*reader is insecure about being from a low class family, her boyfriend tries to understand why shes tired all the time. dead mom. inspired by the basement apartment from parasite*
**
UA is such an expensive school, your only luck is that you got a recommandation to get in.
ever since your mother got sick, your father had to work 7 times harder. when she died, the financual situation didnt get any better with the payment of her funeral and the rest of the expenses.
but what can you do? your father works hard hours and still doesnt make enough money, so in all honesty, if you didnt get that recommandation, you might as well havent gone to school at all.
you did your best to be a good student, so you didnt have to worry your father with anything. you were working hard, studying hard and practicing hard on your quirk.
luckily, it was no problem. working hard was in your genes, and getting everything done was easy for you. so determined and so hardworking, who wouldnt want a student like that?
and with you not worrying your father, you spent lots of time at school and got rather close to your classmates, specifically to todoroki.
he first talked to you to ask about your workout routine and your studying routine, since you were such a good student. you shared with him how you study and work out, and he asked if you could show him and work with him.
from there, it only got better. you spent more and more time with him, working out and studying, and soon you started hanging out together in school and in breaks.
he found it rather easy to open up to you. he told you about his father and his life situation, and how he got his scar. he felt so open with you, like there was nothing he would tell you that would scare you away. you were so understanding and so careful, and always listened and helped him. you were his secret keeper, and he liked having one. he liked having a friend this close.
he found himself texting you and coming to sit beside you in class, and always paring up with you if there was anything that was needed to be done in pairs.
he didnt hold himself back a second before asking you out on a date, when he first realised he liked having you around a little more then his friend.
he was rather straight forward and told you that he would like to take you out to a movie or dinner if you liked, because he liked you a lot.
after a lot of blushing and stuttering, you agreed, even though you were sure he wasnt interested anymore. he was though.
it went so good. he took you to a movie, and paid for everything before you could even think about offering to help. after the movie, late at night already, he walked you to the train station through the park, and just before you got on the train he kissed you and asked, "do you think we could do it more?"
from there you started dating. it was rather laid back and not stressed, which worked for the both of you very well. you hung out a lot and loved just being in each others precense and not having to spend huge amount of money on expensive dates.
it was about a month after you started dating that you were moved into the dorms, and new panic grew in your fanily. where does that money come from?
a small deposit to the school is a start, after they understood your situation. the next step was getting you a job. job/s.
your father found you an easy job as a waitress in a small cat cafe, but since it was rather low pay, you got another job as a kennel assistant in a shelter for abused animals.
as much as you liked being around animals and helping your father with money, it was draining.
after school you had to run to the cace and work there till closing time, and then go to the shelter to help with cleaning and grooming, and taking care of the animals there.
youd get back to the dorms rather late and would get dinner with shoto, before going to bed and starting another day.
what did you tell shoto about you not being around much? work studies. he didnt have much to say about it because it such an achivment, because well... you really did get into a work study. so not only did you have school, you had 2 jobs and a work study in progress.
it did help with money. not much, but it did.
on the other hand, it ruined you. you were so tired all the time and so worn out, you even fell asleep in class a couple times, which was horrible in your books. you were a grade A student, you cant start slumping down. that would be very bad.
shoto started to get worried. you were so tired all the time, and your late hours worried him too.
when you had practice and you lost concioussness in the middle of an excersie, he almost had a heart attack.
"maybe you should take a few days off babe" he suggests, brushing your hair while lying behind you in bed, ready to sleep.
"i cant... i have things to do..." youd always reply.
it was hard to convinve you.
so one day, shoto decides to go to your work study himself to talk to the pro hero that you work for, but when he gets there and talks to the hero, bes rather surprised to not find you there, and even more, surprised to hear, "shes at work at this hour"
when he gets the address of a cat cafe downtown, he immediatly goes down there.
**
shoto opens the glass door and enters. it smells fresh and warm, and there are lots of cats walking around, mewing and brushing up against his legs.
he looks around. the cafe is rather empty, beside one older woman sitting in a chair with a cat in her lap, and a girl with a dress serving her a drink. you.
shoto watchs, surprised, as you straighten up and smile at her. you wore a small dress and cat ears, and a small apron on the front, and your face still carried that beautiful smile.
"{Y/N}?" he calls, stepping towards you. you tense, and turn around. your eyes change and you pull the tray up to your chest as he walks over to you.
"what are you doing here?" he asks, standing infront of you and putting his hand on your shoulder.
he can see the panic in your racing eyes and your flushed cheeks, so he pulls you into a hug instead of trying to question you any further.
he holds the back of your head in his hand, brushing down your hair and swaying gently, hoping he didnt startle you too much. he sighs when he feels your hands coming around him and embracing back, feeling your hands around his waist hugging bim back.
you part after some time, and he watchs you with a rather stoic look, one of his eyebrows raised.
