~ Time skip - 10 hours ~
Midoriya's POV:
As soon as my head had hit the pillows and my body hit the couch yesterday I had immediately fallen asleep and slept until now. I feel so well rested... I thought as I stretched my arms above my head on the couch. A lot has happened yesterday and it sure is quite a lot to take in. Todoroki is a neko...
I sat up on the couch and could immediately feel in my back that I slept better in my bed than I do on the couch. Mind, well rested... Body, not so well... I thought and groaned a bit before standing up, I wonder if Todoroki is awake... I silently walked up to my bedroom door and opened it as silently and carefully as I could so I wouldn't wake him if he was still asleep.
I peeked inside the dark room and focused my gaze on the bed but I couldn't see him from here. I decided to sneak further into the room, but I still couldn't see him. No, it's not that I couldn't see him, he wasn't here.
"Todoroki..?" I whispered quietly as I was now standing just beside the spot he had laid in yesterday evening. He didn't leave, did he!? I was about to lift the covers to make sure he wasn't there when I spotted slight movement from under the blanket. Todoroki's head then popped out from under the blanket as his dual colored eyes met mine.
"Mew..." He meowed tiredly as he seemed to realize it immediately too, he's a cat again.
"Are you okay?" I asked, making sure that it was a simple yes or no question which he nodded his head to. He then made his way out from under the blanket as he sat on top of it instead, watching me calmly. His fur was all ruffled in different directions and I couldn't help but laugh a bit at it.
Todoroki seemed confused at my sudden laughter as he tilted his head slightly to the right and his ear perked up a bit, listening to my laughs.
"Hahaha sorry for laughing at you but..." I laughed as I grabbed him and walked to the bathroom, showing him his reflection in the mirror. "You're just so cute like that and I couldn't help myself..." I said, trying not to laugh again when he looked in the mirror and saw himself and his messed up fur.
"... Maaaowww....." Todoroki made a low, almost embarrassed sound as he slowly turned his head away from the mirror to hide his face in my chest instead. He then moved his front paws up onto his ears, as if trying to hide himself away. He acts really embarrassed with himself right now and honestly, I like this soft, shy side of him... I thought as I had only really seen his either monotone side or his frightened side.
"Hehe don't be embarrassed, I'll help you fix it!" I said and smiled carelessly at him, immediately beginning to sort out the strands of hair that were mixing together. Todoroki slowly lifted his head from my chest and looked up at me as I was sorting out his fur gently. He had this new look in his eyes which I had never seen before, it was as if his eyes had gained a little more life and sparkled more than usual.
I just kept sorting his fur gently as I walked us out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. I could hear small soft purrs come from Todoroki but I decided not to comment on it. This is only the second time I've heard him purr... I thought and just smiled softly down at him, he even closed his eyes now...
"Todoroki?" I asked as he immediately opened his eyes wide and his ears perked straight up, the purring stopping as well. He had this confused and speechless expression as he blinked his eyes a couple of times. "What do you want for breakfast? Clearly," I began as I motioned for the remainings from yesterdays cat food, "you don't like to eat what other cats eat...". Todoroki looked at the cat food with pure disgust, but then scrambled out of my arms and onto the floor, of course, landing on all four paws.
"Aooow..?" He then meowed as he stood in front of the fridge and looked back at me. I walked to the fridge and opened it for him. Todoroki looked up at the shelves with a disappointed look in his eyes.
"... Yeah... Sorry, I guess there isn't much to choose from, is there?" I chuckled and scratched the back of my neck, looking at the almost empty shelves as well. Todoroki then jumped onto the kitchen table to get a better view, still looking slightly disappointed. He then stood up on two legs as he leaned his front paws against the fridge for balance.
"Meow." He said as he leaned his head forward to point to the eggs on the top shelf with his small wet nose. I took the eggs down from the shelf as Todoroki sat back down on the table, looking expectantly at me.
"You want... Eggs?" I asked a bit confused as he just nodded his head and then looked to the oven. I followed his gaze and began to understand what he meant, "... Okay then, how do you want your eggs? Fried," I said and held out my right hand, "or scrambled?" I said as I then held my left hand out. Todoroki immediately understood what I was trying to do as he thought for a moment and then put rubbed his head against my left hand.
