Pins and Needles | Todoroki Shoto | S/H

I'll Be Your Boyfriend

・・・　・・・　・・・

     "Hey."  She says softly, eyes skimming over the water of the pond before her.
     "Hey."
     "I'm not bothering you, right?"  She asks quickly.  It was midafternoon, the time people were usually most active.
     "Never."  He laughs.
     "What are you doing?"  (E/C) eyes trace the clouds and race the treeline.  She didn't really like being near Shigaraki, he was a weird dude, but with absolutely nobody around, she certainly felt lonely.  Maybe she could've gone shopping in the mall, but that required money she didn't have, and she didn't think she really fit in with the class much at all.
     "I was spending the day with my mother in the hospital."  He answers.
     "Hospital?  Oh, I'm sorry for calling at a time like that.  Is... is she okay?"  (Y/N) says hurriedly.  There's a soft puff of air that floats through the phone speakers.
     "She's alright.  She's in a mental health ward.  What are you doing?"  She shrugs her shoulders to herself.
     "Sitting in an empty park alone."  She laughs, feet kicking under the bench.
     "That doesn't sound like fun."
     "Not really, so I thought to call you.  I didn't know you were with your mom, sorry again."
     "You don't need to apologize, (Y/N).  If you want to come meet her, you're free to.  I'll send you the information."
     "O-Oh, really?  That actually sounds pretty nice!"  She says happily, already jumping up from the park bench.  "If I meet your mom, you have to meet my dad, to even it out."  Shoto chuckles over the phone.
     "Sure."
     "Cool!  You can help me carry the screws back, too.  It's a two-hour train ride."
     "Oh boy."  

     A knowing smile lights up Rei's face at the knock on the door.  With her youngest already here, she was excited to see all of her children.
     Shoto stands and wanders over, pulling open the door.  Her smile twists into a confused expression at the (H/C)-haired girl in the doorway.  She didn't recognize her at all.
     "Hi."  The girl greets him.
     "Come inside."  He expresses, moving out of her way.  She moves into the door and gives a quick bow to Rei.
     "This is (S/N) (Y/N), Kaa-san." He introduces.  "(Y/N), my mom."
     "Hello." 

     Shoto glances around the large building with a bit of awe.  One wall was covered with robot blueprints.  There was a long table littered with folders with various labels.  Another wall was lined with large compartments that looked somewhat similar to industrial lockers, each brandishing a label.  Large sheets of green metal were dotted all around the floor.  He couldn't tell if there was any pattern to it but judging by how organized everything else was, he assumed so.  
     The whole thing felt rustic, like it belonged to Hephaestus. 
     "I'll take this for now."  (Y/N) says.  Goosebumps light his skin as her arms brush his, plucking the large box out of his grasp. 
     "You're back!"  A man announces as he wanders in.  It was pretty clearly (Y/N)'s father.  Looking at his stature, his saunter, his smile: it was like a gender-bent mirror of the girl.  "Who's this?"
     "Ah, Tou-chan!"  She greets back.  "Hold on."  Her breath was just slightly heavy —the box did weigh quite a bit, being stuffed full with metal screws— as she wanders towards the lockers.  She drops the box down on a low-set table before turning back around.  "This is Todoroki Shoto, a friend of mine from school." 
     "Hello, Todoroki."  He says with a polite bow.  "(S/N) (F/N).  You can call me just (F/N)." 
     "Shoto is fine as well, (F/N)-san."  He says back.  (F/N) looks to the side and Shoto's eyes follow his to (Y/N) leaned over the table.  She yanks back a boxcutter, slicing the tape.
     "Don't cut towards yourself!"  He scolds quickly before sighing at his daughter.  "Such a reckless girl, huh, Shoto?" 
     "Very."  He responds with a small smile. 
     "How long have you known each other?"  (F/N) asks lightly.  (Y/N) was distracted with sorting out the smaller boxes she pulled from the big one. 
     "We have class together, and we'd talked a few times, but we didn't get well acquainted until the internships.  She interned at my father's agency."  (F/N) nods his head. 
     "What do you usually talk about?"  He questions.  "To be honest with you, my daughter has never been the most social of people.  She finds it difficult to befriend people, mainly because she can never focus on the real world." 
     "We've talked about a lot of things.  Hero society, quirks, parental issues.  She might ask me my opinion on a dance route she's planning and I might ask her for some general advice.  I've never been very good at socializing, either, but I find her easy to talk to."  (F/N) looks down at him, but Shoto's eyes were flickering to wherever she was as she moved along. 
     "I see.  I'm glad you can find a good anchor, and I hope she can provide that for you as well."