Chapter Text
“Are you sure you’re feeling up to this?” Shouto glances at his mother wearily, subtly glancing from her still form to the door that will lead to the common room of their dorm area. “There will be a fair amount of alphas around, I don’t want you to feel suffocated or-”
“Shouto.” Rei Todoroki smiles at her youngest child, reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair back in place. Her eyes are patient and gentle, if not a little humored. Her smile is tired, but genuine as she gazes past him and at the door. “Do not stress yourself over this, my son. This is your pack, I would love to meet them.”
Shouto grasps his mother’s hand and brings it to his left cheek. The tips of her fingers lay right under the scarred skin surrounding his left eye. “I know you would. Words can’t even begin to describe how...honored...I am to introduce them to you as my pack. It’s their parents I’m worried about.”
Rei tilts her head as her son glances at the door again, squeezing her hand in an effort to reassure her for a worry she doesn’t even have yet. Truly, when she was invited to this little gathering (not so little, in Shouto’s opinion), she didn’t expect her son to lose his confidence right before the introductions were made. When he mentioned it to her, he sounded so wistful.
Whether it was because this could be a chance to get her out of the hospital or just because he was excited about introducing her, Rei still hasn’t figured it out yet. It could be an equal mixture of both, as it currently seems.
Anyway...Shouto, her sweet Shouto, had found himself in a pack. A strong pack, filled with aspiring young heroes who could grow and learn with her son. Who could (hopefully) help him heal from the trauma of her horrible husband and melt the icy exterior he carried himself with.
“I guess if push comes to shove, I can trust my pack mates to step in. I’m sure none of the other parents will be offended if we need them to back off.” Shouto’s sigh brings his mother’s attention back to him. His hand hasn’t left hers, but now instead of resting on his left cheek, he’s allowed it to drop between them. It’s almost like when he was younger and his mother would hold his hand while they were watching TV or enjoying a short walk outside.
Rei shakes her head and takes a step forward, intent on dragging her son through the door if she has to. She may not be as strong as he is, but physically strength is not where her power lies in terms of getting him to cooperate. Especially for something like this. Something so...exciting!
“If you trust your pack mates to step in, then there is no need to stress over this, Shouto.” Luckily for Rei, Shouto obediently follows. The hesitant look is still painted across his face, bleeding into his normally blank expression. “It shows that you are not alone in your desire to keep me safe.”
That does it for Shouto, and the effect is almost immediate. His mind flashes back to the day that he confessed his traumatic childhood. Izuku, having already known parts of it, was patient and understanding as Shouto squeezed his hand a bit too tightly or accidentally froze the floor around him.
Everyone else? Not nearly as much as Izuku, but their levels of sympathy (not pity, because ew) and care pushed Shouto to explain everything. It began with why Endeavor married and had children in the first place, and went as far as when he finally became brave enough to stand up to his father. Well, he stood up to him to an extent, anyway. Now Endeavor knew that if he pushed Shouto too far, Shouto would claw back.
And it was all thanks to his pack’s encouragement. It was all thanks to his pack’s love. It was all thanks to their strength and understanding.
I’m not alone. Shouto finalizes in his head as he allows his mother to lead him to the door. He opens it for her when they reach it and makes sure to close it behind both of them. I can trust them. I’m not alone. I haven’t been for a long time.
“Shouto, dude!” Kaminari is the first to spot his entrance, followed quickly by Mina, Sero, Kirishima, and their parents. They had been in the middle of a joke (more like a light taunt to one of Mina’s many acid accidents), so everyone in the group is still laughing wildly and smiling widely. “You made it! We were about to send someone out to check on you. Is that your mom?”
At that last question, almost all chatter stops. Well, chatter on the student’s part. Some parents continue to mingle with other parents, but it’s quiet enough that if Shouto speaks at his normal volume, he’s confident his pack mates will still hear him.
Perfect. He doesn’t have to shout and potentially interrupt conversations or draw all attention to his mother immediately. Best wait until she starts talking with others until feeling more comfortable with more attention.
“Yes, she is.” Shouto leads his mother over to Kaminari’s group and introduces his pack members. In a typical Izuku manner, they all bow their heads in respect to the omega mother as Shouto gestures to her. “This is my mother, Rei Todoroki. Mother, these are some of my pack mates.”
