you thought.

Mina laughed. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go with that.”

A couple of minutes later, you and the pinkette exited the bathroom, laughing over something Mina had said. Your hand had been expertly wrapped and treated with some burn cream. Your injury didn’t even hurt anymore, but you were still going to check in tomorrow with Recovery Girl as a precaution.

As you rounded the corner to go back into the kitchen, you stopped dead in your tracks as your eyes fell to the now-empty pan where twenty cookies sat not even ten minutes ago. Mina stopped next to you, and you could see her giving you a questionable look, but you didn’t—couldn’t—acknowledge her. You just stared blankly at the pan, trying to process what you were seeing.

What the hell? you thought.

“Ah, man,” a voice drawled out. You slowly turned towards the source; Denki Kaminari. He was lounging against the counter as he rubbed his stomach for emphasis. “Those cinnamon kinako cookies were delicious!” Your brain blanked out when you heard that, the organ pathetically trying to comprehend and respond to the current situation.

“You’re telling me!” Kirishima piped up from beside the blond. Sero and Sato voiced their agreement from where they were seated on the couches. “They really hit the spot after the day I had.” The redhead noticed you and Mina. “Hey, guys, welcome back!” he greeted with a wave, a broad smile overtaking his features. “How’s your hand?”

You did not formulate an answer right away, your brain still processing the crumbled remains of your cookies. Your delay didn’t go unnoticed by the others, but before they could question it, Mina came to your rescue.

“It’s okay! Y/N is alright, nothing major.” She informed them. Kirishima’s gaze left you to focus on the pinkette by your side, but Kaminari’s remained transfixed on your blank expression.

“Oh, well, that’s great to hear! I was worried—”

“But you should be ashamed!” Mina cut the redhead off, tone sharp as a blade. “All of you.”

“What—?”

“Mina, why—?”

Kirishima and Kaminari spoke at once, their voices clashing, but the pinkette interrupted them once more.

“Y/N didn’t make those cookies for you.” She said. “She made them for someone special, yet you guys ate them even after she told you not to.” She just about bit the last part out. The boys gaped at Mina, her scolding catching them by surprise.

“Is that true?” Sato asked, rising from the couch to approach you. Everyone fixated their attention on you, waiting for a response.

You hesitated at the sudden limelight, and also in shyness. When you originally set out to bake the kinako cookies for Todoroki, you didn’t expect them to 1.) burn your hand and 2.) for them to be eaten by others. Even though you were upset, you didn’t want the others to be ashamed or scolded. But they did eat them after I told them not to, you thought, pondering your next move.

After a few moments, you squared your shoulders and steadily said, “Yes. I . . . made them for somebody.” At your words, the room’s atmosphere soured. The boys’ shoulders slumped as they realized their mistake.

“Shoot, L/N, I’m sorry,” Kaminari said, stepping forward to gently grab your uninjured hand and bow.

“Yeah,” Kirishima added, scratching the back of his neck and looking away slightly. “That wasn’t really manly of us.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Sero intoned, looking sheepish.

Sato came to stand in front of you next to Kaminari, who still had a gentle hold of your hand. “I’ll be more than happy to remake the cookies for you.” He said. “If you want that, of course.”

You smiled, though it was closed-lipped. “Thank you, Sato, but not today.” He bowed his head.

Suddenly, the front doors slammed open, startling the six of you. You all watched, shell-shacked—you did, at least—as a fuming Bakugou stepped inside, loudly exclaiming, “I had ‘hat dumbass villain handled! Damn Sidekick extra jus’ had to step ‘n and—” He noticed your little group gaping at him. “The hell ‘re ya fools lookin’ at?” As the words left his mouth, the other two members of the infamous U.A. trio entered as well.

“Kacchan,” Izuku Midoriya said, trying to placate the explosive male. “He was just trying to . . .” The rest of his sentence fizzled into the background as the entirety of your attention span landed on Shouto Todoroki.

It had already been well-established that the youngest Todoroki son was even more handsome in person, but seeing him in his Hero costume did things to you. Your mouth almost dropped open to gawk at his god-like appearance, but you clenched your jaw tightly shut to avoid that catastrophe. Despite that, you were pretty positive your eyes were as wide as saucers, greedily taking every inch of him in as if it were the last time you would see him.

I should sue him for the cost of my medical bills when I develop heart palpitations, you thought.

“Shut the hell up, ya stupid nerd.” Bakugou snapped at a sputtering Midoriya, drawing your attention once more. You could practically see the steam coming out of his ears.

“Is he always this angry?” you asked under your breath; half-serious, half-rhetorical.

“Oh, yeah,” Mina confirmed, voice just as low.

Sero snickered from his post next to Sato. “You get used to it after a while,” he reassured you.

One of Kirishima’s blinding smiles makes its appearance once again. “Katsuki’s always been passionate about, well, everything.” He told you, not bothering to lower his voice. “It’s who he is. We love him regardless.”

Sato chimed in with, “Platonically.” The boys snickered and Mina rolled her eyes, yet there was a small smile playing on her lips.

“Even though his sour attitude can be harsh and lowkey over the top,” Kaminari began, eyes shining with mischief. “It sure makes him fun to mess with!” Your companions groaned in exasperation and started to voice their reservations.

“No, Denki. Leave him be—” Mina urged him.

“Awe, come on, man. Don’t—”

“Heyy~ Katsuki,” Kaminari crooned, rocking back on his heels as the pale blond’s attention zeroed in on him. Kirishima and Sato facepalmed. “Why have trouble catching a ‘dumbass villain’?” he teased. “Bad day? Your head not in the game?” The hair on your arms rose to attention as an electric charge swept the room, putting everyone on edge. Kaminari’s baiting also drew the attention of the explosive male’s companions. Your eyes briefly met captivating graphite and turquoise, eliciting a sharp gasp to leave your lungs.

“You’re gonna regret the day you were born, dumbass!” Bakugou bellowed, pointing an accusatory finger at the electric blond, snapping your attention from the hypnotizing gaze. You fully expected him to charge the male, already taking a cautionary step back, but instead of explosions ripping apart the building, Bakugou grunted and moved towards the showers.

Mina turned to the blond and shouted, “Now why did you do that, Denki? You know better than to rile Katsuki up like that!”

Kirishima dragged a large hand down his face before running it through his unruly red locks. “I’ll go check on him,” he announced before jogging after the sandy-blond. You were at a loss for words as you continued to watch your classmates scold a shit-grinning Kaminari, not even the tiniest bit remorseful for his teasing of Bakugou.

“Please don’t take Kacchan’s rashness to heart.” A new voice piped up. You turned to meet the electric green gaze of none other than Izuku Midoriya, the new generation’s proclaimed Symbol of Peace. “I’m s-sorry, I don’t think we have properly met. I’ve been in and out of campus lately—with missions and such.” He practically skipped over to stand in front of you. He smiled brightly as he gently took your hands in his large, calloused ones. “I’m Izuku Midoriya. I’m so happy you are here at U.A.!” he excitedly exclaimed, lightly squeezing your entwined hands. You couldn’t hide your wince and small gasp of pain as Midoriya unknowingly squeezed your burns. The green-haired male let go of your hands so fast as if he was the one burned instead of you, eyes growing wide. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?!” he asked, noticing the bandages wrapped tightly around your hand. Midoriya’s frenzy caught the other's attention, and all eyes were on you yet again.

The tips of your ears grew hot at the unwavering attention from the Heroes-in-training—especially from a certain icy-hot male who made your heart falter in its beating. “Y-yeah, I’m f-fine.” You stuttered as you met each of your classmate's gazes, trying to reassure them of your stability.

“What happened?” Todoroki inquired, eyes hawkishly zeroed in on your face.

“U-um, well . . .” you trailed off, words fading from your brain as you slightly cowered under his unwavering attention. “I—”

“She burned herself while baking kinako cookies,” Sero spoke for you, having caught onto your growing anxiousness. You didn’t miss Todoroki’s eyes narrowing at the black-haired male’s words. Sato and Kaminari made noises of agreement, the blond absentmindedly rubbing his stomach in content.

Midoriya’s eyes shined. “Really? You did?!” He looked behind you to the kitchen, eyes searching for the aforementioned treats. “Where are they?” he asked when he didn’t spot any, only a plate littered with crumbs. He turned his attention back to you. You opened your mouth to answer, but a wave of shame overcame you as your eyes once again met those of the one you had made the cookies for.

Mina noticed your hesitation, giving you a knowing look as she answered for you. “The three idiots to your left ate them all,” she said with a little bite to her words, glaring daggers at the culprits. “After they were specifically told not to.” She reaffirmed. The boys shuddered at the reminder of their disobedience. The pinkette turned her attention back to the green-haired and dual-haired males. “I patched her up, though. The burns are minor.”

Midoriya nodded his head in understanding. “You should still see Recovery Girl,” he instructed, unashamedly expressing his concern for someone he had just properly met. “At least let her take a look at it.”

“I’m going to stop by to see her in the morning,” you reassured him, words coming back now that your mind was a little clear. His shoulders slumped in relief.

“You should rest, Y/N.” Todoroki’s searing gaze trailed over your form, calculating eyes searching for any additional outward signs of injury or discomfort. “After suffering an injury, no matter how insignificant, rest is important.” He softly chided.

“R-right.” You stammered out, at a loss for how else to respond to your handsome classmate's concern other than compliance. A wave of exhaustion washed over you at that moment. Your feet stumbled as you became lightheaded for a split second. You noticed the dual-haired male take a step towards you, catching onto your sudden exhaustion, but you quickly rightened yourself. “Thank you, Todoroki.” You’re not exactly sure why you thanked him, or what for. His concern, perhaps? He subtly nodded as you turned from the small group, breathlessly mumbling some sort of farewell and something about retiring to your room for the rest of the day.

The others muttered their goodbyes as you made your way to the stairwell.

As you walked up the stairs, head hung low, your throat began to burn and your vision began to blur with tears. The first one fell when you reached your floor, quickly followed by a couple more. You wiped them away, sniffing, as you made your way to your door. You didn’t react to the sudden presence next to you and the weight draped around your shoulders.

Mina didn’t say anything, only traced comforting circles into your back as tears flowed freely down your cheeks.

The next day, you and your classmates were gathered outside Gym Gamma for an impromptu training session. You were surprised that Class 3-A still regularly trained together, but in your defense, that assumption came from someone who didn’t have many options when it came to sparing partners up until your transfer—a major shortcoming in retrospect.

“Today we are working on ‘last stand’ combat.” Mr. Aizawa drawled in his natural I Don’t Give A Fuck tone. “Close-quarter combat in which a violent assailant has obtained the upper hand and corners you in an attempt to defeat you.” He proceeded to explain the instructions of the training exercise and pair the students into groups of four who would take turns being the Heroes and the assailants.

“Midoriya will be with Jirou.” Mr. Aizawa intoned, briefly glancing at the two students to confirm they heard. “Todoroki will be with L/N.” Your muscles stiffened when you heard that. Your heart began to race as you watched the red-and-white-haired male make his way over to you.

