"I'M FINE!"

8K 228 150
                                    

"Hey Shoto?" Hizashi called, knocking on the teen's bedroom door.

"Yeah?" Todoroki responded, glancing up from the class group chat. 

"Dinner time!" Hizashi announced, opening the door with a flourish.

"Okay okay." The teen chuckled, getting up and walking towards his temporary guardian. 

The next morning

Todoroki walked into the kitchen, mussed hair framing his face.

"Morning." Aizawa greeted looking up from grading his papers.

"Good morning..." Todoroki murmured, sitting by Aizawa.

"GOOOOOD MORNING!" Hizashi shrieked as he walked into the door frame. Aizawa snorted on his coffee. 

"Morning Hizashi." He said through barely suppressed smirk.

~

Morning lessons passed without a hitch for Todoroki; no one stared at him, or asked him any questions other than the usual 'How are you's. He allowed himself to be dragged along by Midoriya at lunch time. 

Sat at the table, with the self-proclaimed 'Dekusquad', Todoroki pretended he didn't notice Uraraka and Iida glancing at him and then each other.

"So, Todoroki, who are you staying with?" Iida eventually plucked up the courage to ask. Only Midoriya and the teachers currently knew of Todoroki's living situation currently.

"Aizawa-Sensei and Yamada-Sensei." Todoroki said casually.

"WHAT?!" Uraraka screeched, before Midoriya hushed her.

"It seems highly inappropriate to have a student staying at a teachers house, especially if it results in them getting favoured-"

"Iida." Midoriya hissed, effectively cutting the other off. 

"It's okay." Todoroki sighed, twisting a piece of soba on his chopsticks.

"How is it then?" IIda asked. He lent forward, giving an air of privacy.

"I trust them." Todoroki admitted. "It's- It's still at bit awkward.

"That's to be expected." Iida reached out to pat his shoulder, pulling back apologetically when Todoroki flinched. "I'm so sorry for getting in your personal space!" 

"It's fine. I can manage myself." Todoroki replied.

"But we'd like to hel-"

"Oh look, it's daddy issues." The Dekusquad looked up to see Monoma, grinning down at them manically. The entire cafeteria abruptly silenced at his loud comment.

"Monoma." Uraraka said coolly.

"Go away." Midoriya growled, a stark contrast to his usual friendly tone.

"Oh, does daddy issues need his friends to protect him? To bad he couldn't protect his own family." Monoma squealed delightedly. Todoroki just supplied him with a subtle glare. Surprisingly, the blonde backed away to his table and the usual cafeteria noise picked up again.

"You okay Todobro?" Kirishima called over from the 'Bakusquad' table.

"I'm fine." Todoroki said firmly, focusing on finishing his soba.

~

That afternoon in hero class, the 'how are you's were overpowered by the 'are you okay's. Frankly, Todoroki was wishing everything could just go back to normal.

"I'm fine." He said, for what felt like the 20th time today. 

~

"Hey bud." Hizashi greeted Todoroki as he approached the car.

"Hello." Todoroki muttered, yawning.

"You okay?" Aizawa asked from the driver seat.

"I'm fine." Again with that sentence... that lie.

"If you insist." Aizawa turned back to face the road.

The car ride was almost completely silent, apart from a few random jokes Hizashi spouted.

"Knock knock!" He piped up again, turning to face Todoroki.

"Whose there?" The teen asked with unreserved apathy.

"Atch!"

"Atch-who?"

"Bless you!" Hizashi squawked, proud with himself.

"Haha." Todoroki said in his monotone, only making the blonde descend into peals of giggles. He only stopped when Aizawa pinched him.

"Ow! Shota!" He screeched.

"Compose yourself." The raven-haired pro ordered with a glare. 

~

By the time they reach home, Todoroki had counted 14 concerned glances his guardians had shot at him. Damn, he just really couldn't be left alone could he?

"Hey Shoto, can you come here a minute?" Hizashi asked from the couch. His usual blonde spike of hair was spilling loosely across his shoulders in a much more homely look, and Todoroki couldn't help but feel more comfortable.

"Yeah." Todoroki shoved his homework to the middle of the dining table and approached the sofa quietly. Aizawa was sat there too, expression solemn yet caring.

"What's this about?" Todoroki asked, taking a seat in the armchair across from the two adults.

"Midoriya told us what Monoma said at lunch time." Aizawa informed him, resting his head in his hands. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Do I need to?" Todoroki questioned.

"If it's effecting you." Hizashi piped up, leaning forward.

"It isn't." The teen insisted.

"Shoto, I'm going to ask you one more time." Aizawa sighed. "Are you okay?"

Todoroki snapped.

"I'M FINE!" He yelled, storming to his room and slamming the door. Hizashi got up to follow him but Aizawa pulled him back down.

"Leave him." Aizawa ordered softly. "He'll talk when he's ready."

"But will he?" Hizashi demanded. "He's never opened up to us."

"He told us about his scar." Aizawa pointed out.

"Because we pried into it!" The blonde whispered angrily. "He needs help."

"He goes to a counsellor." The underground pro reasoned.

"I think he needs a more specialised professional." Hizashi announced.

"He won't take well to that." Aizawa shook his head slowly. "Although I do agree with you."

"We'll ask him in a few days then. When school's gone back to normal." Hizashi gripped Aizawa's hand tightly. "I just want to give him the best help possible."

"I know." Aizawa squeezed Hizashi's hand back. "And we will."

Bruised And BrokenWhere stories live. Discover now