Preydator || Todoroki x OC

•24:Feelings•

I feel as if the guilt weighing down upon me is only worsening as every minute where I don't apologize passes. A sudden wave of fear washes over me as a horrible thought comes to mind. 'Am I going to lose him like this?'

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The cavalry battle goes off without a hitch- at least, I think. I ended up being chosen by someone from class 1-B with purple hair in an updo named Shinso along with Ojiro and Aoyama. However, I strangely have almost no recollection at all from the battle. All I know is that our team finished third and made it to the next game.

"Rin." Ojiro calls me.

I groan. My head pounds in pain. 'I must've overused my quirk. I barely remember using it though.' I think as I look towards the blonde boy with a tail.

"Is it just me, or do I not know what happened during that battle?" He asks, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

My eyes widen. "I knew something was strange. I don't remember anything after greeting Shinso."

"Me too." Ojiro explains. "Do you think he used his quirk on us?"

I hum in thought. "Maybe some kind of brainwashing or mind control?" I suggest.

Ojiro sighs and shrugs. "I have no idea. I'm starving, though. We should join the others for lunch."

"You go ahead. I'll be there in a moment." I say and he nods before walking off.

I glance around, searching for that Peppermint-head. I haven't gotten a single chance without being interrupted to properly apologize to him after he brushed me off this morning. The guilt had only gotten heavier over time and the anxiety had only risen higher. Deciding I have to search for him now during lunch break before the next game starts, I walk into the stadium walls. The cool, air conditioned halls feel cool against my skin as I'm shielding from the beaming sunlight I had been in all morning.

"Todoroki?" I call out as I enter the participant waiting rooms. 'Empty.' I remark with a frown as I peek through each door only to find them barren.

I let out a sigh as I turn the corner. My eyebrow quirks upward in surprise as I spot Bakugo leaning against the wall, alone. I walk over to him and tap his shoulder. "Bak-" He shushes me immediately, glaring with his crimson eyes.

My eyes widen as I listen closely. Todoroki's voice echoes from behind one of the entrances next to us. 'Who is he talking to?' I wonder as I eavesdrop with Bakugo. My jaw drops as I hear him explaining the story of his scar and his parents' quirk marriage.

"Midoriya, I'll do my best to win." I hear Todoroki say. "Without using my left side at all." I then hear footsteps fading away.

I peek around the corner to see Midoriya clearly a little shaken up standing stiffy behind as Todoroki walks away. The green-haired boy then leaving as well.

'This is definitely not a good time.' I note as I don't pursue the heterochromic boy. 'But when am I ever going to apologize if not now?' I think as Bakugo completely ignores my existence and leaves. I glare at his friendliness as he walks off, leaving me completely alone- or so I thought. I look up to meet a pair of heterochromic eyes. His expression is the same stoic expression as ever, however, his stare is icy and cold enough to send a shiver down my spine.

I gulp, pressing my back against the smooth, cool wall of the hallway. Now that he's standing in front of me, I can barely get the words to come out of my mouth.

"Were you eavesdropping?" He asks.

"I didn't mean to." I answer honeslty. "I was looking for you." I add. "If you want to talk to me now-"

"Yeah." He responds a hastily, leading me to believe he had been waiting until he could talk as well.

The weight of my anxiety is lifted from my chest as I let out a breath of relief. "Thanks." I say. "Look, I'm really really sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you yesterday. I was really frustrated, but even then, there's a line I shouldn't cross. I felt really weak and was relying on the Sports Festival to prove that I was strong. When I heard I couldn't go, I was upset- well, a little more than upset. I shouldn't have taken it out on you, though." I let the words tumble out of my mouth. After getting started on my apology, the rest of my feelings seem to fall out like a waterfall.

A moment of silence passes as I wait for his reponse. "Did you mean what you said yesterday?" He asks. "Apart from yelling it, did you mean what you said about me making you feel weak?" He adds, gulping. "And what you said about caring about you." He slightly mutters the last bit.

I shake my head. "I know you don't pity me, but I got emotional and my words came out all wrong. I just didn't want to be looked down on when I was already feeling like shit." I feel a lump forming in my throat again. 'God, don't cry. Why do I always end up in tears during conversations like these?' "I'm just really sorry." I choke out.

He lets out a sigh. "Rin," He wraps his arms around me and my eyes widen in shock. "I haven't really been hugged before so I don't know what it feels like, but I want to make you feel better." I feel a tear slip out. I lean into his hug, breathing in the rich scent of his expensive, jasmine and vanilla cologne with hints of other smells I can't quite place. I wrap my arms around him and hug back, relief filling my chest as the thought of me losing him forever is washed away.

We pull away, the space between us much smaller than it were before the hug. "Rin, you are the strongest person I've ever met. You were never weak." He states in such a matter-of-fact tone that I know they aren't just words of comfort, but the truth. "Were you proving your strength with this festival, or reassuring yourself?"

My eyes widen as words are stolen from my mouth.'The only person doubting me was me.'  I feel a smile creeping onto my lips in relief. 'I'm not weak.' "Todo-"

"Shoto." He states. "I've been calling you Rin this whole time, and you've been addressing me by my family name."

Heat rushes to my cheeks at the sudden closeness with the use of first names. "Sh-Shoto." I say, feeling his name roll off my tongue in a way that makes my chest tingle. "Shoto, I'm really thankful that you care about me." I say. "I-I care about you, too. He smiles softly, a thousand butterflies going rampant in my stomach. "But that's also why you need to get your act together!" I add in a light-hearted tone.

His eyes widen in slight surprise.

"We're fighting one-on-one in the first round of the next game. I won't go easy on you, okay?" I rest my hands on my hip. "And truthfully, I don't think it's healthy for you to keep ignoring your left side." I explain, worry laced in my tone. "For someone who hates their dad so much, you sure let him affect you."

He frowns and changes the subject. "Worry about yourself. I'm sure my right side is enough to take you down." He smirks, egging me on.

"Was that a challenge?" I raise an eyebrow, returning his sly grin.

"Well, a challenge for you maybe." He replies playfully.

I smile, getting to see this side of him is rare. "Don't forget how I won during combat training and I kicked you in the face when we first met." I snicker and tap his nose with my finger, moving from my place in front of him on the wall.

"Yeah, and then you fell from the vent and passed out in my arms." He shoots back and my cheeks burn up.

"Y-You're so talkative all of a sudden!" I exclaim, too flustered to think of a proper comeback.

He chuckles lightly. "Don't pretend like you don't like it. You're already so red." He teases staring brazenly into my eyes.

I look away and begin to walk down the hall, leaving him behind. "Your sass levels are astronimcal and I refused to be sassed." I glance toward the clock, gasping. "And we have fifteen minutes left for lunch!" I exclaim.

We both pick up the pace, alarmed, now sprinting down the quiet halls. I turn the corner and abruptly stop, causing Shoto to almost run into me. We both freeze as we come face to face with a towering man, his hair and beard blazing as he gazes down at us with piercing turquoise eyes. The number two hero and Shoto's dad, Endeavor.