“H-hi,” you greeted him, giving a soft smile.

“Hello,” he said, politely inclining his head. “I look forward to working with you.”

“Same here.” You said before facing forward once more as the first group began their round. You and Todoroki observed the match in silence, with you paying extra attention to your classmates’ movements and taking mental notes of how they incorporated their Quirks into hand-to-hand combat.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew your attention. Expecting the new additions to be Ochako and Asui, you turned to greet them with a warm smile but paused when instead of your friends, Midoriya and Kyoka Jirou were standing next to you, both with warm expressions on their faces.

“Hi!” Midoriya greeted with a wide smile and a small wave. “I’m excited for this training exercise! It’s going to be so cool to see everyone’s improvement with hand-to-hand combat over the break! And any new moves! Or Quirk Awakenings! Or—” You had a hard time keeping up with what he was saying as it turned into a stuttering rant as he went on about each individual’s Quirk.

The rumors were true regarding his ramblings, you mused to yourself, wondering how long he could go on for before a small hand on his shoulder made him take pause.

“Midoriya,” Jirou intoned. “Calm down.” His cheeks flushed a bright red. He began laughing nervously while absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck.

“S-sorry,” he said, shyfully.

“It’s okay,” you reassured him. “I agree with your stance, though. Observing others' skills is an effective way to improve your own. Get an idea or two.” You turned your attention back to the ongoing training, taking mental notes of your classmates’ fighting stances and their defensive moves, trying to get a better understanding of the why behind them. You pulled a small item from your jacket pocket, absentmindedly rubbing it between your thumb and forefinger. The movement caught Midoriya’s attention.

“What is that?” he asked, green eyes alight with curiosity.

“What? This?” You held up your good luck charm; a small, pink parrot keychain from a popular cartoon series you had won years ago at one of your hometown’s summer festivals. It was lucky because at the moment, while little you were trying to win, your Quirk had manifested. “It’s my good luck charm,” you explained the pink parrot’s value to you.

“Oh, cool!” Midoriya exclaimed. “You know, I used to have a good luck charm—it was my super rare exclusive All Might trading card! First edition!” His eyes shined as he reminisced. “I would bring it with me everywhere! Even Kacchan—”

“Deku,” drawled a low voice from the other side of your gathered class. The temperature fell as Bakugou’s vermillion eyes narrowed onto Midoriya. “Don’t say another word.”

“He’s such a fanboy.” Jirou chuckled, fondness seeping into her voice. Midoriya smiled sheepishly, not bothering even to try to deny the label. You spent the time until your group’s turn getting to know the two, quickly finding out that you and Jirou share the same taste in music; vowing to swap playlists after class. You were so caught up in your conversation that you almost forgot about Todoroki's presence, if not for the awareness of a body next to you. His chilled warmth seeped into your muscles, causing you to relax one moment, and tense up another.

“Are you all right?” he softly inquired, spying your tensed posture.

“Yeah, I’m good.” You replied, softly smiling but it didn’t reach your eyes. “Just a lil’ nervous, is all.”

Todoroki frowned slightly, not understanding how you could be experiencing anxiousness. “Wh—?”

“Oh yeah!” Midoriya suddenly interjected. “This is going to be your first time demonstrating your Quirk, huh?” he asked you. “Or at least this is gonna be the first time I will see it. What is it again? Object—no—um, yeah, anyway I bet it is awesome!” His eyes still shined with his enthusiasm and curiosity. “Sometime you gotta let me ask you about it! I have so many! Does it work like Ochako’s Zero Gravity? Or Yaoyorozu’s Creation?”

You couldn’t help but give a small laugh at his eagerness. You had never met someone as enthusiastic about Quirks as Izuku Midoriya. It was kind of refreshing to interact with someone as passionate as he was.

“Kind of,” you began, silently pondering over what you know of the brunette’s Quirk and comparing it to your own. “Ochako and I have the same limitations when it comes to the weight of an object, but besides that, our Quirks are different.” Your Quirk was object manipulation; you could telepathically manipulate objects within a certain range. To you, your Quirk wasn’t all that—wasn’t anything unique by any means—but to others, you were seen as a powerful goddess. “To be honest, I’m lacking in hand-to-hand combat skills.” You sheepishly smiled.

“Really?” Midoriya asked, blinking in shock. “I thought your previous school would have prepared you for all types of situations.” Jirou nodded her agreement with the green-haired male. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Shouto continue to observe you with a calculating expression on his face.

“Unfortunately, no.” You shrugged. “Their curriculum was more focused on improving the individual’s Quirk than learning how to fight without it.”

“Oh, wow,” Jirou said. “That could put you at a great disadvantage down the line.”

You nodded. “Yeah, I know. That’s why—” You were cut off by Mr. Aizawa calling for your group to begin your training round. “Welp, this is it, I guess.” You chuckled nervously.

Midoriya gave you a reassuring smile. “You’ll do great!” he said, giving you a thumbs-up accompanied by a warm smile.

“Do your best,” Jirou added before moving towards the training pitch.

You started to follow, but a cool hand on your shoulder made you pause, shivering softly. You turned to find Todoroki giving you an expectant look. “You’ll do fine,” he said, confidently. He looked as if he put his entire faith in you. “I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

You felt a surge of confidence fill you at his words. You gave him a determined look. “Right,” you said. “We got this.”

You swear up and down his eyes twinkled when he looked at you, but it could have been a trick of the light. “You got this.” He replied, softly. The two of you walked into the pitch together, side by side.

The training went . . . not terrible, but it could have been better on your end.

Todoroki, Midoriya, and Jirou were amazing. Even without using their Quirks, they each were a force to be reckoned with. You were captivated by how swiftly they moved—as if they were ballerinas performing Danse des Petits Cygnes.

You weren’t on the same level as them and the rest of Class 3-A. You knew that, and you acknowledged it, but to see and be confronted by it so bluntly in person made you feel a whole other level of embarrassment and shame. You weren’t weak by any means, you could hold your own in a fight for some time, but not like your classmates could—and had.

Perhaps that is what separates you from your classmates. They have battle experience. Hell, they fought in a fucking war for crying out loud while you were on the other side of the country, guarding civilian shelters. You were fortunate not to see much bloodshed, but maybe that brought you to a disadvantage against these future Heroes surrounding you.

The horn had sounded as Jirou pinned you in the dirt for the sixth time, signaling the end of the round. You heard the sounds of Midoriya and Todoroki’s scuffling come to a halt from somewhere off to your left as Jirou lifted herself off of you. She offered you a hand as you began to rise from the ground. You accepted her extended hand with a grimace as the muscles in your back burned.

“Nice work.” Mr. Aizawa said as the four of you approached. “You performed adequately,” he addressed Jirou, Todoroki, and Midoriya. He turned to you. “You, not so much.”

You flinched as the words landed home. Damn, you thought, but he’s not wrong. You had naively allowed yourself to believe that Eraserhead wouldn’t call out your inferiority, at least in front of others. Then again, he was Eraserhead—infamous for his bluntness and apathy.

“Your skills are greatly lacking in hand-to-hand combat,” he continued. “I haven’t seen somebody so physically inadequate since your classmates were first years. Coming from another Hero Course, especially one with its reputation, it’s to be expected that you’re not up to par with your new classmates, but I didn’t think it would be this bad.” As he spoke, he never broke eye contact with you, scrutinizing you. Even with one eye, his unrelenting gaze made you feel as if he could see every minuscule detail about you. “Based on the performance I saw today, it was a mistake to put you in this class.”

You heard a gasp from one of your classmates; its owner unknown. You gulped down your shame and remained silent. You had a feeling Aizawa wasn’t finished with you.

“From here on out, I expect you to train harder and push yourself further than anyone else. Extra training, extra classes—anything that will make you catch up.” His eye narrowed. “If I do not see substantial improvement in one month, you will be expelled. No exceptions.”

Your eyes widened, but your shock did not stop you from replying. “Yes, sir.” You said, keeping your tone neutral as you mulled over his words. Although extreme, I understand the reason for Mr. Aizawa’s methods, you thought. He’s right though. I’m far from even scrapping the level these guys are on. I need to be more disciplined and work even harder if I want to stand on equal ground with my classmates. Resolve made, you promised, “I will go Plus Ultra!”

“Yaass, Y/N!” Mina cheered. “Woohoo!”

Aizawa didn’t say anything else to you, promptly dismissing the class. Midoriya praised your performance and commented on his wish to sit down and talk in-depth with you regarding your Quirk. You promptly accepted his request, telling him you would let him know when you were free. He smiled before walking off to join Iida and Ochako.

“If it means anything,” a voice suddenly intoned from behind you. You spun around, having not sensed the person's approach. You weren’t all that surprised to find Todoroki there, softly regarding you. “I think you did well.”

You scoffed but smiled softly. “Thank you, but you don’t have to patronize me. I have a lot of work to do if I want to catch up.”

“You will,” he declared, before quickly clarifying, “Catch up. Especially with my help.”

You furrowed your brows. “Excuse me?”

“Should I repeat myself?” he inquired, his heterochromatic eyes swimming in mirth. “I will assist you in your training and classes.”

You didn’t respond right away, regarding him with suspicion. You waited for him to name a condition for his help, but when he offered none, you relaxed. “Thank you, Todoroki.” You inclined your head. “I greatly appreciate it.”

“Shouto,” he corrected.

You blinked at him, taken aback. “What?”

“Shouto,” he reiterated. “You may call me Shouto. We are friends, are we not?”

You gaped at him for a moment, processing his words. “Ye-yeah!” you said a little too loudly. “We are friends, Shouto.”

The small smile that graced his lips lit up your entire world and caused your heart to speed up, pounding almost painfully against your ribcage. “Meet me here tomorrow after class.” He instructed.

“Tomorrow.” You repeated in confirmation.

His smile grew a little wider. “See you then, Y/N.” He said before turning on his heel and strolling away. You watched him go in a daze, in disbelief of what just occurred.

“Oooooooo, Y/N’s gotta date!”

You shrieked at the sudden voice and spun around for a second time to find Mina standing there, hunched over laughing at your reaction.

“Mina!” you shrieked, placing a hand over your heart. “You scared the shit outta me!”

She continued to laugh. “Sorry,” she said once her laughter died down. “You were so entranced with Todoroki that you didn’t even realize I was here!”

“Oh, yeah right.” You responded, playfully rolling your eyes. The two of you began to walk to the dorm. “I wasn’t entranced with him.”

The pinkette gave you a look of disbelief, an eyebrow raised. “Yeah, sure,” she retorted. “You can lie to yourself all you want, but you ain’t lying to me.”

You scoffed but didn’t attempt to refute her claims. You put your hands in your pockets and looked to the ground, lost in thought. Mina didn’t say anything else, allowing you both to walk in silence.

