Bruised And Broken

Distant

Aizawa and Hizashi crashed down the basement stairs, worry at it's peak. Once they reached the bottom, their gazes instantly narrowed in on Todoroki. The teen was standing in the middle of the basement, with his back to them and breath catching in odd places. 

They rounded around him, expecting to have to deescalate a panic attack, but were met with something completely new. Todoroki's heterochromic eyes were layered with a misty sheen, staring off into the distance.

"Shoto?" Aizawa asked, placing a hand gently on the teen's shoulder. No reaction. The boy was stock-still, not a muscle so much as twitching. 

"SHOTO!" Hizashi screeched, flinging his arms around the boy. "I'm so sorry!" Todoroki did not even flinch. He was physically there, but mentally checked out. 

"Let's get him upstairs." Aizawa commanded, hauling his spouse of the poor teen. 

"What's happening?" Hizashi whispered.

"I think he dealt with the stress by dissociating." Aizawa replied, attempting to steer Todoroki towards the stairs. The teen did not move. The ravenette frowned, before swooping Todoroki up in his arms. 

"Well, shit. What do we do?" Hizashi asked as they walked back up the steps.

"...I don't know." Aizawa admitted. They reached the sofa in mere seconds thanks to the hurried pace of the two adults.

Todoroki simply allowed himself to relax into the cushions, glaze still extremely present in his mismatched eyes. Hizashi buried the boy in a collection a blankets, even fetching the blonde's old patchwork quilt. Todoroki did not react to the extra warmth nor the added weight, further inducing the worry of his guardians.

"Is there anything we can do or..?" Hizashi asked, uncertain.

"Lower your voice, and dim the lights." Aizawa answered quietly. Hizashi quickly sprang into action, turning off all the lights until only one lamp was casting a warm glow across the room. The ravenette sat on the sofa next to Todoroki, pulling the boy into his arms and stroking his two-toned locks.

"You're okay Shoto, you're okay." He whispered. Hizashi soon joined them, sitting on the other side of the teen and rubbing his arm gently.

A few minutes later

"Aizawa, what's going on?" A small voice belonging to Todoroki piped out. The two adults suppressed a sigh of relief, as the teen's heterochromic eyes cleared up to look at them confusedly.

"You're okay, just disassociated for a few minutes." Aizawa answered slowly, fingers still carding through Todoroki's hair.

"Oh..."

"Guess we should set up an appointment with that therapist soon, huh?" Hizashi chuckled softly.

"Mhm." Todoroki agreed wearily. His eyelids were heavy, but his guardians probably wanted to talk more. It's fine, he wasn't used to getting what he wanted any-

"You can go to sleep, if you want." Aizawa murmured soothingly. The dimly lit room, cocoon of blankets and reassurance of his dads- guardians soon lulled Todoroki into a dreamless rest.

Aizawa smiled down at the boy dozing in his arms, before turning back to Hizashi.

"Could you take him for a minute? I'll call the therapist Thirteen recommended." Aizawa asked, yawning.

"Of course!" Hizashi grinned, opening his arms wide. Transferring Todoroki was easy, only a tired incoherent mumble from the teen before he clung onto the blonde in his sleep.

"I'll be right back." Aizawa informed his spouse, leaving the living room for favour of phoning in the bedroom.

Hizashi gazed down at the teen's soft, dual-toned hair, like cream and jam side by side. Even though we're only his temporary guardians, it feels like Shoto's our son. I'll ask Shouta if we can adopt him soon...