Todoroki half regretted taking the steps back to his room. His thighs screamed at the exertion and his head pounded, most likely due to dehydration. His bi-colored eyes burned and watered from crying too much. He didn't feel like walking at the moment. Or thinking. There wasn't much he actually had the energy to do right now. The only thing he really wanted to do was lay down and sleep. Sleep forever. Well, no. That was a little too dramatic. It wasn't very becoming of a young man to carry on in such a melodramatic manner. So instead he decided he wanted to sleep for a long time. Maybe a few days. That would be the nicest agreement he could come to at the moment.

He exited the stairwell, pausing right outside the door to let his muscles breathe for a second before he continued down the hall towards his room. Although sleep sounded marvelous right about now, the fifteen-year-old knew he wasn't getting any tonight. His thoughts were bouncing around his brain like a hyperactive pinball ricocheting off the flashy bells and whistles behind the glass. Too fast. There was far too much to think about, and quite frankly, it made Todoroki want to rip his hair out. He had royally screwed up today. He let out way too much to too many people. It still didn't feel quite real. He had always imagined telling someone. That smug feeling he'd feel after spilling his father's deepest, darkest secrets, although there were two huge miscalculations in his fantasy. One was the fact that it didn't feel smug damning his father to a future tangled up in the authorities. It felt horrible. Scary. Exposing. All his cards were out on the table. Clear for anyone to see, and boy did his classmates sure take a look. Anxiety squeezed his heart. If this is what smugness felt like, Todoroki prayed he'd never be in a situation that allowed him to flash a shit-eating grin at the person he just bested. The second error was that he had never pondered what would happen after he told someone about his family life. Of course this was because he had never actually intended on telling anyone the truth, but still, Todoroki had hoped he would've been smart enough to think his actions through. Apparently he wasn't. In a perfect world, he'd be able to tell the truth to anyone he wanted, just so they'd know. And that would be that. They'd leave it alone and act like he never told them anything. No drama, no tears, no pity. But he didn't live in a perfect world. If he did, he wouldn't have a scar over his left eye. He wouldn't flinch whenever someone patted his back unexpectedly. He would still have all his family under one roof. If Todoroki lived in a perfect world, he'd never be in the position to hide years upon years of abuse dealt by his father's hands.

Todoroki closed the door to his room softly, not wanting to remind anyone that he existed. Everyone, with the exception of Bakugo, was still downstairs in the common room, so the volume of shutting the door didn't matter too much, but it was a habit he'd grown accustomed to. No sense in breaking it now. It's not like it hurt anyone.

He walked over to his futon, cringing as he stepped over his handprint charred into the wooden floor. He'd have to fix that soon. Not tonight though. Maybe not tomorrow. He'd do it over the weekend, but he had predetermined plans. The plans he oh-so conveniently forgot about until tonight. He plopped onto the plush surface facedown. His nose scrunched flat but he couldn't bring himself to care all that much. It was hard to breathe with his face smushed in the pillows. Maybe he'd just stay like that. Maybe he'd pass in his sleep from suffocation. That way he wouldn't have to deal with his problems. He wouldn't have to deal with anything at all.

Disturbed by his own thoughts, he rolled over onto his back. Dying wasn't the answer. It was the easy way out. It would be lazy of him to not fix his problems. He would be a coward if he died instead of facing the obstacles in front of him. He crossed his left ankle over his right, noting that he was still clad in his training uniform pants. He really should change. Todoroki turned his head towards his drawers. It was too far. He didn't feel like walking, so in the training uniform pants he'd stay. Besides wearing the wrong clothes to bed was the least of his problems at the moment. He was going to have to go home in a mere two days. Facing his father after what he had just done wouldn't be easy. Nothing concerning his father ever was.

His father would find out. Sooner than later, that was for sure. He almost hoped that the flame hero would miraculously discover the betrayal tonight. That way Todoroki would be out of range for an attack and he most likely wouldn't have to go home for the weekend. It would make sense for him to stay in the safety of the dorms, surrounded by people who actually gave a damn about his well-being.

Todoroki bolted upright. Fuyumi. Fuyumi, who definitely cared about his well-being was still in that house. The same house Endeavor was in. She was in range. If his father found out, his older sister was in danger. Shit, shit, shit. Todoroki didn't think this through at all. How could he have forgotten about his older sister? The only sibling that was still present in his life. The only sibling that was still actively in his corner. He really was a poor excuse of a human being. Putting all his needs before anyone else's. How could he even continue training to become a hero with a mentality like that?