To say that Rei is surprised is an understatement. No one has bowed to her as a sign of greeting in a long time. Not before she was put into the hospital (Endeavor kept her within the Todoroki estate grounds at almost all times) and not while she was in the hospital. Then again, most of the people who saw and interacted with her were the hospital staff. In their cases, they were either holding something (like a food tray) and had a hard time bowing or they did so in a less obvious manner.
These children are adorable, as well as respectful. She is so close to loving them already...
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Todoroki.” Mina speaks up, sounding calm, but also a tinsy bit shy. It’s a complete 180 from how she sounded a few moments ago. When the people in the group were joking about some of her acidic accidents and she sounded flustered and indigent. “I am Mina Ashido, one of the betas in the pack.”
As Mina raises her head to give Rei a welcoming smile, Kaminari takes that as his moment to step in and introduce himself. “My name is Denki Kaminari, I’m also a beta in the pack.”
Sero decides to take Kaminari’s lead: “I’m Sero Hanta, beta here.”
“Eijirou Kirishima, and as you can probably tell from the pattern here, I’m a beta.” Kirishima’s shark like teeth (exposed when he smiles) raise some questions in Rei’s head, but she doesn’t voice them. It might be seen as rude and she doesn’t want to offend anyone at all this evening. “We’ve heard a load of things about you. All wonderful things, of course.”
Rei laughs quietly at that, and it seems that Kirishima’s parents share that same sentiment. His own mother even brings it upon herself to playfully ruffle his hair and joke about how he better be saying nice things about her. It’s all fun and games.
“I am glad. My son has had many marvelous things to tell me about each of you as well.” Rei quirks a brow up at Shouto when the other blushes slightly and looks away. Tut, tut, no need to be shy about something like that. At least she’s not bringing up the numerous afternoons where he complained about one of Kaminari’s pranks having gone wrong or getting tape stuck in unpleasant places after a sparring session with Sero.
“Good to hear!” Sero laughs, catching Shouto’s blush. Unlike Rei, he’s not afraid to call him out on it (no matter the potential threat of suffering the repercussions of publicly humiliating the alpha later). “Why so red, Shouto? Have you actually been talking shi-I mean, smack about us?”
The look that Sero’s parents give him for almost swearing in front of them and some other parents is equivalent to saying: “you’re lucky this time.”
“I have not.” Shouto’s head snaps up, giving Sero an unimpressed look. “And before you say anything about it, I don’t count complaining about the endless hours that I spent getting your tape out of my hair as ‘talking smack’. That is a genuine thing to complain about.”
Payback! Mina cackles in her head as Sero’s face suddenly heats up in embarrassment and he struggles to retort back to Shouto. And you were picking on me earlier for accidentally causing injuries while acid skating! Take that!
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The evening continues almost as smoothly as it started. Though that’s hardly surprising, considering that all of the parents have the same mindset. Everyone’s excited to meet the members of their childrens’ pack. In the specific case of Mitsuki and Masaru, they have no shame in loudly expressing their excitement at the prospect of their son finally finding a suitable pack. One that will keep him in line and out of trouble.
Speaking of Katsuki...Shouto can’t help but send thousands of mental thanks to whatever Gods and Goddesses are out there. Tonight, Katsuki was really calm. Like, really, really calm. When his parents embarrassed him by gushing over how much they loved each and every one of his pack mates (especially Izuku, Kirishima, and Uraraka), all he did was grunt. No explosions, no screaming, no death or maiming threats. Just a quiet, yet assertive grunt of annoyance.
It really was a miracle and Shouto was probably going to do some asking around to see if bribery played any role in this. Cause as rude as it sounds, he doubts that Katsuki was just able to...remain calm while under his own influence. Not yet, at least. That would come at a later time, after more practice in restraint.
Speaking of restraint…though most of the parents have said their farewells (including Inko, Iida’s parents, Momo’s parents, and Katsuki’s parents), the scent of alpha still hands strongly in the atmosphere. It’s like when someone unleashes a heavy spray of perfume that refuses to go away, no matter how many windows you open or whatever time passes after the spraying.
And unfortunately...these heavily mixed alpha scents start to get to Rei.
“Mrs. Todoroki, you’re breathing is becoming uneven!” Iida reaches out to the omega mother, intending only to offer her an arm of support should she require it. “Are you alright? Are you dehydrated or in need of any food?”
