Worth It (N. Todoroki X Reader)

Chapter 16: Enji Todoroki

Natsuo let himself into the Todoroki residence while I hesitated outside the door. Seeing as he's not moved out quiet yet, this is technically still his house, and I don't live here, so I was debating whether or not to knock.

That was until Natsuo gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and led me inside.

After giving it some thought, he told me he had decided he wanted to tell Endeavor that we're engaged. When he told me this on the bus we took here, I smiled and told him I was glad he decided to share that information with his father—even promised me he wouldn't be as spiteful towards him during this one visit and try.

But now that I'm standing in the dining room I'm seriously reconsidering sharing said information because I might just die tonight because Endeavor doesn't like me for a stupid reason. I mean, who doesn't like someone because they're quirkless? What kind of bullshit is that?

Anyways, I sat next to Natsuo and talked to Fuyumi and Shoto, learning that his favorite food was cold soba. Natsuo seemed surprised by this fact, and I assumed that he and his younger brother really don't know each other all that well.

This was another one of the family dinners Fuyumi had organized in hopes of bringing her broken family closer together—an effort she probably knows is fruitless but is putting the work in for that small sliver of hope anyways.

I had taken off my ring and put it in my pocket, where it's going to stay until Endeavor walks into the dining room. Natsuo and I are kind of hoping that one of the three will be observant enough to notice the new ring and point it out so we don't have to awkwardly state it.

I wasn't exactly sure how to react when Endeavor made his entrance, glancing around the table, his eyes pausing on me. I didn't want him to know that I cared about his thoughts about me, and I can't think of a better way to express that than simply ignoring him. But I also don't want him to assume that I think I'm better than him for whatever reason.

I ended up just stiffening up a little bit, holding eye contact with him like a sort of challenge.

He had gotten a big scar on the left side of his face since the last time I saw him, the redness of it reaching down to his chin and ending at a point. He seemed a bit more worn down, too.

Then I remembered the news story from a few days ago. I hadn't paid much attention to it because I was too busy with school work, but now that I think about it, I probably should've pushed some time aside to watch it so I knew what was going on.

Damn, you're not even part of this family yet and you already can't keep up with all this drama. You're going to make a terrible addition to the Todoroki family.

"Welcome back home," Fuyumi said, attempting to bring a warm and accepting vibe into the atmosphere.

"Yeah, it's been a while," Endeavor responded.

Fuyumi started explaining that Shoto had gotten special permission to come home for the dinner and how his teacher declined her offer to join us.

"Anyway, I bet you're super excited to celebrate your big victory over that monster. Huh, Dad?"

I could tell Fuyumi was really trying. She just wanted her whole family to get along the way they might have of Endeavor wasn't the way he was when they were younger. She just wanted a family that would stick together through thick and thin, something she'd unlikely get because of Natsuo's persistent hatred toward Endeavor.

Shoto looked up from slurping his soba noodles. "S'a bad scar," he said. "Looks painful."

He continued slurping his food along with Natsuo while I attempted to stifle a laugh. Now is definitely not a time I want to laugh, but that was just too good.