When the Heart is Ash (I'll Savor Your Warmth)

Unmasked

It's a Friday when Shouto comes to him next, just two days after their impromptu meeting. This time, Shouto talked to him in class and scheduled a meeting, right after Kirishima's.

They nod to each other as they pass by, Todoroki and Kirishima. Aizawa briefly wonders if they're good friends or not. He doesn't know the dynamics of his students outside of the classroom. He can see that Todoroki at least tolerates him, which is good, he guesses.

Todoroki sits in the same seat as last time, and Aizawa picks up his pen, drawing a little tick mark next to Todoroki's name. He has two now, which is a lot more than before.

"Talk about whatever you want, kid."

Todoroki sucks in a breath, "Yea, okay. I can... do that."

And then he's quiet for a long, long time. Aizawa, at first, assumes he's just nervous. It sounded like there was a lot to unpack about his father, the real nature of their relationship. Endeavor did something bad, Aizawa's probably gonna figure out what in one of these meetings.

Todoroki clears his throat, "My father... he..."

"Take your time, you're the only other student besides Kirishima who asked for a meeting. I've got all night," Aizawa assures with a nod.

With the time it takes Todoroki to gather himself, Aizawa grades some more papers, occasionally looking over to Todoroki to make sure he's still alive in there. He looks contemplative, unsure. He doesn't change anything about his posture or position except for where his eyes rest. They started on the ceiling and have moved from the door to Aizawa to a pile of textbooks and back to the ceiling.

His office, however unused it usually is aside from his desk, has a lot of features that make it comfortable. A sofa, a coffee table. And of course, what would a coffee table be without a coffee maker on the other side of the room for a fresh cup when Aizawa has a long day? He's got blankets for needy students and for long nights he spends here. Pens that keep going missing because Kaminari seems to be fixated on stealing all of his resources.

"I... don't want to get in trouble," he says childishly, clearing his throat. Aizawa looks up from his work, pen slowly being set down in his desk. "I also don't want Endeavor to get in trouble. He's... changed. He says he has. Fuyumi says so too."

Aizawa nods, and he almost says something. But that might have them waiting another thirty minutes for Todoroki to speak.

Todoroki picks at his cuticles for just a second, before correcting his own behavior and tucking his hands underneath his thighs. "If I tell you anything, you can't tell anyone else. It's all in the past, so I'm okay now."

Aizawa puts his hand up to pause Todoroki. "Let me tell you, if I find out you're in danger or anyone else is, I'm going to have to involve other people."

Todoroki nods, "I know that. And I promise I'm not, I'm just confused. I'm not here to tell you Endeavor is a bad parent just because I feel like it. I... I trust you, Sensei. I think you can... well, maybe I'll understand him a bit better if you can dumb it down for me."

Endeavor a bad parent?

He can definitely imagine that. He's wondering the extent.

"Todoroki, in order to help you, I think I should know what you're mad at him for."

Todoroki folds his knees up to his chest, curling in on himself. "Yea. I... don't know where to start."

Aizawa doesn't know how to help him. Maybe this is one of those times that he has to call someone else in.

"My mother," he starts, and finally, they're getting somewhere. "She's in a mental hospital. She has been since I was five." He pauses, before hugging his knees. "He put her there because he drove her insane."