After you shut the velvet curtain in front of you, you placed the clothes you picked out on the chair. When you examined yourself in the changing room's mirror, you puckered your brows in frustration. Your trousers were still dirty even after you tried cleaning the dirt in the public toilets.

You hurried to get changed into the autumn dress that you had picked out. Doing up the last button, you stole a glance at your hair. You combed it with your fingers until you decided that it was tidy enough. You didn't want to keep Todoroki waiting nor be late to meet his mother later that afternoon.

When you opened the curtain, you spotted the shop's attendant, so you handed her the clothes you weren't going to buy. After paying for the dress, you shoved the clothes you were wearing earlier today into a bag.

Todoroki inched closer to you, as he adjusted the corners of his dark v-neck shirt. His impassive face was no match to the feelings inside him. Your words had lit a fuse in his heart - a fire that he wished he could allow to blaze away without regrets.

Once you stood in front of him, he tilted his head to the side as he admired you. "You know something? You're gorgeous."

You tucked a strand of your (h/c) hair and looked up to him through your eyelashes. He studied you, taking in the minutest details about you. As if that would help him carve you into his memory, so he would never forget you.

After a little while of him staring at you, you rubbed the back of your neck. "Thank you, Sho. There's no need to stare, though."

"Apologies, I'll stop." Todoroki looked away from you. "Knowing that you feel strongly for me... makes me a little shy. Would you believe it?"

Because both of you were visiting his mum today, the usual thoughts that tormented him became more prevalent. He couldn't help but beat himself over being so cold and harsh to you when he first met you. He knew you said you would never forgive his father, and he didn't blame you for that. However, it made Todoroki wonder if you could ever truly forgive him.

"It's okay," you said, taking his hand to hold it.

Todoroki gave your hand a squeeze. "But knowing that also makes me happy. And I haven't had many things to be happy about in my life."

Remembering everything he had told you about his childhood, you nodded slowly. "I understand. It's good to know I can do that."

You pushed the shopping bag up your shoulder, pacing into the vibrant street trapped beneath the ashen skies.

Once you made it to the bus stop, you fished your bus pass from your wallet. Todoroki's glazed eyes cleared. He knew he wasn't the best at expressing his feelings, yet he knew what he wanted to say. "But I'm glad, no, honoured, to have you..."

Only the two of you stood at that stop, waiting for the bus to the psychiatric facility where his mother lived. You placed your wallet back into your pocket so that you could give Todoroki your undivided attention.

He caressed your cheek with the back of his hand, his heterochromatic eyes piercing your (e/c) ones. "Even after all I've put you through, I'm honoured to have you by my side."

This time, you behaved a little more like Todoroki, as you stood on tips of your feet and leaned in. He had always held onto the belief that actions meant more than words. When your soft lips met his, he kissed you back slowly, yet tenderly. He wrapped his arms around your body, shunning his aversion to public displays of affection for once so he could embrace the precious moment.

"I love you more than words can say, (y/n)," he whispered, momentarily breaking the kiss.

With his eyes covered by his bangs when he pulled back, he wasn't able to see the blush on your cheeks. Your heart pounded in your chest. I know he's okay most of the time, but if he isn't, I'll be there to fix it.

---

You noticed how Todoroki's jaw clenched before he knocked on the off-white door. He was about to introduce someone who his father had tried to set him up with to his mother. Both of you were too used to tiptoeing around the subject of quirk marriages, as if even mentioning them was treading on eggshells.

Tightening his fist, Todoroki reminded himself that his mother had encouraged him to do this. But it hurt. Todoroki's chest hurt with all the dreadful memories. He didn't want to let you into this warped world if it meant losing you. Even with all the strength Todoroki saw in you; he struggled to let you in, sometimes.

A sweet, brittle voice soon followed Todoroki's knock on the door. "Shoto?" she repeated, but you wondered, why did it sound like her voice would shatter if both of you walked into the room?

