I'll Ask You out. Tomorrow. (Seroroki MHA)

22.

There was no point in quarrelling with Shouto. As always.

Fuyumi raised her hands in a gesture of surrender and, as soon as the teen collected his belongings, the two headed towards the Todoroki limo.

...

Turns out that once Shouto reached the hospital, other students (minus Bakugou, Jiro, Hagakure, Yaoyorozu and Sero) were already there, all cramped in Midoriya's recovery room, and discussing the plan to save Bakugou from the League of Villains.

Shouto was no less determined than others to step into action and save their friend, loud and annoying, and a little too aggressive but a friend, nonetheless. 

The immense guilt for failing to catch a Bakugou marble was boiling inside his guts, so much that he feared looking up, crossing his gaze with others. 

And, if that wasn't enough, he still didn't know what happened to Hero. He decided he'd ask about the tape user after the Bakugou Rescue Mission discussion, and, for a moment, as per default, the boy shut everything down.

HE WAS SUPPOSED TO ASK HIM OUT!!!

How could he plan so stupidly to ask him out 'tomorrow'?! 

What did he even mean by that, was he unwilling, was he scared, what was he scared of?! Didn't he feel at ease around Hero, didn't he recall Sero household-related memories as the nicest of his whole miserable life, admiring how the other one was reliable and respectful, didn't he trust the tape user to forgive Shouto for his stupidity and accept him back?! Didn't he feel happy around Hanta Sero, his Hero?! That was the word, wasn't it?! 'HAPPY'??!!!

Why didn't Shouto explain the stupid misunderstanding yesterday?! Why didn't he confess?!

What a fucking walking failure of a human he was, losing so much in one instant?!

He didn't notice when all students left Midoriya's room, feeling a heavy gaze on his back. He left without a word. 

- Kirishima...

- Yes, Todoroki? Any objections against the plan?

- Nah, all good, I told you I'm in...It's not about that.

- ...

- You never answered.

- ...?

Shouto noticed how unresponsive the other boy became, despite being a ray of lively, bubbly sunshine who barely let Shouto and Hanta speak during their maths session together not that long ago. 

(Which was nice but not even 50% as nice as hanging out with Hero alone plus no Kirishima food compared to the magical veggie lasagne of Miss Erina who just rocks and Shouto, for some reason, craves her acceptance very much, and to solve math equations with Hero forever and maybe even take his hand in his own and hold it firmly so the other one knows he's safe with Shouto holding his hand forever and ever minus when one goes to the bathroom)

- What happened. To Hero. You said it should be you but you never finished, and since I woke up, no one told me where he is. What happened there. What happened to m... to Sero.

- He's an idiot who launched himself to save me from a villain's attack. - Kirishima started slowly, sitting down on a bench in front of the hospital and motioning Todoroki to follow suit. 

- We wanted to leave the study room and help others but as soon as I opened the door, the villain with a blue fire quirk attacked, sending a wall of flame toward us. Sero acted first and pushed me towards the walls so the fire couldn't burn me alive. Unfortunately, he took most of the heat. I don't remember what happened next because I lost consciousness from hitting my head but when I woke up, I saw no heroes and villains, instead, Monoma kneeling above Sero and trying to heal his burns. Sero was soon taken to the operating theatre, unconscious. He has been heavily wounded... he's been burnt fucking everywhere, Todoroki...

  

The last sentence came up as a whisper.

  

Shouto involuntarily touched the burn mark decorating his face, recalling the pain and the sense of vulnerability towards it. He couldn't fight against it, he wouldn't throw it away or attack back, he wouldn't remove it, he could only cry exasperated as his skin was being marked by the unimaginable heat. If the boiling water hurt so badly, a blue flame...

Shouto hid his head between his knees, curling and trying to hide from the whole world. 

He very much didn't want Kirishima to see him tearing up. 

He didn't cry once entered the camp hospital where many students with major and minor injuries were getting help, he didn't cry in Midoriya's room. Despite feeling awful about losing a Bakugou marble, he didn't cry. 

He felt empty, worn out, and shut down, but he didn't cry. 

The last time he had tears in his eyes was at Sero's family dinner. Tearing up due to a big distance separating a Sero from a Todoroki. All over again. 

- Todoroki...

- I'm sorry. It's been a long day. - Shouto mumbled, head still down. - Do you... know where he is? I'd like to exchange two words...

- I know he's currently in the other hospital wing, the blue one. - Kirishima pointed out to the last hospital floor. - No one is allowed to visit him because well, he needs to recover, plus he's in a coma. They put him to sleep to ease the pain. I noticed his mum entering the hospital when I came to see Midoriya and explain my plan. 

Todoroki didn't need more than that to feel a wave of nausea shaking over his body, throwing up nasty acids (for he didn't eat that much, actually, he ate nothing at all) all over, coughing. 

- Let me help, here, please... 

He let Kirishima drag him back to the hospital. 

🔥❄️🔥❄️🔥❄️🔥

After having been poisoned (given bitter stomach drops to ease his nausea) and eaten something in the canteen, Shouto stood up and, on shaking legs and with his forehead covered with a layer of sweat, headed towards the blue section of the hospital. 

It was a logical system, each section colour-coded to ease nurses' and family members' lives. Too bad that in this specific case, the blue colour meant trouble. 

Shouto wanted nothing more than to see Sero Erina and Sero Alice who were sitting there, waiting - no, more like hoping - for their only son to wake up... to see them. 

To hold their hands. 

To tell them they're not alone.

To tell them that they're not the only people waiting.

And hoping.