rubatosis | s. todoroki

9 | passing glance

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Todoroki Shoto

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She looks much worse than he's ever seen her which is never this bad. Prominent bags underneath her eyes show her lack of sleep or nightly discomforts. Her smiles are lazy and her jokes are half-hearted like they become more of a duty to show that she's fine than a natural instinct.

Some of the girls and boys are gathered around Yaoyorozu's desk for some reason or another. It's right next to him but Saito's is pushed to the end of the crowd near his desk. Her hand's gripping his desk, but he didn't comment on it. Not when her knuckles turn white. Not when her hand shakes and her figure wobbles in its place.

Jiro turns her head to look at Saito, giving her a passing glance. The blonde's lips refuse to stay still and stretch themselves to grin at her.

Shoto has never understood the whole putting a strong front in front of other people unless they're frightened civilians.

As soon the Jiro's head turns away from her, a loud terrifying smack resonates in the room as Saito's knees give out and allow her head to come to harsh contact with the edge of his desk. The sound is so clear and sharp, it takes most of them to process what just happened.

Heads snap to the fallen girl as she groans and places pressure of the area of pain. Her eyes are shut tight and her bottom lip trembles as though she's about to cry. She's leaning against his desk and he pushes his chair back.

"Ugh, I just lost my last two brain cells."

Shoto falls to her side on his knees, his hand holding her shoulder in support. He wants to do anything to repay her for her favours even if he's doing something she might find almost insignificant. His action snaps most of them out of it and the girls move to help her out. Before he's shoved away by Ashido, he catches sight of a thick trail of blood pushing past her fingers.

"Emi-chan, you're bleeding," Asui comments, pointing blatantly at her injury. This gets the girls to speed up their actions. Yaoyorozu and Uraraka held her from both sides but he can see Saito putting most of her weight on her own legs.

"What's going on?" their missing teacher asks, finally appearing at the doorway.

"We need to get her to the nurse, fast!" Jiro says, making the whole situation sound much more serious than it actually is. But then he hears it; sharp inhales and shaky exhales with teeth clattering every now and then.

Aizawa's eyes narrow and he swiftly moves away from the doorway, allowing the three girls to pass.

"That scared the hell out of me," Mineta mutters audibly.

"Don't think I didn't catch you ogling at her legs when she fell." Hagakure's uniform move with her words.

"She's so thi-"

He doesn't get to finish the sentence a slap from Asui's tongue doesn't allow him to. Honestly, Shoto's glad he doesn't because the frost in the palm of his hand worries him about what he was going to do.

Homeroom starts with so much tension. Even Bakugo seems uncomfortable. When the girls return with Saito, everyone dives out of their thoughts.

"Well?" Bakugo growls, crossing his arms and somehow managing to glare at all three of them at once. Only Uraraka's bothered by it while the other two are indifferent and respond naturally.

"She's okay," Jiro snaps at him but even those who don't know her well can see how shaken she clearly is and Shoto suspects something happened at the clinic they don't seem fine with mentioning. He knows that Jiro is probably the closest with Saito but even Yaoyorozu's countenance seems worried and disconcerted.

"She's resting now so don't worry about her. We'll be able to see her at lunch just like Recovery Girl said," the black-haired girl adds before sliding in her seat and facing forward, ignoring questioning glances.

Shoto keeps observing them with his class for any signs or hints to what has them acting so suspicious but none of them concedes to their glares.

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It's lunch and she meets them at their table, already having her small lunch and occasionally touching her bandaged head. Hair falls over the bandages to frame her face which is incredibly pale. Her countless freckles stand out like someone has sprinkled sand on paper.

"Saito-chan!" Midoriya yells out, waving his arm as his other hand is busy holding his tray. Shoto follows him as he's also done getting his food.

They sit in their usual seats with Shoto on her side and Midoriya across of her. She beams at them, chewing food but making it her mission to show them she's feeling okay. Swallowing, she wipes her mouth with a napkin Shoto doesn't notice is in the small space between their trays.

"How are you feeling?" Midoriya starts opening his containers but he keeps his eyes on the blonde with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

The fond smile that comes onto her face is one that Shoto recognises. He's seen Fuyumi wearing one similar to it whenever she lays her eyes on something adorable. Her words. He's seen her smile at him the same way and she reassured him that it's for the same reason. Whatever that meant.

"A bit dizzy but I'll be fine," Saito says but before having the chance to put another spoon full of rice in her mouth, their classmates swarm the table, quickly slipping into their seats while throwing questions left and right. Her wide green eyes fly from each person to another, uttering sounds that make Shoto think her voice is stuck in her throat. He really wants to tell them to back off but he isn't sure how to do that without coming off as rude and hot-headed.

"Enough of that," Yaoyorozu says, her voice loud and clear to overpower the boys' words. "Let the girl eat. She seems fine if she's sitting in front of us, smiling."

A bright thankful grin from Saito has the black-haired girl blushing bashfully, muttering that it's no problem.

Shoto doesn't think there's anyone who hasn't fallen for her charms.

"Oi, Blondie! You mute or what?"

Except for one.