Good Boy - SimplySyrup986 - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia (2024)

Chapter 1: It's All Subjective

Chapter Text

He forgot when, exactly, he decided to try ‘Being Good’. It wasn’t after his initial detainment when one of the officers forgot to leave his Zippo behind and he’d targeted it with a flick of concentrated blue flame. The resistance hadn’t led to any kind of successful escape attempt, and earned him several more bruises from the guy’s buddies, but it’d been hilarious to see the look on the man’s face when the thing combusted. His screams, his terror; they’d carved a harrowing smirk on his features.

The burn scars were probably still there, something to remind the man to take the time in life to be a little extra cautious. And quit smoking… such a filthy habit.

It wasn’t due to his first night in prison following the strip search, cavity search, mug shot, finger printing, and stiff fuddy-duddy officers giving him venomous glares like they’d enjoy nothing more than beating him senseless with their little batons. His bail being set to five hundred million yen was an absolute joke. His father undoubtedly had the funds, but he certainly didn’t know the man’s phone number. His one phone call had gone to a local pizza shop, but before he could order a dozen pies, it'd been wrenched from his grasp and hung up.

He didn’t see much of the other inmates since this maximum-security building was meant to be even more secure than Tartarus, which meant his only form of entertainment was from the guards. Headbutting them resulted in a concoction of sedatives administered through one heck of a needle and a trip to a padded room. At first, it’d been amusing. Until his subconscious began playing tricks on him, that is. Paranoia shredded his vocal cords, hallucinations caused the floor and walls to undulate, and the silence stretched out unfathomably. He’d learned his lesson the first time, but when he was told he was being scheduled for rehabilitation coaching he couldn’t help formulating all kinds of silly, devious plans.

His first session was prefaced by a paper cup with half a dozen colorful pills. When he’d asked what they were, he was told to shut up and take them. Doing so resulted in him waking up in his bed with no memory of the session or how long it’d been since he’d returned to his cell. The thought was discomforting; what’d he say? What secrets did this quack learn? The intrusive thoughts left a sour taste in his mouth and a week later at his next appointment he refused to take the drugs and found himself back in solitary confinement with a needle shoved in his neck.

The next week was the same story, but he’d managed to give one man a concussion and another man a bloody nose before being tossed in the room and left there for three straight days. The only way he could get a sense of time passing was by the bowls of slop intended to be his meal. Nine bowls meant three days, anymore and he would’ve lost count on the descent into further madness. He thought this was going to be his life; refusing this medication, being stuck in the neck with that medication… it was all very dehumanizing, and he was reminded everyday he deserved it from the atrocities he inflicted.

Which is why he was surprised to have a visitor in his cell. It’d only been a month, but he was growing accustomed to the mundane schedule controlling his life. He was informed his medication for psychotherapy would be lessened if he agreed to attend the next session, and if he performed well they would consider eliminating the drugs altogether. It didn’t take a genius to agree to the terms, but lunging for the shrink when he asked for details of his childhood was the wrong avenue to take.

Six months of being thrown in solitary confinement once a week was enough to drive anyone insane, but he’d arrived at that destination nearly two decades ago. Far before he nearly incinerated himself atop a mountain trying to win his father’s approval.

He was brought the same paper cup on the same stainless-steel tray as the last six months and for a moment he wondered if it’d be more beneficial to take the encapsulated concoction rather than spend another night screaming himself to sleep. Like so many times before, he picked up the paper cup, and like so many times before, he looked inside. However, what he was greeted with was one tiny little green pill. He’d glanced at the guard suspiciously, expecting the man to break into a toothy grin and pull out a plastic bag bursting with Zanax and its shady cousins, but he stood as emotionless as he had for the last six months. He’d taken it without complaints, following the man to his scheduled rehabilitation meeting and finding the same shrink he’d nearly pulverized giving him a welcoming smile. He was offered a seat on the chaise lounge where he gingerly sat, taking the time to truly settle into the leather as the material squeaked and tooted with laughable sounds the more he fidgeted. When he was finally ready to face his adversary, he gave the man a bored glare as the little green pill warmed his belly and floated his mind through fluffy clouds.