Her presence felt ethereal, as afternoon sun poured over her. Her angelic shoulder-length white hair with long bangs framed her face so delicately that it made you question if this was really happening. She smoothed her light yellow jumper with refined anticipation. She's beautiful.

Her tired silver eyes were the only thing that gave a glimpse into the hardships she had endured. Yet, a faint smile parted her lips as he observed you. "Please, take a seat, (y/n). You can call me Rei. Shoto has mentioned you many times over the past few months."

The urge to cry at how unjust her life had been, at how unfair Endeavor had been to his family came over you. Even so, you greeted Rei with a refreshing smile - your way to cope. "Really? It's very nice to meet you."

"Yes, Shoto always speaks very highly of you, (y/n)."

You placed your hands on your lap, your facial features going soft. "Thank you."

Todoroki averted his gaze from yours as he sat down next to you, a little sheepish. Rei asked you a few questions about you and your family, which made Todoroki realise that you interested her. Todoroki sat there, appreciating the well-placed confidence that he found attractive in you. Not that he didn't enjoy seeing you turn into a blushing mess, as he'd learned.

He let go of the thought as his mother called his attention. "Shoto? Could you ask the healthcare assistants to bring us some water, please?"

"Yes, of course, mum." Todoroki nodded as he stood up. He strolled to the door, leaving you with his mother.

For Rei, looking at you felt like looking at herself in a reflection. "I used to want to be a hero, too. I even went to a hero school. Just like you, I wasn't the strongest in class, but I was amongst the best. Those were... good times." Her words were like snowflakes melting on the pavement. They faded into nothing as she reminisced about her once-happy life.

You pushed your chair closer to her, now noticing the scars on her paper-thin pale skin and the blueish bags under her eyes. You nodded, listening intently.

Rei got lost in her train of thought, as those dreaded memories threatened to haunt her yet again. "I also heard that you like fixing things? Is that why you want to become a hero?"

Even though you had only met her, it seemed like she knew so much about you. A smile broke on your lips. "Yeah, that's one of the biggest reasons. Since I was little, I've always enjoyed doing that."

Rei's silver eyes turned dull as she began recalling the day she had poured boiling water over her innocent son's face. She gripped her hospital gown, nearly feeling the ice on her hand. She had scarred her son forever, only making it worse when she used her ice as a desperate attempt to help him. "Do you want to fix my son, too?"

You froze at her question. It rubbed you in the wrong way, making you feel very uncomfortable with yourself. No, you loved Todoroki for who he was. You didn't just see him as another project. Nothing could take away all the traces of pain that remained deep inside of him.

You bit your tongue, as if you had just dredged through the thick and murky mud of reality. Maybe, your hopeful thinking did him more harm than good?

Rei leaned forward as she let out a breath. Seeing your conflicted expression made her realise how much you cared about him. "I'm sorry, (y/n). I don't want to put you on the spot, but I need to know."

"It's perfectly fine. I... don't want to fix Shoto. I want to help him fix any problems he comes across."

"If you think that way, then that's the best you could do for him."

Todoroki walked back in, holding a tray with three glasses and a jug filled with water decorated with a slice of lemon, allowing the serious atmosphere to fade away. The three of you chatted for a while longer until Rei even reached out for a photo album. Her graceful movements as she ran a finger over a photo of Todoroki as a child tugged at your heart.

Todoroki gave you a sideways glance, as a pang of nostalgia hit you. You suddenly missed the warmth of having your mother in your life, making you appreciate even more how important this meeting was to Todoroki. Your mum used to run her finger over those bedtime storybooks, just like Rei did to the photo album.

Rei focused on searching for one of her favourite pictures. "Here, (y/n). Wasn't Shoto an adorable little boy?" she cooed, letting you have a look at a photo of a small Todoroki in his kindergarten uniform while he held on to an All Might figurine.