Izuku follows Iida’s lead, though instead of reaching for Rei, he turns around to locate the food and drinks table. With where they’re standing, he’d have to cross the room to get to it. If Rei’s dehydrated or needs food, then he’d have to hurry in case she passed out while he was walking. But with all these people in the room, he could accidentally bump into them and cause them to spill their own stuff!
“Iida, back up!” Momo quickly catches a whiff of Rei’s scent and acts quickly. Rei is giving off a scent of distress, and with the way she’s starting to curl in on herself, Momo can deduce that she must be feeling trapped. Or simply overwhelmed. “Give her some space!”
There’s a slight growl to her voice, which prompts Shouto to growl at her in return. It’s not that he’s angry or upset with any of his other alpha pack mates. Really. He’s actually very thankful that they’re as attentive to his mother as he is. However, the growl emitted from Momo doesn’t help the situation.
“No...no...fine.” Rei tries to force her breathing back under control, feeling embarrassed and a bit mortified that she’s acting like this right now. I shouldn’t be scared right now. All of the alphas in front of me are my son’s pack mates! They will not hurt me!
Rei suddenly feels a sense of deja vu as she tries to force herself to calm down. Shouto had voiced his concerns about this earlier. He had mentioned that there’s a chance that she would panic at some point, with all of the alpha scents in the room and not enough beta or omega scents to help balance it.
Rei just...she thought she’d be ok. A good portion of the alphas were children, young ones that she would more likely want to help when in distress than cower from. And the adults...honestly, all of them were really friendly. Not many of them were loud, besides the Bakugous (mainly Mitsuki). So, ideally, Rei should be fine...right?
“I...I’m fine...I-”
“Here.” Izuku quickly slots his hand into one of Rei’s, beginning to lead her to the door that leads them outside. He needs to make this quick and quiet, or else even more attention will be drawn to them. With how Shouto’s already growled at Momo for accidentally scaring Rei, Izuku doesn’t want to chance the event that Shouto may attack anyone who approaches to try and help.
He, as an omega, is perfect for this. His scent is non-threatening and as Rei is an omega herself, she hopefully won’t be overwhelmed by his presence.
“I’ll take her outside to get some fresh air. All of these pheromones must be pretty overpowering.” Izuku’s nose scrunches up at the last word. Now that he’s said it out loud, the revelation of just how true it is is coming to him. The room is not crowded, per say, but it’s still not a good sized room for how many people are present.
Why did none of them consider this earlier and just rent out a more open space?
“Want me to go with you?” Shouto looks from Momo, who’s bowed her head in a show of submission and apology, to the retreating omegas. Perhaps it’s just his paranoia (from the prospect of his mother being surrounded by alphas after years of his father’s treatment of her), but the idea of letting the two go without him is...really setting him on edge.
He trusts Izuku and knows that if his mother is safe with anyone else besides himself, it will be Izuku. Yet, that confirmation does nothing for him. He just has this...this feeling...that something is going to happen to them the moment they step out of his line of sight.
Izuku looks back for a brief second and thinks. On one hand, this is Shouto’s mother. He knows more about how to act in these types of situations more than Izuku does. On the other hand, this panic attacked because of the overwhelming scent of multiple alphas in one area. Would an alpha, even if Shouto is Rei’s son, help the problem or possible extend its effects?
“Actually, Shouto...I was hoping to have some private time with Izuku.” Rei slips her hand from Izuku’s limp grip and reaches across his shoulders. She settles a gentle hand on his opposite shoulder and rubs absently at the cloth of his shirt. It’s soothing...having contact with another omega after being surrounded by the scents of many alphas. “I just...I really need a break from this. It’s so...it’s so strong…”
Rei’s voice trails off at the word ‘strong’ and Izuku has a mini panic attack of his own. He’s heard his own voice go like that when he’s about to pass out from doing too much work on a very light sleep schedule. He doesn’t think letting Rei pass out from being too...affected...by the suffocating scents will help the situation. So with a quick apology look Shouto’s way, Izuku quickly leads Rei out of the room.
Shouto’s alpha urges him to follow after, but he tightens his fist and shakes his head. No, no, he trusts Izuku. He trusts his omega and his mother. They’ll...they’ll be fine. What could possibly happen anyway? They’re still within school grounds, the teachers are still here, his other pack mates are still here…
At the first sign of trouble, all of them can spring into action. So, hypothetically, everything should be ok. Or, that’s what Shouto tries to tell himself.