"d-do you want to drink something? im finishing soon and then ill tell you... everything" you explain, your voice sounds so tired and so small, like youre scared.
"ill wait" he smiles and takes a sit, watching as you run away to the kitchen and returning with a cup of green tea, made just how he likes it.
he sits for half an hour until its finally the closing time, and you shut down the store and change into your usual clothes.
"are you ready to go?" he asks, taking your bag from you and slinging it over his shoulder and offering his hand. you nod meakly and take his hand, leave the store and lock up after you.
you start walking away silently, and he can feel your hand gripping his tightly, like youre scared or something.
"where are we going?" he asks, as you get to the train station. "we... we are going to my house... okay?" you ask, looking up at him. your eyes look almost red and wet with tears, and hes not sure he ever seen you like this.
he nods, and you wait for the train silently, your head leaning on his shoulder, and he can feel your heartbeat blasting in your chest, and bes really not sure what youre going to tell him.
you get on the train, and now shoto realizes hes never been to your house, or met your father. he knew about your mother dying, but he never met your father or been to your house.
youve been in his a couple times, for studying and practicing at first, but as time went on you met his siblings and his father, as well as having a couple sleepovers at his house.
you get off on one of the stops, and he finds himself in a part of town hes never been in before. its rather dark and seems a little run down, if hes honest.
it looks dirty and the houses seem really run down, and the asphalt under his shoes is breaking.
"theres something i didnt tell you..." you whisper, and your voice sounds shakey, "and i hope it doesnt change anything although i understand if it is... but... my dad and i we... we dont have a lot of money" you say.
he knows that. well, he knew you werent spoiled rich, he could tell, but not that you lived here, in a dangerous and run down part of town. you werent just not rich, you were poor.
you get to some store. its closed, but what you do is take his hand and pull him around the back of it and there are 5 staires that go down under the store, like a basement.
you go downstairs and open the door with a key, and get inside it, offering your hand inside, and shoto goes ahead and walks in.
hes shocked to say the least. he stands in the middle of the room and looks around. theres a sofa and a table, and clothes hanging from a wall, on the sofa were bed pillows and a blanket. cabinets and closets, but theyre all loaded with papers and magazines. a small mini fridge is down by the sofa.
the lights flickers on. light. its a single, hang down light bulb in the middle of the room, and he can see now the windows that are placed on the higest part of the window, since the apartment was underground.
"this is my house..." you come from behind him, whispering lowly. he turns around and looks at you with his brows furrowed. how did you keep this a secret? this place doesnt fit you at all.
"sunshine?" a deep hard voice comes from the back, and shoto turns around quickly, almost startled.
"hey dad..." you whisper, and come forward, and now, theres a man tbat shoto sees coming from the back of the place. a man with a beard and a gentle smile, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, and hes dressed in a uniform, looks like a builder.
"how nice to see you!" he calls, his voice is so gruff and harsh, but he opens his arms and you crash into his chest, hugging him tightly. "ive missed you" he says, wrapping his arms around you tightly. "and i you" you mummble.
"and whos that?" shoto is back into reality when he hears that harsh voice again, but as he hears it more and more, it sounds more deep and gentle, like deep waters or a sticky honey.
"this is shoto todoroki my... boyfriend" you reply, your voice so gentle as you return to stand beside your split haired boyfriend, smiling up at him.
"shoto todoroki, eh?" your father asks, smiling, coming forward. "yes" shoto lets out, almost choking, "nice to meet you sir" he says, offering his hand forward to your father.
"you too son" the man replys, shaking his hand with a tight grip. "so hes the one youve been talking about?" your father asks, looking down at you.
shoto gives you a look, and your whole face is red and your eyes seem almost ready to burst into tears. hes never seen you this scared and voulanarable. he just wants to hug you and make everything better.
"shut up dad..." you mumble, looking down. "well, would you like to drink something? ill make tea" your father says and turns to the back of the small room, towards the cabinets and the counter.
shoto gives you a quick look, but youre not looking at him. your hands are clasped before you and youre staring at the floor.
he grips tighter the shoulder of your bag and goes deeper into the apartment. there is a room with a missing door, and inside theres a desk and a mattrass on the floor with a few blankets and pillows. now he understands that one of you sleeps on the mattrass, the other on the sofa in the main room. probably your father since you now lived in the dorms.
theres a closed door which he pushs open, and is met with a dirty bathroom and shower. there are a few stairs leading to the toilet, which is very weird.
youre not only not rich. youre very poor.
he retreaves back to the main room and finds your dad still at the counter, and you sitting on the sofa with your face buried in your hands, your shoulders shaking. silence.
he sighs and smiles gently to himself before putting down your bag and coming to sit beside you on the sofa, it dips under him.
he looks down at you. he knows you know hes there, but you still refuse to look at him.
he smiles and wraps his arm around your shoulders, and kisses your temple.
"i love you {Y/N}"
***
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yours, the red demon♧