Chapter Seven

"Jesus... what did you do, Kaida?" Shiori asks me once we've returned back to the dorms and changed into our regular clothes. I look back towards the sofa where Todoroki is sitting and meet his eyes for just a moment, remembering the way the ice bloomed over my skin.

"Ow!" I hiss when Shiori pulls my hand under the running water in the kitchen sink and she shakes her head at me. It feels like it's been a while since we've gotten to really talk about anything and looking at her now, I feel the need to start a conversation that has nothing to do with hero work.

"So... I overheard the girls talking" I begin and she eyes me skeptically.

"And?" she inquires, still focusing on the task at hand. I purse my lips.

"And, this Shinsou guy is a thing?" I ask and her eyes widen.

"I'm sorry, what?" she replies. I give her a flat stare.

"You're into him, aren't you?" I demand, feeling jaded that she wouldn't share something like that with me. She makes a face.

"God, no. I don't even know the guy" she insists. I roll my eyes. That is so like Shiori. Our whole lives she's been unbelievably dense when it comes to romantic feelings. Still, I can't say that I'm upset about it... not if it means she won't get herself into needless relationships without thinking. Not like me.

"Why's your face red, then?" I ask, trying to get a rise out of her. Her eyes widen again and she squeezes my hand a little, making me shout in pain.

"Jesus!" I hiss and she shakes her head.

"Why can't you ever be careful?" she tsks, observing my wounds and shifting the conversation back. Realizing she doesn't want to talk about it anymore, I don't push the subject. Instead, I shrug, thinking about the woman in the street. I smile a little, thinking about the way I moved her to safety.

"You don't get it... I saved someone today. She went from terrified to just... not. In seconds she was more concerned about me getting thrown through a window than what might happen to her and honestly? I can't say I'd change that" I admit, pride and gratitude swirling through me all at once. When I look at Shiori, her gaze is fixed on something behind me but she shakes her head immediately, looking back at me with disapproval written all over her face.

"I'm so glad you enjoy getting thrown through windows, but I really don't enjoy picking up your pieces afterwards" she grumbles, grabbing some gauze from the counter and wrapping both of my wrists and the bottom parts of my palms in a thin layer.

"There... now they won't get infected" she tells me and I give her an odd look.

"You know, recovery girl could've..."

"You get to heal like a normal person when you act like an idiot!" she snaps and I blink. Okay. Wasn't expecting that.

"Yikes, okay captain" I say and she rolls her eyes, obviously still agitated with me.

"Kaida, can I speak with you privately?" Iida asks, appearing at the edge of the kitchen. Shiori shrugs when I look at her, unconcerned.

"Sure" I reply and I follow him a little ways down the hall towards the stairs. Pretty much everyone's taken to calling us by our first names here since the last name thing was getting confusing, but somehow Iida makes it sound just as formal.

"Kaida, forgive me if it seems that I'm overstepping my bounds, but as class representative, I feel that it is my duty to talk to you about the way you've been handling yourself in combat" he says as soon as we come to a stop, all business. I blink at him, a little confused.

"In combat? What are you getting at, exactly?" I ask, pushing myself not to get angry. Iida really is one of the sweetest people I've ever met and I realized that after he pissed me off the first time. Since then, he's tried to be less overbearing and I've tried to be more respectful... still. I don't do well with people telling me what to do.

"Your actions recently with your work study and training exercises. You tend to take matters into your own hands and leave your teammates behind. In the real world, a mistake like that can get someone killed, Kaida" he informs me and I have to take a deep breath. I'm not as reckless as everyone seems to think I am, I'm just...

"I know your quirk is powerful. You may feel like you're the only one capable of the things you do, but you don't have to handle things that way anymore. Your team is important, Kaida, and carrying the weight of hero work all by yourself is going to burn you out. Heroes support each other and that includes you now. You don't have to do it all alone" he finishes, interrupting my thought and deflating my anger. I swallow, just staring at him a moment without knowing what to say. It doesn't take long for Iida to get uncomfortable with the silence and say his quickest apologies and goodbyes, but his words struck a chord with me.