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“Thank you for coming out with me.” Rei mumbles as Izuku leads her outside. The air is chilly, but not too cold that it’s unbearable. It’s actually quite nice, though that may also have something to do with her ice quick and her ability to tolerate (even find comfort in) lower temperatures. “I had really hoped that I wouldn’t allow myself to be so affected by so may alphas, it’s just…”
“No need to explain, Mrs. Todoroki.” Izuku’s smile is so sweet, almost blinding to Rei’s tired eyes, as he looks up at her. His tone is all too assuring, as if he’s done this exact same thing before. Knowing her son, Rei already imagines all the things that this kind omega has helped her son calm down from. “If you need fresh air, then there’s plenty of fresh air to give! No need to try and force yourself if you’re uncomfortable.”
The word ‘uncomfortable’ settles the two in an awkward silence. The true weight behind that word and whatever stories or feelings it may bring up is hanging loosely in the air now. Izuku wants to curse himself for being so careless in his speech. He brought Rei out here to calm her down, not get her riled up again.
I should apologize. Izuku gulps, senses heightened and body rigid as he keeps Rei close to him. It feels strange, in a way. Her presence reminds him of his own mother, but there’s something about Rei that Inko doesn’t have. The list of what that unknown factor could be is endless, considering just how different the lives of the two women are. Not to mention-
“Izuku, you’re mumbling darling.”
Izuku almost screams in surprise, but he manages to hold it once he remembers just who’s with him. Oh crap...crap, crap, crap! He did not mean to do that! Oh god, now he’s completely embarrassed himself! Now Rei probably thinks he’s creepy and weird and strange and just not someone she wants her son around. Oh jeez, he took her out here to calm her down, but now he’s probably just made things worse by his creepy mumbling and-!
“Shouto was right.” Rei giggles, bringing a hand up to run through Izuku’s green hair. It’s fluffy and soft to the touch. It’s almost like stroking the back of a fluffy bunny, or the neighbors cat who would sometimes sneak into the garden (almost as if he knew that Rei needed company). “You are just adorable.”
“Huh?!” Izuku feels like he has to do a double check there because...did she just call him adorable? After hearing him mumble like that? It’s understandable if people who knew him thought that since they understood and were used to it. People who didn’t know Izuku very well tended to feel annoyed or nervous around him because he mumbled like that.
Rei Todoroki hadn’t known him for more than an hour or so. Izuku wouldn’t blame her if she found it a bit strange…
“I never got to thank you, you know.” Rei ignores the confused look on Izuku’s face and brings them to a nearby bench. It’s a really good sitting spot, she discovers upon sitting down. The branches of the tree behind her and Izuku could offer them shade if the sun were still out, but do little to hide the beautiful moon and the enchanting stars.
It’s the perfect setting for the conversation that they’re about to have.
“When Shouto was younger...his father put him through the most horrible training sessions and tests. They were situations that no child should ever be put in, paths that no child should ever have to walk.” A scowl pulls at Rei’s lips as her memory guides her conscious. In her head, pictures of Enji striking Shouto, kicking him, throwing him around, degrading him for his mistakes...her child…
Her poor, sweet Shouto...
“I tried to stop him, multiple times, but I was never...I was never strong enough.” Rei removes her hand from Izuku’s shoulder and places both hands in her lap. Her fists tighten, so much so that her nails risk breaking skin and causing blood to surface. “He always hit me away with such ease. And I felt like...I felt like I couldn’t tell anyone. No one would believe me, Enji was a pro hero and...and I had to be strong for my children. I had to be strong for my Shouto.”
A few sniffs leave Rei, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. She’s told her stories to the many therapists and doctors that came in to try and treat her, but...it still never fails to hurt. It always hurts when she herself admits to not being strong enough to stop her husband. Why would it not? Her lack of strength didn’t just affect her, it affected her children.
One grew up alone. Three of them grew up separated from him, told that they were failures by their own father. Having to see the disappointment and disgust in his eyes when they tried to look up to that man…
One of them ended up running away. And that was long after Rei had lost herself and...and had…
Had tipped a kettle of boiling water over her sweet Shouto’s face!
“Mrs. Todoroki?”
Rei’s eyes snap open at the quiet voice. It’s quiet...it’s quiet...but it’s powerful. It’s quiet, but it’s powerful. It’s there. This isn’t a nightmare. This is real life. She’s here, she’s with somebody.