"Hehe, scrambled eggs it is then..." I giggled as I gave his head a small scratch before getting a pan from the cupboard. I placed the pan on the stove and began making our breakfast as Todoroki slowly came over to sit beside then pan, observing the eggs silently. I calmly reached my hand out towards him, earning his attention as he looked at my hand wide slightly wider eyes than usual.
There was a hint of hesitation and fear in his eyes, making me stop my hand halfway. The tip of Todoroki's tail was swinging from side to side as well as if he was unsatisfied or mad about something. Is something wrong? Did I do something wrong? I thought as I pulled my hand back to my side as he watched it the entire time.
"... Do you want me to keep my hands to myself Todoroki? I'm sorry if I'm being too touchy and stuff... I'll keep my distance if you want me to." I said and finished making our breakfast, putting it on two plates. Todoroki then finally looked up at me with even wider eyes and quickly shook his head and leaped towards me, placing both his front paws on my right arm.
"MAOW!" He quickly meowed with urgency and kept shaking his head at me, the previous look of hesitation gone, but the fear remained. Perhaps I'm just imagining things... I thought, there's no reason for him to be scared.
"This would be so much easier if you had the form you had yesterday evening..." I mumbled silently to myself, not wanting him to hear it. At least we could talk with one another... I thought and picked up both plates, "Let's go eat while it's still warm..." I then said and walked to the living room, unintentionally cause Todoroki to lose balance when I pulled my arm away so he landed on all four paws on the floor.
"... Sorry about that Todoroki..." I apologized to him as I placed the plates on the table and sat down on the couch. He didn't make a sound as he slowly walked towards me, his tail low and ears down. He then jumped up onto the couch beside me, but he had this look in his eyes that I didn't like. It was a mixture of regret and sorrow as he seemed to be deep in thought, but continued to look up into my eyes.
He didn't seem to have any trouble walking or anything so he seemed to be okay from the small fall, but it's still obvious that his not happy. I wonder if I made it worse by moving away, I thought and picked up my fork, beginning to eat my breakfast, I mean, I didn't mean for him to fall but I thought it would be better to give him space... My mind was racing, trying to figure out just why he was acting like this when I felt something soft against the bare skin on my right arm.
I looked down to see Todoroki rubbing himself against me as any other cat would do to earn a humans attention. He then looked up at me again when he realized he had my attention, he had it all along but it doesn't seem like he knew that... I thought as Todoroki's eyes gazed into mine. He then reached up to my face and gently licked my right cheek. His tongue was warm and rough, it was a strange feeling, but not an uncomfortable one.
"... Mew..." Todoroki then meowed calmly as he sat back down beside me. I looked at him with slightly widened eyes as I was becoming more and more confused by the second.
"... Todoroki..? Why did you..?" I mumbled out just loud enough for him to hear it as he turned his head and looked up at me again, his neutral, calm posture regained. He didn't make any sounds that could hint me towards an answer but just turned to his breakfast instead, beginning to eat.
I tried to shrug it off as I kept eating my breakfast as well, turning on the television to drown the deafening silence in the room. I didn't watch the screen though but just kept staring at my eggs as I slowly kept dragging my fork through them. Why did he lick my cheek..? I thought he wanted me to lay off a bit with the touching... I thought and brought the fork to my lips, taking another bite.
I then noticed something change beside me from the corner of my eye as I slowly turned my head to see Todoroki with closed eyes and a small amount of fog surrounding him. I widened my eyes and immediately understood what was going on, I've seen this fog before, it's the same as yesterday when he transformed into a human! I thought and felt my heart race a bit from happiness.
The transformation was as quick as yesterday, only took him a couple of seconds and-- He's taller than me. I blinked my eyes a couple of times as I had to look slightly upwards this time to meet his gaze. His heterochromia eyes were calm, yet gave off a strong, determined vibe. I slowly looked at the rest of him to see that he was, of course, naked.
I couldn't help but blush as my face became crimson red in an instant and I had to look away from him. I hesitantly dared to look back at him without turning my head back to him as my eyes landed on his chest. My gaze slowly trailed down his sixpack and his strong arms as I caught a glimpse of it.