“In regards to our first meeting, it seems you’re in luck.” The doctor announced with a pleasant grin. His expression remained neutral as he expected the other to elaborate in anyway until enough uncomfortable silence passed that he ventured to speak.

“What, exactly, are you referring to?” He asked, annoyance in his tone.

“I suppose it would be hard for you to remember, we did have you on a substantial dose of medication. What I’m referring to is your request.” The doctor explained, pulling a clipboard from under his notepad and sliding it along the low table between them. “It took quite a few hoops to jump through, and your refusal to attend our sessions slowed down the progress, but I was granted permission to reach out and she’s interested in meeting with you.” He finished, gesturing for his patient to take the clipboard. He regarded the man suspiciously, trying to read the malcontent he knew was hiding in his words before glaring at the paperwork before him.

“Who?” He asked through clenched teeth, reminding himself what happened last time he tried to rip this man’s head from his shoulders. She? They certainly weren’t going to let him meet with Touga, his mother was hardly an object of comfort, and any adoring fan of his would probably be seen as a liability.

“Your sister, Fuyumi. You asked to meet with her and she’s agreed to it as long as some preconditions are met in accordance with your treatment regimen.”

He blinked, stunned. He didn’t expect this turn of events and any smart remark he’d intended to use died on his tongue. He’d asked to see Fuyumi? And she agreed?

“Of course, it wouldn’t be anytime soon, but it’d be something to look forward to with continued good behavior.”

He slumped further into the decorative couch and regarded the paperwork with trepidation. It’d been one thing to fight Shoto and Dad to the death, and he’d sent a villain after Natsuo with the intention to kill, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t mourn for his siblings. Afterall, it wasn’t their fault to be born to such a heartless bastard. They were the means to the end of Endeavor who’d tormented him ceaselessly with alienation. They’d shown him nothing but kindness in a house filled to the brim with suffering and he'd always had a soft spot for Fuyumi. It wasn’t hard to learn her schedule or find out her place of work, but he certainly didn’t have the heart to send someone out to hunt her down. Natsu didn’t have the same passion for training as Shoto, but he at least had a chance.

“What’re the conditions?” He found himself asking, his tone monotonous.

“Regular counseling sessions, I’d say we can keep your medication dosage low after this meeting. With good attitude and performance, we’ll move to group sessions and in light of medical records and accounts from others, we’ll be requiring you to meet with a dermatologist specializing with a skin-grafting quirk. She’s marvelous with her work, I’ve taken a look at some of her patients with long-term scaring and the results are…”

A slam of his open palm against leather startled the room, causing the attendants at the doorway to approach the inmate with batons drawn.

“Skin-grafting quirk?” He asked carefully, giving the man an opportunity to take it back or face the consequences.

“Yes, I wished to have learned more about you with our sessions, but through records and witness accounts your scars are a manifestation of your rage and a reminder of your past trauma. So, with our time together, a clear path to readjustment and healing would involve recovery from mental and physical duress…”

In a moment he was standing and the officers had their hands around his biceps. He was coherent enough to remember using his quirk would result in even greater punishment, and at this point he knew he had a one-way ticket to the loony room.

“My scars are a result of my death! Mental duress?? I was a failed experiment in a home that regretted my existence!!”

There goes the needle in the neck…

“I was a lab rat for psychopaths pretending to be human!! I’m a mistake, they never wanted me!! They wanted some perfect doll they could dress up and flaunt their status with!! I might be a mass murderer, but I’ll never be monsters like them…!”

Sleepy time took over and the next moment he found himself wide-eyed and screaming in the padded room of solitary confinement. Hours passed before he could breathe a sigh of relief when it was only for one day and found himself thankful to be heading back to his cell.

Next week came and went without an invitation to a session and Touya wondered if he’d blown his chance to be able to see his sister again.

