rubatosis | s. todoroki

15 | affection

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Saito Emi

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Emi breathes out harshly, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waits for someone to get the damn door. Her clammy hands are fiddling with the straps of her backpack and her nerves almost make her kick down the door. The dense aura coating the house isn't helping. She can hear metal grinding and growls somewhere but she can't be bothered when her friend is inside of there and needs her and goddamnit when will the door just fucking ope- she gasps when the lock suddenly clicks but quickly enters.

"Hello, I'm so glad you're here," the woman, who she guesses is Fuyumi, mutters looking paler than humanly possible and Emi wonders if Todoroki is in a similar state. "This way."

Emi does not have time to admire the house but from what she is able to gather through Fuyumi's insistent ushering, it's Japanese style as indicated by the outer design with a black pine bonsai tree around every corner they turn and family portraits hung on the walls. At one point, they stop and Fuyumi almost slams a door against the frame, sliding it open.

Rough pants instantly reach their ears and the sight of Todoroki's face twisting in pain almost makes her regret coming in the first place. But she steels herself just like she did before. She reaches his bed in four long strides and thoroughly assesses him. He's shirtless so it makes it easier for her to see if there are any hidden injuries but he's writhing and his hands are weakly grasping certain areas. She pries them away and pants come out heavier than before. Purple and blue spots littering his body come into view and she feels the steel she's built weaken a little but again, she reminds herself that whatever she does, it will take the pain away if only a little. Blood drips in place and she's having a hard time figuring out where it came from with most of it smudged from his hands. Eventually, she understands what she's dealing with and picks up her bag.

"Anything I can't see?" she asks hoarsely, running her warm fingers comfortingly on the protruding veins in his hand. He responds to the touch and gulps audibly.

"Not that I know of."

His sister stands there, looking out of place, helpless and even more shaken up. Emi feels for her. She seems disappointed in herself for not being able to do anything and the only reason the blonde can tell is how desperately she questions if there's anything she can do. Emi can't even begin to imagine how painful it is to hear your brother's screams of pain and not being able to do anything about it, afraid of worsening it or even receiving it.

"I'll need a bag of ice, warm water and a clean towel," Emi says calmly with a soft smile, wanting the older female's posture to relax. Medical kit in one hand and a bunch of gel tubes in the other, she hopes she looks like she has it all under control because she does.

She nods determinedly and rushes out of the room, leaving Emi to her own devices.

Emi sighs through her nose and sets her calculating green eyes on his face until she accidentally meets his half-lidded eyes. Her smile pulls back on her face and she bites back the scolding and tears and just her mess of emotions which are not right for the situation. Her mother is right only when she's told her that she needs to get a hold of herself and her feelings. She shakes herself out of her thoughts and concentrates on the swirling pools of pain housed by Todoroki's eyes.

"It's going to be fine. I promise."

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After a series of grunts, curses and groans, Emi finally got Todoroki bandaged up and in a shirt, leaning against the headboard. He's had multiple of glass shards embedded in his right arm and purple blotches littering his pale skin from his neck to just above the waistband. He hasn't said anything; just stayed in this position for a good half an hour as though taking his time to comprehend what's just happened. Fuyumi is in the kitchen making the food she hasn't had the chance to make. She's thanked Emi around ten times and told her she can leave if she wants to but Emi protested, saying she won't leave until she's completely sure her friend's fine.

So there she is, sitting beside his bed, staring at him and waiting for him to say anything. He's staring at her hands. They are covered in blisters and scorches that she ignores and will treat later. Her wrists also ache from rubbing gels and creams on his shoulders and back but she refuses to complain even a little. She can't care less about the state of her hands and the light calloused palms are proof but he seems pretty fazed by it. "Um, it's fine, nothing a few creams can't fix."

He removes his eyes up to hers and meets them with so much intensity she recoils back in her seat a little bit. The comfortable silence between them turns awkward when one of them wants answers and the other can't give them.

"You don't have to tell me anything," she mumbles, internally begging her voice to not break. "As long as you don't want to, of course. I'm all ears if you ever need me."

He looks at her for a brief second after having a staring match with the small bandages on his fingers but that's all she needs to sit next to him on his bed and wrap her arms around his neck, careful not to press herself against any bruises. He stiffens for a few moments but then melts as though remembering that hugging is a form of affection, not suffocation.

Emi hides her burning face in his shoulder, knowing that she might have gone too far with physical contact with him. He isn't even hugging her back. Hell, it's only been a few months but they've hugged twice and done more than a high school pervert would hope to do. In Emi's defence, physical contact between them was essential most of the time.

"Can you cry again?" she asks. "Like you did that one time?"

He doesn't say anything but sets his head properly on her shoulder and Emi sees it as enough coming from him.

"I'm sorry you have to take care of me." His voice comes out raspy and strained. Emi wonders if it's because of being silent for too long save for indications of pain or if it's because he's actually crying.

A light hit against the back of his head makes him lean further into the hug, his arms still not moving from their position on his lap. Emi huffs, "Please don't say sorry. I don't have to take care of you. I want to take care of you. Now, how big the difference between those statements is up to you to decide."

They stay like this for this for a few more minutes before Emi decides it's best for her back muscles and his to pull away. "Please don't feel embarrassed."

As if caught, he turns his head away, ears turning red. "Okay," he whispers, shutting his eyes.

why is he so cute

Emi hums a short happy tune and jumps off his bed, right as his sister walks in. "Well, Todoroki-kun seems fine for now, if you need anything call me even if it's the crack of dawn."

"Alright then," Fuyumi giggles, setting a tray of food on the bedside table as Emi packs her belongings as she flung most of them out of the bag in a flurry of getting Todoroki to a better state.

"I'll see myself out." Emi stands at the doorway. "Oh and one more thing-"

"Two days off for you or I'm dragging you back here."