Pins and Needles | Todoroki Shoto | S/H

How I've Missed Thee So

・・・　・・・　・・・

     She bites her lip, nodding her head slowly.  It wasn't like she had much to say.  All that came to mind was apologizes, but it's not like Endeavor would care if (Y/N) apologized or not. 
     She'd specifically asked to come to his agency just to go out and break the law like that?  He was already angry his son had done something so stupid, but this was another level.  Plus, she had no injuries, and he assumed she broke the law to not even contribute.  Strangely, (Y/N) had stopped Shoto from explaining that she healed.  
     It's not like her internship was very helpful, anyway.  Interns were basically just sidekicks who needed more things told to them.  She couldn't do anything except watch them and listen because of her nasty ankles.  Speaking of which, she'd used these injuries to threaten him —yeah, that was another problem, too— and he wasn't exactly convinced it was her mother that did that to her.  How could somebody even do that?  Couldn't she have just... stopped her?  
     He had to say that he was a little excited to get her out.  He hated Shoto's defiance but she was even more pushy, which he would've found hard to believe before he met her.  He had always taught his kids to respect authority because that was proper.  She was abused with a tongue like that?  Hard to believe.  Either it was punishments for such disrespect or she was just a liar.  

     Shoto frowns, staring at her (E/C) eyes as she listened to Endeavor dismissing her from the internship.  There was so much sorrow and so much fear.  He could already see her fighting for breaths at even the mention of going home.  The poor girl was drowning and she couldn't even ask for help.  
     (Y/N) locks eyes with him as she was turning to leave.  Her eyelids twitch while the light from the wall of windows behind him highlight their glassy appearance.  He swore he could see his own horrified expression in the reflection with how clear it was.  
     She went to say goodbye, but all that escaped was a barely-audible whimper.  Her eyes immediately dart away and he watches her wobble closer to the door on her staff, still using the couches in the center as a good checkpoint.  
     "Shoto!"  Endeavor calls again.  Finally, he gains his son's attention.  "We still have 2 days.  Let's begin on another patrol.  Get dressed."  

     If you still want to stay at my house until the internship is set to be over, just swing by.
     If she freaked out from you dropping out of the Sports Festival, I don't want to even imagine her reaction to you getting sent home early.  
     Shoto stares at the texts as they're marked 'read.'  It suddenly hit him how stupid of an idea that was.  What if her mother was reading these texts?  What if she didn't even know (Y/N) had gone home early?  What if her mother got mad at her for having a boy's phone number?  It was a stupid thing to get mad about, but he knew not to doubt crazy.  
     Really??  He stares at the response for a few moments.  That was definitely something (Y/N) would respond with, but he had no idea if her mother could've been faking it.  
     You know me.  
     That was the only good response he could think of.  Her mother would probably want clarification or be left confused, but (Y/N) would know he didn't joke like that.  
     Thank you so much, Sho
     Can we get some bread from that one place we stopped by???  It was delicious !!
     He smiles at the text with a breath of relief.  It was a class-act if it wasn't (Y/N).  Plus, her writing style was cute.  It fit her face.  
     Of course.  I'll ask Nee-san to make some tea.
     Ooh !!  Can you ask her for green tea?  I don't think I'll ever be able to drink normal green tea again, hers is so good~
     He smiles to himself, assuring he would and telling her how to hop the fence into the side alley of the courtyard.  He didn't know if Endeavor would be all too pleased that she was still staying and he didn't want to explain.  
     "I'm going outside to train.  Don't disturb me."  Shoto tells his father as he passes his room.  He knocks on his sister's door next.  "In about an hour, can you make me some green tea?"  He asks softly.  "Can you make two so I can sleep?"  Fuyumi stares at him for a moment before the words seemed to register and she nods her head.
     "The doll isn't coming back, is she?"  She asks softly.  Shoto scrunches his eyebrows.
     "'The doll'?"  He echoes.
     "The girl who's been staying here the past couple of nights."  She states.  He watches with curiosity as she physically shivers.  "She's creepy, like a voodoo doll."  He thinks for a moment, noting that she was kind of like a voodoo doll.  He would've taken it as more of a compliment though, since her quirk was actually quite interesting.  He didn't find (Y/N) creepy at all.
     "No."  He lies.  "I'm training some more and I'm hoping the extra cup will help me sleep."  
     "Oh, okay!  Yes, I'll make you two."  She tells him.  He gives a polite smile and then he's down the hall.
     He stands in the courtyard behind one of the bushy trees.  He had a little over an hour to train, as (Y/N) had predicted that was how long it should take her to get there.  It was relatively short of a time considering how slow she walked at the moment.
     But instead, he stared at his hand.  Flames flickered and bubbled like magma.  It was strange to use it enough that it made a visible fire.  He usually just used its heat, kind of like how (Y/N) used the side-effects of her quirk rather than the main part of it.  
     Wasn't it pathetic of him to hate his quirk because his father couldn't get his shit together?  It wasn't Shoto's fault that his dad was an asshole.  And yet, as he stared at that fire in his own hand, it simply made him hate life.  
     He wondered why (Y/N) hated her quirk.  He found it quite interesting, but then again, he was sure plenty were jealous of his, too.  Maybe it was a situation like his, that her quirk reminded her of her mother.  Wouldn't that be an ironic friendship?  Were they even friends?
     It was strange though.  She generally didn't mind using the copy part, she didn't seem to have any problems and even enjoyed it a bit that she could walk without pain on their patrols.  Was that a part of her quirk that her mother didn't share, or maybe a part that her mother disliked?  
     (Y/N) didn't seem to absolutely hate making people copy her, either.  Not that he could see, at least.  She did it a decent bit, though she only used it to avoid harm in their match.  That had been quite a smart way to use her quirk and preserve her energy, and it was impressive how fast she could switch between the two.
     But what else was there to her quirk?  Shoto had no clue.  Of course, he saw what happened with Stain, which had frankly been a shock to him.  It was even crazier watching how her body patched the wound in mere seconds, yet her ankles still made her toddle.  He wondered what caused the healing and why it was so subjective.