The Flame Of A Villain| |Tododeku|

Chapter XI

Izuku's POV

"Midoriya? What's going on, it's a little early for you to be here." Todoroki shifts his weight just enough to glance at the alarm clock sitting on his beat-up nightstand; you could see individual scratches from things being shoved carelessly onto the surface over the years. Red letters were beeping as they always did, showing the time. In the dark room, the color seemed to light up the room. Shadows were cast over Todorki's face and gave it an almost eerie glow. After staring at it for a few seconds, however, I decided I liked the way it made the boy's eyes pop out from his hair.

"News." I stumbled to my feet, making heavy footfalls to the nightstand. On the old wood sat what I was looking for, and my hand wrapped around the cheap plastic remote.

The TV turned on with a barely audible 'click', a buzz of electricity sounding from a blank screen before the news flashed across the large machine. My own face was being shown to the camera like a prize. The picture, of course, was terrible and no one could tell it was me except the villains. If you knew who it was, though, you could pick out the emerald hair and matching eyes that hung too large on my face even when squinting. The picture was obviously from one of the USJ's shitty camera systems, as I could clearly make out a sword hanging limply by my side.

"- Caught during the attack of the USJ a few weeks ago. Hero's and citizens alike are warned to keep an eye open. Police are offering a reward of a thousand dollars for anyone who can give them a clue as to who their new villain is." A blonde woman popped up onto the screen after my picture went away. Her smile was too wide, and you could see wrinkles forming under her makeup she had probably been wearing too long. Dull eyes seemed to hold secrets none of the rest of them knew. I guess that was something that came with the job description.

I turn to look at Todoroki after a few minutes of rewatching replayed footage from the fight. The public could clearly see my weaknesses and strengths, even with those few seconds. Rewatching the footage made me aware of the slight slip of my foot and the way my sword swayed slightly as I swung it with all my might. Not only was this footage a danger to our league; it was a danger to my own personal safety. Not to mention the warrant now hanging over my head in a very public way.

Todoroki ruffles his hair, red and white strands falling in front of his eyes in a cascade. Lines appeared between his eyes as his eyebrows furrow together and take away from the youth of his figure: However, he didn't speak. Not even a word left his mouth. Instead, I watched as the hero studied the footage of our fight with a scary sort of intensity. Over the past few weeks, I had seen a lot of sides to the hero. He had yelled at me one time and hugged me close the next. He had cooked for me and then made me clean up his room after dessert. Never had I seen this look in his eyes before. It made my stomach do weird flip flops of anticipation.

What was I waiting for? To be honest I wasn't sure. My hands grasp onto the remote still held limply in my grasp, fingertips running lightly over the rubber of the buttons. Just as I would start to calm down my breathing would pick up with the millions of worries running through it. This was nerve-racking.

I hated it.

"You can turn me in if you want." My whisper was sudden, unexpected to both me and Todoroki judging by his sudden tension. "One phone call and I'm gone for life. I can't hurt anyone anymore and they would probably be able to drag out some secret to the league of villains out of me."

Todoroki's silence scared me more than anything. The tension in his muscles didn't waver, something you could see through the tight T-shirt he chose to wear that day. The rigid form was one of anger. For a moment I wasn't sure if I should stand my ground or duck out of the way. Then, the red and white-haired male was facing me. Grey eyes trailed over my eyes, my cheeks, my ears, my lips like he was in a trance.

"Midoriya; I like you. You're a good person. Why you chose the villains I will never completely understand." Todoroki reaches towards me then, his pale arm slipping out and around; his hand finding it's place in the small of my back. Suddenly he was leading me towards his bed. I felt the covers underneath me shift as I was sat down by Todoroki carefully; like I was made of petals and would fall apart at any bump in the road. "Stay here for the night."

The mattress shifted once more as Todoroki takes a seat beside me, his head hitting the pillow only seconds afterward. My eyes trail over the half-asleep teenager's form correctly since the first time I stumbled into his room. Marks were lining his arms and shoulders, each one a small cut from some unknown blade. His hair was greasy and stuck to his forehead like each individual strand had been glued there, and, perhaps most shockingly, were the purple bags hanging heavily under Todoroki's eyes. You could see them from a mile away, so it seemed. 

"Thank you." I find myself muttering. The room around me was quiet besides the humming of the TV and the routine breathing of the now asleep hero on his bed. Minutes ticked away slowly as I sat there, contemplating what I would do with myself. Perhaps the villains would take me back? Perhaps they would hunt me down and tear me limb from limb? 

I doubt they would do that; too much blood. 

My back falls against soft sheets as I lay down beside Todoroki. The ceiling was just far enough above my head that darkness consumed most of the surface, only texture left to show for what it was. Because of the dark, I had always seen in the room it was hard to know exactly how everything looked like. Even after about a month of visiting this room - Todoroki was released from the hospital on the third day of their meetings - I found myself noticing new things every single time I walk into the area. 

"Thank you." My words fell to a silent room as I push off my shoes with my feet skillfully. The bed of Todoroki's was small, too small for two people, but considering how Todoroki had dragged him to the bed instead of the couch I assume he would move me to the bed when he woke if I didn't sleep there. Shifting onto my side, I take in the peaceful glow about Todoroki's face. A faint light from the outside moon shone through the now open window and reflected off of the hero's face, casting a soft glow across his features almost like an aura around an angel. 

I fell asleep admiring those features.