You let out a genuine laugh, which encouraged Rei to look for another funny photo. "This one's one of my favourites: Shoto having a bath, aged two."

Heat rose to Todoroki's face, so he put a cold hand to his forehead. "Mum... that's embarrassing."

You examined the picture of baby Todoroki. You couldn't remember a time you had seen him smile that brightly. You bit your lip, almost letting out a laugh. "Don't worry. You can't see anything."

Todoroki relaxed his shoulders.

"And you used to be so cute!" you said, making Todoroki tense up again as you didn't usually comment on his appearance. "Thank you for letting me see these pictures, Rei."

"Yes, he used to be," Rei's gaze fixed on the both of you.

You were itching to say that Todoroki was still cute, but settled for giving him a perky nudge on the arm.

She appreciated how her son broke out of his shell around you. For the first time in a while, she felt content.

Todoroki eyed the glasses of water on the table by his side. No one had touched them, which made him wonder about the subject of your conversation with his mother. "Mum, we need to leave soon, or we'll miss the curfew."

Both Todoroki and you stood up, as you admired Rei's kind expression. "Please, take good care of Shoto, (y/n)."

"I will. I promise I will." You bowed slightly, a heavy feeling settling in your chest.

---

On the bus on the way back to U.A., Todoroki rested his head against yours. You glanced out of the window, reflecting upon today's events. The memory of your grip on Todoroki's cotton shirt this morning still burned in your mind. At that point, it was the only thing that kept both of you fastened to this world.

You didn't want to wake Todoroki up, but you needed to as both of you needed to get off the bus. "Hey, Sho."

The half-and-half boy grumbled awake, furrowing his eyebrows. You gingerly gave him a small nudge in the shoulder. You almost let out a laugh at how his eyes narrowed at you for a split second. "Wakey, wakey? Tired?"

Todoroki shook his head sideways. "It's been a long day, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, but a good one, too. Even with what happened this morning."

The warmth of Todoroki's head left your shoulder as he sat up. "Yes, for once, I felt like I could work in a team, not only on my own. You coped well under pressure, (y/n)."

"You did as well!" You could almost say that a smile formed on his lips. Darn, you loved seeing him smile so much. "Thank you for today, Sho."

A while later, your shoulder brushed against his as you headed down the gravel path to the dorms. It was only 6 o'clock, so you had about half an hour to sign in before curfew. You heard a notification emanate from your mobile phone. Checking the screen, you noticed that your childhood friend had sent you a text message.

Damn it. Aoi really hurt her again.

Todoroki noticed that you gulped. "Everything okay, (y/n)?"

"Stupid Aoi cheated on Chi," you muttered in disbelief, as you read on. Aoi had claimed that he was taking care of his little brother. Yet, your friend was already a mess of snot and tears as she continued to text you.

"Oh, I see." Todoroki gritted his teeth, but he didn't say anything else. Chiharu should have never trusted him in the first place. Todoroki knew you liked to see the best in people, which let some guilt build up in him as it reminded him that he couldn't erase the way he had treated you in the past.

"I'm sorry for bringing this up, Sho." You shook your head as you decided that you would call your friend as soon as both of you made it to the U.A. dorms.

When your apologetic eyes met him, he admitted. "You can tell me anything, (y/n)."

"And you, too. Thank you for today. I'm really glad I could meet your mum."

"I'm glad..." Todoroki trailed, relieved that today had left some memories unearthed, untouched, right where he thought they belonged. The only problem with his reasoning was that some things couldn't be buried forever. Try as you might bury that sadness, unless you found its root and fixed it, it would be difficult, or even impossible, to move on. "(y/n), I don't want to make you suffer. I promise I will never let you suffer like my mum did."

You stopped right on your tracks, feeling a lump in your throat. Why did Todoroki's words sit so heavy in your heart? His eyes widened, as he stood besides you. He could have sworn that he saw a tear fall on the ground.