Ethereal ◆ Shoto Todoroki x Reader

A Final Goodbye

◆ Part 2: Chapter 12 ◆

A Final Goodbye

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Hiro Mizuki

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"Hiro!"

A voice calls him, and he immediately knows it's his sister. He stands up, patting Kyuen's head, and listens as she enters.

It's the evening after her wedding, and he can tell by the way she talks she's the happiest she's ever been. He can only imagine her, smiling and giddy. The whole day, she's been with the prince.

But as she opens the door, sadness hangs in the air. Her voice is quiet.

"It's time," she takes his hand, "to say goodbye."

Hiro's heart is heavy. He already knows who she's speaking of, and he can't take it.

After all this time.

Takahashi is leaving.

Hiro can't tell his sister what he so desperately wants to. He knows she'll just feel bad for him, and he doesn't want to hurt her. 

He clutches her hand in his, Kyuen by his side, and she leads him to the palace gates.

It's time to say goodbye.

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Once his sister and her husband has said their goodbyes, it's Hiro's turn. He embraces Takahashi, careful of his friend's bandages he can't see. He feels . . . alive. He's alive. Sometimes, it feels like he's still trapped in the castle, burning.

But he's alive.

But now he's leaving.

"I'll miss you," is all Hiro can say. 

"I'll come and visit!" Takahashi replies. "It's not like I'm never going to see you guys again."

"Yeah."

Hiro tries to act normal, but everything just feels heavier. 

He can't see. He wishes he could see Takahashi, just one last time.

The last time he saw him, he was dead. Broken. Bloodied and burnt. How Hiro wishes he could see Takahashi now, alive and well. 

But when he imagines him, all he sees is the body he dragged from the fire. 

He'll never see his smile again.

He'll never see his sparkling eyes. 

Never again.

He knows he shouldn't tell Takahashi; that it would only make him feel worse about leaving. Hiro doesn't want him to feel like he should change, just because of his stupid feelings. 

So he doesn't tell the former guard about his admiration. His wishes. His hopes that his heart would be returned, although he knows that the guard isn't like him.

He doesn't tell Takahashi that all he wants is to be with him, for fear of hurting him even more.

So he stays quiet.

And he says his goodbyes.

And deep down, it still feels unreal. Deep down, it feels like Takahashi is still stuck in that fire.