"Izuku..."Todoroki said as I quickly looked up again and met his gaze once again. Like yesterday, he still had his cat ears and his tail. Those never vanish huh... I thought, but I was honestly happy they didn't, they added something to him that I couldn't deny was appealing.
"Mm..?" I hummed as I resisted the urge to reach out and touch his ears, instead clenching my hands into fists against the couch.
"Please don't start keeping your distance..!" Todoroki then said as his gaze softened and he turned towards me completely, "You're not being too touchy! I want Izuku to touch me more! Izuku can touch me all he wants!" Todoroki said quickly, his mouth running ahead of him as he seemed just as surprised by his own words as I was.
"... What's wrong..?" Todoroki then hesitantly asked after a few moments of awkward silence. I felt like I had been set aflame by his words and his forwardness. That sounded so lewd... I thought as I kept my gaze low, keeping it away from his at all costs.
"... I-It's nothing..." I stuttered out, my hand fidgeting as I felt the weight shift slightly on the couch as a hand was placed on top of mine. I looked at the hand for a moment before slowly letting my gaze travel upwards until it met the neko's gaze.
"Could it be that... Izuku doesn't want to touch me..?" Todoroki asked as his ears were pressed as low as possible against his head and his tail stopped moving completely. His eyes weren't at all strong nor calm anymore, but irises flickering a bit from side to side and the nervousness clearly shining through.
"T-Todoroki..! No! T-That's not it..." I said and grabbed his hand in mine, holding it tightly as I was no longer afraid of his eyes and were looking straight into them. "I said I would keep my distance because I thought that was what you wanted." I said as Todoroki's brows furrowed in confusion.
"Why would I want that?" He asked and shook his head lightly.
"... I don't know... It's just the way you looked at me before when I tried to pet you... You seemed scared and hateful, you were basically glaring at me and I just reached the conclusion that it meant that you didn't want me to touch you anymore... That maybe I had been too touchy and I decided to give you space... But then you came to me and licked my cheek and now we're in this situation..." I subconsciously started to rant as Todoroki just listened to me, seeming to be thinking about something.
"I see..." He then said in a low tone, stopping my rant as I looked up at him again with a questioning look. "I was just thinking about my owner back then, I didn't mean to glare at you. I apologize..." Todoroki said and bowed his head in an apologetic manner.
"Y-You don't need to apologize!" I stuttered and placed my hands on his shoulders, trying to make him stop bowing. Todoroki calmly sat back up but gave me a slightly confused look.
"Of course I do, I want to apologize to Izuku because I have caused you great sorrow and discomfort." Todoroki said as his ears had raised themselves just a bit, but it was clear that he still wasn't happy.
"... Don't worry about it, as I said I'm at fault too, so... I'm sorry Todoroki." I said and smiled kindly at him. He was about to object against my apology, but I quickly cut him off, "Let's find some clothing, though I'm not sure I own anything that'll fit you..." I suggested and looked at his body once again, he's bigger than me so finding something that'll fit him can end up being a pain in the ass, but I won't allow him to run around naked in my apartment.
"... Do you have the shirt from yesterday?" Todoroki then asked and stood up from the couch. I followed his example and stood up as well, leading the way to my room.
"I do, and I washed it for you as well!" I said and smiled back at him, but his smile instantly dropped at my words.
"You washed it?" He asked as his tail swung unsatisfied from side to side.
"Yeah?" I confirmed it and turned to him completely, giving him a questioning look and tilting my head slightly to the side. "It was dirty laundry that I had forgotten last time I washed my clothes, so I washed it along with the rest this time." I said and opened the closet, turning my gaze to all the freshly washed clothing. Todoroki didn't seem too pleased with this as he looked into the closet as well.
"How about this one?" I said as I pulled out a yellow t-shirt and held it up in front of Todoroki, handing it over to him as he pulled it over his head, but it was too small. "Too small huh..." I mumbled and looked back at my closet, that's the biggest shirt I own, but then again, I don't really own any oversized clothing.
"It's okay, I'll just make myself small again." Todoroki said and before I could say or do anything he was back to his adorable, child-like version of himself.
"But are you okay with looking like a child?" I asked and kneeled down in front of him so we could face each other. Todoroki just nodded as the yellow t-shirt now hung loosely around him, even more like a nightgown than the shirt from yesterday.