The next afternoon, you met Shouto at the training grounds outside Gym Gamma for your first tutored training session. He regarded you kindly as you slowly approached, suddenly feeling quite bashful.

“Thank you for offering to do this, Shouto.” You said when you arrived. “It really means a lot. I don’t know how I’m going to repay you.”

“There’s no need for repayment.” He softly responded. “I volunteered to assist you. Therefore, no repayment of any sort is necessary.”

“Are you sure?” you asked. “I don’t want to inconvenience you—”

His soft call of your name made your next words die in your throat. “I assure you, this is fine.” He said. “Your company and attention are substantial enough.” You felt your face warm at his admission. Shouto gestured towards the training pit. “Shall we begin?”

He started by teaching you some stretches that are supposed to help decrease sudden muscle spasms and strengthen them. Afterward, he had you show him the little knowledge you had of hand-to-hand combat to gain an idea of where you stand in regard to U.A. training. Once you had demonstrated the few kicks and different styles of punching you knew, you turned to judge Shouto’s impression.

Your breath caught at what you saw.

His handsome features remained stoically blank for the most part, but the pursing of his lips and slight furrowing of his brows spoke a different tale. He grumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like they didn’t prepare you at all, but you weren’t one hundred percent sure.

“Shouto?” you inquired, voice slightly uneven as your mouth formed the syllables of his name. “Is everything alright?”

His beautiful eyes snapped to yours, and once again you were frozen by the intensity with which he looked at you. His gaze was calculating, and you could just about see the cogs turning in his brain as he silently regarded you. A couple long moments later, his lips parted on an exhale and he finally addressed you.

“We have a lot of work to do.” He declared. “But we already knew that.” You slowly nodded your head, curious as to where he would be going with this conversation. “Thankfully, you’re not completely helpless,” he intoned dryly. “Even though you don’t have many skills regarding physical, non-Quirk combat, I have identified several places where we can start, correct, and then build on.”

You steadied yourself, resolve firmer than ever before. You declared, “I’m ready.”

Shouto gave a quick, but detailed, overview of his plans for your ‘training tutoring’, you referred to your sessions as. He was going to teach you everything he thought you should know—which was everything he knew—in order to successfully become a Hero people could rely on.

The two of you began by improving your physique. You joined him on his early morning run along with Midoriya and Bakugou, who welcomed you with contrasting fervor. When you met for your afternoon training, you would run five kilometers before learning various grades of combat moves, and then concluding your time together by sparring.

It was established early on that neither of you would use your Quirks during your tutoring as the two of you were well-adapted to your respective Quirks—and the strict rules regarding their usage.

For the next several weeks, you worked tirelessly on your training, and your dedication and hard work paid off. At your end-of-the-month assessment, Aizawa was pleased by your rapid and exceptional improvement and announced you could stay at U.A. He also informed you that it was never his intention to expel you in the first place, but nevertheless, he was impressed by your efforts.

You and Shouto continued to grow closer as time went by. You still had your training tutoring sessions in the afternoons, and you became a regular on his early morning runs. You even hung out outside of class and training; preparing pre-workout meals and drinks together, and various study sessions at all hours of the day and night. Once, you even packed him a small canister of his favorite brand of soba noodles for lunch one of the weekends he was interning at his father’s Agency. When he came back to the dorm after his shift, he made a beeline for you and promptly informed you that from then on out, you would be solely responsible for packing his lunches.

“Now why would I do that?” you implored. You crossed your arms, awaiting his response. “Are you gonna pay me?”

Shouto slowly blinked at you in the way a cat would. “Why would I compensate you for an action you chose to do?”

You had no retort for that.

As you spent more time together, you noticed some changes. Shouto would stare at you for seemingly no reason, and whenever you called him out on it, he feigned innocence. He also sought you out more often, insisting on walking to your next class or to and from the dorm by your side. He even began to occupy you on your shopping runs, dutifully holding your bags for you. And whenever you would thank or compliment him, his whole demeanor would light up as if Aphrodite herself had shown favor towards him.

You weren’t any better, though.

If Shouto would do so much as even blink in your general direction, your heart would soar and butterflies would take flight in your stomach. At first, you brushed it off as nerves for being the subject of the Shouto Todoroki’s attention, but you were in denial, not wanting to admit what was actually occurring. Looking back, you realized that deep down, you had known all along what was happening, but at the time, you weren’t ready to admit it—to yourself and him.

Regardless of your rebuttals and lack of admission, you were falling for your dual-haired classmate, hard and fast, and there wasn’t anything you could do about it.

3 months later . . .

“Y/N! It’s starting! You’re gonna miss it!” Ochako shouted from the couches, the other girls of Class 3-A surrounding her, all dressed in comfortable loungewear. It was the class's annual Girl’s Movie Night, which was held every couple of months. Tooru told you earlier that week that they would like to have it more often, like once a month, but given their hectic and ever-changing schedules, the girls had to settle for every few months. They took turns who got to pick out the movie. It was Mina’s turn this time. True to her nature, she selected an early 2000s chick flick set in the States.

“Hold on, wait for me!” you hollered back as you finished pouring the freshly popped popcorn into a large bowl, a few kernels spilling out as you whirled on your heels to sprint into the living area. You nearly tripped over Jirou’s legs as you practically threw yourself towards the last remaining free spot on the couch.

“Ah, sorry!” you exclaimed as you settled yourself into the cushions, checking over Jirou and your popcorn bowl. “Did I miss anything?”

“No, it’s just starting,” Momo said, taking a sip from her cup of tea as the opening credits began to roll.

“Ooh, this is one of my all-time favorite movies!” Mina squealed next to you. “Have you ever seen it before?” she asked.

You hummed, acknowledging her question. You thought hard, trying to recall if you’ve ever seen the characters on the screen before. “I’m not sure,” you said. “I don’t think so.”

The pinkette gasped aloud and theatrically placed a hand on her chest, sprawling backward. “Y/N! You wound me!”

Across the room, Tooru piped up from her spot next to Asui. “How could you not have?! It’s only one of the greatest movies ever made!”

“Oh, I’m not so sure about that,” Ochako interjected. “Gonna have to disagree.” You expected them to start arguing back and forth over what is truly the greatest movie ever made, like your friends back home would have done, but they don’t. Mina stuck her tongue out at Ochako before turning back to the movie.

You all watched the movie in relative silence, save for the light background noise of popcorn moving around in a bowl and slurping from a now-empty straw. It was nice, peaceful; a well-deserved and appreciated respite from the grinding hustle of being Pro-Heroes-in-training.

“Just confess already!” Jirou shouted at the screen as the main character allowed another opportunity for them to confess their feelings for their classmate slip through their fingers. “Gosh!” A corner of your mouth curled at her irritation. A few grumbles of agreement sounded from the others as the movie continued playing.

You had to stifle your laughter as the main characters continued to pine after one another, completely oblivious to the other’s growing feelings. I can’t believe there are actually people in the world who are like them, you silently mused. It’s so obvious they like each other. I can’t believe they don’t see it.

“Ugh, the anticipation and pining is killing me!” Tooru cried out, her slippers moving frantically in the air as she kicked her legs.

Asui raised a brow. “I thought you’ve seen this movie before?”

“Well, yeah, I have,” the invisible female said. “But the suspense still gets to me!”

“It is quite intense.” Ochako agreed. “I hope they confess soon. It hurts to see them think the other doesn’t return their feelings.”

“I don’t understand how they cannot.” You admitted, shrugging your shoulders. The girls turned to look at you as you continued, “I mean, they’re so obvious.”

“Yeah, it’s kinda annoying at this point,” Jirou mumbled.

Mina snickered. “Y/N, as if you’re one to talk.”

You gave her a questioning look, eyebrows furrowing. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, come on. You’re so obvious, too, with your crush—”

You cut her off, “I do not have a crush.”

“You have a crush?” Asui asked. You and Mina responded at the same time.

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, she does.”

“What is this about?” Momo inquired, reaching for the remote and pausing the movie.

“Nothi—” you began but was swiftly interrupted by the pinkette next to you.

“Y/N has a crush on Todoroki!”

The girls gasped and gapped at you, eyes wide.

“I do not!” You said, face burning as you tried to mitigate the situation. “We’re not like that!”

“Oh my.” You thought you heard Momo say under her breath, but you couldn’t really hear since Tooru started shrieking with glee.

“You guys would be the cutest couple!” she exclaimed, jumping up from her spot on the couch and racing over to pull you into a tight embrace.

“I mean, it does make sense given they spend so much time together.” Ochako mused, a finger on her chin as she considered the situation.

Asui jumped on the bandwagon with, “Oh they are definitely into each other.”

“One hundred percent,” Mina agreed.

“Girl, you gotta spill the tea!” Tooru exclaimed as she pulled away. “Tell us everything!” The others voiced their agreement.

“I do admit, I am curious as to how this relationship came to be,” Momo vocalized, setting her tea cup down onto its saucer. “That is if the two of you have gotten that far into your companionship.”

You blinked at the midnight-black-haired woman, shock clouding your brain for a moment as you processed her words. “Um, n-no. We aren’t in any type of r-romantic relationship.” You clarified, but immediately you could tell certain people thought your answer was complete horse poop. “We aren’t!”

“Regardless, you guys are pretty close,” Ochako interjected. “I’ve seen the way you look at him.”

Jirou nodded in agreement. “And all the extra training you do together.”

“The early morning runs,” Asui added.

“Okay, okay,” you threw your hands up in a placating manner. “I understand what you guys are trying to get at, but you’re wrong.”

Mina came to stand beside you, giving you a knowing look. “Girl, Y/N,” she began. “You can try with all your might to deny it, but it’s obvious what is really going on between you and Shouto.” She placed a delicate hand on your shoulder. “And I know you know it, too.”

You stared at the pinkette, pondering her and the other’s words. You wanted to continue denying what they were saying, but you were getting tired of denying your feelings to yourself. You slumped your shoulders, the tension leaving your body as you resolved to come clean with the truth—to yourself and your friends, besides a certain dual-haired male. “Alright, fine.” You let out a heavy sigh, mentally preparing yourself for their reaction to your next statement. “I like him a little.” You confessed, looking at the floor, too afraid to meet any of their gazes.

The room was dead silent for two breaths before Mina erupted in choking laughter. “’A little’? Yeah RIGHT!” She laughed so hard that tears began to stream down her pink cheeks. After she managed to calm down a bit, she turned to face you fully, laying a hand on your knee. “Girl, you’re lying to yourself.” She told you, tone light yet serious. “We have all seen the way you look at Shouto—” the others nod in confirmation. “—and your eyes tell it all.”

You flinched as embarrassment flooded you. “Is it really that obvious?” you asked. You turned to the others to gauge their reactions. “Am I?” They all nodded.

“Definitely.”

“For sure.”

“We could see it from a mile away.”

You gasped. “Oh my,” you covered your face with your hands. “Do you think Shouto knows?”

