Todoroki gets to the hospital early. He's wearing the same coat and scarf, the dark colors bringing out the dark bags beneath his eyes. He steps on the fallen plum blossoms and walks inside, the automatic glass doors sliding closed behind him. The receptionist looks up and smiles with warm eyes. "You're his fourth visitor today!" She chimes, "And it's hardly past ten! That poor, sweet boy deserves to have so many people who care..."
Shouto's eyes narrow and he speaks without thinking. "He only needs one."
"Did you say somethin', hun?" She asks, typing something on the computer, nails clicking against the keys.
Shouto braces against the desk, adam's apple bobbing as he swallows. Uraraka and Bakugo most likely... He grips the edge of the desk. "No," he answers, clearing his throat and standing upright again. That was sloppy, he really does need to get more sleep. He runs a hand through his bangs and glances at the receptionist with his good eye. "Am I checked in?"
"Yup! You can go on up."
Shouto rushes away before she's even finished speaking. Only to find Izuku's primary nurse behind the opening elevator doors; he steps inside. She looks a bit surprised, but breaks into a smile. She reminds him of Uraraka.
"Back again, bright and early?"
He nods.
"Usually I'd advise against him having another visitor after that crowd earlier, his mom and those other two... but you seem to relax him, you know," She smiles and Shouto's heart skips a beat.
"You..." His voice is quieter than he means for it to be. "You think so?"
She nods, "Sure thing! You're in for a treat, too. He talked a bit to his mom and that other boy, maybe he'll talk to you too?"
Shouto looks down at his feet. He didn't like that very much.
("K-Kacchan!")
He gnaws on the inside of his cheek. The nurse continues, oblivious to the metaphorical dark cloud hanging over the teen. "I recommend bringing something of significance, easing him into his old life and memories. His mom brought a picture and that seemed to register—"
Todoroki's head snaps up.
"—he hasn't put it down since. So if you have something that might serve as a gentle reminder... bring it in, okay?" The elevator stops and she gives a frozen Todoroki a small wave before getting off. The doors close, the elevator continues up.
Todoroki all but runs out of the elevator when he finally gets to Izuku's floor, hurrying down the vacant halls and turning into the room overlooking the plum blossom tree.
Shouto relaxes upon seeing Izuku, an icy breath puffing from between his lips.
Izuku is sitting cross-legged on top of his blankets in vertically striped pajamas, the top few buttons of his shirt undone. He is hunched over something in his hands.
Todoroki doesn't bother knocking as he comes in.
"All...Might..."
Shouto flinches when he hears Izuku's voice caressing the name of someone who nearly got him killed. His eye twitches as he slowly approaches Izuku, who hasn't yet noticed him. Izuku's long lashes are cast over his freckled cheeks as he's completely engulfed in the photo that he holds.
Now directly by the bedside, Shouto reaches forward impulsively and brings his hands over Izuku's eyes.
Izuku doesn't even react.
Shouto leans forward and tilts Izuku's head up. "Guess who?" He asks quietly, lips near Izuku's ear. Shouto holds his hands there for a while, afraid that if he pulls them away, he'll lose Izuku to the picture in his hands. A picture of Deku and All Might, signed by the fallen hero himself.
Pink blossoms are falling outside, there is a cold breeze ruffling the plum blossom tree, the branches scratch at the window.
"...Shou...chan?"
Shouto immediately draws his hands away from Midoriya's eyes, cupping the side of his face instead. His blue and gray eyes grow huge as they meet green ones. His lips twitch into a smile. "Yes," Shouto breathes out. "It's me."
Izuku seems to forget about the picture in his lap, a curious gleam in his eyes as he mirrors Shouto's gesture, clammy hand resting on Shouto's cheek, thumb gently swiping at the scarred flesh. Shouto flinches, but he doesn't move away. Midoryia's brows pinch and lift, as if he's trying to figure something out. "I..." His voice seems to give out half way. "I don't remember... much, Shouto..." He says softly.
Todoroki smiles. "That's okay," he whispers. He shifts to sit on the bed, across from Izuku, his hand moving from the curve of his freckled cheek to the plushness of his hair. "What do you remember about me?"
Izuku smiles, "That we're friends; right?"
There's a beat of silence before Todoroki answers with an unreadable expression, the darkness under his eyes making him appear slightly deranged. "Right."
Friends. The word feels lackluster all of the sudden, but he's okay with it. He is a fairly lackluster person, after all.
(Sorry for short chapter!)
