#shoto imagine
Request: Todoroki’s s/o gets hurt during the Overhaul Fight? Like they’re with Midoriya and get really hurt while trying to save Eri. And Todoroki is worried, pacing back and forth because his s/o was at Nighteye’s internship as well. When everyone comes back he just sees his s/o all bandanged up. Fluff at the end please!
A/N: I oddly enough haven’t written many imagines for our much beloved Shoto, I mean he’s my favorite character and there is so much potential. So I’m glad to be writing for him again. Even though I got this request forever ago, and have been putting it off.
Shoto had been very personally disappointed with himself when he failed his provisional license exam, it was a major setback to his goals and it was a bhumiliatinging to be one of the only two students who failed the exam. Now, he would have to take remedial courses to be able to retake the exam, and he would only get his license weeks, if not months, after his classmates.
It was in those moments of disappointment that he was glad to have (Y/N), who always knew when he was upset and how to make him feel better.
“You’re gonna catch up in no time,” she assured him, “and you said you felt bad for how you treated that super intense guy from Shiketsu during the recommendation exam. Now you have the chance to let him know the real you, and not the cold, dismissive person you were then.”
Shoto was resting on your lap, the way he always liked at the end of the day, with her hand absentmindedly tossling in his dual-colored locks. Truth be told, he was so relaxed he could only hear half of what she was saying.
“Was I really that bad?”
“Kinda, but you had your reasons,” (Y/N) explained, running her hand under his bangs and over the skin of his forehead, lightly over the burn skin of his left side. “And you’re amazing now, so you don’t have to worry about winning this guy over. You managed to win me over. I know you’ll do your best.”
Shoto felt better about his remedial courses now, he took (Y/N)’s words to heart, and was prepared to try his hardest to catch up to her and the rest of his classmates. And he didn’t have to do them alone, he would have Bakugou in those classes, even if they didn’t particularly get along with each other, and he would have a chance to reconcile with Inasa. And then he would come back to the dorms and get to tell her all about it. It would all be okay.
That was what he thought, however (Y/N) seemed to have other plans. While most of their classmates weren’t planning to do anything with their new licenses yet, a few of them decided to actually apply for work studies, and (Y/N) was one of them. She was going to the Nighteye agency with Midoriya and one of the Big Three, Mirio. Which meant he wouldn’t see her for long stretches of time.
He wasn’t upset. Or at least he tried not to appear so when he heard her and Midoriya talking excitedly about it. It was easy to cover up with his usual stoic expressions. Shoto didn’t know much about being a boyfriend, or anything about relationships in general, but what he had learnt was that being too possessive was frowned upon. He was happy for her to have this opportunity; in the same way that if he had his license, he would have done the work study as well, and he would have wanted the same support.
The issue was that between his remedial courses and her work study, he wasn’t sure when they would have time for each other after classes when they could actually spend time together for the next couple of weeks.
She held his right hand. He knew she would usually prefer the left side, it was warmer and people usually don’t like to hold cold hands. But it was still summer, even if it was starting to fleet somedays. They were sitting on one of the benches on campus right as they got out of class, somewhere private away from the dorm where they could just be with each other.
(Y/N) held his single hand in both of hers, letting his body temperature cool her from the hot sun and humid climate. One hand held his palm firmly, so it wouldn’t fall out of her grasp, and the other traced over his fingers and the backside of his hand absentmindedly. Shoto released all control to her, he didn’t care which hand she wanted to hold or how she did it, he just wanted her to keep holding his hand for as long as possible.
“It’s going to be okay,” she spoke, “it’s only for a little bit of time, and then we’ll both be back to normal when my work study is done and you get your license. We’ll still see each other at lunch and in class, and I’ll text you.”
Shoto didn’t know what to say. That he didn’t think it was going to be okay. That this wasn’t a little bit of time, it was going to be at least a month for your work study and he would notice that you were gone. And he would miss you.
Instead he said, “okay.”
Shoto had hated many versions of himself over the years, and now he hated himself in that moment too for once again being too inept to actually tell someone how he was feeling and instead swallowing it.
