𝒞𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝓂𝒶𝓈 𝒜𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑒 | 𝒜 𝒯𝑜𝒹𝑜𝐵𝒶𝓀𝓊 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 |

| Chapter 7 |

_____________

It's been about two days since the trail of lights happened, and saying that the two boys were quite nervous around one another was an understatement. They were beyond nervous when they were together. While yes, they did have a romantic moment at the lights, they also never talked about what happened since then. So you can imagine the amount of awkwardness that has been happening with them.

It's even worse when that awkwardness began rubbing off on the rest of the class. They all started to get fidgety around them and felt like they were a bunch of ten-year-old kids tiptoeing down the stairs to catch Santa Claus red-handed, putting the presents underneath the tree. But Mina being the lovely matchmaker she is she planned on getting the two to talk and figure out what's going to happen between them.

If you really think about it, she's the one person who, other than the electric blonde and the broccoli boy with common sense when it comes to relationships. Those three are like the literal embodiment of angels. Izuku, Denki, and Ashido knew that something needs to happen; otherwise, they were going to burst into a bunch of confetti.

"Oh my god! It took them so long to get to this point, and now they're gonna let their awkwardness and absolute stubborn personalities get in the way of being with each other!? My god!" Mina groaned out. She was beyond tired of seeing those two avoid each other at all costs and stutter out small awkward responses when they did confront each other. "Like, are you hecking kidding me!? It's like watching an anticlimactic movie." Izuku commented.

Denki absolutely had to stifle his laughter and Izuku's attempt at covering up the word he was thinking of. "You do realize you can say that word right, Midoriya?" Denki asked, snorting. "Why would you even try to get him to say something like that?" Mina asked, a hand on her hip and a mischievous smile on her face. "W-Well, I mean...I've cursed before." Izuku stuttered out.

At this point, their mission now was to get Izuku to curse.

"What?! When?!" they both said.

____________

As those three bright balls of sunshine basically interrogated Izuku, Katsuki and Shoto were both sitting awkwardly in Shoto's dorm. Katsuki in the corner of his bed and Shoto sitting in Katsuki's desk chair. "So..." Katsuki said, trailing off. "So...what do you wanna talk about it?" Shoto asked nervously. He was fidgeting with his hoodie string and trying to avoid eye contact with Katsuki at all costs.

"We could play twenty questions...?" Katsuki suggested, his voice going higher than he wanted it to. "Or we could...talk about what happened at the...at the lights," Shoto responded shyly. "Y-Yeah, we could do that shit too."

"I heard what you said, by the way...when you asked why you couldn't be that happy," Shoto whispered out. Katsuki's eyes went wide, and he froze up a bit. "Y-You heard that?" he stuttered out. "Yeah...why can't you be happy, Bakugo? If you don't mind me asking." Shoto asked. His voice was small and soft. His eyes held genuine interest and care. So Katsuki being the walls up kind of guy he is asked a question that anyone who doesn't wanna talk about something or tries to avoid something asks. "What's it to you?" he asked, his voice monotone.

"I...In all honesty, Katsuki, I want to get to know you better." Shoto said, surprising himself that he just said Bakugo's given name. Katsuki's eyes went wide, and he felt his cheeks flush. "I-Sorry I didn't me-" "No, it's fucking fine...I guess. You seriously wanna know why I can't be happy? More like why I don't want to be happy." Katsuki mumbled that last part underneath his breath.

Shoto got into a more comfortable position. He didn't know what he was going to hear. Katsuki wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about it. Didn't know if he was ready to admit how he feels he doesn't deserve to be this happy on a holiday such as this.

There was a silence that ensued between the two, and Shoto didn't know what exactly to do. He's gotten better at noticing certain social skills, but he's not a full-on master of them. "...you don't have to talk about it, Bakugo," he muttered, his voice soft and soothing to Katsuki's nerves. "No, I'm fine. I know that I need to admit it someday and that I'm going to have to tell someone sooner rather than later." he responded.

"Take your time then..." Todoroki encouraged. Katsuki was thankful for Shoto's encouragement and patience in this instance. He was thankful for how soothing and calm Todoroki was acting and how he let him have a moment to gather his thoughts before anything else happened.

"When I was around nine, my...my mom pas-...passed on...she had cancer. During that time, I always thought she had the flu...she protected me and didn't want me to watch as she withered away. She...she knew how much it would destroy me. I...I was only nine...Deku was my childhood best friend, and he knew...partly because one of his family members passed from the same type of cancer my mom had." he felt his eyes sting. This wasn't something he wanted to reminisce on.

He felt Shoto's thumb gently wipe away the tear that was falling, and he looked up. Only to find Shoto's eyes staring patiently and comfortingly staring back at his ruby red ones. The hand that was gently wiping away the tears now cupping Katsuki's face gingerly. "It was Christmas day when she passed...my father began getting distant and neglecting. He started drinking more than he was when my mom was sick...everyone tried to fucking protect me so I wouldn't suffer but...but my mom was suffering more than I was, and I wanted to take all that damn pain away..."

"...I don't feel like I...I wouldn't say I like feeling happy during this time because my mom wasn't. I don't like feeling any emotion because...when I do, I feel my mom telling me that it's okay...but I don't feel like it ever will be...I never knew what the pain of losing a parent felt like until that day...that's why I'm never helping decorate and opening presents...because those were her favorite things to do."

"Bakugo..." Shoto said gently. "I don't feel the need or like I deserve to be happy...because I know that once I am, that means I'm gonna move on, and I don't...I don't want to." Todoroki gently lifted up Bakugo's chin and looked at him. Scanning his face and then going back between each eye as he saw the pain and the anger in his eyes as he spoke of this event.

"...she loves you, Bakugo. The times that were the hardest for her were probably also the easiest for her because she got to watch as her son laughed and joked around with her. She got to open the present you got for her, and she got to watch as the sparkle in your eyes appeared each time."

"...you deserve to be happy. You may not be able to think that now but you will one day...you'll be able to find the thing that makes you the happiest...and the thing that makes you forget time as it passes...it'll take time, yeah, but that doesn't mean you'll feel this pain forever...she wants to see you smile again and she wants to hear that laugh of yours..." Shoto reassured.

"..." Katsuki didn't respond. Instead, he leaned forward and let his head rest against Shoto's chest as Shoto's hand held him in place. His left arm wrapped around Katsuki's waist and his right hand cupping the back of his head.

Slowly lifting his head up, he looks up into the eyes of the heterochromatic boy and asks.

"...what if the person that makes me forget time and makes me happy...is right in front of me?"

_______________

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are enjoying this book too! Sorry for making these last chapters so angsty. I promise you it goes with the plot. Anyways Happy holidays, and I hope you all are staying safe and healthy.

Stay safe and be careful!