Chapter 2: Surprise

Chapter Text

The following week saw the same little green pill in the paper cup and Touya caught himself admiring it with glee. Maybe he hadn’t lost his chance to see Fuyumi and he went to his appointment with a light spring in his step.

“You’ve lost your chance to meet your sister.” The doctor informed him.

Well, nuts…

“However, I did reach out to her and if we’re able to continue your progress in a positive direction then it’s likely you’ll be granted a second chance.”

Touya let out a thoughtful hum, figuring the news could be worse and silently admitted he wasn’t the most emotionally stable person.

“It will be a long and difficult road, and I’ll need your full cooperation. Eventually you’re going to have to talk about challenging subjects, are you ready for that commitment?” The man asked, looking him straight in the eyes to show how serious he was. Touya regarded him with an unenthused glower.

“Fine, you’re the doc.” He relented, relaxing further into the lounge and throwing an arm over the backrest.

“Thank you, I appreciate your cooperation. First of all, would you prefer for me to call you Touya Todoroki, or Dabi?” He asked, cracking open his brand-new notebook and placing the point of his pen on the first line.

“Just Touya.” He replied curtly. The pen scribbled on the paper.

“Would you be interested in talking about your childhood this session?”

Touya crinkled his nose and reminded himself to calm down. “Pass.” He replied, a sour frown on his expression.

“Then would you be interested in talking about the League of Villains and Shigaraki?” The doctor asked. Touya dropped the concentrated glower and examined his fingernails, using his thumbnail to pick at whatever remnants were under them.

“Pass.” He replied flippantly.

“Your siblings? Fuyumi, perhaps?” He asked, trying to think of something easy to talk about.

“Pass.”

A disgruntled exhale came from him and Touya suddenly realized something. This man wasn’t some patron saint, he wasn’t putting up with this bullsh*t from the bottom of his heart, and he certainly didn’t give a rat’s ass about the warm fuzzy feelings of a deranged sociopath. The realization had him grinding his teeth together with sheer embarrassment for thinking anyone other than that worthless excuse of a sperm donor was behind this. He was trying to clean up his last and filthiest mess, and he had no problem using his children to shield his ego once more.

Touya leapt to his feet and used one foot to kick over the lounge and in no time at all he was surrounded by three officers.

“You tell that worthless son of a bitch I’d sooner see him dead than play his stupid games!!”

Ouch, poke… right in the neck.

“Tell him to kill me already!! In what world is it right for him to breed reject test tube kids and throw it in their face at every opportunity??”

This time his arms and legs gave out before his brain shut off and in his last moments of consciousness he remembered the angry flames that left him comatose for three years and his street-rat life leading up to the League of Villains. How simple everything had been before becoming a full-fledged villain, and how rewarding it’d been since he’d set out to destroy his father’s life.

~0~

Shoto and Fuyumi Todoroki walked down a long corridor escorted by a guard in front and a guard in back. Both had exceptionally frightening firearms in their grasps as they led the siblings along a twisting path. When she finally saw the news broadcast for herself, she immediately decided to do whatever it’d take to get her elder brother back. So, when she was informed of an opportunity to rehabilitate Touya, she was instantly on board.

“Are you sure you’re alright? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this worried before.” Shoto remarked quietly, exchanging a look with his sister. She blushed at being found out and gently slapped her cheeks to get her face to lighten up.

“It’s not that! I just… don’t know what to say!” She tried to protest, but she knew it was an obvious lie. Shoto managed to grow a little less dense the older he got, and he let the comment slide without pointing out how absurd it was. Instead, he reached out and took her hand, squeezing it lightly in his.

“You know what he’s done, right?” He asked gently, trying to remind her this wasn’t some quick fix. The eldest Todoroki had already screwed up the visitation deal before proper steps had been taken; if she was going to persistently stick to it, it was going to be a long and messy road that may never lead anywhere.

