A Cherished Place

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Exhaustion seems to be a trend since failing the exam. He attends his normal classes, all while training himself separately, and now he has extra classes. His personal rundown of the month:

His first class with Bakugo ends in him getting thrown out of the way by Gang Orca and made to deal with some bratty kids; a success after hard work.

Bakugo cussed him out, seemingly grasping how awful the state he'd found Shouto in the other night was.

Shouto starts reading Manga with Sero. He's since then learned how to mount a hammock. He's yet to learn how to get down from one.

Bakugo stops Shouto from cutting his wrist again.

Shouto... loses weight again. He's back down to 120.

Shouto makes an effort to gain weight through normal eating. He tells Iida (the healthiest person he knows) about his eating disorder. Iida promises he'll help keep Shouto on a healthy diet.

He falls asleep in Yaoyorozu's room after a bad nightmare, the girls turn it into a slumber party.

He sends a letter to mother, the response letter makes his heart feel lighter.

Aizawa takes him out to lunch with Fuyumi and Natsuo. Fuyumi buys him cold soba. Shouto falls in love with the food.

Now, Shouto finds himself in Midoriya's room, a normal occurrence since recently. He likes to watch Midoriya do hero analyses. The boy updates his notebooks every week. He adds new heroes as well, and Todoroki's even got a page in one of the books.

"Todoroki, aren't you bored just sitting there?" Midoriya tilts his head with a nervous smile, "It's not that I mind. I just don't want it to seem like you have to come in here all the time just to sit."

Shouto looks Midoriya square in the eye, "Would you enjoy my absence?"

"...I think I'd hate that."

Shouto relaxes into Midoriya's pillow, ignoring that it's an All Might-themed case. "I don't feel bored."

Midoriya turns in his chair to face Todoroki more directly, "Are you sure? We can go spar if you want, or if you're hungry we can go eat, or..."

"It's okay. I'd really rather stay here, if it's alright."

There's something in Midoriya's eyes, something in his smile that makes Shouto feel warmer than before.

"Todoroki, are you happy here?"

Shouto blinks.

"What?"

Midoriya stands and sits next to Shouto on the bed, "Do you like being here or do you... do you sometimes miss your old house? And... your old life?"

Shouto sits up now, fiddling with his hands in his lap. "I don't know." Midoriya doesn't demand more from him, but there's an expectant air to the room now. "I miss my father. But I feel safer now than I used to. And he still did all of that stuff to me... so I don't know if I was happy with him. I don't even know what that would feel like."

He looks up, Midoriya seems startled by the sudden eye contact. "Can you describe it to me?"

He regrets it when Midoriya wears a puzzled look. He must've said something wrong. Maybe he cussed or-

"I guess it's really different for everyone," he starts, finger pinching his bottom lip. "I feel really happy when I get to see my mom. Like when she hugs me and stuff... if I had to describe it though..." Midoriya looks up, a sorry look on his face. "I'm really not sure how to explain it. You really just... feel it."

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