Gone Cold - [BNHA]

-TEN-

SHOTO

"Move over," Uraraka shoved Todoroki over. "There's only so much room in between the hay bale and the barn wall."

    "If the barn burns down, we go with it," realized Iida.

    "I have an ice quirk, dumbass," Todoroki laughed.

    "Oh, right."

    They sat in silence, not bothering to look at each other due to how dark it was.

    "If you guys want to get some sleep, go ahead," Todoroki said. "I'll wake you up if anything happens."

    "We could take shifts," Uraraka offered.

    "It's okay. It's just one night and it's my mission. I'm just glad you guys wanted to come along."

    "Of course," said Midoriya.

    Iida yawned and Todoroki could hear him lay down. Uraraka did the same, while Midoriya just went silent. After a few minutes, Todoroki assumed they were all asleep by the soft snores coming from Iida and Uraraka.

    "What do you think it is?" Midoriya said, causing Todoroki to jump a little in surprise.

    "Midoryia, I thought you were asleep."

    "I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep," Midoriya laughed. Todoroki wished he could see his face.

    They sat in silence for a second. Todoroki looked up at the sky, noticing the stars and how bright they were out in the country. He supposed they were the same from the castle, but whenever he was there, he normally had more important things to focus on.

    "I think I'm going to move here one day," decided Todoroki.

    Normally, Todoroki wasn't good with conversations, especially when it came to this stupid future stuff, but talking to Midoriya made him feel different.

    "What about the castle?"

    "It will be all to Fuyumi and Natsuo, hopefully. I just hope everyone forgets about me in time."

    "We won't."

    Todoroki could hear him smiling. He imagined that smile, leading him to blush although they were sitting in complete darkness and it was all his imagination.

    For all the hoping that he did, Todoroki knew that realistically, everything would go according to Endeavor's plan for him. Fuyumi and Natsuo would be known to very few people and they would only be known as servants or whatever lie Endeavor was telling. Todoroki would grow up to inherit his father's crown and when he was old enough, he'd get married to some other rich princess, forcing him to stay grounded to one place.

    Whenever Todoroki imagined his wedding, he never imagined it with a princess. When he was little, he imagined it with a handsome prince. As time went on, the face of his husband changed. The first clear face that he had seen was Iida for a while and then for a short period, Bakugou, someone who Todoroki had met on one of his many adventures, but now the only person he ever imagined was Midoriya. He had only thought about Iida and Bakugou for short amounts of time, like a month or two each, but Midoriya...

    The last year was spent admiring Midoriya from afar because for the first few weeks of school, Todoroki kept his distance, only thinking about how courageous he was, especially throughout training. During and after the sports festival, his heart was acting in a whole new way. To say that Midoriya ignited fire within him was just as metaphorical as it was literal.

    Wait, Todoroki had started feeling these things during... a jousting tournament? A royal competition?

    Whatever. Midoriya was the burning feeling that was always in his chest and the image that had replaced Endeavor whenever he used the fire half of his quirk.

    "Todoroki?" Said Midoriya.

    "Yeah?"

    "I wanted you to know that I care about you. We all do."

    Todoroki closed his eyes, allowing a small flame to dance on his fingertips. He doused the flame just as quickly.

    "Midoriya?"

    "Yeah."

    "I want you to know that I think of you when my future gets brought up."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I imagine living by your side. You make me feel whole. I love you, but it's more than that. I want to be someone you're proud of and that you love, too."

    "Why are you telling me all of this?"

    "I don't think I really have the strength too."

    "But I make you whole?"

    "You make me want to be a hero. Being a villain is a lot easier, you know."

    "I suppose."

    They looked back up at the stars. Todoroki could point out a few constellations, but he didn't remember that many.

    "Wait," Midoriya put a hand on his shoulder. "What is that?"

    Todoroki noticed a spark of blue in the dark, but it was way too far in the distance. It was so far that it wasn't attacking the barn they were watching, but one in the distance.

    "Uraraka, Iida," Midoriya woke them up.

    "Huh, wha?" Uraraka said sleepily.

    The flame spread into the distance. An entire barn descended into flames.

    "Shit," Todoroki ran into the mess, throwing ice to stop the spread of blue.

    Nothing happened. Instead of surrounding and putting out the flames, smoke went up in his face. He coughed and sent out more ice. The same thing happened, the ice not even taking a second to melt, just skipping right to steam.

    "Todoroki!" Iida yelled from somewhere behind it.

    The blue flames were starting to engulf Todoroki's vision.

    "S-stay there!" He yelled, his throat drying. "I've got it."

    More ice.

    More smoke.

    More ice.

    More smoke.

    His lungs were starting to fill with charred air, he coughed and choked, his throat tearing apart from the inside out. He wasn't on fire, his ice was only delaying the blue from touching his body, but they were so close.

    His head had gotten hit the worst, though. With every new wave of steam, he felt like his scar was reopening.

    He saw his mother holding a teapot. She was terrified of him. She was afraid of Endeavor, but it wasn't just him. Shoto was slowly becoming a monster.

    "I'll be home soon."

    Shoto looked up at the fuzzy image of his brother. The thick bandage wrapped around the right side of his face was still throbbing in pain, but he'd gotten used to it.

    His brother ruffled his hair and left, closing the door behind him and never once looking back.

    Shoto had once thought that was just Natsuo leaving for school or something, but he never understood why those words were engraved into his head almost as clearly as "it's your power," and "decide who you want to become."

    "I'll be home soon."