Feeling Hot And Cold With A Hint Of Floating(Completed)

4| Hopeful

He'd always had a hard time being vulnerable.

To him....being emotional never solved anything, it didn't help him become stronger. It didn't save him from his father's abuse.

He didn't see the worth in understanding personal emotions. It was just easier to lock it all away, until learning that lesson in his battle with Midoriya during the sports festival their first year. In a way, it was cathartic finally letting out his fire, and he'd only grown stronger since.

His relationship with Endeavor was slowly improving, as well.

But understanding his conflicted feelings toward his dad and working to repair the damage that had been done was still a long time coming, he knew.

It was difficult to forgive him for certain misdemeanors that he had committed, and Todoroki still felt stiff and distant in his presence at times.

The hospital hallway was generally empty around this time of day, as visiting hours were coming to an end. Leaning outside the hospital corridor, Todoroki sunk slowly onto the floor, his hands forming fists.

His father was slowly redeeming himself, but there were still sore spots that Todoroki didn't know if he could ever forgive him for.

There were still parts of him that were angry and bitter.

"Hello"

He looked up to see her standing in front of him, seeming puzzled by their coincidental meeting. He furrowed his brow in concern. What was she doing here? Was she okay?

"I was just visiting my dad," she, Ochako explained, seeing the question in his eyes. "He got scraped by some heavy machinery, but he's fine!"

She paused, realizing that he was slumped on the floor in the hospital. "Is everything okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I was visiting my mother" he answered

"Oh" Uraraka seemed surprised by his answer. He rarely mentioned his family. "How is she?"

"She's good...better" he swallowed, staring at the tiled floor. "She's getting released tomorrow... "

"That's great! I'm glad she's doing well," she cheered, before noticing Todoroki's downcast stance. She sobered up immediately. "Is there something else?"

Todoroki didn't reply, eyes still locked on the floor in front of him.

The brunette slid down next to him, bumping his shoulder lightly and patting his arm in reassurance. "You can talk to me. What's wrong?" she asked kindly. There was something warm in her voice and it felt strangely familiar.

"She'll be home again" he started, but hesitated. He didn't know if he could do this.

Ochako smiled at him encouragingly, her hand resting gently on his shoulder for comfort.

"My dad only ever cared about beating All Might," he started dully. He recounted his lonely childhood to the familial abuse, to never being able to spend time with his siblings, to leaning too much on his mother.

He talked about how his mom couldn't handle the mistreatment, how much she suffered, how much she couldn't bear to see his left side.

How she ended up in the hospital, and he with a permanent scar.

Shoto watched the myriad of emotions appear on Ochako's face, from shock to pain to indignant anger.

"I don't--" he finally stopped, letting out a choked breath. "I don't want him to hurt her anymore, I don't know if I'm strong enough to protect her, I don't know if he's--"

"I know" she interrupted gently, saving him from the angry, conflicted tears beginning to well up in his eyes. "But you think he's changed, right? You've for better or for worse chosen to forgive him, and that choice has made you stronger, believe in yourself, because you chose to believe in him"

He looked at her in awe.

Ochako reached for him, and he allowed himself to be pulled into a loose hug. "I believe in you, Todoroki Shoto"

As she enveloped him with warmth, he thought about what it meant to have people that cared about you. People that believed in you.

People that saw hope and goodness in you when you couldn't.

He didn't know if he could ever forgive his father fully. But he knew that healing started somewhere, and that realization made something bloom in his chest. He felt lighter than he ever had before.

He had hope