"I am, you seem to like this form and it doesn't take away as much of my energy as my real human form does... Besides, you seem to have a much easier time petting me like this..." Todoroki said with a small smirk and didn't hesitate to jump into my arms, demanding my pets and cuddles. I just gave in and stroked his hair gently as he wrapped his arms around my neck.
"Purrrr..." Todoroki purred as I was surprised he could still purr perfectly in this form as if he was still a cat. This is the third time he has purred, twice in one day... I thought and continued to pet him.
"You keep mentioning something about energy, does it take a lot of energy from you to be in human form?" I then asked with a soft voice as Todoroki shifted a bit in my arms so he could look up at me.
"When I'm in my real human form it drains me from energy in a couple of hours, but my energy is fully recharged and I should be able to stay in this small version of myself for the remaining of the day." Todoroki said as I cupped his left cheek and gently ran my thumb over it in small circles, stopping just underneath the burn mark around his left eye.
"Does it hurt..?" I asked and he seemed to get what I was talking about immediately as his eyes darkened and he moved his small hands up to hold around my hand as he rubbed his face into my hand.
"No..." He said quietly and closed his eyes, but I felt his grip around my hand tighten and his ears laid down just slightly, not something you'd normally notice, but for some reason, I noticed right away.
"... What happened..? Did you get it in one of those fights..?" I asked as his ears lowered a little more and he slowly shook his head into my hand.
"No, I--" Todoroki started but trailed off, his mouth hanging open, but no words formed on his lips. I gently rubbed circles on his left cheek again and smiled calmly at him.
"It's okay Todoroki, if you don't want to tell me I'll respect that." I said reassuringly as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at me.
"... It's okay, I'll tell you." Todoroki said with a small, troubled smile as I sat down on the bed and he climbed up as well, sitting on my lap to be petted more. "I didn't get this in a fight, I've never lost a fight and neither have any opponent been strong enough to overwhelm me... My owner's mate did this to me when I was a child." Todoroki explained and took a small break before continuing, "She was the one person who was kind to me back in that dump and she was the one person I trusted, always took care of me after my owners' harsh training... But one day something in her snapped and she did this... I haven't seen or heard from her since..." Todoroki ended on a sad note as his tail was between his legs and his ears low.
I gently wrapped my arms around him and just embraced him with my warmth, hoping to give him a sense of safety. Todoroki weakly returned the embrace as he tried to wrap his arms around my waist, but his arms were too short, so he ended up clinging a bit to my shirt instead as he buried his face in my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry..." I said and held him a little tighter, "I wish things were different and that you wouldn't have had to face so many hardships in your life..." I said as I had teared up a bit from his story and felt him cling a bit tighter onto the fabric of my shirt.
"Todoroki, just know that you can always return here if you want. I am here for you." I said reassuringly as he slowly pulled back just enough for our eyes to lock.
"... Midoriya..." He muttered, his eyes wide with surprise and amazement as his ears had perked up again. "... Do you really mean that..?" He asked as his gaze softened a bit and a light pink slowly spread across his cheeks.
"Of course, I really enjoy having you around and that other place sounds so awful, but if you want to return there then I won't stop, but now you know that my door will always be open for you." I said with a kind smile as Todoroki almost seemed to tear up a bit himself but before I could see anything he quickly hid his face in my chest as hung onto me once again.
"... Thank you..." He whispered into my shirt as I had to strain my ears to hear him. I just smiled to myself as I moved my left hand up to touch his right ear, rubbing gentle circles in the soft, white fur. I'm glad I can still pet him... As wrong as that sounds... I thought and noticed that Todoroki seemed to calm down again as he loosened his hold on me a bit and his tail returned to its normal position.
"What do you say we go shopping? To find you some new clothing that actually fits you?" I suggested as I moved my hands away from his ears, causing him to look up at me, his cheeks still lightly pink.
"S-Shopping..?" He asked in a slight stutter and then looked at me with slight confusion, "What does that mean?" He asked and I couldn't help but find his confusion and stuttering incredibly adorable.
"Have you never been out shopping before?" I asked a little surprised, but then again, he isn't human and certainly haven't lived a normal, easy life up till now, so I don't blame him. Todoroki just shook his head as the pink had now vanished from his cheeks. I wonder why he seemed all flustered like that... I thought as I then stood up from the bed.
