Todoroki sat in the stands before his first fight.
Ruminating:
Hands clasped together, elbows on his knees, leaning forward in his chair as if observing the fight between Shinso and Midoriya down below.
But he wasn't.
He was just thinking.
Letting everything real dissipate into his own skewed reality.
It was one of those times he truly sympathized with you.
It was so loud from where he sat.
The cheers, the booing, the sounds of life all clustered together in a single place.
He couldn't imagine how loud it must've been for someone like you.
I shouldn't have said those things. He thought. I shouldn't have told Midoriya so much.
The boy looked down at his classmates sitting in front of him. They were so invested. He could barely even pay attention to who was swinging or taking a hit.
Looking down at his right hand, at the finger anxiously tapping his left, he continued to think and think and think.
But I had to tell someone...
He didn't know where you'd gone off to.
Perhaps to pace or train or calm yourself.
Nonetheless, it was a strange feeling.
Not having you by his side.
But perhaps it was for the better.
When he crossed his father a few minutes earlier in the halls, he was thankful you weren't there to hear him...
"What do you want?" He'd asked, still tense from his conversation with Midoriya.
"You and Y/n are acting disgracefully Shoto." Endeavor answered, rounding the corner of the hallway, suited in his hero costume, flames adorning his face, chest, and ankles.
Todoroki turned around, disgusted by the sight.
It was the only acknowledgement he gave of his father's existence.
"If you had simply used the power in your left side, you would've had an overwhelming victory in both of the first rounds." Endeavor crossed his arms and scoffed as he looked down at his son. "At least she's doing what I ordered her to do and keeping you in the lead." Todoroki's fists clenched, but he kept his cool. "It's time you stop this childish rebellion of yours. You have a duty to surpass that imbecile All Might. And you're supposed to keep Y/n in line, not the other way around! Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Not a single muscle flinched on Shoto's body.
His eyes stayed deadpan, hooded and focused on his father's figure.
He was listening, yes, but it was difficult not to listen to his own spiteful thoughts whenever that man opened his mouth.
"You're different from your siblings. You're my greatest masterpiece."
Endeavor either didn't notice or completely ignored the hate in his son's eyes.
Such was his mistake.
"Do not let this bond with a live in training opponent squander that. She doesn't care about you that way."
"Is that all you have to say, you bastard?" Shoto bit through shut teeth. "Call me a project and my sister a servant?" Endeavor raised a brow. "I forgot. You don't think she's your child do you. No, she's just a, what'd you say? Live in training opponent?"
He was used to Todoroki's silent defiance.
He wasn't used to his anger.
Todoroki took a single step forward.
"She deserves better. She doesn't exist to serve you and neither do I. So I'll win all my matches. I'll win against her too, using only mom's quirk. I won't give you the pleasure of seeing me use yours."