“I know… But it’s Touya! We at least have to try!” She reasoned, returning her youngest brother’s serious expression with one of hope and determination. They stopped in front of a door with a large window beside it. Inside they could see two rooms separated by another piece of glass; the room connected to the door was meant for visitors, and the one kept behind the large sheet of glass was meant for inmates too volatile to be trusted with face-to-face meetings. Shoto had continued to grow a reputation in the hero community, not to mention her father was the former hero Endeavor. Ever since the war had ended, Enji Todoroki had grown more and more distant from his Hero Agency until one day he signed the entire business over to Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shoto. Their mother was still not fully discharged from the hospital, and Touya was still waiting for his official trial, so it was up to the three of them to keep things running. Nevertheless, his name still carried quite a bit of weight, so with that (and the help of their lawyers) they were able to issue a request for a brief interaction.

Fuyumi was here under the official premise of convincing her brother to work alongside his rehabilitation team in order to be rewarded with more visits. Shoto was here as added protection incase anything were to go wrong. He’d been the one to finally defeat his brother in battle, so it only made sense to require him to come along for insurance. Shoto squeezed his sister’s hand again as a guard opened the door and gestured for her to step inside. He wasn’t going to be a part of this encounter, he knew it would only cause his brother to fall back into the mindset of Dabi.

Fuyumi gave him one last look before the door was closed and she was left alone. The large window facing the hallway turned out to be one-way glass and she looked back at herself in the reflection. She really did look worried… She took a deep breath and reminded herself to be brave. She’d been shocked to see him with such vicious scars and hateful eyes, but underneath the trauma she knew her crybaby big brother was still there. Fuyumi walked over to the single chair and gently took a seat, smoothing out the fabric of her jeans and wondering if her hair looked alright. She ran her fingers through it a few times and adjusted her glasses only to remind herself to stop being so fussy.

The door to the room behind the glass slammed open, surprising her as she watched Touya get shoved into the room by two bulky men.

“Tell ‘em to piss the f*ck off!! There isn’t a damned person in this whole f*cking world I want to see and if they don’t want to be incinerated, they’ll…!!”

Touya was handcuffed and gripping the baton of one of the guards, the shaking of his clenched fists giving away his intention to shatter it in his grasp if they didn’t listen. His burn scars were more pronounced than in the video she’d watched, and his eyes were immensely more bloodthirsty. He was skinny… so, so skinny… His hair was an odd combination of spiked like Natsu’s and frazzled like he was haunted by his anxiety. He wore cotton prison pants and a cotton t-shirt which revealed the burns completely engulfing his arms down to the tips of his fingers. Some of his fingernails were even missing and Touya felt his tongue go limp as he looked out at the glass to see his little sister sitting in the middle of the room with such anguish and pain causing tears to well-up behind her glasses.

“Yumi…?” He asked quietly, not believing his eyes. The guards gave him one last shove, startling him as he glared at them before they closed the door and left them alone. He wanted to throw a cordon of fire at the door, incinerating anything near the gaps, but quickly lost interest when he noticed Fuyumi stand up. He turned his attention back to her and felt his brain short circuit as she approached the glass and pressed her hand against it.

“Touya…?” She asked, tears cascading down her cheeks. He felt the well of pressure in his sinuses, but no tears could come from his eyes. If Eraserhead thought he had a rough time with dry eye, it was nothing compared to Touya Todoroki. Fuyumi covered her nose and mouth with her other hand, but not before Touya could see the absolute devastation on her expression. He felt so helpless, so enraged, and so ugly in more ways than just his exterior. It’d taken him a long time to get used to the scars and the repulsed looks people would give him, but this was more than abhorrence. This was desperate grief for something beyond his disturbing appearance; pain and heartache for events that could never be undone.

He couldn’t take it; why was this his shame to bear?? Why, after everything that was taken from him, why did he have to be the one to make Yumi cry??

“Shut up!!” Touya shouted, blue flames shooting from his palm as he swept it in front of himself. Fuyumi didn’t budge at the dismissive gesture and instead placed her other hand on the glass, her mouth attempting to twist into a smile. He recoiled at the sight, expecting her to renounce him, even shame him for threatening her. He expected the officers to come pouring into his room and stick him a dozen times with needles, but nothing like that happened.