Alone? Is that how I've been feeling? That familiar pit opens up in my stomach and I start to feel like he might be right. But how? How could I ever feel alone? Shiori's always been by my side. I can't say I've ever felt alone when I can't remember ever spending a single day that way. How would that even be possible? But the word echoes through my head over and over, replaying like a broken record. I feel guilty leaving without saying goodbye to my sister, but I suddenly don't feel like being in anyone's company right now. I start for my room, longing for the solidarity, but as I make my way up the stairs I nearly run into Bakugo again. I stumble back a step, not in the mood to fight.

"Watch where...!" he pauses suddenly when I look up at him and I see his expression change.

"What's wrong?" he asks, stunning me. What surprises me even more is the sudden threat of tears and the painful lump in my throat. I shake my head, turning away so that my hair might hide my expression. Was it so obvious that even Bakugo could see? We both stand in frozen silence for a few minutes, me embarrassed and Bakugo at a loss for words.

"Don't cry for anyone, Ito. You're better than them anyway" he says gruffly and when he passes me, he gently bumps the side of his fist on top of my head before disappearing down the hallway. I stare after him wide eyed and shocked. Bakugo might've misunderstood what was going on completely, but he didn't have to even try to comfort me. In fact, I expected him to do much the opposite, but as he leaves me with his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head held high, I feel a strange fondness for him. I only spend a few more moments processing what just happened before climbing the stairs and for a fraction of a second, I actually even feel a little better.

___________

My room is a comforting escape from all of the noise around me, but after a few hours of drowning myself in music a light knock sounds at my door. I get up quickly, expecting an agitated Shiori to be here after I ditched her so long ago in the kitchen, but when I open it up, I see Todoroki standing there. I raise my eyebrows, surprised by the visit.

"Todoroki... hi..." I say, wondering what he's doing here.

"This is your room?" he asks and I nod, feeling both awkward and self-conscious.

"Sure is" I reply, flushing immediately. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Can I come in?" he asks and my flush deepens. Come in?

"Um... sure" I say, letting him in and shutting the door behind him. Todoroki looks around as he walks past my desk and eyes the set up. Everyone's rooms here are different so I understand the curiosity but having him here is raising my blood pressure.

"The décor is very American" he notes and I laugh a little nervously.

"I mean" I smirk, gesturing to myself, the Japanese-American pulse hero. Todoroki looks at me then and he wears an expression I've never seen before.

"Kaida" he says and I swallow, the intensity in his voice making my stomach tie itself in knots.

"Todoroki?" I reply and he walks towards me. I struggle not to back away, wondering what the hell is going on when his hand comes up and cups my face. I gasp just in time for his mouth to find mine and he kisses me deeply. I melt into it instantly, for a moment disregarding anything rational for the sake of the moment. Who knew he was such a good kisser? He breaks the kiss momentarily, just long enough to guide me back towards the bed and as we fall I pull him back to me, kissing him hungrily until...

I shoot up in my bed, gasping and gripping the empty sheets. I look around the dark room, realizing I'm alone and try to calm my racing heart. I reach up and touch my lips, still remembering how real Todoroki's felt. What kind of dream was that? I turned the lights out a while after I got up here, thinking maybe I'd nap, but when I look at the clock, it's already two in the morning. I try to catch my breath and slowly get out of bed on shaky legs. I didn't even know I saw Todoroki like that. I mean the guy's inhumanly hot, but that doesn't usually equate to steamy dreams and hot flashes.

I get up and leave my room yet again this week and start for the stairs, wondering if I can finally finish my yogurt. When I reach the kitchen though, Todoroki is there again and I can feel my whole body blush. I hesitate, immediately embarrassed. How do I face him without thinking about that stupid dream? I debate going back to my room dissatisfied when he looks back over his shoulder at me.

"You're up late" he says and I nod, walking into the kitchen anyway.

"Couldn't sleep" I tell him and he nods towards the fridge.

"Kirishima has some yogurt in there if you want some" he says and I smirk, eyeing the yogurt in front of him.

"Kirishima's?" I ask, remembering the way he pouted after catching me eating some. Todoroki smiles a bit before taking another bite.

"He hasn't suspected me yet" he replies and I grin, grabbing my yogurt from the bottom shelf and taking a seat across from him.

"What kind of person steals someone else's yogurt?" I wonder teasingly, thinking about the similar question he asked me before. Todoroki shakes his head, letting out a bit of a laugh. I bite the inside of my cheek, hating that it makes me think about that stupid dream.

