rubatosis | s. todoroki

13 | fire

◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖

Todoroki Shoto

◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖◗◖

"I didn't know you were dyslexic," he says, putting his intense gaze on her freckled face. He can barely see her from his painful position but it's clearly flushed with effort as she continues to work on his back.

She refuses to look at him. He isn't sure if it's because she's embarrassed or because that's what her criteria is for concentration. Her eyelids are drooping and the pressure her hands are putting is gradually becoming more of a touch. "That's fine." Her voice is barely there and it's like the energy she's had at the start of the day has been sucked out of her. "There."

A pat on his back signals that she's done and he slowly gets up, comforted to know that she never fails to make his back as good as new. Shoto has always hated the thought of being dependent on someone but he doesn't hate it as much when it comes to her. He tried to reason with as much logic as he has and the furthest he's come up with is:

1. She's his age and has shown signs of dealing with the same things.

2. She's strangely easy-going and doesn't ask about it.

3. She's easy to approach.

4. She can keep his secret and help to hide it by healing him and not telling.

Water runs in the sink, bringing him out of his ocean of a mind. He doesn't cringe like he always does at the feeling of the shirt sticking lightly to his back. It's been months of her healing him, it's expected of him to get used to this routine. But every time he comes into the clinic, he notices her eyes dull a little at the sight of him showing her his injuries, her sad sighs at his grunts of pain, her shaky voice as she speaks about all the topics in the world to distract him from the pain.

"Why fire?" he blurts as a way to get himself to stop thinking about what he deems is useless.

"Hm?" She wipes her hands with the towels, confusion painted on her face as she glances at him. "My quirk you mean?"

When he nods in response, she sighs and sits on the chair. He takes a seat as he has no idea if it's a long story or not. He doesn't care either way; he actually wants to know.

"I asked my mother that once." Mother, not mom but maybe that's just him. She chews on her bottom lip and looks to side wincing as though remembering a bad memory but she quickly returns to her explanation. "Fire releases heat which can speed up reactions however mine generally speeds up the effect with no heat. Like a catalyst I guess but I do run out of stamina so not...exactly. Honestly, I am just as confused as you are."

He studies her as he usually does. Her hands are in the pockets of her lab coat and her eyes are wandering around seeking for something yet also trying to hide another thing.

"Oh! Todoroki-kun!" She springs up and continues with her unpredictable act that amuses Shoto. "I don't register your name every time you come in. That's what you want right?"

"Yes, please," he breathes out in relief. He completely forgot that they have to write down his name every time he comes in. He was just thinking of mentioning it to Saito this morning but it slipped his mind after her quirk has entered his mind and theories from all over the place came to his head to fill in some gaps. He doesn't want to make anyone suspicious of his constant injuries and God forbids, contact the old man.