𝒞𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝓂𝒶𝓈 𝒜𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑒 | 𝒜 𝒯𝑜𝒹𝑜𝐵𝒶𝓀𝓊 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 |

| Chapter 3 |

_____No One's POV_____

Shoto never really cared for Christmas. Never cared enough to celebrate it. Not after that night. Not after he had to take the beating of a lifetime at the age of seven from his father. Let's go back a bit.

As you know, Shoto is the child Enji always wanted. A child that had both his and Rei's quirk. With each child they had, Enji rejected them. As the years went on, he got so caught up in trying to have the 'perfect' child that he didn't recognize the cracks that had appeared in his family. Their family dynamic has always been awful, but none of them have the guts to fix them. Shoto tried to when he was younger, but that got him in hot water.

When they had Toya, Enji didn't want him. He tried to make him the most powerful hero he could be, but he ran away at the age of nine, leaving Natsou, Fuyumi, and Shoto. Shoto looked up to him when he was younger. Though he was young enough to not remember him, he somehow remembers every single memory of his brother and him playing in his room when their father was out.

Which was most of the time.

But on the times he was home, he worked Shoto to his limit. Sometimes even over his limit. There was one time where his mother begged Enji to let Shoto get a break. He tried to tell his mom that he was okay and could handle it, but that didn't get through to her. He could barely say a word as the pain in his abdomen was beyond a five.

Enji had kicked him in the stomach when he didn't get a move right. That resulting in him collapsing and Rei running out begging for him to stop. The more she pleaded, the more Enji began to lose his temper. Not like he already lost it or anything.

He backhanded her, and she fell to the ground. Her hand raised to her cheek, and tears beginning to roll down. Todoroki had enough at that point. He didn't know where he got the courage to stand up and get in front of his mother when Enji raised his hand up for another hit. He ran in front of her, shielding her from the hand that was about to come down.

But before it could happen, he shot some ice at Enji's hand. It falls from the weight and a look of pure rage blinding Enji's eyes. Melting the ice with his quirk, he lit a fire in his hand and put it to Shoto's arm. Him screaming out in pain felt his ice side go haywire, and when the fire stopped, he looked up through his tears and saw his 'father' in a block of ice.

Sniffling, he scatters to his feet and takes his mother's hand away from her cheek. Slowly cooling down his left hand, he gently and very slowly raises it to his mother's cheek—her flinching slightly, which made him frown immensely.

He could feel the guilt eating at him as he helped cool down the stinging sensation on Rei's cheek. "L-let's go in-inside, momma." he stuttered out, too afraid to say anything else. She nodded and got up, her hand reaching Shoto's and holding onto it.

Once they got inside, he looked at her, and she could see the pain and guilt in his eyes. "Hey...don't be guilty, son. You did nothing wrong, I promise," she told the young boy. He nodded and wiped away his tears with the back of his hand.

That was Christmas eve. He had to go through this torture on the holiday that's supposed to be filled with laughter, fun, and joy. "Fuyumi can you get the first aid kit for me, please?" she asked, her daughter nodding.

____Present____

Todoroki sat in the common room, waiting for Katsuki to get back. When he didn't come back from classes like everyone else, he was a little worried. He's usually the last one out cause he stays after classes to study and get ahead in his training.

He looked at the time and noticed it was now 6:30. The doors opened with a click, and Bakugo walked in, setting his stuff on the table and getting a snack from the fridge. "...thank you," Shoto whispered out loud enough for Katsuki to hear. Katsuki took his head out of the fridge and looked to where the voice came from. His eyes immediately finding the dual haired male. "For what?" he asked monotonously.