Finding Me (Todoroki x Reader)

Chapter 89

"I screwed up," he repeated, softer this time. "I screwed up; and because of that, Yoarashi got hurt and so did you. If I hadn't lost my cool, none of this would've happened. I thought I didn't have anymore feelings regarding my old man, but what Yoarsashi said..."

He didn't need to repeat what the wind-user said, for it had been engraved into my mind, too.

"You and your father are the only heroes I can't accept... You don't deserve the title, understand?"

Something about what he'd said reminded me of that cold, gravelly voice stuck inside my own head, replaying the same words over and over again.

"... you'll realise just how much of a fraud you are..."

Fraud. Undeserving heroes. Whichever way it was said, it meant the same thing: that we weren't worthy. And that hit home, deeply.

Shoto sighed, raising his hand to rub his eyes. "Turns out I care more than I let on."

"You think?" That earned a slight chuckle from him, which made me smile.

"Anyways..." Shoto let go of my wrist to, instead, tangle our fingers together. "I just want to... apologise for what happened. Are you mad at me? You have every right to be..."

My heart both swelled and broke at the poor sight before me. That guilt from before came back in the furrowing of his thin brows and the aversion of his eyes and the gentleness of his voice. And I felt it, too. Shoto was truly sorry. Regretful, even.

Now, how could I stay mad at that?

"Oh, Shoto," I sighed, squeezing his hands in mine. "I've said it a thousand times before, and I'll tell you again: you can be so silly, sometimes! Of course I'm not mad at you. I can never be mad at you. I'm only... a little disappointed that things went the way they did." Shoto winced at that, and I winced at his wince. Poor choice of words.

In an attempt to recover, I pulled him into a hug. "Hey. You screwed up, and you admit that. Everybody has to at one point, just be grateful it was in a safe situation and not out on the front lines. What matters is that you and Yoarashi tried to make up for it, and work together to at least achieve something."

"But what if I fail?" Shoto asked, voice small and muffled as he hugged me back. "What if I fail, and so do you? It would be all my fault..."

"If we both fail, or either one of us does, then so be it." I pulled away, looking him dead in the eye. My lips stretched wide as I said, "If we fail, then by goodness am I going to hold my head high, and so should you. This test does not define us, remember that."

Shoto stared at me for a moment longer before breaking out into a small smile, the frustration from before melting away. My heart leapt up into my throat, for I saw the most beautiful, handsome, wonderful boy in the world. Eyes shining and smiling dimples, Shoto seemed almost ethereal in the hallway light.

"Thank you," he murmured, leaning in closer than normal.

"Shoto..." I breathed out, finding my heart pounding at million miles an hour with each second that went by. Ugh goodness, he was really leaning in now. Shoto was so close that I could see my eyes reflecting in his. Our breaths mingled, and we both moved on our own until our lips were touch-

"Can all students please make their way back to the arena in five minutes. Results will be announced soon."

Both Shoto and I froze at Mera's voice, too startled to move. We were both stunned in our position, lips hovering millimetres apart and our bodies pressed together. Way to kill the moment.