Preydator || Todoroki x OC

•25: Who He is to 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.

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A chill of intimidation runs down my spine as we look up at the number two hero who has his eyes fixated on Shoto. Although I had seen Endeavor in person once before at the grocery store, never have I felt his sheer domination of the atmosphere. A tense and thick silence fills the hall as a strange exchange happens between the two, a million words being spoke through their eye contact.

I grit my teeth in slight annoyance as I recall what Endeavor did to Shoto as his family. A man who abused his son for years to create the perfect hero, a man viewed as a idol by the civilians, a fake. He is the epitome of what I hate. 'He's just as bad as Mirroress.' I think and let out an annoyed sigh. Endeavor finally looks at me as if just realizing my presence.

"Who's this?" He asks before turning his gaze back to Shoto, ignoring me. "I didn't send you to this school to make friends, Shoto."

I catch the bi haired boy's jaw clench as he averts his gaze slightly. This only pisses me off further. 'This guy is so horrible even Shoto's looking away.' "Usually you look people in the eye when addressing them." I say, a hint of venom lacing my voice.

Endeavor's eyebrow raises as he looks down at me, his piercing gaze meeting mine. He looks me up and down before speaking. "Ah, you're the girl who came fourth in the obstacle race." He states. "Shoto, you shouldn't associate with those beneath you. You should aim for first and they'll only drag you down."

My lip twitches upward into an irritated grin. "Says the guy whose never been first in his career." I scoff. I know I'm treading on eggshells, but I can barely give a shit when staring directly at someone representing everything I despise. Although I'm walking on a fine line, I'm careful not to cross it.

Shoto's eyes widen slightly as he stares at me in surprise.

Endeavor glares at me. "Sorry, who exactly do you think you are?"

"I'm Rin." I reply simply.

"Alright, Rin." Endeavor says to me. "Maybe you should learn how to respect other people, especially when that other person is the number two hero."

"I'll respect you once you respect your son." I retort as Endeavor's face contorts into one of surprise, shock, and anger.

"And who exactly is my son to you?" Anger and irritation hiding behind his firm voice.

I hesitate. 'We're friends, aren't we?' I frown as uncertainty clouds my thoughts. 'I don't want to just be friends.' My thoughts trail off. 'There's no way Endeavor would think that's an acceptable answer.'

Endeavor's eyes suddenly light up with realization. "Are you related to the Masked Vandal?" He asks, taking me off guard in a moment of hesitation. My eyes widen and so do Shoto's. "Or rather, you are the Masked Vandal, aren't you? The name and quirk are identical. Now, what are you doing at UA? More importantly, what are you doing associating with something like her, Shoto?"

Shoto steps in front of me defensively, his arm out slightly as if to protect me. Endeavor takes note of this as his eyebrow raises. "She's not a thing." He hisses at his father.

"Sorry, criminal." Endeavor responds. "A law-breaker like you shouldn't be at a hero school."

"Last time I checked, domestic abuse isn't very lawful either." I reply in a calm tone, trying not to lash out at this man who is just blatantly insulting me now. "A law-breaker like you shouldn't be a hero."

Endeavor's face turns furious. Clearly, he doesn't like being on the receiving end of his own words.

"WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE!" Present Mic's voice suddenly booms throughtout the stadium, causing me to jump slightly in shock.

The tense air is immediately dispelled as disappointment fills me. "We missed lunch." I mutter in annoyance.

Endeavor walks past us, leaving without another word. It probably wouldn't be good for his image if he lashed out at some little girl.

Shoto lets out a deep breath as if he had been holding it in this whole time. "Are you okay?" I ask him.

He looks at me with his eyes gleaming in admiration. "I should bring you to my house next time." He says, surprising me. "You completely made a fool of that old man."

I crack a small smile. "Well, slandering heroes used to be a bit of pass-time for me." I half-joke. "But I think we should hurry back to the participant waiting rooms or we're going to be late. Our battle is first."

He nods as we rush towards the waiting rooms. As we run through the halls, I can't help but think of Endeavor's question. 'Who is Shoto to me?' I glance towards him through the corner of my eye, catching his side profile. His two-toned hair ruffling in the air as we run, his eyelashes casting long shadows on his cheekbones from the lights above. 'Is he a crush?' I remember Dabi asking, but I quickly denied it at the time. My heart tugs at the thought of us being more than friends and I know I can't lie to myself any longer. The way my heart, mind, and body reacts to his touch, his voice, his words, how terrified I was of losing him even though I'm used to loss and moving on; it's undeniable. Is he a crush? 'Yeah. Yeah, he is.'