"I guess I can be a villain sometimes" he says and my first reaction is to ask him how. I flinch, shocked at my own reaction. It was ONE dream, Kaida. Control yourself.

"So what ails you, yogurt villain? Why aren't you snug in your bed?" I wonder, taking another bite. Todoroki sighs, a far off look coming onto his face.

"Would you understand if I left my response at, family drama?" he asks and I feel a pang in my chest.

"Definitely" I confirm and he eyes me a moment.

"What about you, Pulse? What's keeping you from dreaming?" he inquires, setting my cheeks aflame. I was dreaming... that's the problem. But instead of telling him this, I shrug.

"New school, new territory, new agency? Endeavor leaves a lot to live up to" I half joke but his face falls, his eyes taking him somewhere dark. I suddenly feel a little guilty.

"Todoroki?" I ask and he snaps out of it, looking back up at me with an odd expression.

"You admire him" he says and there's no question. I pause, sensing his sudden discomfort and realizing that maybe there's even more to Todoroki's story than I thought there was.

"Do you?" I wonder and he appears thoughtful, staring somewhere off into space.

"That's a difficult question to answer. Is my father a powerful man? Yes. A successful one? Of course. But is he someone I admire?" he pauses, looking back at me wistfully and I can suddenly see a pain there that I hadn't before. Pain that makes my own chest ache for him.

"My father has never been an affectionate man. In fact, he was quite the opposite growing up. I had decided I wanted nothing to do with him or the quirk I inherited from him" he admits, looking down at his left hand and flexing his fingers.

"To say that I admire him... wouldn't be an accurate representation of my feelings. But I suppose now that I don't hate him. Not anymore" he finishes and the admission makes me a little sad.

"I'm sorry..." I blurt without thinking and his eyebrow shoot up, surprised.

"For what?" he asks and I shrug.

"That you had to go through that. I might not know the whole story but I can tell it was hard for you" I answer and he tilts his head curiously.

"Apologizing for something that you didn't cause. That's both incredibly strange and incredibly sweet" he tells me and I flush again. Damn this guy, why does he keep doing that to me?

"I don't have to have caused it to feel sympathy for you" I reply and he smiles softly, another expression that makes my stomach twist up. Todoroki hasn't smiled much since I first arrived but seeing him now? It's enough to make my heart race.

"I appreciate the sympathy" he laughs a little and I shove another spoonful of yogurt in my mouth. Why does he make me feel so flustered? Or is it the dream? I look up at Todoroki eating his own yogurt and find myself thinking about it again, the way his hand caressed my cheek and his mouth... I flush and immediately look away. Oh my God.

"What about you, Kaida? What's your family like?" he asks, tearing me away from both my fantasy and my mortification in an instant. My family.

The words bring back violent flashes of memory. Blood stained white sheets, the flashing lights, my father screaming in Japanese. I've never heard my father like that before... Shiori's numb expression and the fury flowing through me. My hands... my hands were shaking. She was... she... I try to shake the memories off and focus on the now but the sheriff's voice haunts me to the day.

I'm sorry we don't know more.

These days it's hard to catch a suspect with all the different quirks out there.

Is there anyone you know who might want to hurt her?

I'm sorry, you can't see her.

Mutilated... unrecognizable... powerful quirk...

"Kaida?" Todoroki's voice asks again and I jump, realizing that I'm digging my fingernails back into my old wounds, soaking the bandages with fresh blood. I swallow, forcing my hand to open.

"S-sorry" I breathe, standing up. My heart hammers in my chest and it takes all of my control to try and calm it.

"I didn't mean to pry" Todoroki says and I can see the worry in his face. I shake my head, forcing myself to wear a smile, even if it's painful.

"It's fine. I uh... I just don't like talking about them. I'm sorry" I say shortly, feeling only a little guilty that he bared his soul to me only for me to clam up the instant he asked the same of me. Then again, it's not like it's public knowledge. I know my dad's old friends already know the story but Japan isn't like back home. Word doesn't travel half as fast here.

"You don't have to" he tells me and gestures back to my seat calmly, his eyes as still and solid as the mirrored surface of a quiet lake. The expression comforts me strangely and I slowly take my seat again, digging into my yogurt and eating with Todoroki in comfortable silence. Maybe I don't have to talk about it, but sitting here with him... feels like enough.