TWO POWERS (Todoroki Shoto x Reader)

Chapter 21: Bare

You smile in response, adjusting the towel to cover your arms. Shoto starts packing the first aid kit and you decide to tell him that the sidekick had been correct later. Maybe even the next day, if you can hide your arms long enough.

"Hey, I'm a little cold so could you please run to the convenience store and get me a long-sleeved shirt? After we're done eating, of course."

"Oh, of course. I'll go right now, if you're not too hungry. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

"Thank you, Shoto. I don't know what I'd do without you, really."

Shoto pulls over his jacket and leaves. You decide to blow dry your hair since you will have to ditch the towel soon. You hear Shoto return while you're still blasting the warm air. You quickly cover your arms with the towel.

Shoto hands you the shirt and you promise to put it on right away, closing the bathroom door. Once you emerge, having concealed the scars on your arms, Shoto is busy portioning rice. You both sit and eat without much chit-chat. After you're both done eating, Shoto asks you to do the dishes while he sorts out the bedding. You'd rather not do the dishes, which requires you to roll up your sleeves, but you agree as if it's no big of a deal.

Once you get to washing dishes, you decide to act normal, as if it's no big of a deal, and don't notice when Shoto walks up to you. Only when he grabs your wrist you notice his worried presence, and fear washes over you when he pulls your sleeve up. He looks at you questioningly and stops the running water. You look away before admitting that the sidekick was right.

He lets your arm go and it drops to the side. He backs off and plops down on the sofa, facing away from you in the kitchen. No matter how much you apologize and tell him that you didn't want to hurt him in any way, he won't answer. You wash the remaining dishes and take the time to calm down before you go take a seat next to him on the couch.

"You're mad, but I'm not sure why. Is it because I went with Stain?"

"No. I can understand that part. Even I am studying under my father although I don't think he is a good person. What I'm angry about is how you put yourself in so much danger, and how much you must have endured." He rolls up both your sleeves and examines the scars with hurt in his eyes.

"They'll heal," you try to comfort him, but he continues running his thumb over the scratches, as if wanting to make sure that they're not drawn on.

"What's worse," you continue, "is that I know I've done some illegal things: used my quirk without permission, disobeyed my supervisor's orders to stay on the train, and kept a wanted villain's location a secret."

Shoto uses your arm to pull you into a hug. "You're not a villain in my eyes, Y/n. I think you did the right thing. Sorry for getting mad for no reason. I'm just so angry at Stain."

You wrap your arms around his back as well. "Please don't. He's been captured. I bet Iida was mad too. Look at where that lead him – lying on the ground under Stain's blade. I don't want something like that to happen to you."

The door clicks and you hear Endeavour enter. You quickly pull back from Shoto's arms and pull back your sleeves. Remembering your stuff in the bathroom, you quickly go and take them away. You still have your knife hidden between your stuff. "Welcome back!" you say as you quickly dash to the bathroom. "Oh, should we do laundry by the way?" you ask. "Why not," Endeavour gives permission. So you sort out your clothes, but not knowing where to hide the knife Stain gave you, you decide to come clean with it and place it on the coffee table in the living room.

"Well, I have the knife he gave me, but I have nowhere to put it. It doesn't have sheath and I wouldn't like to keep carrying a bare blade on me," you explain. "So, Endeavour, I take it you knew that I was with Stain for a while."