rubatosis | s. todoroki

20 | shoto

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Todoroki Shoto

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She doesn't come the next day. When Midoriya walks in, his heterochromatic eyes snap to his side only to find it lacking the blonde. She can't be late because when the Jiro asks Midoriya about her, he hears him telling her that she didn't seem like she's coming today. All the while avoiding her gaze with a guilty look.

The unsettling feeling inside of Shoto blooms further when Aizawa avoids Ashido's nonchalant question about why she's not here today.

"Just sit down already," he grumbles, eyes darkening and posture tensing. The pro-hero doesn't even nap in his yellow sleeping bag like he usually does. He merely states the activities for today while standing somberly.

The air in the classroom is laced with gloom and it's eventually getting on everyone's nerves. After all, nobody likes to feel like there's something that's being hidden from them. Shoto watches as Yaoyorozu's hands clench tighter, Jiro bouncing leg almost hitting her desk, Midoriya's face shifting to sadness and exhaustion, and Bakugo's scowl getting deeper than he's thought possible.

He sighs loudly and ignores curious glances from those who notice.

His heart burns as time passes slower than he hopes. One more session until he can call her. His nerves almost feel numb now and he has probably missed every word that's come out from Present Mic's mouth but he can't care less. His legs are aching to run to the bathroom and hide from supervisors as he breaks the rules and calls Saito and God, why is he so worried?

The bell rings and his head's alarm does as well. He stands and walks out of the classroom as calmly as he can. He can't even manage to comprehend the amount of self-control he has as he enters the bathroom like he doesn't have other intentions than the one would have when they go to the bathroom.

He whips out his phone, swiftly dialling her number.

"Hello?" her raspy voice greets him.

"Saito."

"Todoroki-kun?" Did she not have him saved? He shakes the thought away when feels his disappointment surfacing.

"Right." He resists a smile when he realises she recognises his voice. "Are you..." he trails off. It's too out of the character for him. Then again, everything he's done around her was out of character for him.

"Oh! I'm fine," she says, probably, somehow sensing his discomfort. "Just some family issues. Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?"

Aizawa's state this morning doesn't make it seem like it was just 'family issues'.

"Yes, Todoroki-kun, I'm sure." He can hear a smile in her words. "I'll be a little bit busy the next few days but it's no problem."

He closes his eyes and mentally scolds himself for what he's about to do. "If you need anything, Emi."

There's a heavy pause. He contemplates apologising for using her first name but retracts that thought. Calling her by her first name can just make her call him by his own first name. Nobody but his family calls him by his first name and he'd love for somebody else to say it. To prove that he's become close to someone. To prove to himself that he's not afraid that close relationships can make him weaker. That close relationships aren't a distraction. That he can still adhere to his goal yet abide by human nature. He hears her sigh with a short laugh.