"Well, do you want to join me Todoroki?" I asked with a bright smile as I tilted my head slightly to the left and stretched my right hand out towards him. Todoroki thought about it for a short moment before nodding calmly and taking my hand.
"First, we'll have to find something you can wear before we head to the mall..." I thought out loud, referring to the fact that he was still only wearing the yellow t-shirt I lent him.
"I actually think I have some of my old clothing from when I was small stored away somewhere in here..." I said and let go of Todoroki's hand to sit down on the floor and look under my bed. That's where I hide all the stuff I don't really use anymore as I don't have any other place to store it away in and I didn't want to trouble mom by keeping it at her place.
As I was searching for the box with clothing under my bed I suddenly felt something on top of my back. I couldn't help myself from stumbling a tiny bit before regaining balance and looking back to see Todoroki sitting on my back, looking down at me with a somewhat playful expression, his ears straight and tail swinging playfully from side to side.
"Haha what are you doing?" I laughed and continued to look at him while trying to remain as still as possible so he wouldn't fall down. Todoroki just looked at me for a moment, his pupils getting slightly bigger as if he was getting ready to attack.
He didn't answer me but slowly moved into a hunting position instead, his right arm forward as he pressed his chest slightly down against my back and stuck his butt up a bit, tail in the air and ears listening closely. He's not gonna attack... Me... Right? I thought and smiled a bit confused at him as small pieces of laughter still escaped me.
"... Todoroki..?" I swallowed thickly and sat up a little straighter, forcing him to jump down from my back as his concentration was interrupted and his eyes back to normal. "What was that about?" I asked and looked at him as he just stood there and looked at me as if nothing had happened.
"What do you mean?" He asked, looking just as confused as me as he tilted his head a bit and observed me carefully.
"You just seemed so concentrated about something and jumped onto my back, not that I mind, but you didn't respond to questions either so I was a bit confused." I admitted and scratched my cheek a bit, now sitting fully straight so we were about the same height.
"You asked me a question?" Todoroki asked and looked down at the floor, clearly trying to think back to what I had asked him.
"Yeah, but don't worry, I just asked you what you were doing cause you got into what looked like a hunting position and looked at me as if you wanted to play, but also as if I was your prey or something." I chuckled as Todoroki looked at me with surprise written all over him.
"I did?" He asked as I just nodded to his question and looked back under my bed to finally see what I had been looking for. There it is! I thought and reached under my bed and grabbed it, dragging it out in front of me. Todoroki came closer and looked at the box as I opened it to reveal all of my favorite clothing from when I was small.
"Perhaps you had that playful look because that's what you want to do, and I promise to play with you once we get you dressed, so pick something!" I said and smiled cheerfully at him.
"Play?" He asked and looked perplexed from the clothing to me, "I can't remember last time I played with anyone or anything..." He muttered as he looked back into to box and picked up some white underwear and red pants. Same colors as his hair huh... I thought as I just smiled and then turned my attention to something else in the box. That's..!
I quickly reached into the box and picked up a small laser pointer, clicking on the buttons placed on the side of it, but nothing happened. Out of power... That's only to be expected honestly, it's been in that box for years.
"While you put that on I'll just go power this up!" I said, my voice filled with happiness as I stood up from the floor quickly, startling Todoroki a bit.
"What is that?" He asked and tried to see what I was holding in my hands but it was too late, I had already left the room. I ran into the living room and searched my drawer for batteries, quickly finding them and switched the old ones with the new. I clicked the button again and a small red dot landed on the wall in front of me. It works! I thought and lifted my finger from the button as the dot disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
Todoroki then walked into the living room as well, now dressed in the yellow t-shirt, assumingly the white underwear, and the red pants, no socks though. The clothing seems to fit him surprisingly well and he still looks absolutely adorable... I thought and smiled at him, earning a small smile back as he also seemed satisfied with the clothing himself.
"You look adorable as always," I complimented as he just laughed sarcastically at me, but he didn't deny it, "Now... Playtime!" I cheered as showed him the laser pen in my hand as he walked up to me and looked at the small pen with a raised eyebrow.
