Years ago...
"Shoto." You said his name looking out at the dawn from the roof of the Todoroki household.
"Yes, Y/n?" He asked, sitting with his knees wrapped in his arms under the blanket you both shared.
In the mornings, when his father was still sleeping, sometimes, it felt like an escape to go to that roof.
And though it felt like you could actually breath up there, see the scenery, and reflect for once rather than think about training and obeying orders--
"I want to kill them." You said, Shoto's head spinning to face you as you stared down at the tiles. "I know we're meant to be heroes, but more than anything, all I dream of is killing them." Your lip twitched up in a half smile as you thought of it all. "Sometimes I can even hear them struggling for breath. See them grabbing their throats."
If you had seen the horror on Shoto's face you would've stopped talking, but alas you traced your fingers on the roof instead."The master, The warp monster."
You drew circles like nooses on hanging ropes, tightening them when you said their names. As you clenched your fist and pictured the blue-white haired child who'd almost made you feel at home, your growled out all you'd remember him as,"The liar."
"I'd want to kill them too." Shoto's small voice pulled you back to reality. His soft brown and blue eyes told a different story than yours, but, there was an empathy akin to pain he too shared.
Scooting closer, he continued, "Sometimes I want to kill them for you. For what they did to your hearing and those scars they gave you that, I don't think anyone can really see."
Looking back up at the sky, he gave a little smile-- one so rare. "But that's why we're gonna be heroes, right?" He said sweetly, "Because we're gonna save people before anything else."
Shoto never knew how closely you'd take those words to heart.
Because as he was watching the sun rise.
You were watching him.
***
"Y/n."
Your eyes were open, but glazed over, lost in the memory. The sounds of bustling people, whispering classmates, and sirens in the distance were faint.
It was like being underwater.
"Y/n."
Your head snapped up when you heard your name, only louder.
Shoto's disheveled half-colored hair and tired eyes stood in front of you, his hero costume torn and scuffed at the edges.
You weren't in the USJ anymore. You were sitting in the back of a parked ambulance with a shock blanket around your shoulders.
Maybe that flashback had been triggered by the familiar feeling.
"You phased out after you used your quirk" Shoto said. "Are you okay?"
Ignoring his question, you began breathing heavy, looking around at the gathering of your classmates.
None were seriously injured, but Aizawa was nowhere to be found, AllMight neither, and you couldn't see everyone, and your skin was still hot to the touch, and--
"Did I hurt anyone?"
Shoto hesitated for a second, but shook his head.
