Can I request something for Todoroki? An angst scenario where he and his wife have been married for a while but recently he’s started to close himself off and won’t talk to his wife and she can’t deal with it anymore?
~Admin Eun
***TRIGGER WARNING: Cheating and Infidelity***
She couldn’t take it anymore. The household that was once filled with love, joy, and laughter had become bleak. It had become silent, devoid of any sign that a happy couple lived there once.
When Shouto Todoroki had presented himself to (Name) on one knee, a velvet box in hand, she cried. From happiness, from a surge of overwhelming emotion. It was a sunny day in spring, Hanami season fresh and new. The pale pink cherry blossoms were at full bloom and represented an overwhelming beauty. Much like Shouto viewed (Name), in fact. The two were in love. A few years out of high school where they both graduated together, working as heroes by day and sharing gentle kisses at night.
The Hanami party was coming to an end, but Shouto still had one more thing to do. As (Name) stood to clean up after them, he remained sitting before he rose to one knee. She didn’t even notice before he called her name, the word gentle on his soft lips. He presented her with a ring that drew a gasp from her mouth. The band was a pale pink, much like the cherry blossoms, and in the center was a shining opal. Loops and curves ran around the band itself, and embedded in the ring were small diamonds that complimented the opal.
(Name) barely choked out a yes, tears only flowing at a more vigorous speed whenever Shouto took her hand in his, slipping the ring on her finger before he kissed the dorsal of her hand and smiled gently at how much it was shaking.
Their wedding had been stupendous. While they internally both wished for it to be small, the fact that the pro hero Shouto was getting married was enough to arouse a large gathering of reporters and fans all alike. It was held a year after the engagement in Hanami season, cherry blossoms in bloom once again. (Name’s) wedding dress was one ripped from a fantasy. An off shoulder top, lace delicately decorating her bosom. It hugged her waist before flaring out like a ballgown, flowers of more lace lining the bottom.
When Shouto saw (Name), he cried. Silently, of course, but nonetheless emotional.
It was perfect.
But…Perhaps (Name) was an idealist for believing it could stay perfect forever. Or maybe even a fool.
Truthfully, (Name) understood that Shouto wasn’t the most openly emotional person. He held back his words often and didn’t immediately connect easily with others like some of his peers did. When marrying him, (Name) knew this. However, despite this, she and Shouto had established a clear and mutual understanding of one another, of course. They had decided to spend the rest of their lives together, so that was a given. The two had planned their life out almost flawlessly.
However, neither of them could account for the sudden drastic change in Shouto’s behavior.
She didn’t know when or why it happened, but one day Shouto came home after a meeting with his father. Perhaps it was that man that had spurred it on, but looking back on it (Name) figured that it had to be an amalgamation of many things.
“I’m home,” he grumbled. (Name) called out to him in response, but either he ignored her or didn’t hear her as he retreated back to their shared room and finished with the door slamming. (Name) jumped at this. Shouto was never one to lose his composure like that, so of course, something must’ve been bothering him.
She padded down the hallway, knocking lightly on the door. “Shouto, dear? Is everything alright?” She opened up the door to find her husband at his desk, already nose deep in paperwork. Frowning, she walked over to him before letting her arms fall from his neck down on to his torso. When he didn’t respond, she asked again. “Are you okay?”
Shouto stood from his chair, (Name) backing up a bit to give him space. “I’m fine,” he replied blankly.
Frowning, (Name) took his hand in her own. “You know if something is wrong, you can tell me, right?”
“I know. Don’t worry yourself about it.” He kissed the top of her head softly, causing her to smile. At the time, (Name) had simply just brushed it off.
As nights turned into days, days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, Shouto became more and more closed off. Although the couple rarely ever fought, this was something that seemed to spark negative energy between them. (Name) would get upset that Shouto wouldn’t open up to her despite the two being married, and in turn, Shouto would get upset that she was prying.
“Just mind your own business…”
“‘Mind my own business’?! Shouto, you’re my husband! This is my business!” she shouted, throwing her arms up in disbelief. The fact that he treated this as a minor deal made her even angrier. He sighed and pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose, pinching it. “No, it’s not. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Shouto, do you even hear how ridiculously immature you sound right now? ‘I wouldn’t understand’? Our job as husband and wife is to be there to support each other, so I want to support you, but you aren’t even giving me that option!”
Shouto was a calm person, both internally and externally. Rarely did he get aggravated or frustrated, but something sparked inside of him that caused his eyes to narrow and his face to flush pink in exasperation.
“Maybe I don’t need your damn support!” he barked. His tone was scratchy and violent. Never had he yelled at (Name) with this volume and the sheer rage that laced his words, such tone being used with namely his father, and it showed. The way (Name) recoiled and took a step back, her eyes widening before they narrowed, glaring at him. “Then why the hell did you ask me to marry you in the first place?!”
He wasn’t thinking. He wasn’t thinking, because if he was, the words he was about to spit would’ve never even crossed his mind, much less left his mouth.
“I don’t exactly know myself, at the moment!”
The outrage and temper that (Name) held before faded away. She felt his words pierce through her chest and into her heart. Her words were regrettable, yes, but his cut deeper than she could fathom. Her pride, however, held the tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes back. Clenching her fists, she turned from Shouto.
“What are you doing?” he asked as she stomped to their closet, messily throwing whatever was in sight that belonged to her in a bag. She didn’t face him—she couldn’t face him, as she snapped, “I’m leaving. Maybe perhaps when I do so, you can have the precious alone time that I’ve been so rudely depriving you of.”
Slinging the bag over her shoulder and snatching her phone off of the dresser, she left their bedroom and then the house, not forgetting to childishly slam the door behind her.
And Shouto was left alone, the silence and the memory of his words the only company he had.
That night he sat on the edge of his bed—their bed—and buried his head in his hands. They both messed up and said things that they would’ve liked to take back, but the words that left his mouth were pure venom, and he didn’t know where they came from. That night he was reminded of his mother, and how she would be disappointed to see that he had become horrifyingly close to acting like the man he resented the most.
.
The next morning she returned. Shouto was asleep in their bed, and (Name) fell asleep on the couch. When she woke up it was a bit before noon and a blanket had been draped over her shoulders. For a moment she was reminded of the kind and gentle person Shouto once was, and that was the Shouto she fell in love with.
That moment wouldn’t last, though. Another fight arose from the two as if it was some sort of drug.
The pattern of arguing, leaving, returning, and then arguing again became too common of a pattern to be considered healthy. Another night, another fight. (Name) left once more, and returned the next morning.
This time, however, would prove itself to be different, straying away from the pattern that had become so frustratingly normal.. When Shouto arrived back from work, (Name) was there just like he thought she would be. But beside her were large bags and suitcases filled to the brim with her items and belongings. Their room lost a sense of character, the only remaining things being Shouto’s own.
“What are you doing?”
She looked at him. Her hand was clenched tightly around something. Her eyes were glossy, and for the first time in an eternity, fat tears rolled down her blotchy cheeks. She said nothing, but extended her hand out to his and placed something cold in it. A key—the house key.
(Name) left, her footsteps and the sound of cases rolling against the floor echoed in his ears.
(Name) had left again. But this time, she didn’t come back for him.