That question could be answered later. He had to warn Fuyumi. He shakily slid his phone out of his pocket, using trembling fingers to press on the correct contact.

It rang.

It rang again.

And again.

And again.

With each tone Todoroki's desperation grew tenfold. He gnawed on his bottom lip, not even flinching when he began to taste the metallic tinge of blood. She needed to answer. If she didn't, he'd walk over to the house himself. It wasn't the safest option, but he had to do something to protect his sister. Of course he had no logical reason to believe that his father would find out that Todoroki opened his fat mouth tonight, but just in case he did, he needed to warn Fuyumi.

Once again the tone played.

The answering machine picked up.

He tore the phone away from his ear, ending the call. He'd try again. Surely she just didn't hear her ringtone going off. His shaking finger pressed on the call button again as he held the phone up to his ear. Again it rung, and rung, and rung, and rung until the voicemail picked up. Once again Todoroki yanked the phone away from his ear. Third times a charm, right. Maybe she didn't hear it the first time, and she just missed the final ring the second time he called. She'd probably call him back before he placed this third call. Right? With that philosophy in mind, he slowly pressed on the dial button, praying to whatever god was out there that Fuyumi answered.

It droned.

Again.

And again.

A fourth drone.

Another one.

God really hated him.

The answering machine picked up. He ended the call and shot to his feet, speeding over to his closet. He ripped out whatever jacket made it to his hands first. Now wasn't the time for fashion. With tremoring hands he zipped up the black, lightweight sweatshirt before he charged out of his room. He turned to the stairwell before he slammed into another body.

Both students bounced off each other and landed hard on their rears. Although it hurt a bit, Todoroki had dealt with much, much worse before. He wasn't fazed. He had a mission. He started to get to his feet, not sparing an apology or a glance at the other student sprawled out in front of him.

"What the hell, Icy hot!"

Bakugo. Todoroki couldn't stop now though. His sister's safety was in his hands. He stepped around the angry student, not bothering to give him a response.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" The blonde's question lacked the usual anger he strived for, especially considering the fact that he had just been knocked to the ground and ignored by Todoroki of all people. The only reason he'd be madder was if Todoroki were Midoriya. Thankfully, he was not.

Todoroki's strides didn't stutter. He flung open the stairwell door before bounding down the stairs, each footfall covering three steps. He had no time to waste.

"Don't you dare ignore me!" Todoroki could hear Bakugo chasing him, the angry teen's slightly shorter legs pumping quickly to catch up. Hurling himself off the last few steps, Bakugo caught up and slammed the stairwell exit door closed as Todoroki opened it. "What are you doing?" His voice had lowered in volume to a low growl, not exactly mad, more desperate if Todoroki was judging his tone correctly.

He made the executive decision not to answer Bakugo. The other teen had reacted badly when he learned that Todoroki had to go home over the weekend. If he realized that the red and white haired boy was going home now, he would probably do something drastic. Todoroki couldn't let anyone get in his way. He had to protect his sister. She had done so much for him throughout the years, patching him up after training, hugging him while he cried, encouraging him when he felt down, putting her life on hold to look out for him. He needed to repay her kindness. He wanted to repay her kindness. If she was in danger, danger that Todoroki caused, he needed to remove her from the threat. He could never live with himself if she got hurt due to his impulsive behavior.

Keeping his palm pressed firmly on the door so that Todoroki couldn't pull it open, Bakugo studied the other male's face, his red eyes narrowing suspiciously. Todoroki could feel himself trembling. He had no time to waste. Whatever game Bakugo wanted to play would have to wait. He tried the door again, of course Bakugo only slammed it shut again.

"I don't have time for this. Let go." Todoroki's voice shook, causing him to internally cringe. He didn't sound demanding. He sounded more like a scared child. That's what he was though, so it all added up in the end.

"Where are you going?" Bakugo repeated.

"It's none of your business. Get out of the way."

Bakugo did the exact opposite of what Todoroki wanted him to. He turned his back to lean his entire body on the door, rather than just his hand, making it clear that Todoroki wasn't going anywhere without giving a proper answer.

Again the blonde began studying him, dissecting his features. If he wasn't going to get the truth by talking, he would get it by reading the air. A few minutes passed in silence, both boys refusing to stand down. "You're going home, aren't you?"

