TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of abuse, rape and panic attacks
THEMES: Angst, BakuTodo
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The class were having their weekly movie night in the 1A dorm. Scattered around sofas, pillows and chairs whilst submerged with blankets and pillows, the students were all engrossed with the film. They shared snacks and made small talk whilst the night went on, but not all were so relaxed.
Deku continued to check his phone again and again, every ten minutes, in hopes of seeing a message from Todoroki. His good friend had told him he was going home for the evening and wouldn't be back until 9PM or later. Well now it was 10:30PM and there was no sign of Shoto. Uraraka noticed that Midoriya was worried about something so she decided to go and get another drink, asking the boy to come with her.
"What's wrong Izuku?" she asked when they were in the safety of the kitchen.
"Well, i-it's Todoroki. He said he would be back at 9 and it's a-almost 10. I'm getting worried."
"Izuku, we both know Todoroki is strong and tough, besides he was probably just visiting his siblings. He might have just lost his phone or something."
Midoriya was quiet for a moment until he slowly nodded his head and smiled, thankful for Ochako's advice. They smiled and hugged before refilling their drinks and returning to their seats. Deku was more relaxed as the evening progressed and found himself enjoying the film; Uraraka was happy that her friend was feeling better, but also wished for Todoroki to send a message or something.
It was 11:15PM by the time the film finished and the class were debating on whether to watch another one or not. Most of them were still awake and because it was Saturday night- meaning no classes tomorrow- they fought Iida's and Momo's concerns until a new film was put in.
Yet they didn't get even five minutes into the film before the door to the dorm was slowly opened and shut quietly. Too quietly. Deku knew that this was Todoroki so jumped up to greet him, yet his excited and relieved smile turned to a frown of concern.
"Hey Todo- Todoroki are you alright?!" Midoriya's worried shout reached the living room.
Some of the class got up to see what was wrong with Todoroki. When they reached Deku they saw Shoto looking at the floor as he slid down against the door. His eyes were glossy and his whole body shook. His breathing was ragged and faint and yet there was still little emotion on his face: it seemed like he was trying to repress everything he was feeling but the traces of distress were visible in his eyes.
Midoriya and Iida immediately ran over but Shoto shook his head and pushed himself further against the door, his breathing becoming more ragged as he muttered under his breath. Everyone was really concerned at what had happened to Todoroki but didn't know what to do. Deku tried calling out to Todoroki but he just grew increasingly panicked until his knees were against his chest and he hid his head in his arms.
Now all of the class had left the living room to see what the commotion was about, and their eyes widened to see one of their strongest and calmest classmates breaking down in the doorway. Taking in Shoto's appearance they found he seemed to have thrown his clothes on and ran for ages. They couldn't see much but pale skin covered in marks and bruises. He looked... abused.
Then, knowing nobody was getting anywhere in calming Todoroki down, Mina stepped forwards and sat in front of Todoroki, telling everyone to return to the living room and for Kirishima to go and get Bakugou from his room (since he had refused to attend another late movie night with all the extras). Kirishima nodded and ran from the room, taking the stairs two at a time. Mina then slowly turned to Shoto once the crowd had dispersed and called out to him softly.
Seeing her classmate so broken like this- especially as he was always so reserved and collected- brought tears to her own eyes, but she pushed it down as now Todoroki needed help.
"Hey Todoroki? Todoroki, can you look at me? Please? I need to see if you're hurt or I'll have to get Aizawa."
Mina could sense that Shoto was hesitant but he slowly lifted his head so only his tear-filled eyes were visible, the rest covered by his bangs.
"Can you take some deep breaths for me? In and out, it's that simple."
But even though Todoroki was looking up he wasn't looking at Mina. Instead his glossy eyes seemed to be looking past her, to somewhere far away, where nobody could reach him. Mina tried again and again to get Todoroki to respond but ended up leaving, returning with Iida a moment later who somehow managed to grab one of Shoto's hands and help him with his breathing.
Iida helped Todoroki stand up, only to take most of the weight when Todoroki's legs buckled underneath him. He heard the boy take in a sharp breath and wince, and his concern grew tenfold as well. What had happened to Todoroki? Who had done this to his friend?