“I doubt so,” Momo said. “Shouto is quite intelligent and a formidable force to be reckoned with, but as I’m sure you’re aware, his experience and understanding of social concepts and cues are fairly limited.”

“In other words,” Jirou interjected. “He’s none the wiser.”

You released a sigh of relief. At least he doesn’t think I’m a psycho stalker or something.

“Hey, give him some credit, guys,” Ochako remarked. “Todoroki’s more aware than he’s given credit for.”

“Moving on,” Mina said. “Have you thought about confessing your feelings to him?”

You crossed your arms over your chest, shamefully looking away. “No. . .”

“What?!”

“Really?!” Tooru shouted. “But he’s so hot!” The sleeves of her shirt crossed in front of her. “I would do anything to be his girlfriend.”

You laughed. “While you are correct about his handsomeness, I don’t even know where I would begin or how I would confess.”

“Your feelings are valid, Y/N,” Asui assured you. “Confessing one’s feelings for another is a life-changing occurrence.”

“You gotta do it before graduation in a couple months, though,” Ochako added. “If not, then you may never get another chance to do so.”

“Why do you say that?” you asked. “As Pros, wouldn’t we work together often? Why does it need to be before we graduate and turn Pro?”

“Possibly, but with our chosen line of work, there is always a possibility. . .” she trailed off with a grimace.

You understood immediately. “Oh.”

“Although rare in the line of duty, it does happen.” Momo said. “I wouldn’t worry about that though, but I agree with Ochako.”

“Plus,” Mina began, mischief glowing in her eyes. “If the two of you get together before you make your Pro Hero debut to the world, you wouldn’t have to worry about him falling in love with some random civilian he rescues on the street or another Pro.”

You nodded. “You have a point.”

“Either way, I think it will all work out in the end,” Ochako said, her cheeks widening with her smile. “I think perhaps Shouto returns your feelings, and just simply doesn’t know what to do about them or how to address them, therefore you should tell him.” The other girls voiced their agreement.

“Yeah, it doesn’t have to be some big romantic gesture or anything,” Jirou said.

“Just be honest with him, Y/N,” Asui said.

“Yeah, girl,” Mina added, giving you a warm smile when you met her gaze. “You got this. Besides, he can’t reject you. You’re too hot for that.”

You squared your shoulders as a burst of confidence filled you thanks to the encouragement you received from your friends. “Okay, I will!” you loudly announced. “I will confess my feelings to him!”

The others cheered as you all held up your lemon water in a faux toast. In your happiness, none of you noticed the shadows shift in the stairwell and the soft noise of retreating footsteps on the wood.

You were screwed.

“How am I gonna tell him!?” you mewled aloud a couple of days later in the cafeteria. You dramatically slumped your forehead on the tabletop, mentally kicking yourself for allowing the girls to convince you that confessing your crush would be an easy endeavor. You felt a reassuring pat on your shoulder. Groaning, you lifted your head from the table to shoot puppy eyes at Ochako. “Ochako, help me!” you cried. “How do I confess?”

The brunette gave you a sheepish smile. “I don’t know, Y/N.” She professed, her eyes apologetic. “Proclaiming one's love for another isn’t really my strong suit.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Asui mumbled under her breath before taking a sip of her drink, receiving a glare in response.

“Y/N, sweetie,” Mina cooed from your other side. “I think you’re overthinking it a little. It shouldn’t be but so hard. Just be honest with him!”

“But that is hard!” you said, waving your hands in the air. “I can’t just walk up to him and say, ‘hey, Shouto, I think you’re really hot and amazing. Wanna go out with me?’”

“Sure you can,” Momo intoned, trying to reassure you. “Maybe not in those exact words, but when the time comes, you will know what to say.”

“I hope so,” you sighed, slumping your shoulders. “I hope so.”

As time passed, you found that you did not, in fact, know what to say when the time came to confess your feelings to Shouto Todoroki. Whenever you were near him, you became tongue-tied and could barely speak without becoming a stuttering mess. During each interaction, Shouto would give you a long, confused look, his eyebrows drawn downwards as he watched you struggle for words. He wouldn’t comment on it, bless him, but he must’ve thought you to be a total weirdo.

Yet, he still accompanied you on the walk back to the dorm every day after classes ended, and he insisted on continuing your training sessions every weekend after he finished his shift at Endeavor’s Agency. The two of you grew closer, to your absolute delight, and yet you still hadn’t managed to work up the courage to confess your feelings to him.

Until one day . . .

You were sitting in homeroom during free period, chatting with Midoriya about the latest episode of the rebooted All Might: The Mightiest Man TV series.

“I’m telling you, Midoriya,” you said. “It doesn’t matter how much the animation and special effects have improved, the original will always be better than the reboot.” You crossed your arms and lounged back in your chair, waiting for the forest green-haired male to start sputtering his counterargument. “You can’t change my mind. I will die on this hill.”

“Are you seriously sayin—?”

A call of your name from a familiar tenor drew your attention. You turned towards the source to meet a pair of heterochromatic eyes. Shouto was making his way to your desk, coming to a stop right in front of you. You had to tilt your head back in order to maintain eye contact. After a moment, he turned his attention to Midoriya next to you. “Pardon me, Midoriya, but I need to speak to Y/N in private.”

You and Midoriya gaped at the dual-haired male for a good twenty seconds before you slowly rose from your seat. “O-okay.” You turned to face your green-haired companion. You hoped your eyes were conveying your inner panic as you said, “Midoriya, I’ll be back.”

All he could do was nod as he watched you follow behind Shouto, wondering why you looked so panicked to go with the male. Maybe you were constipated.

As Shouto led you toward the classroom door, Ochako and Mina shot you curious glances. When you met their gazes, they gave you a reassuring smile and a thumbs up, respectfully.

“Good luck, girl!” Mina whisper-shouted.

“You got this, Y/N,” Ochako said. You tried to match her comforting smile with your own, but it didn’t reach your eyes.

You followed behind the dual-haired male, silently wondering what was going on. Once you were outside the classroom, he led you down the hallway to a little corner nook bathed in the golden light of the afternoon.

“Shouto, is everything okay?” you asked, anxiously shifting from one foot to the other. “Is something wrong?” At your inquiry, he finally came to a stop in front of a set of windows and turned to face you.

“Yes, everything is fine.” He reassured you. “I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”

You blinked. “Okay,” you said. “Shoot.”

Shouto likewise paused at your usage of unfamiliar slang but didn’t comment on it. “Um,” he started, but drifted off, not finishing the thought. He opened his mouth only to shut it again after a moment or two without making a sound. You furrowed your brows as you continued to watch him struggle for words.

“Um, Sho?” you prodded. He didn’t respond, however, still thinking over his next words. Shouto never hesitates, you thought with a mixture of wonderment and anxiety. Is something bothering him? you thought with growing concern. You felt your heart come to a skittering stop as another horrifying conclusion came to mind; am I the problem?

“I overheard you and the other girls’ conversation on Movie Night,” he confessed at last, interrupting your spiraling train of thought. He bashfully looked away as if he was ashamed.

“Oh, okay?” you responded, absentmindedly going through the events of the night in question. Your heartbeat began to calm down to a normal rate. “What conversation?” You couldn’t think of anything in particular and were about to ask him to elaborate before the realization hit you like a freight train.

“I like him a little.”

“Okay, I will! I will confess my feelings to him!”

“Yeah, girl, you got this. Besides, he can’t reject you. You’re too hot for that.”

Oooohhhhh.

Fuck.

Maybe he didn’t hear that particular part of the conversation! You tried to reassure yourself as you waited for Shouto to answer your question. Your heart rate picked back up as panic began to settle in. We were there for several hours. There is so much he could’ve—

“You have an admiration going on.” You hate to admit you gawked at him for a couple of seconds before his formal wording translated into modern speech. You have a crush.

FUCK!

“Oh my God, I am so sorry!” you rushed out, trying to save face and whatever friendship you had with Shouto. You felt your cheeks burn. “Please, just forget you ever heard that!”

Shouto snapped his head to you as your words registered in his brain. “Why would I do that?” he asked after a moment. “We live in the same building with shared living space, barely anything is not overheard by another.”

Oh God, how much did he overhear?

“Besides,” he continued. “At our age, it is completely natural for one to harbor feelings for another.”

You blinked at him as his words registered, your cheeks now tingling due to the burn. Gosh, he sounds like a grandpa giving the birds and the bees talk.

“It—it’s j-just,” you stammered. “I-I-I—” You let out a harsh breath in frustration when your words continued to fail you. Shouto raised a brow before his eyes narrowed. Your heart sank when you saw that.

Oh great, he’s annoyed!

“Are you all right?” he asked before moving so he was right in front of you. You squeaked at the sudden warmth of his body heat as he placed a hand on your forehead. “Do you feel ill? You feel warm, and your face looks to be flushed with some perspiration gathering on your forehead.” His eyes frantically looked you up and down as he examined you for any further signs of sickness. “I should get you to Recovery Girl.”

“N-no!” you exclaimed when he went to sweep you off your feet. “Sh-Shouto, I—I’m fine, really. I’m n-not s-sick.”

“Oh?” Shouto blinked in confusion and, adorably, subtly tilted his head to the side. “Then why are you so febrile? And you are stuttering?”

“It’s not because I am sick. I’m just em-embarrassed.” You whispered the last part, and you couldn’t help but look away from Shouto in shame.

“Embarrassed? Why are you embarrassed, Y/N?” You shut your mouth, refusing to speak. Shouto sensed your hesitation. The light slowly left his heterochromatic eyes and he bashfully looked away from you. “Is . . . is it because you don’t want to be seen with me?” he asked. “For fear that your crush will see us together and not return your affection?”

You let out a gasp in surprise. “What? No!” You are quick to reassure him—your actual crush—of your intentions. “That’s not it at all!”

Shouto met your gaze again. His eyes lit up with what looked like . . . anticipation? Hope? You weren’t sure, but your heart began to race in trepidation. “Then what is it?”

“I like you,” you blurted out. You shut your eyes and covered your face with your hands, trying to hide from your drowning embarrassment. “Like, not even a little bit, but, like, really, really like you.” You whispered from behind your hands.

There was no immediate response from the dual-haired male. You didn’t dare to remove your hands from your face to check if he was still standing in front of you.

He probably didn’t hear me. You internally slapped yourself upside the head.

Before you could react, Shouto was carefully removing your hands from your face. His touch was gentle, like he was afraid you would crack and break under his fingertips. “Why are you hiding from me?” he whispered. Your breath caught in your throat as you stared wide-eyed at him.

“I—I.” Despite your efforts, words weren’t able to come out of your mouth.

“You should never feel like you need to hide,” he continued. He let out an airy tsk before he reached his hand up and gently tucked a piece of stray hair behind your ear. You felt your face heat up even more at the action. “Especially from me.”

What.

“W-what?” you voiced aloud. You blinked a couple times, trying to bring your brain back from the brink of short-circuiting.

