Fake smile

Chapter Eighteen

TW: homophobia and swearing

Izuku's POV

I was laying down on my bed staring up at my ceiling letting my mind go somewhat blank. I was given two days off of school. I thought about taking the time to relax and get myself together, but I couldn't. I needed to keep my mind distracted. I didn't want to be stuck in a room with nothing but my thoughts. I couldn't take it! I would lose any sanity I had left!
I didn't know if dad was going to tell the class anything about yesterday or not, but I didn't care anymore. I knew that no one in the class - aside from Toshi and maybe Ojiro - really liked me. Heck, why would they. I hate me too. It's nothing new receiving it from others as well.
Did I do something wrong? Did someone take over my body and do things that make my class hate me? I don't even know anymore.
I got out of bed and got ready for school, dreading the day to come. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to school before the bell. Dad's house was relatively close to UA, but walking there would still take some time.
I wonder how Todoroki was? Was he ok? I haven't really talked to him ever since he walked out of the medical room, but I still cared about him. Still wondered if I had any chance of being with him. Oh who am I kidding? I have no chance. Who would like someone as disgusting and broken as me?

Hitoshi's POV

Izu will hopefully be taking the next two days off of school. He really needs it what with everything he's gone through already as well as the past week. It's only been - what? - three weeks(?), if not longer, and he has already been off more than Bakugo starting a fight. I know. Shocking.
Dad walked in, his eye bags worse seemed to be a lot worse.
"Everyone sit down and shut up." Dad said in a monotone voice, he was clearly still drained from yesterday's events.
Silence fell over the classroom, but it didn't last long.
"Sir! Please explain the contents of the events that occurred at the USJ! As class president, I need to ensure the safety of the class and that won't be possible if Midoriya is a threat to this class!" Iida shouted.
There were murmurs of agreement throughout the class. I looked around, hiding my shock. I knew that Izu wasn't all too liked by the class, but really? Not one person cared about him? Ojiro looked back to me with worry and shock in his eyes. He was thinking the same thing. I looked back at Todoroki. I wasn't hard to see that he liked Izu, he was always asking where he was and if he was ok. But today, he seemed really out of it. It was like he couldn't hear what was going on around him.
I picked up the rubber on my desk and threw it lightly at him head, catching his attention. He looked up in confusion before the conversation met his ears.
"He seemed to be pretty chummy with those villains." Uraraka stated.
"Yeah, what's with that, kero?" Tsuyu asked.
"There is no way that fucking Deku got into UA on his own! I bet he cheated and those villains helped!" the class pomeranian shouted.
"He's weak." someone said.
"He doesn't contribute to the school at all." another stated.
"He's such a crybaby. All he knows how to do it cry." Uraraka added to the hate.
"On top of that, he's gay! How could a school as prestigious as UA accept such a disgusting creature?!" Iida shouted.
To my utter shock, people actually agreed!
Bakugo, the closeted gay, was shouting his agreement. Yaoyorozu was stating her disgust. "I can't believe I let him close to me. Ugh how disgusting."
Iida was doing robotic movements, showing his passion on the subject.
There were a few people that stayed quiet, either because they were either part of the LGBTQ+ community or they were allies who didn't like how homophobic the class was being.
"So what if he's gay?! What does that have to do with anything?!" Kaminari stated.
"Yeah, so fucking what if he's gay? How does that impact your life in any bloody way?" I stood up and joined in. I was not about to let these so called 'future heroes' shame my Izu for being who he was. 
"It's disgusting! Men should be with women. That's how it is." Yaoyorozu claimed.
"Why are you so interested in someone's sexual preferences?" Ojiro asked, also standing up.
"Because he isn't mentally right in the head!" Iida, stated.
I was about to burst. I wanted to punch this guy in the face so badly. Dad could see that because this is where he decided to intervene. 
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" he yelled, eyes glowing blood-red and hair swirling like a black-hole. Were he not my dad, I would've been shaking where I stood. "I will not stand here and listen to you all hate on my son! His past and his sexual orientation have no influence on the school's decision into accepting him. He got in through his own hard work and determination as well as his drive to become a hero. I am ashamed to be called your teacher if this is how you treat a fellow student who has done nothing but help his classmates."
Disagreements were shot towards Dad, people saying things like:
"We don't need him?"
"When has he ever been any help to us?"
"All he does is drag us down."
I couldn't stand it anymore. I got up and walked out the door, tears barely being held back. I heard two sets of footsteps following me out. I kept walking, but it wasn't long before the tears slipped down. What had Izu done to receive such hatred?
I felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around me. I didn't need to look up to see that it was Ojiro. I cried into his chest and he held me without a complaint. Once I calmed down I saw Todoroki standing their with his head hung.
"What's wrong?" I asked him.
He lifted his head and, despite his emotionless face, I could see the tears threatening to fall. "I just wish I could've protected him, you know? I left the other day because I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable when he was with his family. I could tell that he had gone through something worse than what I had to go through and I knew that me being there would probably make it worse. The way Mr Aizawa was acting only confirmed how bad his past is and I wish I could've prevented it. I wish I could have met him sooner and helped or something. And the way the class is talking about him like he isn't even worthy of being who he is? Even though everyone takes advantage of his kindness? It's not fair." By now the tears are flowing, his eyes full of genuine sadness and pain, as well as guilt. 
"It's ok Todo."
We all looked behind us to see Izu leaning on a wall between us and the classroom. A sad smile on his face.
"The words don't hurt as much as I thought they would. If anything, I would have preferred it if people said it to my face, but life has never really gone the way I planned."
Faster than anyone could detect, Todoroki was in front of Izu and hugging him in a bone-crushing hug. Izu gave in to the embrace and looped his arms around his neck, stroking his dual coloured hair to try and calm the boy down. 
"Toshi," Izu called to get my attention, "I'm going to try calm him down. Cover for us?"
I nodded my head.
"Thanks." he looked over to Ojiro and said, "Look after him."
"You can count on me." Ojiro replied, a small smile gracing his lips. Why does his smile have to be so damn cute?! It's not fair.