Finding Me (Todoroki x Reader)

Chapter 73

"I understand your concern for young L/N," Mr. Aizawa said, "but she is a great hero-in-training, and I apologise for not protecting her as I should've. I promise-"

"I don't want promises," Dad interrupted. "I want assurances. I want proof and evidence that you will protect Y/N, and the other students, from anymore threats. Until you can give us that, Y/N will not go live on campus-"

"Dad."

The room suddenly became very quiet as I stood up. I nodded at my teachers before turning back around to face my parents. They were looking up at me with such expecting expressions that I almost sat back down out of fear. 'No,' I thought, clenching my fists and sucking in a deep breath. 'I need to do this, for my teachers, and for myself.'

"Dad," I repeated. "Mum. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea if I... went away for a little bit."

Both my parents faces contorted in disbelief, with my mother exclaiming, "What? Y/N, you can't be serious-"

"I am."

"But..." Dad said, gripping my hand. "You were just kidnapped by the League of Villains, sweetie. Remember what they did to you-"

"Of course I remember what they did to me, but I still think it would be better if I went back to school, and lived there for a bit."

"If this is because you feel responsible in any way for what happened, then don't-"

"I wasn't talking about my guilt, or wanting to prove myself, Dad..."

Silence wrapped around the room as realisation hit my parents, softening their confused expressions into something close to a visual representation of how I felt: guilty.

I sighed. "Look, I understand your concern, but I don't think either of you should have any say in what I do regarding my hero training. Not after everything that's happened."

Mum reached her hand out, too, but I ripped it out of her grasp. Same with the one held in Dad's hand. I couldn't let them hold me down or hold me back from what I had to do and say to them. No matter how much it hurt.

"Everything we did, Y/N..." Mum muttered, obviously not wanting my teachers to hear, "... was to help you."

I leant low to meet her eye level, anger now fuelling my fire. "Everything you did was a lie. You lied to me about everything! All I wanted to be was a truthful and honest hero for people to look up to them when they needed help... but you twisted that, and turned the one thing I prided myself on against me."

Tears welled up in my eyes - I could feel them just sit on the edge of my eyelids. But I didn't let any fall, not yet. I needed to get through to my parents first, no matter how much it hurt to do so.

"I felt like a fraud, unworthy to be a hero-in-training. The past few days have been miserable... but I realise that I don't have to be. I can turn this whole situation around, and still be the hero I always planned on being. It's the fact that I am a fraud that makes me want to be a hero more; to prove to people that no matter where you begin, you can always choose to do the right thing.

"So whether you like it or not - Mum, Dad - I will go to school at UA, I will live on campus for the time being, and I will become the hero I want to be."

Mum looked on the verge of tears, and so did Dad, surprisingly. I was, too. Seeing them hurting made my heart ache in return, but the unfortunate truth of the matter... was that I was completely honest.

"B-But," Mum whispered, shedding a few tears. "But we love you. Believe us, we're s-sorry..."

I had to swallow back a sob, one that would have me bending backwards on my claim, and bringing them both in for a bone-crushing hug. However, I steeled my resolve by biting my lip and looking away. If I did, then maybe their sad faces wouldn't hurt so much.