“Touya.” She said again, this time her voice much more composed and her smile genuinely happy. He clenched his fists.

“No…!” He ground out between gritted teeth, stomping up to the glass to give her a menacing glare. He wasn’t particularly tall, but he’d managed to grow about an inch taller than his sister as he glowered at her calmed expression.

“Touya… I’ve missed you so much.” She said quietly, her voice breaking just a touch as she wiped a tear from her eye and placed her hand back on the glass. Touya stared at her, his eyebrows raised and pupils contracted like pin pricks.

For a moment he stared at her, looking for some sort of explanation until his mind circled back around to the same paranoia. He narrowed his eyes like daggers and slammed his fists into the glass once, leaning close enough to press his nose into it.

“This is Endeavor’s idea, isn’t it??” He demanded, his glare threatening to burn holes into her retinas. “He’s out there, isn’t he??”

She never thought she’d get a chance to be so close to her eldest brother again and Fuyumi smiled warmly, ignoring the blood trickling from his fists down the glass as she moved her hands to where his were. The thought of being able to hold them again someday sent butterflies to her stomach as more joyful tears welled up in her eyes and she shook her head.

“Uh uh, he’s not. They made Shoto escort me, but this is my decision.” She said, wishing more than anything she had some sort of glass manipulation quirk. Touya searched her eyes for the deception, his fists softening the longer he stared, and he did something that even shocked himself.

He believed her.

She recognized his expression as one she’d seen many times before; Touya was crying. But not a single tear fell down his cheeks. To anyone else, he might look unhinged, especially without the usual physical response, but as his shoulders shook and his anger was exhausted, he opened his hands to press against hers through the glass as his head thunked against it. She couldn’t help cracking a smile at the sound and did the same, enjoying the moment they were sharing.

“Five more minutes, and I’d like to remind you outside information is prohibited to be shared.” A voice over the intercom announced, ruining the moment. Touya sighed heavily and slowly lifted his head, followed by Fuyumi. She lined up her fingers to match his and beamed at him with an even brighter smile. He gave her a bored and serious look, only for it to dissolve into a small grin as he committed that expression to memory.

“Please cooperate with your therapist. They haven’t made any official rules, but once they think you’re ready, we can meet without this glass.” She said. Touya felt a bubble of anger appear as his expression darkened a touch, but his sister remained unphased.

“What’s wrong with now?” He asked bitterly, rolling his eyes like a petulant child. She wondered if he was still just a child. Afterall, the last time she saw him he was thirteen years old and she couldn’t imagine he ever found himself back in school.

“You attacked your therapist several times. He actually quit, you know... We had to get a new one.” She explained, her eyes free of judgement or resentment. He stuck out his lower lip in an unamused pout but eventually conceded.

“Fine. But tell Shoto he can kiss my ass.” He said, earning a smug smirk and an eyeroll.

“You could stand to be a little nicer too.” She said with a chuckle, wiping the remnants of her tears with her left hand. Touya watched the movent and something shiny caught his eye. He frowned and gave her a confused look.

Fuyumi blinked, perplexed, until she looked at her hand and realized what he saw.

“Oh, this?” She asked, holding up her left hand. “I’m getting married.”

Touya swallowed, his eyes flicking between the ring and her eyes, remembering once again that life was moving on without him. She saw the sadness in his eyes and placed her hand back on the glass, catching his attention.

“You’ve done a lot of stuff, Touya. It’s going to be hard, and it’s going to take a long time, but I’ll always be by your side.” She said, clasping her fingers until just her pinky was extended. “I promise.”

Touya regarded it silently until he followed the same motion, leaving his pinky extended and glancing back at her to look in her eyes.

“Time’s up.”

The door to Fuyumi’s room opened as an invitation for her to step out and she gave her brother one last look before lowering her hands and stepping away.

