𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬 || S. Todoroki x Reader

32 - Heart to Heart

A young boy leads a younger girl through the ruined streets of a ruined city. Filth cling to every inch of pavement like disease. It coats the children's faces, the expressions under their eyes. The girl is too young to remember anything, too tired to keep her eyes for longer than a few hours. She clutches a stuffed animal and the boy's hand. 

He is her lifeline. He gives her food. He whispers into her ear. He is the light amongst all darkness. 

In turn the girl is his lifeline. 

She gives him a reason to keep living. To keep stealing food. To keep hoping someday, someone will come and take more than a pitiful glance at them.

They are family. Almost.

They are holding on. Barely.

They will die. Soon.

Until one day. Everything changes.

Sometimes the boy looks back on that day and wonders if he knew then what he knows now... would he have done anything differently?

Perhaps.

Maybe.

***

Shoto laid against your chest, the thin white sheet between your torso and his crinkling as your breaths evened out. Your fingers carded through his hair, soothing down the volumes. He liked your heartbeat in his ear; steady and close. A physical embodiment of your life, in his grasp, to run his fingers along and watch the goosebumps rise like blooming soil.

Cricket's songs filtered through the cracked window, swinging with the gentle wind and orchestrating the early night. Garbled frog voices echoed like a chorus over the synthesis.

"Here," Shoto murmured, picking his shirt from the floor and wrapping it around your shoulders.

You hummed, nestling further into his side as the scent of vanilla and water reached your nose. Shoto's scent. You let in envelop you from everywhere, filling your veins until your heart beated in accordance with his. One body, one organism breathing together. 

The black fabric of his shirt was soft—expensive—you smiled at the thought of Shoto not realizing his fancy shirt was crumpling under the weight of your body and the heavy feeling in the air. If your suspicions were correct, however, Shoto wouldn't care.

"Thank you."

He weaved his arm back around your back, pulling you closer and letting his left side warm your soul. "Are you cold?"

"Mm." You brought his hand to your lips and pressed a grateful kiss to his knuckles. "Not right now."

The rustling of wind and gentle creak of opened windows filled the air for a few moments. By then your breaths had evened out, hearts settled in your chests, bones melted into one another until you didn't know where you ended and Shoto began. You could think of few feelings you enjoyed more than this. Few moments you savored over this.

The smile on your face grew into an amused smile. "What will your sister say when she sees me wearing her little brother's clothes, Sho?"

He sighed. "Nothing, if she's smart."

You laughed out a breath, letting yourself sink further into the bedsheets, into the moment. You could almost feel the outside stream running across your skin, the frog's feet padding across the floor, the cricket's lullabies permeating the air. Shoto's fingers ran up and down your back, tracing the scars lying under fabric.