"We're supposed to play with that little thing..?" He asked and looked up at me with confusion and disbelief in his eyes. He doesn't know what it is..! Just as I expected! I thought and smirked at him, hoping he'll have the exact same reaction to the magic of a laser pointer as every other cat.
"Indeed we are~" I smirked and I turned my face slightly to the side, looking at the floor just a bit away from us. Todoroki followed my gaze and looked at the same spot as I lifted the laser pointer and clicked the button. The red dot appeared instantly as I saw Todoroki's ears raise up straight as he observed the dot.
"... What is that..." He mumbled, his eyes completely fixated on the dot on the floor, "It shines..." He continued as I then slowly moved the pointer in my hand so the dot moved a little to the right. "It moved..!" Todoroki exclaimed surprised and immediately got down on all fours and took the same hunting position as he had done in my room.
"Todoroki..." I said quietly as the red dot moved a bit to the left now, Todoroki's eyes following its every movement, his body tense and ready to jump.
"... Mmm?" He hummed, confirming that he could still hear me as I smiled a bit to myself, leaning a bit closer to him to make sure he heard me.
"Bet you can't catch that~" I challenged him as he tensed even more, his entire body shaking with anticipation and tail flicking a bit from side to side.
"... Challenge... Accepted..." He said slowly, voice and eyes filled with calm determination and a confident smirk on his lips. I then quickly moved the pen so the dot raced to the right, triggering Todoroki to immediately chase after it. The game's on. I thought and knew that I'd win no matter what because it's impossible for him to catch the dot as it's made of light.
Todoroki didn't seem to care about that, well either that or he didn't know that the dot was made of light and that I controlled it. He's surprisingly fast, but I bet he would be even faster in his cat form... I thought and stood in the middle of the room so I could better move the dot to different locations.
Todoroki was within a half meters radius of the dot the entire time as he kept lashing his hand out to grab the dot. He'd been chasing it non-stop for almost two minutes by now and I began to notice that he was panting a lot, but he kept chasing the dot anyway.
"Do you need a break?" I asked and slowed down a bit as he almost caught the dot, but in the last second, I switched the dot to a new location. This caused Todoroki to turn his face to the dot once again, but he didn't look where he was going anymore as he rambled right into the corner of the table, stumbling a bit from side to side before falling motionlessly to the ground with a loud thud.
"Todoroki!" I gasped and turned of the pointer, running to his side and kneeling down beside him. His eyes were closed and there was a small bruise on his forehead. "Oh god--! W-What have I done!?" I started to panic and carefully picked him up in my arms, tucking him close to me. He's heavier in this form than when his a cat, but it doesn't matter..! I thought and carried him to the couch, gently laying him down.
"Hnng..." He groaned out painfully and slowly opened one eye, looking up at the ceiling through his eyelashes. His gaze then slowly turned to me as he opened the other eye as well and gave me a troubled smile.
"I'm gonna get a wet cloth for your forehead, try to relax a bit..!" I said and quickly headed to the kitchen, finding a clean cloth from the drawer. I then soaked it in cold water and brought it to Todoroki, gently placing it on his forehead.
"... Where'd it go..?" Todoroki asked quietly as his eyes searched the room for the dot. I just shook my head and tried to smile reassuringly down at him, he's exhausted...
"It's gone, we're done playing for now..." I said with a soft voice as Todoroki turned his attention back to me while slowly sitting up. "Are you okay?" I asked concerned and gently placed my left hand on his shoulder, mostly to reassure myself that he wouldn't fall or anything, and placed my right hand on the cloth on his forehead so that wouldn't fall either.
"... My head hurts... And... I couldn't do it..." Todoroki said, his voice growing slightly sadder and smaller at the end as he turned his face away from me.
"Couldn't do what?" I asked, no clue as to what he was talking about, but I saw his ears lay down a bit.
"You told me to catch it, but I wasn't able to... I've disappointed Izuku..." Todoroki said and I could almost see the sad aura emanating from him. Disappointed me? He hasn't disappointed me..! Could this be his animal instincts taking over..? I thought and put on the best smile I had.