Shouto chuckled lowly, moving impossibly closer into your space. “I think you need to get your hearing checked out, love.”

You blinked some more. “What?”

“Have I broken you?” he asked, the corner of his perfect lips turning up at the thought. “First you forget your words, and now you have lost your hearing. . .” he trailed off as he continued to stare intently into your eyes.

What is he playing at. . .? you wondered as you blankly stared at him.

The two of you stood there and took each other in for quite a while. In reality, it mustn’t have been for very long—at most a minute and a half—but to you, it felt like hours. You were so close you could see the light reflecting in his heterochromatic eyes and the small streaks of gray in the turquoise-colored one.

“I . . . like you, too,” Shouto suddenly confessed, violently snapping you out of the daze his proximity causes. “I have harbored feelings for you for some time now.”

WHAT!?

“You . . . do?” you asked, skeptical. You were hesitant to believe his words in fear that this whole thing was some sick prank. But—

No. Shouto isn’t that type of person, you thought. He barely understands humor as it is, so he must be telling the truth.

“I do,” he confirmed.

“Oh, um.” You fumbled again for words, embarrassment flooding your entire system once more. You licked your dry lips, missing the way Shouto’s eyes locked onto the movement. “Cool.”

Shouto blinked at you, one of his perfect eyebrows raising. “Cool?” he repeated with a sly smile overcoming his lips.

“Mhm.” You dumbly nodded. “Cool.” You paused before muttering a small, “Ditto.”

He chuckled again, subtly moving the tiniest bit closer to you. He was just about crowding you into the corner at this point. “Ditto, huh?” He mumbled under his breath with a widening smirk playing at his lips. “I think I have broken you, dear.”

You grinned. “Perhaps.” Shouto chuckled again before falling silent. The two of you stared at the other, lost in each other’s gazes.

“Can I kiss you?” He spoke on an exhale, his deep voice somehow even deeper. Before you could internally flip the fuck out and fully comprehend what was happening, you were already nodding. That was all the confirmation Shouto needed before he brought your lips in for a sensual kiss. Fireworks exploded behind your eyelids as you relaxed into him.

You smiled into the kiss. Thank you, chopsticks.

The next day, you and Shouto walked into the classroom holding hands. Everyone collectively stopped what they were doing to openly gape at the two of you as Shouto, always the gentleman, escorted you to your seat. The shocked silence lasted all but three seconds before Mina and Tooru let out ear-piercing shrieks and practically tackled you.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” Mina was shouting meanwhile Tooru was holding onto you so tight to the point that she was nearly crushing you into her invisible body.

“AHHHH, I knew this was gonna happen!” she exclaimed before somehow pulling you in closer.

“Can’t . . . breathe.” You wheezed out before your boyfriend pulled you away from the two fangirls and protectively held you to his chest.

“I would be grateful if you didn’t crush my girlfriend to death, Tooru.” He intoned in his naturally dry tenor. His statement only made them freak out even more.

“Ah! Look at the two love birds!” Ochako swooned.

“Fuckin’ disgustin’,” grumbled a deep voice from somewhere in the back of the room.

Before you could turn to shoot Bakugou a death glare, Shouto was already clapping back. “What, are you jealous, Bakugou?”

The desks which had surrounded the blond a moment prior were blown to shiverines.

“I’LL END YOU!”

Fin.

→ extras: snapshot 1, snapshot 2, fic tag

No plagiarizing, re-uploading, translating, or copying of any kind or on any platform of my writing or inserted into any type of AI generator. Do not recommend my work on TikTok. Do not repost on YouTube.

𝑤𝘩𝑒𝑛 𝑖 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒 : 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑘𝑖 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑜 𝑥 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟

𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦: In order to placate your anxious mother, you agree to return to your hometown to participate in a mating run—knowing full well that betas rarely get chased, never mind betas nearly old enough to age out of the practice. You’ve decided to treat it like a vacation, a chance to visit with your childhood friends, the mating run itself a nice relaxing hike. All in all it’s a solid plan—until alpha Todoroki Shouto, your best friend's little brother, steps in and blows it all to pieces. 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡: omegaverse, no quirks au, alpha!shouto, beta!reader, mating rituals, age gap, best friend’s little brother, older reader, afab reader, some class differences, aged up characters, semi-public sex, slight small town romance vibes, background implied dabihawks for some reason, smut, 18+; mdni! 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑠: For @lorelune's spring fever collab! This fic is a little bit different than my usual fare—part love letter to my hometown, part omegaverse smut, part style experiment—but I hope you enjoy it anyway!! I also want to call out that Reader in this fic is Touya’s contemporary, and is therefore older than Shouto. Everyone is in their 20s and I’ve purposefully left the age difference ambiguous in case the canon gap squicks you out, but please know there is a difference of at least ~3 years implied. 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ: 21k (estimated)

𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑖 — april 6

𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑖𝑖 — april 13

𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑖𝑖𝑖 — april 20

𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑖𝑣 — april 25

↳ read on ao3 (link tba)

DEMON PRINCE SHOUTO AU | MASTERLIST

tags/warnings: modern supernatural au, aged up characters, demons, bonding bites, fem pronoun + afab reader

PART I (1K)

Things seem to going well with the prince of hell you've accidentally taken home. Until a surprise visitor makes an appearance, and Shouto must take action to stake his claim on you.

PART II (1.5K)

You learn just what kind of ancient bond Shouto has invoked to protect you, and come to terms with what that means for your future.

PART III (coming soon)

You learn that a mating bond has its downsides (and its upsides). nsfw.

drabbles will be posted under the tag #third prince of hell au

Scraped Knees & Silk Sheets

Prince!Shouto ♡ Maid!Reader - Chapter 1 out of ??

-> You've always been kind, wanting nothing more then to spread warmth into a cold castle. When you were a child, you had given some of your kindess to a boy in need. It was because he recognized your kindess, that you live to tell this story today.

fiction contains: fluff, angst, romance, reader is almost executed because endeavor is a piece of shit, eventual smut, eventual pregnancy, assassination, pining, shouto is a little too in love with reader, shouto is also an extreme romantic, reader is almost killed again because, you guessed it, endeavor is a piece of shit, pining, izuku + bakugou are shouto's right hand men, little bit of violence chapter contains: nothing extreme worth mentioning, shouto n reader are so cute omgomg PROLOUGE

COMMENT ON THIS POST TO BE ADDED TO THE NEXT CHAPTER'S TAGLIST.

chapter word count: 4.4k

Flowers fall salubriously over the skies of Venora, the sun’s warmth spreading over the fingertips of anyone sauntering outside to perform their duties for that day…or to any of the many children that decided to skip around their village knee-level of the citizens with flowers in their hair, engaging in anything that excited their blooming curiosity. Venora is one of- if not the most flourishing of countries, being outstandingly large, and having one of the most capable and efficient militia. It is a strong belief here that everyone has their purpose in life, and everyone has their own “talent” or gift given to them to serve that purpose. Many people are aware of their gifts from an early age, some without, and have hairs turning silver and still letting life lead them in whichever direction the wind blows. All in all, it’s a safe country to live your hopes and dreams in.

Besides, you learned the punishment for breaking some of the laws can be quite severe, and said punishments are severe enough to strike terror into the citizens who consider tampering with them.

“Really?? We get to visit the palace??” A little child squealed into their mother’s lap, that child just so happened to be you. Playing princesses with your friends was entertaining, yes, but it couldn’t compare with the real thing. It played over and over inside your feeble brain, the diamond chandeliers, the gold-plated statues, the doors, the throne room. Just the thought would make any insouciant child like yourself shake with anticipation.

“You mustn't make a scene when we get there, dear. As much as I understand your excitement, the palace can’t be mistaken to you as a place of fun and games, it’s quite serious. Your father is attending a meeting, so you and I get to stay for a while to attend the holiday. If you’re lucky, you might be able to attend the ball with me.” Your mother almost immediately regrets the last few sentences of her speech, now having to deal with a squealing 5-year-old who cannot control their emotions any longer. After a long sigh, she scooped you off her lap, walking over to the bedroom to place you into bed. There were paintings with stars and sparkles adorning the ceiling above your bed, and you convinced your mother to help hang stars from the faded paint spots. The dim lighting in a shade of dark blue truly did make the stars sparkle, including the ones hanging in your room and the stars that dance together in the sky. It made you wonder if they had the same paintings on the palace walls, maybe even more. With a kiss to your forehead, she tucked you in your bed and tried to step away, but failed due to you reaching out your tiny hand to grab onto her yellow sundress. “Do you think I can be a princess? Like the ones in the big palace?” “I'm sure you can, and I bet you’ll be the prettiest princess ever. However… I'm afraid princesses get beauty sleep, and at this rate, you’ll turn into a gremlin with baggy eyes!” She smiled when your body immediately went lax, and you flopped onto your bed sheets and snored as if you’d been sleeping for over a hundred years. With that, she left your room.

Your father was in a state of alamort, putting in as much effort as his soul allowed him to move your family higher status and reputation, but to no avail. His majesty had barely spared a glance at him, and he hoped that this ceremony would be an opportunity to bring his family higher. Your family was by no means struggling with money or bringing food on the table, more so struggling to maintain the reputation that's been withheld in your bloodline for generations.

Nobility was a hard bargain. Your surname was well known in the village you lived in, but it didn’t advance any farther than that. The family’s worth compared to that as a bystander you’d see in royal events, just slightly over a commoner, nothing to ever be placed near the grand royalty of the Todoroki bloodline.

The annual Crescent Moon ceremony was taking place in just a small amount of time, a celebration to symbolize family, fertility, empowerment, and to appreciate life’s lavish graces. It most certainly wasn’t the most important of events, but the meaning behind it gave reason to be very…lavish, and thriftless. A perfect event for a child to witness, as it romanticizes royal life to the utmost degree.

So, in the restless dreams of a 5-year-old girl, you’d be sitting on a throne adorned with diamonds, and a version of yourself that you would assume is an older you. A crown so shiny that if angled towards the sun, would blind anyone looking in your direction. It sits atop your perfectly placed strands of hair, not a single one out of place. Maybe if you thought hard enough, you’d be able to visualize a chromatic ring wrapped around your 4th finger, followed by the lips of a handsome prince pressed against the front of your hand.. is there a prince at the castle? Even a little girl can be bashful sometimes, maybe he’d be like the books, with a prodigious sword attached to his hip and weighty boots that slammed against marble floors, signaling his arrival earlier than his presence could. So.. speaking like a 5-year-old girl, this place is gonna be super duper awesome!!!

This… however..was not very awesome. It'd been almost.. 5 hours now? The sun is still high in the sky, burning down at the wooden carriage you rode in. It was hot, and your mother said that if you whined one more time about the heat, she’d make sure you’d get none of the palace desserts when they got to the capital of Venora, also known as Solaris. It was the diamond of the country, and where the tremendously large castle stays solemn. It’s where the royal family of Venora has resided for years. There are neighboring castles, much smaller, reserved for the high nobles, and your mother promised you’d get to see them when the carriage reached Solaris. Some were located on the way to the main castle, but some were buried deep in the wispy green forests, lakes, and hills that were outspread in Solaris, practically smothering the land. The only exception being the main village, which is said to be the largest city in the country. Your mother said that it’s not the best or most habitable place to live in. Tourists, and merchants, all of them practically suffocate the city, leaving little to no room for long-time inhabitants. If you want to live close to the castle, it’s best if you build your own place.