Todoroki stayed silent.

He expected Bakugo to laugh at his stupidity, or yell at him for being such an idiot. What he didn't expect was for him to mutter "You're killing me. Why would you go back there?" He shook his head slightly. "Todoroki, why?"

The fifteen-year-old was caught off guard by the use of his name. No nicknames. No poking fun. No angry words. Just unveiled desperation. He looked into Bakugo's eyes, finding them filled with despair, rather than the usual determined fire. The blonde looked deflated.

"I- my sister."

Bakugo's eyebrows quirked a bit. "You have a sister?"

"I have thr- well two siblings. My sister still lives at home."

"Oh shit."

"If my dad finds out about what I said, she's directly in the line of fire. She could get hurt." He felt yet another lump in his throat. He swallowed thickly to try to get rid of it. "I-I tried calling her, but, but she didn't answer. I have to make sure she's ok."

"Woah, ok, ok." Bakugo rubbed his eyes tiredly. "What makes you think she's in immediate danger? Does your dad hit her too?"

"He doesn't hit either of us. He only puts his hands on me during training." Todoroki had no idea why he was defending his father. It's not like he deserved it.

"Yeah yeah, sure, your 'training'" Bakugo flashed air quotations. "So why do you think she's in trouble?"

"My father always finds out about my mistakes. I wanted to make sure he didn't take his anger about what I had done out on Fuyumi."

"First off, you didn't make a mistake telling us what was going on. Your poor excuse of an old man has no right to treat you or anyone else like that. Second, how would he have found out that you said anything?"

Of course there was no logical reason to suspect that his father had found out that Todoroki let the truth out. He knew that Aizawa would be careful about the situation and wouldn't do anything that could put his students in danger. He knew that his classmates had no desire or means of contacting Endeavor to tell him that Todoroki had told the truth. It wasn't like his father was omnipotent and all-knowing, although it sure seemed like that sometimes. Todoroki was judging the situation far too quickly. It could be a fatal mistake. It probably would've been a fatal mistake if he went home tonight, for both him and Fuyumi. He was being unreasonably dramatic and impulsive yet again. He really never learned.

"He wouldn't have. I just got worried."

Bakugo nodded, meaningfully. "If you're so concerned, you should talk to Aizawa about it. He'd be able to help. You should also tell him about the whole going home over the weekend thing."

"I told you I can't tell him that."

"Why not?" A bit of his usual anger returned to his voice.

"If I don't come home he'll know something is off."

"Bullshit."

"You just don't understand."

Bakugo sighed. "Then explain it to me."

"I told you already. If I skip training, he'll know something is wrong. I've never missed training before and UA doesn't just make rash decisions and add on random assignments out of the blue. They can't afford to behave like that anymore, and no one knows that better than my old man." Todoroki couldn't help the twinge of desperation that leaked through his voice. "Believe me, I thought of ways to avoid going home. None of them work."

"With a head as dense as yours, I wouldn't be surprised if you missed something."

Todoroki narrowed his eyes; he wasn't in the mood for insults.

Before he could respond to the blonde's taunt, Todoroki felt his phone vibrate from where it was clutched in his hand. He looked down at the screen to see who was contacting him. His screen displayed a picture of his sister and the name "Fuyumi" across the top of the glass. He poked the "accept call" button before rushing the phone up to his ear, not even remembering telling his muscles to act.

"Shouto!" His sister greeted from the other end. "Sorry I was cleaning the kitchen. I didn't notice you called!"

Todoroki couldn't help the small sob of relief that escaped his mouth before he even knew it was there. He turned his back on Bakugo, an action that usually would've caused the boy to explode. Rather than burst with anger, he crossed his arms loosely and turned his head in an attempt to give Todoroki a sliver of privacy while still guarding the door.

"Shou, are you ok? What's wrong?" Fuyumi's voice was panicked.

Without addressing his sister's questions, he shot his own at her. "Is dad home?" He bit his lip, waiting for the answer that could make or break him.

"Wha- no. He's on a business trip. He should be home Friday morning. Why?"

Todoroki let out a breath of relief. She was safe for now.

"Shouto, please, what's wrong?" Her voice was urgent, laced with concern. "Why are you asking about dad?"

"Please don't be mad at me."

"Mad? Shouto, please just tell me what the matter is."