Touya watched her go, his heart oddly heavy as he grit his teeth and called out “Hey.”

Fuyumi glanced over her shoulder, getting one last look at him.

“Tell Natsu I’m sorry.”

Fuyumi blinked, a little surprised, but smiled. “I will.”

Two officers eventually opened his door and escorted him back to his cell and the weight of his actions suddenly felt that much heavier.

Chapter 3: Progress is Progress

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The next session saw a paper cup with a larger green pill alongside a small pale blue one. Touya rattled them with annoyance in the disposable cup, frowning distastefully but decided it might be worth it to take the medication. He threw them back and swallowed the capsules without water like every other time before following the officers to the designated office. Halfway there he could feel the meds kicking in, relaxing his nerves and mellowing out his attitude. These ones were stronger than the other dosage and he remembered Fuyumi saying something about him getting a new quack.

“Welcome in, have a seat.”

Touya regarded the younger psychotherapist thoughtfully, sizing him up and wondering if he was some sort of doctoral student trying to get his PhD. He then looked at the chaise lounge that had been righted after he’d kicked the thing over and decided it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to accept the quack’s offer. He took a seat, reclining comfortably and draping his arm over the back.

“Well, shall we begin?” The doctor asked, cracking open his brand-new notebook and placing his pen at the first line. “What is your fondest childhood memory?”

Touya blinked, legitimately speechless. Was he serious…? Did this man do an ounce of research on his patient? Was this some sort of test meant to break open the mysteries of his f*cked-up mind? Or was this man just a goddamn idiot? He really hoped it was the last option.

“Making White Day chocolates with my father for my mother and sister.” He replied with a devilish smile carving up the corners of his mouth. Of course, nothing even remotely close to that had ever happened. His entire childhood revolved around strengthening his fire quirk and trying to activate a hidden ice quirk to make his father acknowledge him. He spent his time clawing for approval while his parents pushed him further and further away. The doctor scribbled in his notebook.

“Tell me the first thought that comes to mind when you think of your mother.” He instructed, looking back up at his patient.

Her dismayed expression as he’d tried to incinerate Shoto as an infant.

“Her hugs.”

Had she ever hugged him? Holding him as an infant didn’t count. There were a few times he might’ve coerced affection out of his parents, but the naturalism of it didn’t last long after his quirk manifested. Touya had been the first experiment, then Natsuo was conceived not long after his failure was announced. Natsu at least managed to manifest his quirk in a more timely manner which prompted Shoto’s birth, but the moral of the story was that Yumi might’ve been the only ‘wanted’ pregnancy. They were nearly a year apart and she never seemed to be subjected to the same criticisms. Endeavor was a sh*t of a father to all his children, but Fuyumi seemed to be the only one that came out of childhood with her soul intact.

The therapist scribbled something in his notebook.

“And the first thought that comes to mind when you think of your father?”

Touya clenched his fists reflexively. Hatred? Bloodlust? Getting the sh*t beat out of him as a kid? The disappointment in that man’s eyes? The waning interest as his siblings began to replace him? His first, of many, third degree burns?

“His hideous fire mustache.” He replied in an irritated tone, narrowing his eyes at the man as a warning to drop the subject. The man scribbled in his notebook again.

“How about the League of Villains, can you tell me about them and Shigaraki?”

Touya’s expression softened as he pursed his lips. Again with the League? Since he was captured he wasn’t entirely sure what’d happened to Shigaraki and the rest, for all he knew they could’ve escaped or they could all be dead. Not like the decay villain busted him out of prison yet or attempted to kill him while he was still inside, so he couldn’t be doing all that well.

“What’s there to tell, I thought you caught them all already?” He asked, attempting to play the role of the dumb blond. Technically his hair was white, but it was close enough.

“I, err… Just getting clues to the puzzle.” He tried to answer, coughing into his fist before scribbling more things down.