“Are we there-”

“Don’t even start, missy.” Your mother quipped before you could finish your childish statement.

“But-”

“You know, princesses are very calm and patient people. They ride in royal carriages all the time, simply waving at passersby. How could you be a princess if you can’t even make it to the castle without whining, dear?” Comparing you to a princess is the only way she knew would always get you to behave, it always worked well, proven by the silence the rest of the trip.

However, the mind of a little girl never stayed quiet, and as you peered out of the lights that the wood would allow, you could see your father’s carriage right in front of your own. It seemed that he was a quiet man, always thinking, but never speaking. Unless it was towards your mother about mundane things, he was always in his study, thinking. You couldn’t fathom what he could be up to, what could be so interesting or demanding that a simple nobleman as your father would be locked up inside the silence of his stone-walled office.

Sometimes at home, you’d see fathers - laughing and playing with their children, but that was never the case with yours. In fact, he never really spoke to your mother either. In contrast, your mother was as warm as a white fur blanket, like the ones she said were common in the palace, but rare and expensive to find in your own village. She always spoke with you, seeing as you had no other siblings. Speaking of which, you asked her about that idea once, having siblings. Quickly your mother hushed you of the idea, saying that it wouldn’t be happening anytime soon, almost looking hurt at what you said, so you never mentioned it again.

Having many children was a miracle at this age, why was she so against it-

The sound of faded cheers and chatter dragged you out of the deep reflection of your thoughts. Are we there yet-?

You slammed a hand over your mouth when you realized you had said that last part out loud, slowly turning your gaze over to your mother, who narrowed her eyes at you. Yet the look on her face quickly softened as she sighed, and announced; “Yes, we are here!” Even she couldn’t contain her excitement, yet she quickly had to compose herself and grab you, as you were just about to leap out of the carriage. “We are in Solaris, not near the castle yet. I can’t let you go out into the village, it’s filled with people for the ceremony and you’d surely be trampled. If you want to view the commotion, simply watch through the carriage.” She simply grinned at you as you whined, and pressed your face to the carriage glass.

The sun was still in the sky, but much lower. You had made it to your temporary estate, and you were astounded at the sheer size of the exterior. It was nearly thrice as big as your regular estate, with gardens on each side with their own unique plants, your favorite being the dazzling lilies on the left side, and the charming gladiolus on the right. There was even a butler waiting for you, and you scampered up to him with a smile, which he gladly returned to you. Your mother was, discreetly, also amazed at the size, simply internalizing her emotions, with nothing but soft upturned lips and a slight sparkle in her eyes. Your father, though, had the exact opposite emotions. He looked rather displeased, evident with the slight scowl on his face, what could he be so upset about? You decided to tug on his suit pants, directing his scowl at you, but he loosened his angry face at the sight of your frown.

“Why are you sad, pa? This place is so big!” He lost his scowl completely, opting to look at you with a neutral face instead to not upset you anymore, and walking towards the front door of the estate, lamenting to himself instead “It could have been bigger.”

The inside was just as impressive, ancient paintings with gold plated frames, silverware decorated in intricate patterns and designs carved into the metal. The thing that caught your eye the most, was the stunning piano in the foyer of the estate. You had half the mind to climb the piano stool, and mash your little fingers against the keys, you were almost successful too, if it weren’t for your mother holding the collar of your dress. …

Much to your mother’s delight, the length of the trip ended up giving her a tuckered-out 5 year old. This was good anyway, the ceremony was tomorrow evening, and they wouldn’t be leaving the estate for another 3 weeks, anyway. This part seemed to be the only thing that pleased your father, maybe it was because this gave him more time to talk with The King himself.

Your mother had a very difficult pregnancy regarding your birth. Infact, the birth itself was a blur in her memory. From what the midwives had told her, the bleeding was what almost caused her death. Luckily, her having held onto the strings of consciousness for just a few moments longer was what caused her to recover just enough for the healer to arrive intime. Due to the heavy bleeding, it was highly encouraged, almost demanded of her, that she never conceive again.

This had angered your father to no end. He had at least one child, but it wasn’t a male..an “heir” to his legacy. No matter how many times you had promised him to carry on his legacy, he wouldn’t listen. His anger got so severe, he had almost forced himself onto your mother- completely disregarding her safety, all for the chance of an heir. From what little bit of morals he had left, he stopped.

This was the reason why he was quite desperate in his attempts to raise his family’s status and reputation, but in this day and age, a daughter and a title can only get you so far. He watched as his once peers outgrew him in their own rankings, no longer speaking to him and throwing away their companionships as if it had only been brought together by a scroll, waxed stamp, and word from the king.

Deep down inside, he wanted to be able to disregard people like that- and throw them away. He’d never admit it, though.

The sun hadn’t even risen yet, but the whirlwind of activity never slept on a day such as this one. Your estate was over a mile away from the bustling city, and yet the cheers could be heard as loudly as the chirping birds outside the windowsill. Your mother must have heard it too, as she appeared in front of your doorway.

“I'm glad that trip wore you out enough to have you sleep in early, I'm afraid that was all the amount of soundful sleep you're going to get until the cheers die down in a few days.” She smiled at your little pout, walking over to you and gently pushing your fists away from your eyes as you rubbed them.

“Nonetheless, I bet you’ll be glad to hear that we get to enter the palace early, so it’s best you get yourself ready now, that is if you want to be princess material.”

“…Do I get to pick out my dress?”

“Of course you do.”

The sun was now peeking above the horizon, almost as if it was hiding from the beautiful chaos to come. The fear collides with the sky in an ethereal array of colors, the exact same array of colors as your dress. A shimmering light yellow, something lighter and purer than golden honey, but just as divine. It’s adorned with coral-like pink colored designs, and the prettiest golden shoes to go along with it. A dress, truly, fit for a princess.

The maid finished the final touches of the curls in your hair, so defined that they bounced on your head whenever you jumped in delight, much to the maid’s displeasure.

The sun had finally crept from its hiding place, now sitting lowly in the sky. It’s still well before noon, and you were stepping outside the estate with your mother’s hand holding your own. She wore a dress similar to your own, but fully yellow. Your father stood in front of you both. He was..suspiciously quiet, to say the very least. It was one thing to be in your own head, but his eyes seemed dark, like he was thinking about one thing only.

However, he snapped out of it when he realized the carriage wasn’t coming as soon as he expected it to.

People with high reputations get invited to the castle far far earlier than commoners get the chance to even get close to it. The earlier you get in depends on your status, and clearly your father thought he’d be escorted by now, and his pride would not allow him to go back inside to wait. Even the butler was starting to get concerned, it had now been over an hour waiting outside. Your mother had tried to persuade him 30 minutes ago, but was met with a rather harsh lecture, and didn’t dare to press further. He wouldn’t allow you two to go back inside either.

Finally, after about an hour and thirty minutes, the carriage arrived at your estate. Luckily the sun still wasn’t high enough in the sky, and the air still had a slight chill to it, so you didn’t overheat too much, it was just a little bit too warm for your liking.

The carriage was beyond anything you’d ever seen. It was laced with gold and diamonds beyond comparison to anything you’d ever seen. It was lavish, and the seats were laced with cold silk, much to your delight.

There were no words to describe the castle, none at all. Well, if you could explain it in one way… large. It took nearly 30 minutes to just get out of the carriage, due to the huge lineup at the side entrance. That was another thing your father hated, that he wasn’t “noble” enough to use the grand front entrance. You couldn’t even register his anger though, as you stepped out of the carriage the only thing you could think about was the sheer size and elegance at the massive structure standing proudly before you eyes. You clutched onto your mother tightly, as it felt as though you’d get lost if you so much as moved an inch from her body.

This was the moment you separated from your father, as though he had other plans, and stuck to your mother, heading towards the ladies’ hall, a portion of the castle where all the noblewoman and their ladies-in-waiting sat together for tea, from what you heard. It was strange though, why didn’t your mother have her own lady in waiting?

When inside the hall, you followed you mother to the room where the commotion was coming from, and were surprised by the sheer elegance of the woman inside. Did they go to galas all day? The ballgowns and tiaras they wore told you so, there was no way they could sit in such attire all day without dying.

You were almost intimidated by them as the silence built up and your mother walked in with you in her grasp. However, a breath of relief washed over you as some of the women smiled at you and your mother with a courtly wave, and a small portion just simply decided to ignore your existence, and go back to whatever conversation they were having moments prior.

Your mother seemed even more relieved as you did, surely feeling the anxiety building up about her own place in the room. She was older, but still had the girlish tendencies of wanting to fit in.

One of the noblewoman was very welcoming, opting to stand up from her loveseat and make her way over to your mother with a warm smile and curtsey. She even smiled down at you, which made your heart leap at the thought of being greeted by a princess.

“I see you’ve come right on time, and you’ve brought us a gift, too.” notioning at you, “she’ll fit in well with all of our children, the little girls out in the garden. It’s safe here, if she wants to play with them.”

Your mother curtseyed back, “I’m sure she’d like that, do you want to go [Y/N]?”

“Mhm!” The lady in front of your mother giggled at you, and notioned her head towards the entrance of the side garden. Your mother nodded at you, giving you permission to go, and so you skipped off.

The garden was filled with children playing and flowers of all colors blooming from every direction. Some children opted to go a little too high on the large garden swing, others chased butterflies, which is what you did. You got along well with a blond-haired blue-eyed girl, her hair tied up in pigtails and wearing a bright blue dress with gold accessories on it. She had some freckles on her face too, as she proclaimed to be “the professional of catching butterflies”. She taught you how to do it as well, and ushered you to catch the white and red colored butterfly, what an interesting color.

So you followed it, as it fluttered away into the forest-like part of the garden, with trees for what felt like miles. There were no children here, except for you and the childish butterfly slipping from your grasp at every chance.

Well, you thought you were the only child, until you heard crying from a distance.

A boy, about 8-9 years old, was sitting under an oak tree with tears in his eyes.

You hated it when people cried, you always ended up crying with them, but you’d try to keep your composure for the sake of this boy.

A light tap on his knee had him flinching, looking up at the person who had just dared to disturb him and his privacy. Almost regretting it, as he didn’t want to scare the intruder with the horrid scar on his face, but to his surprise, you didn’t flinch or widen your eyes at all. He was even more surprised at the person who was in front of him-

It was just a child.

“…What do you want?”

“Why are you crying?”

He didn’t answer your question.

“Is it because you're lonely?” “..No.”