He managed to get Shoto to the sofa in time for Bakugou to come running in, a panting Kirishima right after.
"Where is he?" the blond asked before seeing Todoroki sitting hunched over on the sofa, silent and distant but unmistakably shaking.
Bakugou jogged over before stopping slowly in front of Todoroki. He kneeled down and tried to look into Todoroki's eyes- knowing they held so much if you knew how to look- but he couldn't catch his gaze. He gently grabbed one of Shoto's cold hands.
"Shoto. Sho, hey. Hey, come on, look at me baby. You're okay."
He shuffled a little closer until he was practically underneath Todoroki. He could now see past the bi-coloured bangs to see traumatised eyes, wide as they relived one moment over and over. Shoto's breaths were frail and when he looked up to see Bakugou looking at him with worry, desperately trying to get him to speak, to say something, he parted his lips only for a choked sob to leave him.
"Hey, hey sshhh, you're okay now Sho. You're safe. It's okay." Bakugou assured as he knelt up to pull Todoroki into an embrace, feeling tears slowly soak his t-shirt. "I'm so proud of you for getting out of there. I'm so proud of you for coming here. You're gonna be fine now, okay baby?"
But Shoto's sobs only grew harder and Bakugou felt his heart clench as he knew something else had happened, beyond the usual abuse- sorry, training- that he had made Todoroki confess about. Todoroki gripped onto Katsuki's t-shirt and hid his face in his shoulder, wanting nothing more than to curl up and fall asleep, forgetting about everything that had happened and not waking up.
At the increasing pain in Shoto's voice, Bakugou situated himself on the sofa and pulled the male closer, softly reassuring him that he was going to be alright whilst looking around at his classmates for answers. Kirishima saw Bakugou gesture for him to head over, so he did so quickly, just wanting to help his classmate and friend.
"Go get Aizawa and Recovery Girl." the blond mouthed, not daring to speak out loud in fear of making Todoroki worse; the redhead understood and followed his next mission, heading out of the dorm swiftly and silently.
The class had all been directed out of the living room by Iida and Mina, so they hung around the kitchen and hallways as they heard Bakugou try to calm down Todoroki. Deku wanted to break down and cry too, but he could only do that once he knew what was wrong with his friend. The rest of the class knew it was something serious from how bad Shoto was breaking down. And what did Bakugou mean by making it out of there? Out of where? Safe from where? Who?
"Please, Sho. Just try and breath with me." Bakugou put one of Shoto's hands over his heart. "Come on baby, slow breaths. Please."
It took a while but eventually Todoroki took his first deep breath and another after that. He focused on driving air into his lungs and slowly pushing it out. The feeling of Katsuki's heartbeat grounded him and he focused on this one moment. When he was finally breathing properly- with the occasional shudder here and there- he didn't try to escape from Bakugou's embrace. He felt safe.
"There you go, you're doing so well. Just focus on breathing."
"I-it's f-fast." he stammered out whilst pressing a little on Bakugou's chest.
"Of course it is, I was worried."
"... I'm s-sorry."
"It's okay, you don't have to apologise. This isn't your fault Sho. Why don't we try some grounding methods. What five things can you see?"
"... The TV... a-a plant... a cu-cushion... a... a b-belt... blood... f-fire... h-him trying to..."
"Hey Sho, come on. No, come on, stay with me baby. Right here." Katsuki interrupted, knowing Todoroki was going to start spiralling again.
"I couldn't stop him. I couldn't stop him. I couldn't stop him. I couldn't stop him." Shoto repeated under his breathing until he was crying and shaking again.
"Shit, no Sho, come on. Just breath. Where is that damn idiot?" he added under his breath as he looked over to the doorway.
A moment later Kirishima came running in with a concerned Aizawa and Present Mic. The two heroes immediately saw the panicked state of one of their top students and slowly made their way over so as to not make the situation worse. Todoroki seemed to be breaking down and muttering incoherently whilst Katsuki tried his best to calm him down, tears he refused to let fall resting in his eyes.
