Safe Space

Forgive Me

Silence. It was so quiet that it was almost deafening.

Todoroki knocks again, but he doesn't receive an answer this time. "Katsuki, please. I was just frustrated. I didn't mean what I said, I swear. Could you let me explain? Please, Kitty?"

"No---n-no, you don't get to call me that anymore---"

"Baby---"

"That hurt, Shouto! It hurt so bad, I've never hurt so bad in my life! I was worried about you, you fucking asshole, I was scared that something happened to you! The worst shit started running through my head.

"What if I never saw you again? And all you could say for yourself was good morning? You called me selfish for caring so much about you, how does that even fucking work?!" Katsuki is sobbing, he can't help himself. "I fucking love you, you stupid halfie piece of half-assed shit!"

"I know, I know---and I'm sorry. I'm an ass, I'm a shitty boyfriend, I know, but baby...I love you, too. More than you'll ever know. I said what I said out of anger; it wasn't your fault and you didn't deserve any of that. I would never really want you to change, Katsuki. I don't want the boy I fell in love with to go away."

Izuku thinks to himself that he's never actually heard so much emotion from Todoroki---not an emotion that wasn't scorn or anger for his father. It's bittersweet in a way. Izuku is glad that Todoroki is able to feel this for anyone. He just hates that it had to be on such a shitty occasion.

There hasn't been a response from Kacchan for what seemed like hours, though Izuku was sure that it had only been a few seconds short of a minute when the blonde's voice cut through from the sound of his own sniffles.

"You're gonna have to do a lot more than sweet talk me this time, halfie."

This time?

Oh. So this isn't the first time that Todoroki has messed up.

Kirishima turns to eye Todoroki with a sharp gaze, but at least the half-and-half hero has the decency to look sheepish about it.

"It was one time and I didn't know that he'd be upset about me taking a bloody chicken nugget from his plate, okay? Don't look at me that way, I've paid up plenty for that." Izuku can't tell if he's annoyed that it was even brought up or embarrassed that he'd had to explain the situation to them lest he incur the wrath of U.A's resident sun child.

"It was not one nugget, you ate half of them and left me like eight fries! Now you're lying to everyone about it?!"

Izuku shouldn't laugh, it's not supposed to be funny. It's just that Kacchan seems genuinely upset about those nuggets. Izuku guesses that he does understand. When he was a kid, he was pretty adamant about attacking anyone who dared touch his favorite foods. He'd even cry if he caught him mom sneaking bites here and there.

"You're not helping your case, Todoroki."

"Fuck---I know, okay?"

Listening to Todoroki swear was...weird. He must have picked that up from Katsuki.

"Kitty, if you just...if you could just let me in so we could talk this out then I'll---I'll take you to Build-a-Bear Workshop and let you make as many as you want. I promise."

A pause. "And what else?" Katsuki pushes, though his voice sounds a bit meek compared to what it was a few seconds prior.

"I'll take you to see the new Spiderman movie and you can get whatever you want from the concession stand. I know you've been dying to go see it. We can even go get a Happy Meal on the way home."