Chasing What's Lost | Cheater!Todoroki x Reader | Quirkless/Modern AU

I

Todoroki's POV

I knew it wasn't right. I knew every single bit of it was wrong. I was committing a crime and she still stood by my side through it all.

"Babe? What are you thinking about?" asked my wife as she blinked at me curiously. For a moment, a fraction of a second, her shining smile faltered as she saw the lipstick stain on my neck. I saw the pain in her eyes, only for it to be quickly disguised by cheer.
"I'm just... thinking..." I replied, continuing to eat the dinner she had prepared for me this evening.
"I asked what you're thinking about, not what you're doing, silly." she laughed.
"I'm just a bit tired after work, that's all." I said. I looked towards her eyes and I knew that she didn't believe me. She knew that there was much more than just work clouding my mind. I came home much later than usual. Despite me telling her not to wait for me, she stood up until 2:00 in the morning, waiting for my return. She was out of energy and was getting closer and closer to collapsing from fatigue.

"You should go up and rest." I said. "I'll wash the dishes." She bit her lip before nodding her head and slowly making her way up the steps, leaving me to sit in the dining room alone.

When did things get this far? When did I lose myself? When did I begin to hurt her?

All I could remember from the first night was having a few too many drinks and waking up in an unknown bed with a known woman. I should've stopped. I should've cut off all contact with her after that night, but I didn't stop. I contacted her more. I continued to return to the bed of that woman. Yaoyorozu Momo. We had known each other since high school, but didn't talk much. When I was invited to a reunion with my classmates, Y/N didn't object. Even after hearing it would be held in a club with countless other women wandering around, she trusted me. She trusted me with all her heart and I betrayed her. I could still remember the broken expression on her face when I came home the morning after. I could still remember how many notifications were on my phone from the unanswered calls of that evening. I could still remember the words she told me as if she was trying to brush off the truth.

"Hey, Honey. Welcome home. Did you enjoy the reunion?"

Maybe it was the fact that she didn't show any hatred or anger towards what I had done that convinced me to do it again. After all, as much as I hated to admit it, I enjoyed the night I spent with Momo.

I sighed in frustration as I carried my empty bowl towards the sink, washing and drying it before putting the dish away. Turning off the lights within the house as I went, I made my way up the steps and towards our bedroom.

There she was, curled up on her side of the bed. Instead of the cheerful mask I saw downstairs, I saw a broken woman with tears staining her face as she hugged her knees to her chest. She was now asleep, but the evidence of tears being there to accompany her to rest made me frown. My eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room and I noticed an object on the bedside table along with a letter. Turning on the lamp, I took a seat on the bed. I opened the white envelope and pulled out a white sheet decorated with neat handwriting.

'Dear Shouto,
Happy 2nd anniversary, Baby! I'm sorry I had to leave so early in the morning for work, so I probably missed spending this morning and afternoon with you. It probably isn't much, but I thought of you when I saw it. I hope you enjoy your gift!
Love, Y/N'

My hand flew to my phone as I checked the date. June 18th. 2:34 in the morning. Yesterday was our anniversary and I hadn't seen her once. Instead, I left the house for work and spent the rest of the evening in another woman's bed, only to come home the morning after. My eyes left my phone screen and flitted towards her sleeping figure. I reached for the object on the bedside table. It was a small keychain of a white cat with heterochromatic eyes. My mind echoed thoughts of both regret and gratefulness. Regret towards hurting her so much and gratefulness for her continuing to stay with me.

I'm despicable. Disgusting. Terrible. Vile. Revolting. Horrible. I'm everything that she doesn't deserve and worse.