Spare Him ||BNHA Todoiida||Villain Todoroki||

Chapter 19- Car

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There was actually a car waiting for them, surprisingly far from the station. Todoroki couldn't blame Iida's mother though, with the usual rush of the streets. It was probably easier to search for Iida on foot.

Todoroki entered that car immediately when Iida's mother offered, taking in the leathery smell of the interior. In no time at all, all three of them were piled in, and the driver was off, heading back to the Iida household.

And so, started the awkward silence that would follow them all the way there. Todoroki was thinking of starting a small conversation, but it didn't seem to be a great time.

Iida didn't have the guts to speak in front of his mother, who was typing away at her phone with an concentrated face. He was looking down at his lap, though Todoroki was sure that it was because he was very close to dozing off. 

But despite everything, Iida still managed to shoot him a very nice smile when they made eye contact. It made Todoroki's cheeks warm.

Seeing Iida next to him was the oddest but greatest coincidence that could've happened to him that day, but there were still many things he was wondering.

Why was Iida there at the station? He definitely didn't tell his parents. And what happened to Iida, to make him look so frail?

('Was it me?' Todoroki wondered. 'Did Frostburn and Stain do this to you?' He'd seen heartbreak and guilt before, too many times to count.)

And Iida's mother... Todoroki knew she was suspicious of him, which naturally made him suspicious of her. And that suspicion was exactly why it was suspicious that Iida's mother would let him visit so quickly.

But it did seem like she could gather the meaning of the file easily, so he should probably give her more credit. No matter how suspicious they were of each other, her job as a hero came first, like it should be. Still, there were no questions and barely any hesitation, and Todoroki couldn't dismiss that so easily.

It didn't help that there was still silence in the car, even when Iida's mother stopped aggressively typing on her phone. Todoroki didn't like that miffed expression on her face.

When they finally arrived at the household, the first thing Iida's mother did was order her son into the dining room to drain a big bowl of soup. Then she took Todoroki's file and ordered him to come to her office.

They walked upstairs to the second floor, down a maze of highly polished floors and well-decorated halls. On one particular, excessively big set of double doors, she opened them to a world of compact shelves and cabinets. She put the file down on an organized desk.

"I recognize you're here for something important," she said. "But I will say, you're bold for coming back here."

"Because I ate all your food and made your son stay up 'till midnight?" Todoroki said, making himself at home by plopping down in a cushioned chair. "I definitely am. Thank you for the compliment."

Iida's mother scoffed. "I do hope this is as important as you make it out to be."

"I wouldn't have come to you if it wasn't." Todoroki said.

"Alright, then," she said, grabbing the file. "Let's get started." She opened the folder. Todoroki silently waited, watching the stern-faced woman examine the photos and notes carefully. She shut the file after a long, uncomfortable minute, holding a yellow sticky note that Akaguro had put in there.

"A stalker," she read from it. She looked up. "How long?"

"Around a week or so," Todoroki immediately answered, starting to avoid the woman's eyes. He stared at a cup of black and blue pens. "Since you're... a hero and such, you can help me. Would you be willing to?"