I'll Have a Blue Christmas (As Long As You're Here With Me)

Guarded

To hell with rules. What did they do anyway? Govern the people? Keep people in check?

The way he sees it, rules seem to only be important when they're broken, otherwise, nobody even remembers that they exist.

The last time he'd been here the gate in front was open, the doors locked and house mostly secured.  Bakugo was only able to get in through Todoroki's recklessness.

Now there were signs on the gate telling him that there were sensors and alarms in place for the safety of those within the threshold. Which was an entire lie. Anyone who knew Todoroki or Endeavor personally could guess as much.

Anyway, there was no way he could cross the gate without triggering an alarm, and not only would he get in trouble, but Todoroki would too. And Todoroki being in trouble was a lot more consequential.

Bakugo readjusted the brown paper bag in his hands, smiling at the small sticky note. 'Right side, quarter wall, beside bush there is hole in stone fencing. Take note when done.'

Bakugo ripped the note off of the sidewalk and started his journey to IcyHot's location. The handwriting looked hastily done, either that or he had been shaking with pain.

It was thoughts like that which had Bakugo caring for someone other than himself, and he hated it.

As the notes said, there was a small hole in the wall, filed down around the edges by age, but still rough and low to the ground. It was a half-circle, almost like a rainbow. Only half a foot wide and tall, so Bakugo set down the bag and ducked, peering through the hole.

"Are you fucking sleeping?"

Todoroki turned his head from where he lay, revealing a swollen eye and nose, lip busted and face painted purple and blue. "No. I knew you'd come here, and since he upped the security you'd probably think to tell a teacher about my... situation. So I figured this was better."

Bakugo scoffed. "This, is temporary. Telling someone could mean getting away from that guy forever."

Todoroki slid another sticky note through the hole. "That's his schedule. I can't stop you from coming so at least come when he's not here."

Bakugo sat cross-legged in the thick snow, setting the bag down in front of him and pulling out the contents.

"Heat these up."

Todoroki took what was passed to him with shaky hands, eying it like someone who hasn't eaten ever. "You made Miso soup?"

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "My mom made extra, dumbass. Just hurry up and heat it up before it freezes out here."

"It's not that cold."

Bakugo looked further into the hole, spotting no footsteps surrounding Todoroki. How long has he been out here?

"Hey, I can't hold it forever."

Bakugo tensed but took the small disposable cup anyway. Todoroki just set his in the snow, unheated.

"So what'd yer' old man do?"

Todoroki looked up at the sky, gray and plain. It looked as if there were no clouds until you realized it was all clouds, and it was the sun was lacking its bright yellow hue. "What do you mean?"

Bakugo slurped loudly and exhaled steam. "Don't play dumb with me. We both know he's the one who did this to you. So what else is injured besides what I already know?"

Todoroki exhaled cold air, using his quirk to ice his bruises underneath his skin. "I'm fine."

"He burns you."