{Discontinued} 𝙀𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘽𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨

- T W O -

The process of regaining consciousness was gradual. It took longer than a moment for the disorientation to fade. Once clear vision had been regained, the body to your left caught your attention. It was Todoroki's.

Laying on his side, his arms were bound behind his back. It would've been easy to think he was lifeless, but the steady movement of his chest told you otherwise.

You jerked in an attempt to go to him only to realize that your own wrists had been restrained in rope as well. Alongside your heart, sending waves of harsh beats, an excruciating migraine pounded through your skull. The drops of blood on the ground alerted you of the wound on your temple.

You managed to scoot towards the boy and shake him with your elbow.

"Todoroki!" you whisper-yelled, unsure of who may be listening.

Nothing.

You shoved him again, more aggressively this time. He began to stir, eyes slowly opening to meet yours. You watched as he seemingly remembered what had happened and jolted upwards, suddenly wide awake.

"What's going on?" he questioned frantically.

Doing your best to remain calm, you hushed him and answered.

"When we were walking together, two people- maybe it was three, more... I don't know. People jumped us. The last thing I remember is you being hauled away. I think they hit me then. I can't be sure."

His focus flicked to your gash.

"You're bleeding. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it just hurts like hell. What about you?"

He nodded deliriously.

He was the first to initiate the taking in of your surroundings.

You were in a fully cement room that smelled of unidentifiable chemicals, approximately ten by ten feet. It was completely empty. Besides a rectangular light fixture fitted into the ceiling, the only notable detail was a large, industrial steel door with thick hinges placed in the center of a wall. Whoever had put you two in there definitely didn't want you leaving.

You wasted no time trying to collect your bearings.

"Do you have any idea why we're here? Are there any grudges held against you, or is there something people want that you possess?"

He blinked in surprise at your ability to stay composed. His brain had to catch up.

"My family, they're renowned. My father is surely hated by many. Unfortunately for this situation, no one, in particular, comes to mind. If I'm a target, I don't know what for. Fire and ice are both accessible through other sources, so it must not involve my quirk."

While he'd been talking, his line of vision had drifted away. He picked it back up to ask you a question of his own.

"What if this is a school test? They've used extreme methods before."

You shook your head dismissively.

"I highly doubt it. Either way, we need to free ourselves before we lose the chance. Can you burn out of your rope?"

Without another word, he rolled as far away as possible. You took the hint and did the same.

Now on opposite sides of the perimeter, his arm set off a flame. He was being careful because of the proximity and because he had yet to master complete control over his left side due to lack of use.

Once finished, he returned to squat behind you. His nimble fingers began tugging on the knots, careful to avoid touching you any more than necessary. The sensation of his skin brushing against the microscopic hairs on your wings caused them to twitch slightly.

"Sorry, are they sensitive? I didn't mean to discomfort you."

"No, I just... I'm not used to the physical contact."

He continued untying until they came completely undone. It fell, but you picked it up, offering the other that he'd discarded back to him.

"We could use these."

He received it understandingly.

You began running your palms over the walls, knocking frequently, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. Confused, he inquired about what you were doing.

"Investigating. I want to be sure that there isn't already a way out of here before we make one."

If I didn't know any better, I'd think this wasn't her first time being kidnapped.

He imitated your actions until you met in each other's paths. There was nothing apparent to be found in the confined space.

"What about the light?" he suggested. "Perhaps we could crawl through the hidden space."

"Good, now you're thinking."

You stood directly underneath the bright fixture, searching for any outstanding details.

"It's too high up for either of us to reach on our own. I'll give you a boost so you can examine it."

You clasped your hands together and gestured toward him expectedly. He cocked an eyebrow.

"C'mon, I'll be fine. You're not the only one who's been strength-training. Now, climb up."

He trusted your confidence and obeyed the command.

Above, he was toying with screws and pressing on the translucent bulb cover. A dull squeaking was the only noise in the otherwise silent room.

Below, you were awkwardly holding his shoe. All concentration was on not gripping him weirdly. The physical strain of holding your neck away was beginning to hurt, so you set your embarrassment aside and rested your forehead on his thigh. He didn't move.

Though it wasn't visible from your viewpoint, his eyes had widened, and his expression had softened. He glanced down inconspicuously to see only the top of your hair. A long stare commenced that, only after remembering what he was supposed to be doing, broke.

"I don't think this is going to budge. I can't remove any of the pieces without a tool, and if I accidentally break it, we'll be in the dark."

"Alright, I'm lowering you now."

His sneaker hit the floor, and you took a deep breath before sitting down again. He followed suit and placed himself in front of your legs.

"Guess I can't turn in that homework now, huh?" you joked.

An almost indistinguishable chuckle escaped his nose. It was short and half-hearted, but it was enough to soothe a bit of the tension.

You leaned against the wall and closed your eyes. There wasn't much to be done. It was hard just to keep from crying. The threat of tears constricted your throat and burned your corneas, but you held it in. That was until what happened next occurred.

A warm hand grasped yours gently. He held it with such delicacy as if a rough touch could cause it to combust.

"We're going to get out of here," he stated matter-of-factly.

It wasn't obvious who he was trying to convince, but the reassurance resonated either way.

You tightened around him as the liquid anxiety dripped down your cheek. His heterochromatic irises were fixed on yours. This was the first time you'd been able to see them up close. They were just as captivating as you would've imagined. The unexpected intimacy allowed you to shamelessly gaze into them.

"I know."

~~~

A/N

We've already gotten some cute moments between you two with more to come.

What do you think of Y/N? How are they both doing as kidnapping victims so far?

Let me know your thoughts on the story!