She’s with…
“Mrs. Todoroki...you don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.” Izuku eyes the way that Rei’s fists are hovering over her lap. They’re not quite touching, but they’re close enough that if he reached for them, he’d probably touch her. And based off of how she’s feeling right now, he’s not so sure that’s a good idea. “If...if it makes you too upset...then you don’t have to go back-”
Rei shakes her head, turning to face Izuku. She has to get this out now. She has to say...what she’s been planning to say ever since Shouto told her she’d meet Izuku. If she doesn’t, it’ll eat at her until she breaks down.
“You saved him.” Rei whispers, sounding a little more than a frail flower that had just barely survived winter. A harsh winter, with below freezing temperatures and chaotic winds that would whip out the surrounding plants straight out of the ground. Though, considering just what her quirk is, who she is, a harsh winter could be heaven compared to a raging wildfire.
“You saved my Shouto.” She repeats, moving her hands from her lap and over Izuku’s. She has to turn a bit so she can properly face him and since it’s a bench they’re sitting on, the position she ends up in is a bit awkward on her legs. But Rei makes it work. She wants-no-she needs to see Izuku’s eyes as she makes her confession.
“I wasn’t strong enough to protect him, and in my weakened state, I hurt him even more.” More tears slip down Rei’s cheeks, tears that Izuku desperately wants to wipe away. He doesn’t though. He doesn’t have the heart to pull his hands from Rei’s grip just to wipe away tears.
He’ll wait until she’s done, then do what he’s told he does best: comfort and soothe.
“But you...you saved him.” Rei’s lips pull up into a watery smile and she knows for a fact that she must look ridiculous. But that hardly fazes her. “Shouto has told me about the Sports Festival. He told me what you said to him...what you gave up to bring him out of the prisons his own mind had forced him into.”
Izuku blushes as he finally comprehends what Rei means when she says that he was the one to save Shouto. Truth be told...he still doesn’t believe that. Even with Shouto telling him that it’s true, even with his classmates telling him that the sacrifice he made was noble, Izuku has a hard time believing that he was the one to save Shouto. In his mind, Shouto pulled himself out. It was Shouto who decided to hear his words and follow them. It was Shouto who had the strength and the determination to better himself, despite his upbringing.
Shouto saved himself. He did the work, he pulled through. Izuku just helped him realize that it was possible.
“I can see you doubt me, but what I say is true.” Rei’s eyes sting with how much liquid is covering them, so she quickly wipes them away with her sleeve before cupping Izuku’s cheeks. His skin is so warm, it’s so smooth, so nice to touch. The freckles atop are hardly disturbed as she uses her thumb to draw comforting circles. “You saved him that day, and your presence in his life has brought him a sense of happiness and safety that I’ve always wanted for him. That he’s always deserved.”
Rei breaks down at that. She’s just so...overcome with emotion. Or, emotions is more like it. It’s like a floodgate opening, the water rushes out with little restraint and no consideration for anything in its path. Her emotions break out of their home, within the depths of her mind, and force her to cry. To cry, and cry, and cry, and cry. With only Izuku there to help soothe her.
Though Izuku hardly minds. If anything, as he shushes Rei and uses his other hand to rub her shaking knuckles, all he can feel is a sense of flattery. There’s also a deep sense of love and a strong desire to protect, but it’s mostly just...he’s flattered. He’s heard Shouto’s past from Shouto himself, else he would’ve been a bit hesitant to listen to Rei explain (he’d want Shouto present in that case). But...hearing his mother share her own pain, how she was feeling while Shouto was going through what he was going through…
It makes Izuku feel warm and determined to know that both of the Todorokis he knows trust him with such information. They trust him with such a vulnerable truth, that speaking of it or even just remembering it can shatter them into a million pieces.
Pieces that Izuku is all too prepared to help assemble back together. Hell, he’ll super glue and duct tape the pieces back together just to be sure! They can allow themselves to break all they want in his presence. He will never judge them. He will neer push them away.
Izuku will protect Rei and Shouto Todoroki with his life. He’ll protect any pack member with his life, but right now, all Izuku can focus on is Rei. She needs his help. She needs his care. She needs his strength.
Izuku is more than happy to give her all of the strength she needs-
“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you! Why did you not alert me immediately that the hospital allowed you out?!”