He should have said something, although he’s sure that wouldn’t have changed anything about either of their decisions, it would only lead to a fight. And Shoto would do anything to avoid getting into a fight. Why end up in a fight if he wasn’t going to get to see her anyways? At least this way she would be happy to see him when they could make time for each other.
For the first week, it was the way (Y/N) promised it would be.
Nothing was too different from how it used to be. At least, during the early hours of the days until they were done with classes. That remained unchanged. It was the time after their classes and during the weekends where the change became most evident, especially as the weeks dragged on.
At first she kept true to her promise to text him often. Shoto’s communication skills remained poor even when it text form, usually sending curt responses with unnecessarily formal structure and grammar. When he would be sitting in his dorm room, meant to be studying or socializing with his classmates, he was instead awaiting any news from (Y/N), as if she only existed on his phone. At first she would send long text messages with meaningful words of affirmation, and then with time, Shoto would get emojis that he didn’t understand.
And none of them were adequate substitutes for actually having (Y/N) there with him. No matter what thoughtful messages she could send that would have the same impact as when she just held his hand, or the way she looked at him. And the emojis of kissy faces only irritated him with empty promises.
Shoto began to feel as the weeks pass that the withdrawal is beginning to affect him more than just clinginess. Suddenly, Shoto will begin feeling jealous when he sees (Y/N) spending lunch with Midoriya, talking about their work study, and having to keep secrets surrounding it together. Shoto knows it’s wrong. He trusts both of them with his life, they are two of the most important people in his life, his partner and his best friend. But he can’t help but wish that he was the one who was doing the work study with her.
The days continue to pass, the messages have all but stopped, they have at least ceased to actually make him feel any better. Shoto just feels himself waiting around all day and wondering what she’s doing that she can’t talk to him about and what he isn’t allowed to ask about.
He would have liked to believe he was someone who could always compose himself with the utmost level-headedness and decorum. However, that would have been an untrue statement and he grew to regret his behavior.
“I’m sorry!” (Y/N) was out of breath and exhausted, unable to control her volume and she ended up screaming her apology. Shoto barely looked up at her from where he sat, using his spare time to write another letter for his mother. She placed her things down and closed the door. “I didn’t mean to be late.”
“And yet, you are,” he whispered.
(Y/N) heard him, he could see it in the corner of his eye. Her lips moved into a frown, his snippy comment hurt her, but she didn’t address it, trying to let it roll down her back and not sour their evening. Well, thirty minutes before lights out. She got down on her knees at sat across from him.
Shoto would have embraced her before, he would have let her hold him until she was forced to leave his room. Before they entered this period where things felt awkward between the two of them. (Y/N) was clearly feeling the same way, sitting across from him instead of nestling at his side. It had been this way, a result of the bitterness and neglect over the past few weeks.
Instead, he ignored her to remain focused on his note. She had left him waiting for more than an hour, sitting patiently like a dog waiting for their owner to come home. Now, he was doing something else and frustrated. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at her, either because he was too angry or afraid that looking at her would make his anger fade away and he would simply forgive and forget.
(Y/N) was quickly fed up with the silent treatment. “I didn’t do it on purpose. And I’m here now, so what’s the big deal? Come on, we only have a few minutes, I don’t wanna–”
“Then you should just go,” Shoto interrupted her. It slip out of his mouth without thought. But he knew that was how he felt in the moment. Shoto peaked up from his paper to see her expression. She was surprised with how blunt he was, and his words hurt her and she wasn’t unable to let them roll over her. (Y/N)’s lips quivered, as if she was going to say something, maybe argue with him.
Instead she rose to her feet. “Fine.”
Shoto hadn’t spoke to her since that exchange. Three days passed by without another word between them. Even with how busy they had both been recently, they had never gone a day without some form of communication. There were no more texts, they didn’t walk to class together, or sit together at lunch, and (Y/N) hadn’t returned to his room since he told her to leave.
In the moment, he had wanted (Y/N) to leave his room. He didn’t want to fight, and if she stayed that was exactly what they would have done. Shoto imagined he would get some rest and then wake up with all his frustrations gone and the two would return to the same state of bliss their relationship had always had. However, when he woke up the next morning and didn’t see any messages from her.
