✧ 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚢𝚙𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐. ✧

Chapter Ten: What Are You Doing Here?

"Your car is messy," Todoroki notes, looking out the window.

Midoriya tightens his grip on the steering wheel to keep from committing homicide. "Well, April and I weren't exactly expecting visitors."

"April?"

Izuku shifts the car into reverse. "That's my Toyota's name."

The two drive in silence, anger radiating off of Midoriya as Shoto rests his head against the car window.

"Where are we going?" Todoroki pries, utterly oblivious to the greenette's annoyance.

Izuku bites his lip before admitting that he didn't know.

"So, we'll have plenty of time to talk about Judo, then."

I swear to god, if I hear one more person mention something about Judo, I'm going to rip out my hair. Midoriya's knuckles turn white, his efforts not to speed nearly failing.

"Todoroki, you're one of my closest friends, but if I hear you guilt-trip me about quitting Judo, you better believe your future will become excruciatingly painful." Izuku grits out, his decision to make a left at the next stoplight spurred by his vexation.

"That's not what I meant," Todoroki states, unfazed by the male's outburst. When Midoriya doesn't respond, the dual-colored male continues. "Listen, I won't deny that not having the opportunity to spar with you competitively has made my life significantly more boring. However, Uraraka and I are mostly just trying to assist you in the ways we know how. Granted, Uraraka is probably much more effective, but I am-"

Izuku lets out an audible breath. "I'm sorry I've been an asshole lately, I'm just... Trying to figure stuff out."

"It's fine," Todoroki hesitates, something that rarely ever occurs, "Midoriya, you're going to have to tell someone about whatever happened to you at the Olympics. It doesn't have to be Ura or me, but it's obvious you're not able to move past this on your own."

Midoriya knew that Shoto would be one of the few people who would at least begin to understand him, but he hated the idea of sounding like a victim. What happened that day had to have been his fault, in some way, shape or form, it had to have been. How else could a pain so insurmountable be justifiable?

"I'd rather just forget about it," Izuku mumbles, his focus on the double-yellow lines of the road.

"How is that working out for you?" Shoto bluntly remarks, his face stern.

If the world had forced Midoriya to be honest, the answer would have been, 'not well, I barely sleep some nights, and have to force myself out of bed others. The only good thing in my life right now is Bakugou and Kirishima, and I'm pretty sure I just blew that.'

But because the world was not forcing him to be honorable, Midoriya instead said something entirely different. "I'll just drive you home, then."

The Following Day _____

Midoriya unlocks the door to Bakugou and Kirishima's home, with a satisfying click. He was exhausted, after dropping off Todoroki and going home, he found the apartment empty, and Ochaco was gone by the time he woke up. If she came back at all, he had texted her to make sure she was okay but got a vague, 'I'm fine' answer.

He steps in to see Eijiro fluttering about, a look of panic on his face. When he sees the greenette, his face lights up.

"Midoriya! Thank goodness, you're here! Listen, I have to go pick Mina up and grab my suit from the dry cleaner's since I'll be expected to attend the premiere tonight. Bakugou is the world's heaviest sleeper, and because of that, I always have to wake him up, but I don't have time right now. So, could you possibly do that for me?" Eijiro speaks at a superhumanly fast rate, and Midoriya grapples with catching everything he's saying.