Phenomenon

Chapter 22: Let's Talk About Your Dad

Thank you @savannahkyles for the song suggestion. 

The next day was a rest day for the class since we had all just successfully passed the Provisional License Exam. I woke up around midday. I attributed my late rising to me being exhausted from the previous day's events. The exam, the party and spontaneously playing for both Class A and B. I think the only reason I woke up before midday struck was that Shoto wanted to talk to me.

"Did I wake you up?" Shoto asked guiltily as he manoeuvred his way into my room and took a seat on my bed. I nodded my head slightly but dismissed the look of guilt which flickered across his face.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. I needed to wake up anyway." I yawned, glancing at my All Might alarm clock which displayed the time in neon green. The numbers 11:30 screamed up at me and I felt myself jump at the fact that I had slept in later than I had intended to. I shook away my inhibitions and flopped onto my bed beside Shoto. Looking up at his angular jaw and wondering how I managed to get such a handsome boyfriend. He would be perfect if it wasn't for his inability to interact properly in social situations. Though, I couldn't fault him for that after the way he was raised. Plus, no one was truly perfect.

"Ok. I wanted to talk to you about... my father. Do you remember what you said yesterday?" Shoto asked quietly, his eyes downcast as he tried desperately to avoid my gaze. I nodded my head, recalling that I had mentioned that we should try and get Shoto away from his father.

"Yeah, I remember. Do you want to do it? Try and escape from him?" I asked, placing my hands gently in Shoto's which were folded in his lap. It was rare to see Shoto Todoroki acting nervously. Hardly anyone had seen any other emotion besides indifference on his face. Sure my classmates had all seen anger and grief, but other than that, nothing. They'd certainly never seen nervousness or reluctance. Only I had seen such vulnerability and it made me proud. Proud that he opened up around me. That he thought I was worthy of seeing him how he truly was. A scared boy who was reluctant to face his past. A boy who was just that. A boy. He wasn't a man. He was 15 and had human emotions which his father couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"I want to. It's just... I know it won't work, Izuku. He's the number 1 hero right now. He'll be hard to pin down. It'll be hard to do...anything! We can't do anything. He hasn't done anything extreme in years anyway. He hasn't beaten me severely in a long time. It doesn't matter. It'll be too hard." Shoto whispered desperately, holding his head in his hands and trying to disguise his tears. I could see them though. As they leaked from his eyes and followed a curve down his face. Either going down a path which traced his entire face, down to his chin where they gently dropped down to land on his legs. Or following a route which curved onto his nose and dropped into his palm.

I shook my head and looked at Shoto with fire in my eyes. Something he had said had irked me. Something he had said just wasn't right. "What do you mean 'He hasn't done anything extreme'? I hope you know what that sounds like Shoto. Because to me, it sounds like he has been hitting you but it's not as bad as it was when you were a child. Is that what's happening, Shoto? When you go home to visit your family, does your father still hit you?" I asked, trying with all my might to keep the anger and disgust from my voice. I didn't want to make it seem as though I was angry at Shoto. None of this was his fault, all of the blame could be placed on Endeavour.

Shoto's gaze quickly snapped up to me and his face paled significantly. By the look on his face, the guilt and shock, he didn't mean to expose that specific detail. He looked at me with wide mismatched eyes. He didn't open his mouth to either confirm or deny my accusation. He just looked at me, his eyes slowly closing off as he withdrew into himself.

I gently placed my right hand onto Shoto's shoulder whilst my left hand came up to gently cup his cheek. "Shoto, no matter how insignificant it seems to you, he's still hurting you. Whether it be mentally, physically, intellectually or emotionally, it's still abuse. Tell me, Shoto, do you flinch every time he comes near you? When you go home, does the fear of confronting your father overshadow the joy of seeing your siblings? Do you ever have nightmares relating to what he used to do to you? Have you ever had a panic attack because you know he's going to be near you or something reminds you of him? Shoto, all of this is a clear indication of abuse. Be it past or present, you are not safe around him. You don't deserve this. You are so brave and so strong but it will do you more harm than good to fixate on him. To be around him. You deserve happiness, Shoto, and you won't ever be truly happy unless you manage to escape him. Even if he doesn't lose his position as number 1, even if people still idolise him, even if he keeps everything quiet, you can still get away from him. You and your siblings deserve better." I paused for some breath, eyes never straying from Shoto's as tears began to spill from his eyes faster and faster.