“Are you nervous about the ceremony? I know it’s pretty scary, but can’t you believe how big this place is? As long as you have your parents by your side, you won't get lost! What’s your name?”

You didn’t know who he was, he was sure of that now. Giving away his last time would reveal who he was. He’d never had an outsider talk to him like a normal person before, and he wouldn’t admit it, but he enjoyed it. He enjoyed the informality, in contrast to the formality that he was forced to drown in all his life, up until now.

“..Shouto. This place is big..but I am used to it.”

“Oh! Do you come here often?? Oh- and my name is [Y/N]!! Unlike you- I am TERRIFIED! I feel like I might get lost here! Like I might get sucked up into a painting or something!”

“..You can’t get stuck in paintings.”

“Of course not silly! I’m just joking!”

“Oh.”

“Uhm.. is it because of your injury? Does it hurt?” you pointed at the scar on his eye. Clearly this wasn’t the best thing to have said, as the boy looks like he’s going to cry again.

“No.. it doesn’t hurt..well..not in that way I don’t think.” His voice is wobbly.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry Shouto. I hope it doesn’t hurt at all. When you grow up, though, I’m sure people will respect you alot with that super duper awesome scar!

“…What?”

“Well..your scar, it looks cool!”

“It..does?” He looked at you like you had grown a second head. He’d never been told that his scar looked cool before. When the incident happened a few years ago, the only thing he was ever met with was horrid looks and fear.

“Of course it does! It’s like you battled one of those big dragons and came back to tell the story! Or- or you're an amazing knight who battled an entire army!”

“A dragon..an army.” He wasn’t frowning anymore, and maybe it was just your imagination, but you swore you saw his lips turn upwards just slightly, thinking about the idea.

“Yeah! Even better if you saved a princess along the way!” That striked an idea to your head, and you began to climb up the tree he was curled under a few moments prior. Only making it to the middle of the tree, you started to faux cry.

“Heeeelp me Shouto!!" The dragon is going to eeeeatt me!!! I’ll become dinner to a hungry dragon!!!”

He looked at you, “There’s no dragon?”

“You have to pretend, silly.”

“Oh, okay.”

He tried his best to climb up the tree, and to your surprise, he did it alot better than you did. He grabbed your hip and pulled you out of the tree, placing you back on your feet.

“You saved me! You are a true heeeero, knight Shouto! The king will surely reward you for your greatness!” with that, you attempted to flash him your best princess smile, you’ve been practicing.

He giggled at you, which nearly surprised himself. It’d been years since he genuinely smiled, let alone laughed at anything.

His laughter was cut short though, with the sound of someone calling your name, in a rather panicked fashion.

“Oh… I have to go..or my mama will be soo mad at me, Shouto.”

“That’s… okay.” He frowned. “You're going to the event, right..?”

“Mhm!” You beamed up at him.

“..What’s your family's name?”

“Uhm.. my last name?”

“Yes.”

“Ohh! It’s [L/N].”

“I see. [F/N],[L/N] is it?” He thought to himself for a moment, then looked at you.

“Yep! That is mee!” You smiled once, again this time he smiled back.”

“[Y/N]!!!” The voice that was calling you got louder this time, startling you both.

With a final wave and a “Goodbye Shouto!! I’ll see you at the ball!” you ran back in the direction you came from, or, where the voice came from? You hoped you were running in the right direction.

“..Goodbye..[Y/N].”

Now he was left by himself again.

Shouto had his own fears and insecurities, all bundled up inside his broken heart and he didn’t have the strength to piece them back together alone. The people alongside him didn’t do much to help, not even his own prestigious family, the ones who were always supposed to be incharge and handle the country with diamond crowns on their heads.

He knew that the same neglectful family would come looking for him soon after they found out he wasn’t isolated in his room like they had thought he had been doing.

And he didn’t think that the one who would even try to piece his heart back together would be a girl 4 years younger than him. That she would make him happy.

Shouto Todoroki was happy with you, and you alone. Even if it was just for a moment, he remembered it well, and he would for the rest of his life.

AUTHORS NOTE: aerhsbdv eliusbfdv awilsubdf fkdbv its 12:34am please i want to be tumblr and a03 famous i put my whole constanceussy into this

IF YOU WANT TO BE APART OF THE TAGLIST FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST!

Where You Belong Masterlist

Prince Shoto Todoroki x Court Lady Reader

Warnings: Forbidden love, family tensions, mentions of abuse, angst, eventual smut, FLUFF LOTS AND LOTS OF FLUFF

A/N: hey everyone! I'm so happy for the positive reaction my poll got that helped me decide to post this lovely fic over here! The Ao3 link is still functioning if you prefer to read on that platform I will be updating my post soon. I hope everyone enjoys, I put a lot of soul into this piece!

Reblogs, Likes, and Comments are very much appreciated and treasured like gold ✨️

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

pairing : pro-hero shouto x reader

rating : explicit

my fic for the @mybigbangacademia collab with art by @king-bito

warnings : explicit content, oral (fem-receiving), consensual collaring (fem-receiving), shouto chooses what reader wears a few times, minor dom/sub dynamics, drinking, mention of arm injury, mention of minor foot injury, food consumption, references to anxiety, yandere-adjacent todoroki

summary :

As a member of the Todoroki clan, Shouto knows better than anyone all the vile, base, and impulsive things he’s capable of. Too bad you’re something of a lightning rod for every possessive instinct he’s ever had.  What’s worse? You don’t want him to stop.

chapter one (wc 13,000)

chapter two (wc 7,800)

PAID WITH AFFECTION ┊ TODOROKI SHOUTO

tags: GN reader, no quirk au, cuddling services and cuddle buddies, todoroki shouto is an overworked EMT, reader is a cuddle buddy, fluff, strangers to ‘is it ethical to have a crush on your cuddle buddy??!!’ god knows

wc: 1.7k

As an EMT, it was natural that Shouto be conscious of all the things around him — more so than most. After all, the job required quick thinking, keen eyes, a clear head and practiced hands. But for reasons he can’t touch upon, having you stand idly in his genkan wearing a pair of house slippers and an easy smile has his mind repeating a tedious loop, recalling every single coffee ring stain, stray sock, crease and crumb in his apartment with microscopic detail.

“Come in,” he says, lowering his head into a modest bow by way of habit. His voice is mercifully steady. You’re warm, so inviting that it disarms him. “I… I apologise for any mess. My friends requested you with the intention of surprising me”.

“They did leave a note at the end of the application to warn me,” the corner of your mouth lifts further, and you’re looking at him as if you’ve known him far longer than five minutes. Those kind eyes soften and wrinkle, “It was sweet of them to do this for you. But I do want to remind you that you can end our session at any point. I won’t mind”.

Shouto hears your voice, though the words roll over him in a gentle wave. His thoughts are muddied with fatigue, drifting elsewhere. You’ve moved closer but kept appropriate distance, head tilted in both curiosity and concern. Dipping to meet his gaze bids you to peer through your eyelashes, unintentionally demure as you call out to him.

“Are you sure you’re comfortable with—?”

“I trust them,” he quietly interrupts. A moment of patient silence passes as he collects himself, tongue peeking to wet his bottom lip, to cushion the words before they leave his mouth. “They wouldn’t do this if they thought I’d be uncomfortable”.

“Still,” you pause, fiddling with the sleeve of your sweatshirt. “You have an hour slot with me. Feel free to kick me out at any point”.

Red and white stands fall loose when he nods, resting over the bridge of his nose. Your eyes crinkle, gleaming with far off endearment at his obvious dishevelment. His hair is flat to one side, the impression of his couch cushion pressed pink into his right cheek; pant leg ridden up his calf, the other pooled around his ankles, his once white shirt had stretched in the dryer and now hung below the waist.

There’s the urge to apologise again and explain it away, but he wondered if it would offend you. After all, this was your job — or one of two, according to Midoriya. He’d been far more forthcoming about the whole thing. Shouto wasn’t supposed to find out, but Ochako is not as good at keeping her voice down as she thinks she is.

And Shouto is far nosier than they give him credit for. Slightly obsessive, he admits. If something is out of place, or it doesn’t make sense to him, he will pick at the problem until it bleeds.

Though he wouldn’t call this a problem. Atleast, not yet. The pads of your fingers skim gently over his wrist, squeezing his palm to retain his attention—

This could be the beginning of a big problem.

“This okay?” you apply more pressure and he swallows, overturning his hand so your fingers slide against the shallow of his palm. His heart line is light, curved like a half moon. “Shouto?”

“Sorry,” he tries to conceal a grimace. “I’m not usually like this. It has been a long week”.

“A long month from what I hear,” you add sombrely. Another reassuring squeeze. “But that’s what I’m here to help with”.

Shouto worried his inner lip between his teeth. “I’m not really… sure how these things are supposed to work,” he admits, disliking the uncertainty of it, not knowing how to find his footing.

“Well. How about I go over the fine print?” you hold him properly, knuckles entwined, the heel of your hand tucks against his life line. He can’t quite remember the last time he was shown such… casual affection.

Patients held him all the time — the younger ones, usually. Gripping his forearms, counting his fingers, braiding the colours in his hair. His friends were touchy, but his introverted tendencies often meant boundaries were assumed rather than asked for.

This is different. It feels as if he has missed a step climbing the stairs.

“Erotic or sexual behaviour is not permitted for the client nor the cuddler,” you continue, taking his silence as permission. “No use of tongue or teeth, no touching of genitals or intimate areas. And no nudity”.

“Right,” he rasps. Sex might be less unnerving than this.

“Your body will sometimes react to stimuli on its own. I understand that that alone is not a sign of consent or violation of the rules,” heat thrums under the skin of his cheeks as you level him with a kind look. “Just make sure to talk to me if anything is wrong, okay?”

“That’s a lot of rules for something as simple as cuddling”.

“Guess so. But they’re to keep us both safe,” you step closer. Something swoops in his belly, and his fingers twitch reflexively in your grasp. “We don’t need to jump right into it, either. We can sit and talk, if you like”.

God. The world is awash with colour, all because you’re in it. A sweet stranger. Todoroki Shouto, the loneliest man in the UA emergency unit. What his friends must think of him. He has reached a new low if they’d felt the need to hire someone to hug him.

Midoriya’s gentle voice reached his ears. Apologetic, but without the apology. Sorry that he wasn’t sorry. “I know it’s unorthodox, but you should give it a try, Shou. I mean, cuddles are great for your health!”

To which Ochako had added, “Yeah, Todoroki! Set an example!”

Conceding to his best friends wishes, the pair of you walk over to the couch. The cushions are wide enough for two bodies to lie comfortably. They yield under your shared weight, an embrace in itself. He couldn’t count the many nights spent sleeping here instead of his bed.

Your thighs are pressed together, body heat seeping through the fabric of his sweatpants. You’ve kept your hands locked together where they rest in your lap. Cautiously, he runs his thumb over your knuckles and finds no discomfort, only happiness at his reciprocation.

