𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 | 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗶 𝘅 𝗼𝗰

²³a hero like you

Word had spread like wildfire around U.A. about how Rin Takahashi's dorm room had been destroyed. It had taken the school by storm, being the first scandal circulating around the school ever since Class 1A had been attacked by the League of Villains at USJ.

If that wasn't already bad, there was more fuel to the fire that made it much more profound, expanding beyond the walls of U.A.

News about the Number Eight Hero Icarus going 'missing' only made everything so much worse.

Not only was Ryu depicted as kidnapped, but Rin as being a victim of a near kidnapping herself.

But Rin, and those involved like Shoto and Jirou, knew that Ryu had been the one to break into her room and throw a fit after seeing what she and Shoto had been plotting behind his back. As if the situation wasn't terrifying enough, now they didn't even know his whereabouts.

In spite of all of this, Rin's one-track mind soldiered on with the next right move; Ryu finding out about everything only made it easier for her to proceed to the next part of her plan.

"I can come with you." Shoto watched from the doorway of the dormitory as Rin tied her hair up in the mirror.

She turned around after she'd finished, scooping up her satchel from the couch before making her way to him.

They were finally back at their dormitory after a few weeks of maintenance. It had taken longer than expected since they decided to add new security measures in hopes of avoiding the same situation again.

"Your dad likes me, I'll be fine." Rin reassured him in a strained tone, an ornamental smile on her face. "Besides, you have remedial classes to go to. The sooner you get your licence, the better."

Shoto nodded, trying not to sigh as he remembered his brash behaviour from the licensing exam a few weeks ago. He was still ashamed after how he acted despite knowing what was on the line. And it only made him feel worse knowing that Rin hadn't even gotten mad at him.

"Just text me if my old man does anything to you, okay?" Shoto's arm automatically circled around her waist as she approached him.

Today was the day that Rin was going to give his father a visit in hopes of securing a work-study position at Endeavour's Agency. Shoto was a bit on edge knowing he couldn't be there to defend her or mediate anything that may go wrong, after all, he didn't know what to expect knowing Rin and his father had never been together one-on-one without him around.

Sure, she knew what to expect, but that didn't mean he wasn't all the more unsettled.

"I can handle it, I promise." Rin's hands rested on his arms.

Shoto frowned slightly.

"I can handle it", "I have it all under control", "I'll be fine."

She said those words as if chanting them would make them true.

He admits that she had been quite cool headed despite everything that happened in her dorm and the things that surfaced in the media about Ryu. But after seeing her fall apart in front of Jirou, Shoto knew that everything was a lot heavier than she let on.

He knew she could handle herself, but sometimes he wished she would just be a bit less composed – at least around him.

"Okay," he placed a haste kiss to her forehead. "Text me when you get to his agency."

Rin nodded, feeling her heart flutter at the intimate gesture.

These days, the line between platonic and romantic often blurred together. It was like the whole arranged marriage confusion pulled them back from properly pursuing something romantic – often when things are forced upon us, we tend to defy it.