Ethereal ◆ Shoto Todoroki x Reader

33 | Regret

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a day earlier, Hitoka's Quarters, before her arrest.

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The princess is coming.

I hurriedly shove the vial under my pillow, my shaking hand holding the teacup to my face. I have to compose myself before she arrives; wouldn't want to look suspicious, or this is all for nothing.

I hear her shoes clacking down the hall, and I take a deep breath. 

You're fine, Hitoka. I tell myself, she's hiding, so the princess won't see her.

I can hear the princess getting closer, the clacking of heels growing louder. A cold breeze ruffles my hair.

Oh no.

She left the window open!

I dash to the window, closing it as quietly as I can, and running back to my seat on the bed. I hear a giggle emit from the closet.

"Shut up," I snap to my hideaway. If she's caught, I'm dead. Never to see Shinso, or anyone for that matter, ever again.

"If you don't succeed, you're out, and I'll kill you myself."

Her words echo in my head and the vial under my pillow seems to grow larger; surely the princess will see the lump, that I'm hiding something, not to mention someone.

To think I'm hiding such a dangerous person in my closet, one that would kill me without hesitation. My quirk is no match, even if I managed to get control.

"It's just a sleep inducer, right?" I ask.

"Riiight~"  the voice says from the closet.

"And after this you'll trust me? You aren't lying?"

"I would never lie to you, Toka."

The nickname gives me chills. 

"Hush, she's coming," I whisper one last time.

There's a knock on the door, and even though I already know who it is, I still ask.

"It's me," the princess's voice drifts through the door, "I just wanted to talk about something really fast."

"Come in," I say, as politely as I can.

She opens the door, a smile plastered on her face. Something tells me it's fake. "Looks like someone's warming up to the food," she says, gesturing to the tea.

"Yes, well," I smile, "I've always liked tea."

Lie. 

The princess sits beside me, then asks for a cup. I pick the one I laced with the sleep inducer, then pour tea and hand it to the princess.

"So," she starts, taking a sip, "has Takahashi visited you today?"

Yes. Yes he did, but he doesn't remember. He'll never remember, and I'll always regret it.

I nod and gesture to the roses Takahashi brought me. "He gave me those. He even tried to remove the thorns for me." I force a laugh.

Another lie.

"That's such a Takahashi thing to do," the princess sighs. "Did he act sort of. . .strange? Not like himself?"

"Not really," I say as I take a sip of tea, "He acted normal. Why do you want to know anyways?"