"T-That's okay! Don't worry about it!" I said quickly, but Todoroki still wasn't looking at me, "Hey... It's fine, I'm not disappointed in you at all and it's not like it was a fair game for you either way..! You'll catch it next time..." I tried to reassure him as he finally looked up at me again.
"You think so?" He asked and I saw that small spark of hope in his eyes, causing me to nod my head. I'll let him catch it next time... I thought and smiled softly at him.
"For sure!" I said with a cheerful voice as he seemed to cheer up a bit as well, "Just take it easy for now though, you ran into the table pretty hard... It doesn't look too bad, but are you sure you're okay?" I said as Todoroki looked over at the table and reached up to feel his forehead, his little hand landing on top of mine and the wet cloth.
"So that's why it hurts..." He muttered quietly to himself, "I'm okay, don't worry about me." He then spoke up more clearly and made a small nod. I could feel the relief washing over me as it had looked pretty violent when he had hit that table, but now he seemed completely normal as if nothing had happened.
Todoroki then pulled down a bit on my hand, studying the cold cloth in my hand before looking up at me with a questioning look in his eyes.
"Why did you place this on my head?" He asked and pointed to the cloth in my hand.
"Why? Well, because when you get hurt it helps to cool down the spot that got hurt... Didn't you know?" I asked and gave him a puzzled look, it's common knowledge... Even if he's a Neko, he should still know stuff like this... I thought and began to grow slightly concerned for him.
"... When I normally get wounded or hurt, there's no one to tend to me so I guess I just never really realized the stuff that could help ease the pain a bit... I always just had to fight through it until my body eventually healed up naturally..." Todoroki explained calmly but tightened his grip on my hand a bit.
"Not even after those fights you're forced to attend?!" I asked shocked, because if those fights are just half as bad as Todoroki had explained them then I couldn't imagine having to live with constant pain like that, never getting treated or cared for.
"No, after a fight I'm just thrown back into my cell until the next fight. My owner doesn't care if I'm injured or not... 'If I can stand I can fight' he usually yells at me before throwing me in the arena to fight for my life..." Todoroki explained, his gaze growing distant and clouded as if he was seeing it before him.
"... Be honest with me Todoroki... You don't want to return to that place, do you..?" I said, more a statement than a question as Todoroki confirmed it by slowly shaking his head, his gaze still distant. None of us said anything for a little while as Todoroki just kept staring blankly into nothingness. I then slowly and carefully wrapped my other arm around him and hugged him.
"Stay here." I said calmly as I just held him close with my left arm and continued to let him hold onto my right hand. I'm not sure why... Maybe it's because of his child-like look right now or the part of his backstory he has told me... But... I want to protect him from it all, to make sure he never has to return to it... I thought and watched as his tail made small movements from side to side.
"Here..? With Izuku..?" Todoroki asked and laid his head on my shoulder, taking in one deep breath after the other. "I don't want to trouble you--" He then said but before he could continue I interrupted him and held him as tight as I could.
"It's no trouble at all!" I said quickly as I then pulled away from him so I could see him properly, making sure to make eye contact with him. He seemed surprised, his eyes wide and mouth opened a bit as he sat on the couch and looked straight back into my emerald eyes with his grey and turquoise ones.
"B-But what if Enji finds me here? You'll get hurt and I don't want anything to happen to you..! You're the only one who has ever shown me true kindness and care... I'm grateful for your offer but--"
"He won't find us!" I interrupted him again as I saw the doubt rise in his eyes, "I promise..! I'll keep your safe, no matter the cost..!" I promised him and held his small hands in mine, giving them a gentle squeeze. He seemed to be at a loss for words right now, trying to figure out what to say next, but this was my opportunity.
"Listen to me Todoroki," I said as he just kept looking into my eyes, still trying to come up with something to say, "I know you've just met me and in theory, you have absolutely no reason to trust me, I know that! But, in the last couple of days, my life has changed for the better..." I said and smiled a bit, knowing I was starting another rant but also knowing that I meant every word.
"From when I found you in that back-alley, till I brought you here and treated your wounds, till we had that talk yesterday and played together today... I treasured all those moments because I really like you and love having you around me... If it means I'm going to be sleeping on the couch for the rest of my life, so be it! Cause... If you're here, it'll all be worth it..!" My rant continued as Todoroki seemed to stop trying to find something to argue with and just listened.