When he left for class, he didn’t think to go by her room. If she didn’t want message him, then he wasn’t going to bother to see if she wanted to walk to class together. And it continued like that throughout the day, into the next and the one after that. (Y/N) and Shoto ignored each other, as if not a month ago they weren’t attached at the hip.
It felt righteous to be angry at her for the first two days. Shoto argued with himself that she had been the one who was insensitive to his needs, that she was the one who should be apologizing to him. Even if he was the first one to push her away. Shoto bitterly joked about how pointless it would be to apologize if she would still not be able to spend time together for this last week. He told himself it didn’t matter.And he believed that until the third day, when he realized how much harder it was to go from limited contact to no contact. How much those little messages mattered to him, and getting to hold her hand on the way to class. Being without it, caused a blackout to form in Shoto’s stomach and sent his mind spiraling, realizing what a jerk he had been.
How could he think he was right when he hurt her? Why was he trying to fool himself thinking he could make it a weak without her holding him— even just playing with his hair or holding his hand. Shoto hadn’t known how to be a boyfriend and now he was afraid that he had ruined everything. Could he even call himself her boyfriend if she haven’t spoken to him in three days? What if the reason you hadn’t spoken was because it was a breakup and he had lost her?
The third day was pure agony and what-ifs.
And on the fourth day, when you left bright and early for her last day of hero studies, Shoto decided he needed to know if he still had a girlfriend and beg for her forgiveness and plead for a second chance. Whatever it would take to set things right, the way that he wanted them to be. It as a simple message just asking to talk, and he struggled the rest of the day to figure out what he was going to say to her.
Shoto paced across his room, trying to say the words aloud. But even in the privacy of his dorm room, Shoto still felt embarrassed, as if he was making a fool of himself. Shoto couldn’t find any words, he hadn’t done much to confess the first time to (Y/N), truly she did the heavy lifting in that department. Shoto was more fond of buying her gifts or spending time with her. But that wasn’t going to get her back, Shoto needed to speak to her, all the apologies and begging she was owed.
But Shoto didn’t get a response. The hours passed through the day, and Shoto hadn’t gotten any answer to his request that they meet. In fact, she hadn’t even read the message yet. Was she really still ignoring him? Even when he made the first step. Was that how little their relationship meant to (Y/N).
The dual-haired boy fell onto his bed and forgot about planning some grand romantic gesture. Instead he stared at his phone waiting to see if she would ever read it, let alone respond to it. Shoto could feel the minutes pass into hours, waiting around for her.
By the afternoon, Shoto must have been moping and losing hope for his relationship with (Y/N) for hours, there was a knock at his door. It was light, but whoever was knocking kept banging, hoping to gain his attention. He would have ignored it, to continue enjoying his misery, but then a voice came from the other side. His classmate, Yaoyorozu.
“Todoroki, you have to come! There’s been an emergency!” She was speaking somewhat erratically, but she managed to keep her composure as befitting a leader. “It’s Midoriya, Uraraka, Asui, Kirishima, and (L/N)! There was a villain attack—!”
She didn’t even have to make it halfway through her sentence, the moment he heard (Y/N)’s name, he had thrown his phone away and ran to the door. He startled Yaoyorozu, but she looked understanding. She knew how much (Y/N) meant to Shoto.
“What happened?!” Shoto demanded, trying his best to restrain himself, “where is (Y/N)?! Is she okay?!”
“It’s on the news report,” she explained to him. “They didn’t mention anyone by name, but their hero agencies were mentioned to be involved. So, I assume that they were there. They have confirmed several injured but no casualties.”
Yaoyorozu had tried his best to assure him that everything was okay, trying her best to explain the situation from a rational perspective. But Shoto was beyond consoling or calming down. There was nothing that could do that besides being able to see (Y/N) in person and ensuring that she was safe. To hear her beating heart and feel the rise and fall of her lungs.
Shoto ran passed her, ignoring Yaoyorozu’s cries for him to calm down or to stop. He didn’t know where he was going, all he knew was that he was done sitting around. He had to go to her now. He figured if she was going to be anywhere, for better or for worse, it would be at the hospital. So, Shoto ran to the only hospital he knew. The one several of his classmates had been admitted to after the training camp incident.
