pandora's box [bakudeku/tododeku] [pt.1 of where's my love fic series]

missing

summary: "hi-hi this is m-midoriya izuku! s-sorry that i didn't answer your call, i'll call you back as soon as i -mom! not now- *laughs* i can. as soon as i can! b-bye!"

something is extremely wrong. shoto can feel it. it isn't like izuku to not answer calls. it isn't like izuku not to answer messages. it isn't like izuku to leave class without saying goodbye. he feels cold on both sides, a sense of urgency building up in his chest. the last time he felt such urgency was back at the training camp. but it can't be that izuku is in danger, right?

notes: prologue.

3:20 p.m.

izuku leaves without saying goodbye.

he rushes out of math class after ectoplasm's dismissal, not even stopping to talk with ochaco and tenya as he usually does. it is strange how he leaves without saying a word, his head down as he pulls on the straps of his backpack in a nervous manner. ochaco and tenya look at each other with confusion, a frown pulling on their lips.

"i wonder what's up with him?" ochaco asks, her eyes wide as she watches izuku leave hurriedly.

"he's probably just in a rush, uraraka-kun," tenya replies, pushing his glasses up. "he did mention that his mother wanted some help with some things during lunch. it's not really our business anyways," tenya sighs, shaking his head, "i'm sure he's got a reason."

ochaco considers tenya's words for a couple of seconds before sighing and exclaiming, "you're right! i'm not sure why i got so worried." she gives tenya a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

shoto listens quietly to the duo's conversation. he didn't mean to eavesdrop but ochaco and tenya aren't the quietest. he continues packing his things slowly, silently going over how izuku had acted all day. he had acted normally throughout the day, shoto thinks. he had gone on a tangent over a new hero's quirk he had seen on the news during homeroom and had given some of his brightest smiles he'd seen in a while.

i'm sure he's okay, shoto thinks to himself as he leaves the classroom and all thoughts of izuku behind. he has to be.

6:00 p.m.

it had been a long day at work for shota. of course, any day spent with hormonal teenagers with quirks is always long, but today had been especially long. he had again received complaints from some of his students about mineta. even though he had long expelled mineta from the hero course, the teen continued to harass his students along with students in the general education course. he had petitioned to nezu to completely expel mineta from u.a. entirely, but mineta's parents had pleaded with the school to keep him. shota thought it was bullshit.

besides mineta, all might had given him a headache with his terrible teaching. shota knew the man was trying to get better at teaching, and although he had improved since the beginning of the year, he still needed to work on a lot. he'd reminded his class that all might's suggestions on a specific move only really worked for those with strength enhancer quirks.

his lunch break hadn't been any better. he had planned to take a nice nap in the teacher's lounge, even having set up his 'disgustingly hideous' (as hizashi described it) yellow sleeping bag in his favorite corner earlier in the morning. yet, he couldn't even catch a break as nemuri decided to spill her anguish over her failed date from last night. it's not that he hated his coworkers (really, he considered a couple of them his friends!), but he'd just rather sleep.

at least he doesn't have patrol today. thank the heavens, if there are any, shota thinks as he drives home. it isn't a very long commute, but it helps him gather his thoughts before arriving home. he smiles softly as he realizes he'll finally get to spend some time with his son and husband. although he sees hizashi and hitoshi at school, it isn't the same since he has to act professional and, well, not break the reputation he has of being a hardass.