Silhouette

Ch. 14

"Mind if I walk you home?" 

Todoroki's question made Izuku pause, turning over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. They'd just finished up their patrol, all four of them fabricating their reports and leaving nothing in about their run-in with two certain villains. Izuku was bone tired and just wanted to get home. His rush could almost entirely be blamed on the fact that Eijirou and Katsuki were supposed to be waiting for him. 

"Yes, actually," Izuku said, turning to face the other pro as his face dropped. "You know who's gonna be there, and you don't have a track record of getting along. I'd rather not have a fight break out in my living room." 

Todoroki sighed, motioning for Izuku to continue walking down the street. "That's exactly why I want to go. I still don't trust them, not with you." 

Izuku bristled, glaring at the other man. "First off, they've been hanging around for weeks. If they wanted to do something, they would have already. Second, not sure if you noticed, but I can take care of myself." 

"I know that," the other man said quickly, keeping his eyes trained on the sidewalk in front of them. "It doesn't change the fact that I worry about you. I care about you, Izuku." 

Izuku huffed, shoving his hands into the pocket of his hoodie to fight off the cool night air. "I know you do, but you don't have to worry about Kacchan and Eijirou." The redhead's first name had just slipped out. He'd gotten so used to hearing it from the blond that he instinctually used it. He knew Eijirou wouldn't mind, seeing as he'd leaped at the chance to call Izuku by his first name. 

"They're villains, Izuku." 

"You know Kacchan had no say in that," he snapped, more hurt than anything. The fact that Todoroki, of all people, could so carelessly cast aside someone else's trauma and choice being ripped away was ridiculous. 

"Like my father gave me no say?" Todoroki pressed. He sighed, running a hand through his hair before speaking again, much calmer than before, "There seems to be more similarities between Bakugou and I than we first thought, and I just... I don't understand how he could have gone a decade without fighting what was happening to him. If he hated it so much, why wait until now to do something about it? I just think we need to be more wary." 

Izuku pressed his lips together in a thin line, understanding where the other man was coming from, but also knowing he was entirely wrong. "You went eighteen years," he pointed out. 

"I was a child." 

"So was he," Izuku snapped. "He was carted off by his family at fifteen, and who the hell knows what they did to him after. You're making unfair judgments, Shoto." 

"Then let me come with and make a fair one," Todoroki said, his voice almost pleading. "Please, Izuku. I won't be able to relax until I know that you're safe." 

Izuku shoulders hunched as he kicked a rock that entered his path. "Fine, but if you start anything in my apartment-" 

"I won't," he promised before Izuku could even finish his threat. "I'll be on my best behavior." 

"I've heard that one before." 

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"I'm home," Izuku called into the apartment, hoping the villains had arrived before him. When there was no response, he sighed and led Todoroki through the kitchen. "I'd apologize for the mess, but I'm not sorry," he mumbled. 

"Iz, I saw your depression dorm back in high school," Todoroki said with a hint of amusement. "This is nothing." 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he huffed as he fell back onto his couch.