"You promise you won't be angry with me?" Todoroki knew his sister still loved their father. That she still held onto the hope that he was a good guy under all his twisted and mangled layers. She wanted to believe that he worthy of his #2 hero title deep down. She wouldn't want the authorities investigating their father. He just ruined any chance of self-improvement Endeavor had.

"I could never be mad at you."

"I told my class about dad. About what he does." The words spilled out of his mouth. He didn't allow himself to think about it too much. If he did, he would've never said them. He waited for Fuyumi's reply, only hearing silence from her end. Shit, he had screwed up. His sister hated him. This isn't what she wanted. She hated Shouto for being a selfish and spoiled brat who never thought about anyone other than himself. He choked on a strangled sob. "F- Fuyumi? Are you ma- "

"I'm not mad." Her voice sounded soft yet strained at the same time. It bought back memories of her pathing up burns and bruises after training. When she would sit and hold him in her arms when everything got to be too much. It was the same voice she used when she was trying to hold back tears. "I'm glad, Shouto."

She was glad? That made no sense. She wanted father to improve and become a better person. A person who was worth looking up to. A person who could be a worthy role model for Shouto. He probably wouldn't have the chance to do that anymore. All because Shouto couldn't keep his big mouth shut.

"But- "

"No buts. I'm happy. I'm so, so happy that you're finally going to get the help you need. Shouto, you deserve to be happy. You deserve the chance to be a kid. You can finally have those things."

"Fuyumi I- "

"I should've said something a long time ago. I hated seeing you hurt. Seeing you crying. And the things he did to you," she paused for a shuttering breath. "He did such horrible things to you, Shouto. You didn't deserve any of that." She paused again, her voice sounding shakier when she began speaking again. "I'm so sorry. I've been a bad sister. I've watched you suffer for so long and did nothing to stop it."

Todoroki was taken aback. Fuyumi a bad sister? No it was quite the opposite. She sacrificed so much to keep her brother safe. She has been there ever since he could remember. Even more so after mom had been taken away.

"Don't say that, Fuyumi. Please, you're the best sister I could ever have. I'm lucky to have you." He paused. "I think I'd be dead if it weren't for you."

It seemed those words were the final straw for his sister. Loud sobs could be heard, causing Bakugo to turn his head slightly, peering at Todoroki through a side-eyed glance.

"Don't say that." She sucked in breaths of air. "I don't even want to think about that."

"I'm sorry." When his sister didn't reply, he got down to business, too emotionally drained to withhold it anymore. "Do you have a place you can stay once dad gets home?"

Sniffles and then a small "Yes, I have some coworkers who would be able to host me. I'll be out before he gets home."

Todoroki nodded at his sister's words, forgetting that she couldn't see his movements.

"And Shouto, call me whenever, ok? Even if you don't need anything. I miss hearing your voice."

The red and white haired boy let a small, tired smile spread across his lips. "Ok." He agreed

"I love you."

While Todoroki would usually be uncomfortable expressing emotions such as love in front of classmates, he couldn't bring himself to care all that much. "I love you too."

The two siblings bid their farewells and hung up. Bakugo let his classmate sit in silence for a few minutes before grabbing his attention by clearing his throat.

"So everything's sorted out?'

Todoroki nodded, cradling his phone to his chest, the closest thing he could get to hugging his sister at the moment.

"Then go to bed. You look like death warmed over." Bakugo prodded Todoroki lightly with his toe, his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants.

Bed sounded like a wonderful idea, so Todoroki found the strength within himself to rise to his feet and shuffle up the steps, leaning heavily on the railing. He felt himself smile softly yet again. Fuyumi was safe. She was going to be alright. He guessed that in a sense, he had not only freed himself, but his sister as well. Now she was going to be free to move out, live her life on her own time, put herself first. Everything a person in normal circumstances took for granted. His sister was finally getting what she deserved in life.

Bakugo must've caught sight of his expression. "What're you smirking about?"

"I'm happy."

Such a simple sentence, yet he doesn't remember saying it all that many times in his life. This was perhaps the first time he truly meant it. So this is what happiness felt like. A light chest, smiles coming naturally. He liked it. He hoped he would be happy more often in the future. He hoped for a lot of things for the future. With his newfound freedom, his hopes didn't seem too far away anymore. The caged bird was finally free.

Maybe Wednesdays weren't that bad after all.