𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐨 - (𝒞𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐

𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚘 𝚃𝚘𝚍𝚘𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚒

Standing at the edge of what felt like his world, Todoroki stared past his feet to the city below. Twilight steeped the sky in a scintillating deluge of amber. Yet, the world below him seemed to sleep beneath the twilight. There were no people in sight, and upon arriving at that revelation, Todoroki scoured his surroundings for someone-any form of life. But the world seemed to inhabit only him.

'Cutter.'

He could vividly recall Bakugou's accusation, but much to Todoroki's bemused stupefaction, his memory had become a reality; Bakugou approached him from behind. "Cutter," Bakugou hissed into Todoroki's ear.

Stop...

"Weak," whispered Kirishima.

Leave me alone.

"Arrogant," Midoriya muttered.

Please stop.

"Pathetic," Yaoyorozu grumbled.

I know...

"Failure," Aizawa asserted.

Todoroki collapsed to his knees while his peers loomed over him with crossed arms and cold scowls.

"Unbearable," Rei snarled with vehement conviction.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I-"

"Selfish," Fuyumi sibilated.

Make it stop.

"Disappointment," All Might growled.

Jump.

"Wasted potential, wasted space, wasted life," derogated Endeavor, who clasped onto Todoroki's wrist; his nails intentionally bit into Todoroki's flesh like teeth. "Useless cutter. Faking depression and using self-harm for attention... Inconceivable." His invectives were bullets piercing through Todoroki's chest.

"It's not like that," Todoroki pleaded. "Why? I don-"

Before Todoroki could finish, he felt a violent shove against his chest, and with eyes torn wide open, he watched as ash-blonde plumes of hair that were tinged in tangerine soared across his field of vision.

This has to be a dream, Todoroki reasoned with himself while plummeting through the sky. Their disappointed faces... I've had dreams like this before. Stop looking at me like that. I'm sorry...

Just before Todoroki could see his own fatal fall, he jerked forwards in his futon in a cold sweat. Similar to his dream, rays of twilight were pouring through his window and spilling across his floor. He steadied his breathing while descrying Bakugou, who was walking out of the bathroom.

I hate nightmares, Todoroki sighed to himself while Bakugou soon approached him with a bowl of cold soba. Then again, my life is still my own nightmare, despite all the therapy. I don't feel like doing anything. Even though it's been a few months since I opened up to him and started seeing a therapist, I still have weeks like this. I just can't do anything. It's like I'm walking on a tightrope between emptiness and sadness all the time. This sadness impairs my functionality, and the emptiness urges on the desire to cut again. I still can't make streaks of being clean that last more than a week.

"Shouto, c'mon," Bakugou sighed while setting the bowl of soba on Todoroki's lap. "I know you don't feel like it, but you gotta eat. You need to get out of bed today. You keep sleepin' through the night and the majority of the day. I know it's tough, Babe." He knelt down and nuzzled against Todoroki's shoulder.