“Do you do this a lot?” he blurts, followed by a wince. “I mean—”

“I’ve been doing this for half a year,” you tell him amusedly. “Even so, I don't have many clients. I’m a little picky, and most of them only need a session or two if they’re going through something”.

Picky. That tidbit makes him happier than he thinks it should. “I’m glad I passed your vetting process, then,” he says.

“So am I,” you return. Your body shifts to give him your full attention. Eyes, chest, knees turning. A hand smooths over his wrist again, right to the crook of his elbow. “Your friends told me how hard you’ve been working. I’m happy to do this for you”.

Whatever this will be. Is he supposed to lean into you naturally and wrap his own arms around you? Would it be inappropriate to rest his head on your chest? He glances to your lap, a thread of longing woven through his heart as it flutters. It looks comfortable there. The thought pulls on his fatigue until it covers him like a blanket.

Unbeknownst to him, you have followed his line of sight to the spot where your bodies connect. His posture droops, shoulders falling forward. Your smile softens with realisation. “Shall we start off by having you rest in my lap?”

Shouto blinks away the haze, eyes imperceptibly wider. “Is that alright?”

You hum your assent. The sound is low, melodic, a hint of fondness. A beautiful stranger in his home, so at home; something about that relaxes him.

Shouto is anything but graceful when he flops onto your thighs, body draping along the sofa. He mutters a bashful apology that you wave away with a laugh, steadying his head while you recline into the back cushions.

Your thighs are plush, indelibly soft. They’re yours. You smell a little familiar; it prods unhelpfully at an old memory. A faceless silhouette he passed in the street, maybe an old patient. You must use the same scent, he thinks. That reel of film is soon overwritten with images of you, body curled above him as you reach for the throw draped over the back of the couch.

“Sleep, Shouto,” you murmur. “I’ll wake you when the session is over”.

His drawn out sigh of relief feels warm against your abdomen. The tension lessons with every minute that passes, dwindling into contentment as the rigidity seeps from his bones. Sinew becomes wet sand, heavy in his limbs, the muscles in his face falling slack so that his lips part. The corner of his mouth is wet.

Your fingers thread into his hair. They’re tender at his scalp, nails lightly scratching at the roots, combing front to back. A shiver runs through him when you reach the nape of his neck, curling the soft short strands around your fingertip.

Shouto finds himself fighting sleep despite your instruction. His consciousness wanes, reaching the surface for breath before he’s submerged again. He wanted to be awake for this, just a while longer.

That’s the last thing he recalls before the chime of your alarm. He startled in place and shied away from the noise, tucking himself into your stomach without much thought, realising his actions only as you began to shake with laughter. To a sleep addled Shouto, it might be the most pleasant thing he has ever heard.

“I take it you slept well?” you teased.

Shouto takes in the span of his ceiling. The sun has started to set, shadows stretching across the room. Simultaneously, five minutes and five years had passed in the span of a single nap.

That might be the best he has slept all year. And he concludes, perhaps, his brain-to-mouth filter still has yet to reconnect. Midoriya can answer for it later.

“Would it be unethical of me to book your entire calendar?”

in cinders | masterlist

pairing: Todoroki Shouto / Reader

status: complete

length: 24,362 words

summary: You’re just trying to fairy godmother your best friend into a happily ever after. If only the prince would stop hanging around and cooperate.

tags: cinderella AU, prince!Shouto, romance, misunderstandings, reader-insert

warnings: aged up characters, eventual smut

chapter links:

one

two

three

four

five

six

seven

eight

nine

deleted scenes: (requests for short drabbles related to the fic)

How did Shouto react when he saw the reader had disappeared from the ball?

*SPOILER* What was Shouto & the reader’s wedding night like?

cross posted on ao3: here

Deceiving the Duke | Master List

pairing: Todoroki Shouto / Reader status: coming soon! length: est. 30,000 words | 9 chapters

summary: When Camie Utsushimi elopes on the eve of her society debut, scandal threatens to destroy the family’s prospects. It’s up to you, a lady’s maid, to impersonate Camie throughout the Season, long enough that her elder sister can make a match. The only trouble? Lord Shouto Todoroki is also intent on making a match—and that match, quite impossibly, appears to involve you.

tags/warnings: romance, regency au, class differences, hidden identity/identity porn, aged up characters, eventual smut

chapter links:

one - ETA March 31

two - ETA April 1

three - ETA April 2

four - ETA April 3

five - ETA April 4

six - ETA April 5

seven - ETA April 6

eight - ETA April 7

nine - ETA April 8

cross-posted on ao3: Link TBA!

Part of the Romancing the Reader collab with @ofmermaidstories and @cat-slippered

i'll find my way (back to you) | todoroki x reader | masterlist

pairing - todoroki shouto x reader

summary -

Your life is going the way you want it to - a restaurant of your own, great friends and a mostly successful escape from the clutches of canon. It’s just the infuriatingly attractive and interested Pro Hero that complicates things.

(Todoroki Shouto x Reader: the one where you realize that dodging the world of Heroes is impossible. Especially when you’ve got Todoroki popping up at every turn.)

disclaimer - I am not Japanese and I am not a chef. This fic is the result of a lot of thinking and research. Isekai/reincarnation also plays an important role in the story so just keep that in mind.

chapter links

one

two

three

four

five

six

cross-posted on ao3 here

KEEPING UP WITH KATSUKI & SHOTO.

❝everyone knows katsuki and shoto shares absolutely no similarity at all. a complete polar opposites. until you had them thinking twice.❞

genre: fluff, angst, romance | pairing: katsuki x fem!reader x shoto | rating & tw will be mentioned in each respective drabbles | others: SIMPING BOYS , love triangle

Keep reading

conspire | masterlist

pairing: Todoroki Shouto / Reader

status: complete

length: 13,307 words

summary: Shouto Todoroki had definitely only asked you out in order to ward off his horde of interested suitors. So why does he keep actually taking you out on suspiciously realistic dates?

tags: romance, reader-insert, fake dating, misunderstandings

warnings: aged up characters, eventual smut

chapter links:

one

two

three

four

five

cross posted on ao3: here

Day 8: Where did everybody go? || “Don’t say goodbye” 

I was tired of darker backgrounds so I had a more colorful one today :D 

I was thinking that for this one, the two were off duty but some huge threat appeared and Todoroki was badly injured, probably from jumping in front of Midoriya or some sad thing like that. After the fight was won, he lay there, bleeding out in Midoriya’s arms as the sun rises over the ruined battleground. 

🌟FREEBIE STICKER🌟

Every single pledge, whether you only order one charm or a whole hat, will receive this 3 inch sticker!

Pre-Launch is now live! You can find the link right here! Make sure to hit that "Notify Me" button so you don't miss the launch on Friday, October 4th!

Stay tuned for more info about the Kickstarter leading up to the launch date! Please please share this around so that people can see it! I don't have the largest following so I truly appreciate every bit of support that this project can get!💙💗

Twitter | Instagram | TikTok

🌟KEYCHAIN ADD-ONS🌟

Alongside the bucket hat(s), these 2.5" inch double sided (same design) keychains will be available! These will have their own tier, but they will also be available to add onto your existing pledge for a discounted price!

Pre-Launch is now live! You can find the link right here! Make sure to hit that "Notify Me" button so you don't miss the launch on Friday, October 4th!

Stay tuned for more info about the Kickstarter leading up to the launch date! Please please share this around so that people can see it! I don't have the largest following so I truly appreciate every bit of support that this project can get!💙💗

Twitter | Instagram | TikTok

🌟PRE-LAUNCH IS UP🌟

The kickstarter was finally approved 🎉 The pre-launch page is now up! You can find the link right here, and once you're there, make sure to hit that "Notify Me" button so you don't miss the launch on Friday, October 4th! It happens, we get busy and forget things, haha.

The initial goal will be for Deku's hat. If the campaign gets fully funded, he will be made and then we move onto our stretch goals! Stretch goals include a Dynamight hat and a Shoto hat.

There will be charms available to add on to your pledges, and a charm tier on its own in case you want them/want to support the project but don't want to buy a hat!

Again, this is my first kickstarter ever, but I'm going to provide all the updates I can and answer all of the questions too!

Stay tuned for more info about the Kickstarter leading up to the launch date! Please please share this around so that people can see it! I don't have the largest following so I truly appreciate every bit of support that this project can get!💙💗

Twitter | Instagram | TikTok

TodoDeku - View

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The night was dead and silent.

No voices, no cars, no nothing. Not even any lights were on. Everything was just pitch black, like an endless void.

But any person would know that a void is a cold and dark place, and even though the night was definitely cold and dark, Todoroki didn't feel like it was at all.

Of course, he was a bit chilly - but with his lover sound asleep by his side, he felt an upmost warmth. Not in the air, but in his insides.

Or was it in his heart? He couldn't really tell...

He sat upright, glancing at Midoriya. His eyes were closed, with his body rising up and down with his breathing.

Todoroki loved him with all his heart. Anyone that met him would.

Well, maybe besides Bakugou, but then again, he isn't very open about how he feels...

Todoroki quietly stepped out of bed and walked to the kitchen. He glanced at the microwave clock; it was five AM. He sighed. Even though both he and Midoriya were off work for the rest of the week, he still disliked his insomnia.

With his eyes fully adjusted to the dark now, he opened the balcony door and walked into the wave of cold, Spring-morning breeze. The sun was still underneath the horizon, but you could make out a faint, mauve glow that illuminated the dark sky.

But it really was a sight to see.

The white stars twinkled like glitter, mixing in with the dark sky and the light impressions of clouds that would come at daytime. The variety of colors that mixed together like a classic painting was something that not even a photographer could capture the true beauty of...

Todoroki leaned on the balcony railing, his eyes now fully awake, and so the rest of his body.

"Shoto?" Midoriya stepped out of the doorway, rubbing his eyes which were accompanied with a big yawn. "What're you doing out here?"

Shoto turned around and smiled, “nothing, just enjoying the view.”

“The view? I can barely see the view.”

“You’re my view, Izuku.”

Shoto and Midoriya both stood there, till Shoto saw Midoriya’s face heat up like a fire. Flustered, Midoriya went back inside, muttering words that Shoto couldn’t make out.

“Night, Izuku.”

“Night, Shoto.”

He turned back around and looked out into the sky again.

This view was really amazing...

Todoiideku week 2021

Hello everyone!

Todoiideku week will be happening April 19th-25th

Each day will have either one specific theme or two specific themes and you can pick whichever one you like. I tried to keep everyone’s ideas in mind, but since there are only seven days I could obviously only pick the ones that got suggested the most, which is why the last day will be a free day.

Here is the list of themes

Day 1 - firsts

Day 2 - stars/moonlight/space or sunny days/sunrises

Day 3 - vulnerability

Day 4 - AUs

Day 5 - angst or hurt/comfort or fluff

Day 6 - Theme park

Day 7 - free day

Please share/reblog this so we can get the word out and make todoiideku week 2021 a success!!