"What happened?" Aizawa asked quietly as he and Mic knelt down by the pair.
"I don't know. Apparently he just came back and then was on the floor panicking. Shitty hair said Glasses managed to get him over here then I raced down. This is his third panic attack now. I tried to calm him down but it's not w-working."
The blond cursed himself for stuttering but how could he repress the fear he felt for Todoroki? What the hell happened? What couldn't he stop?
"Hey little listener." Mic tried to catch Todoroki's attention. "Can you hear me? Little listener?"
The smallest nod of Shoto's head allowed him to continue.
"I need you to take a deep breath in and hold it for five seconds. Can you do that? One deep breath in, like this." Mic demonstrated and Katsuki shifted himself so Shoto could see the hero.
"There we go. Now let it out. Great job little listener, you're doing so well. Let's try again."
Aizawa left Mic to go and speak to his students, immediately focusing on Iida and Midoriya. Iida explained that all he could do was help carry Todoroki to the sofa, and Midoriya was muttering on and on about how he should have gone to look for his friend when he didn't get a message because Todoroki always messaged him if asked and so it was an obvious signal something wasn't right.
When Aizawa returned he found Todoroki was completely passed out in Present Mic's arms whilst Bakugou went up to Aizawa and asked where Recovery Girl was. Aizawa explained he had phoned her and she was waiting for them in her office. Present Mic carefully picked up Shoto and joined the duo, saying that something incredibly traumatic has happened.
"Kids, go to your rooms and stay with each other for the night if you need it. Elsewise head to bed, it's late." instructed Aizawa before he, Mic and Bakugou left the dorms and headed over to Recovery Girl.
"Bakugou, do you have any idea what has happened to Todoroki?"
"I don't really know. It just seems worse than normal."
"Normal? What does that mean?" Aizawa demanded.
"Shit... Every weekend since we moved into the dorms Sho goes home to see his siblings and to train with his father since he can't train daily anymore."
"Daily? For how long?" Mic asked, frowning down at the shaking boy in his arms.
"He wouldn't tell me. But I guess four or five hours, maybe more on a bad day? It's not right."
"That's not training that's abuse. And with Endeavour too... Has Todoroki managed to say anything between his panic attacks?"
"He said there was blood, and fire, a belt, and he said he couldn't stop him. But I don't know what that means!"
"Bakugou, what state is Todoroki in when he returns?"
"Bruised, burnt, cut. And silent. He stays in his room and sometimes doesn't speak for hours and he completely shuts off. That asshole Endeavour trains him until he passes out or throws up, that bastard. Ever since I found out I've told Sho not to go but he says if he doesn't..."
"It's okay Bakugou, you can tell us."
"He says Endeavour will hurt his siblings. Or take his punishments to the next level."
"And... do you think this happened tonight?"
"Yeah. I think..."
Katsuki couldn't say the vile nagging thought in the back of his head. A belt, blood, fire, unable to stop... he knew deep down what had happened to his Shoto. His baby. The thought made sparks appear on his hands and his eyes gleam with rage.
"I think Endeavour assaulted Sho."
"As in..."
"Yeah. He raped Sho."
The two heroes' eyes widened before settling into ones of unsurmountable rage. Their faces were stoic as they walked to Recovery Girl in silence, but the anger in their eyes said that this would be the last time Endeavour ever layed eyes on Todoroki again. As if Todoroki could sense the tension coming from Mic, he curled in on himself even more making the hero carefully relax his shoulders.
"Bakugou." Aizawa began as Mic lay Todoroki down on the hospital bed by Recovery Girl. "He's going to need you to be there for him. He's been through a lot tonight and- from what you've told me this evening- the past few years, so his recovery isn't going to be easy. You need to be there for Shoto."
Bakugou let the tears he had been holding in all night slip down his cheeks, and he nodded with resolve before his teacher pulled him in for a hug, knowing this was a lot for the boy to take in. Katsuki glanced over to where Todoroki lay unconscious and broken on the bed, and a hard resolve settled in his eyes.
"I'm going to help Sho, and make Endeavour pay for what he's done."