He couldn't quite articulate what it felt like to watch Shouto struggle to identify what he needed, but it felt a lot like someone whose arms had been bathed in ice water reaching inside his body and squeezing his insides just enough to be uncomfortable. Tension pulled his shoulders inward, and he kept his hand against the fledgling hero's arm, wrapping his fingers gently around it.

"Todoroki-kun," he started, his tone firmer than it had been with the easy friendliness of before. He took note of the ugly redness on the unscarred side of his face, and the slight edge to his expression fell away. He stepped closer, reaching up with his opposite hand toward the mark. "Did you get in a fight? I was literally only going downstairs for like, a pudding cup or something, it can wait."