"The injuries you had when I found you were bad, and I know you're still suffering from pain every now and then, I can see it on your face and your movements. I promised to nurse you back to health and that's what I'm going to do, but I just can't sit idly by knowing that if you return to that man he'll send you right back in the arena!" I said as the thought caused my eyes to water up a bit, "I... I won't let him use you like that! If he finds out how to make the contract with you absolute I don't dare think about the consequences, but one thing is for sure... I'd never get to see you again..." I said in a sadder, yet calmer voice as a single tear rolled down my left cheek.
"M-Midoriya..." Todoroki tried to intervene with my rant, but I just shook my head and made sure the eye contact was never broken.
"If you drink his blood... Even just a little bit... I-It'll be all over! It's just a matter of time before he realizes that as well! I--" I instinctively hugged him again, this time with both arms as I held him as tightly, yet as gently as I could, "I won't let him get his hands on you..! Never again! I-I'll protect you! I-I'll... I'll..." My rant was coming to an end little by little as I just shook my head as I spoke out the last words and kept holding onto him. I'll even form the contract with you if that's what it takes... I thought, but couldn't get myself to suggest it as I knew what it'd mean for him, a contract is for life... He'll be bound to me for forever.
"... W-Why..?" Todoroki then asked, his voice shaking just as much as mine as I realized I wasn't the only one feeling strong emotions right now, "W-Why are you going through such lengths..?! Why do this for me..? I-I'm not even human!" He said and as soon as he had said 'human' I saw the fur on his tail rise a bit as his ears were completely down against his head, telling me just how upset he was.
"I don't care if you're human or neko... You're you, and that's all that matters to me." I said as I felt him stop breathing for a moment, "Please stay here and at least allow me to try and keep you safe..." I said with a silent, almost begging voice and noticed I had subconsciously started to stroke his hair gently.
"... On one condition..." Todoroki then said, his voice calmer but still shaken with emotion.
"Yes?" I asked and just continued to stroke his hair, even his hair in his human form is soft, just like his fur... I thought and couldn't help but smile a bit through my tears.
"If he ever finds me, you won't come and look for me. I forbid you from bringing yourself into that kind of danger. So... You'll just continue your everyday life and eventually, you'll forget about me..." Todoroki said and I swear I felt my heart stop as a deep pain spread in my chest.
"... I accept the condition..." I said after a few moments of silence as Todoroki pulled out of the hug and looked at me with a shocked expression, "just means that I'll have even more reason to keep up my end of the promise." I said and wiped my tears away, now smirking a bit at his shocked expression.
"... Touché..." He said and finally admitted defeat. I got what I wanted, but not at a cheap price... If I ever where to let up on my end of the promise we'd both be doomed, he'd be forced to fight for the rests of his life and I'd have to live with the guilt of knowing I could've saved him... I thought, but then I remembered something else that might cheer both of us up a bit.
"Oh yeah! I promised to take you shopping, didn't I? The day is still young, so we can still go to the mall if you want" I said with a cheerful smile, hiding away all the worries that dwelled in my mind and decided to confront them later. Todoroki hadn't cried at any point, but I heard been able to hear his emotions clearly through his voice and I had seen them in his eyes.
"Sure." He said and gave a small nod accompanied with a somewhat thankful smile, his ears up again, but not all the way as they usually were, telling me that he was still affected by all this.
"I'll go grab a pair of socks and shoes for you, just wait here and I'll be right back!" I said and stood up from the floor, walking to the box still standing on the floor in my room. I know I have some shoes and socks somewhere down here... I thought and, as if by just thinking about them, I found them by just lifting a couple of old shirts away and brought them to Todoroki.
"Here you go! Put these on and we'll head out right away!" I said and handed him the socks and placing the shoes on the floor underneath him. I then went to get my own red shoes that I've had since I was still in middle school, but I honestly didn't care how old these shoes were, they're my favorite. I swiftly put them on as I turned to see Todoroki jumping down from the couch and walking over to me.
"Ready to go?" I asked and reached my right hand out for him to take it. Todoroki accepted my gesture and held my hand while giving me a small nod. I'm gonna make sure he's going to have a great time..! I thought as I opened the door, smiling brightly as we left my apartment.