Everything once he decided to go to the hospital felt like flashes. None of it entered his memory. One moment he was outside the dorms and the next he was entering a hospital lobby. There only remained one thought on his mind, and he would not be stopped by anyone or anything. He ran aimlessly, distressing many patients and nurses as he searched for a familiar face.
Eventually he found one, but not the one he wanted.
“Todoroki?” Midoriya asked, sitting on his hospital bed. “Are you okay?”
To be honest, he really wasn’t. His feet were burning and tired, he was loudly breathing through his mouth, and a thick veil of sweat covered his forehead. His heart was beating in his throat. And he was in worst shape on the inside. Shoto felt like the worst person in the world, he needed to see her, to apologize to her. He wouldn’t let himself rest until he knew she was safe.
“Where is (Y/N)?” was all he said in response.
Midoriya was startled, but processed the question and began mumbling an answer, “she’s down the hallway, she-”
Before he could finish, Shoto dashed down the hall in the direction Midoriya was pointing towards. He could hear Midoriya call his name, the same way. Yaoyorozu had, but both of them were just trying to get him to slow down when he didn’t want to. Maybe he would apologize for his rude behavior later, but that was in the back of his mind now. He swung his head right to left, looking through each door for a second while he sprinted down the hallway.
“Shoto?”
He ran past the door, before he managed to come to a stop. He hadn’t seen her, but that was unmistakably her voice. He took a few steps back until he reached the door, his eyes widened, unable to blink until he saw her sitting on the hospital bed with a small frown on her face and surprised eyes.
(Y/N) had some bandages on her wrist from a sprain and small cuts along her arm and across her cheek. Considering where she had been and what happened, she was pretty okay. She was just waiting to be discharged with the rest of her classmates and teacher. (Y/N) would be completely after a few days, maybe a few new scars would remain. But otherwise healthy and fine.
Shoto felt his heart fall from his throat to the bottom of his stomach. His tired legs used the last of his energy to cross the room, but collapsed to his knees once he reached her bedside. His arms wrapped around her waist as he buried his face into her stomach. He was sure his grip would hurt her more than any of her injuries, but he needed to feel her close and real, he couldn’t let go. His breathing became more erratic, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes.
(Y/N) placed one hand on the back on his neck, running it gently over his back. The other ran through his hair in the way he only let her. She tried her best to soothe his nerves. “It’s okay, you’re okay. I’m here.”
He wanted to say something, but all he could do was breathe. Shoto hadn’t felt anything close to this feeling of panic since the high-end nomu attack. But those feelings paled in comparison. He felt as though he was going to die. No matter how hard he breathed, it still felt like there was no oxygen in his lungs. It took a long time for the intense fear of losing her finally left and he was able to loosen his grip and steadied his breathing.
“There you go. I’m proud of you.” She trailed her hand down to wipe a tear. He moved his face to rest on her hand, and all calluses and scraps on them.
He managed the smallest whisper, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” she shook her head. “We’re okay.”
She pulled him up to his feet and brought him to lie on the bed with her. (Y/N) rested her head on his chest, feeling it rise and fall as he remained focused on his breathing. For once he began playing with her hair mindlessly.
“I should have told you what we were doing,” she confessed, whispering those words into his chest, “I shouldn’t have let you worry like that. I can’t imagine how it must have felt when you saw all of that on the news, just like with,” she stopped before she could say the name, but he understood, “I wanted to tell you so badly. I’m so sorry I scared you like that, Shoto.”
Would he have done the same in her position? He supposed he would have if it was part of his hero study. “It’s okay, you didn’t do anything wrong,” he responded, “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’ve been terrible.”
“You were hurt.”
“No, you could never hurt me,” he shook his head, wrapping her into a tight embrace. “The idea that something terrible could have happened to you and I wouldn’t be there to protect you is the only thing that could hurt me.” He felt his eyes begin to burn again, tears trailing down his face, “I should have have done better on the license exam, then I could have been there.”
(Y/N) sat up, looking at his red tear-stained face. “You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’re close to catching up now. And I’m gonna be sitting around for you, and then you’re gonna do great things and make me worry. And I’m gonna want to protect you too. So, we’ll just stick together, okay?”
She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he embraced her once again, taking a deep breath as all tension left his body. “Okay.”
