Peppermint || Shoto Todoroki x Reader

Chapter 25

You know that you're lame when your own chapter makes you cry. ;-;

'Shoto? Where are you going?' Fuyumi's voice punctured the tranquil silence around the Todoroki household.

'The hospital.' Shoto replied, putting on his shoes. 'What?' Fuyumi asked, confused. 'Hold on, why? You can't just visit, not without telling dad, right?' 'Whatever.' Shoto deadpanned, sliding the door open.

'But why go now?' Fuyumi pressed on. 'Why see her after all this time?' 'I'll be back.' Shoto ignored Fuyumi's question, shutting the door and leaving. As he walked, his mind drifted to a certain brunette. 'How is she?' He thought, hands in his pockets. 'She doesn't seem to have forgiven her father completely.'

'Mum? I feel like I'm going crazy. I can't take it anymore. Every day, the children seem more like him... And Shoto, that child's left side sometimes looks unbearable to me. All I can see is his father. I can't raise him anymore. I... I shouldn't. I want to run away from this life.' Rei's voice echoed over and over again in Shoto's head as he made his way to the hospital where his mother was kept in.

'Ever since that day, I thought that the sight of me would cause my mother nothing but pain.' He thought, pausing in front of the building. 'So I never visited. I guess Y/N was right.'

'But we will always be bound to each other by blood, by our history with my father. That's why, if I'm ever going to use this body and these powers to become a hero, if I'm going to give it everything I have,' Shoto sighed, hesitating at the door.

Don't cry, you've been so strong.

It's okay to use your power. To become who you want to be.

'If I'm going to be hero I want to be,' Shoto took a deep breath, opening the door to his mother's hospital ward. 'I need to see her. There's so much we need to talk about.'

'Hello, mum.'

Rei turned around slowly, eyes widening at the sight of her youngest son, who stood at the door, holding in a breath. 

'I'll rescue her from this place, no matter what. That's my first step to getting back on track.' Shoto thought, taking his first step towards Rei Todoroki. 'It's what I have to do.'

'Mother?' 

There was no response. A tear leaked out from the lone girl's eye, falling onto the bunch of lilies she held in her hands. Of course there was no response. Stones couldn't talk, could they?

There was no one in the graveyard. It was damp, quiet and abandoned. The teenage girl was the only one there, the only living being present. Even the grass and moss were half dead, despite the humid environment. The girl sank onto her knees, tears pouring thickly, steadily down her face as she bowed over her late mother's marble tombstone.

'I've been selfish, mum.' She whispered, clutching the flowers close to her heart. It was as though an old wound, which had healed after a long, long time, was being torn back open brutally. 'I've been so selfish. I hope you're still proud of me despite my actions, Mama. I'll be a hero, Mama. I'll make you happy. I-' The girl broke down crying once more, her mind flashing back to that particular day, seven years ago.

A knock resonated through the small house. 'I'll get it, Papa!' A young, energetic girl with thick brown hair in two pigtails called, bouncing up to the door and swinging it open. Two men, whom the girl knew worked with her mother, stood at the door with solemn, maybe even sad looks on their faces.

'Daughter of Yui L/N?' One of the men forced a smile, bending down and ruffling the girl's hair. 'Yeah! Did Mama beat the villain?' The innocent young girl smiled widely, silver eyes glimmering with happiness. 'That's the problem, sweetie.' The man sighed, removing his hand. 'My dear child, your Mama is gone. She died fighting the villain.'