The session continued for an hour with Touya giving vague and mostly inaccurate answers while the grad student therapist tried his best to extract information from him. The best he managed to do was find out Touya didn’t like fish, and so the following week when he was summoned for his next appointment, he was given a paper cup containing a little white pill and a large yellow pill. Touya scoffed and swallowed them both, realizing he’d lost his chance to skirt by with an easy nincompoop of a quack and might be walking into some meeting with Freud’s direct descendant.

An old man with white hair gruffly indicated to take a seat on the chaise lounge and Touya returned the gesture with a glower of displeasure. He flopped down on the furniture and laid against the arm rest with his feet propped on the lounge part, staring up at the ceiling. The doctor cracked open a new notebook and asked about some aspect of his life to which Touya let out a forlorn sigh, turning to give the man heartfelt, shimmering eyes.

“I just wanted a puppy, not three little siblings to steal away mommy and daddy’s attention.”

The next week he was handed his paper cup and found a red pill along with a little white pill, and he couldn’t help snorting out a chuckle before he swallowed them.

In the office was a middle-aged balding man in a dress shirt and sweater vest. He, too, cracked open a new notebook and placed the tip of his pen at the first line and Touya briefly wondered how many notebooks he was going to ruin with these therapy sessions.

“What prompted you to join the League of Villains?” He inquired, giving the young man a warm smile. Touya raised an eyebrow, frowning at the man like he’d just asked the dumbest question in the world. He was sitting on the lounge with his arms draped over the arm and back rest with one knee crossed over the other. He used both hands to gesture to himself, then at his exposed arms.

“The strip joints didn’t find the burn scars very appealing.”

The next week there were two little white pills along with a large green one and Touya frowned bitterly. He reached into the cup and removed one of the white ones, setting it on the stainless-steel tray and looked up at the officer.

“No.” Was all he said, then picked up the paper cup and rattled the medication inside. “Yes.”

The man snarled angrily and handed the tray to his partner before leaving the room to presumably make a phone call. A few minutes later he returned and angrily gestured for the other man to let him only take the two pills. Touya smirked at the display and swallowed what was in the cup, then was yanked roughly to his feet and shoved in the direction of the door.

This time they went into a different office with a different chaise lounge. This one was cloth and consequently didn’t make the same tooty noises he so greatly enjoyed. The psychotherapist was another middle-aged man with a trendy haircut, nice slacks, dress shoes, and a tasteful dress shirt left unbuttoned on the top with the sleeves rolled up. He was thankful that, in this moment, he was capable of admitting his daddy issues as he enjoyed the view.

“Can you describe all the locations the League of Villains have occupied during your time with them?”

Touya hummed thoughtfully and pinched his chin with his first finger and thumb in mock contemplation. He had one knee crossed over the other as he leaned into the lounge chair and bounced his foot up and down.

“Ya know, it’s hard to recall.” He answered slowly, rubbing his chin. “Perhaps, instead of mental stimulation, if there was some physical stimulation instead…” He purred, glancing back at the man to see him regarding the younger with a look of repulsive disbelief. Clueless too? Even more appetizing. “Perhaps then I’d be able to recall some details.”

He expected the comment to land him in solitary confinement, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. Of course, it would’ve been worth it.

The next week, Touya picked up the little cup and instantly felt the weight of it. His expression was quickly embittered as he looked in and found it three quarters of the way full of colorful pills. Slapping the tray out of the officer’s hands hadn’t been the most responsible reaction to the sight, and neither was biting the other officer that attempted to detain him. He struggled under the weight of five grown men as they held him down for an orderly to jab a tranquilizer needle in his neck. In no time at all he went limp in their clutches and was still semi-conscious as they strapped him to a gurney and wheeled him to the padded room of solitary confinement.

Touya watched the fluorescent lights above him pass one after another in the endless white halls, guarded by men in white tactical uniforms holding white assault rifles. He hated the color. He’d already soiled countless clothing articles whenever his ruined flesh cracked open and oozed blood and serum. He felt as the voices began crawling up the articulations of his spine, but he couldn’t shiver under the weight of the sedative. He watched helplessly as disembodied hands stretched out to wrap their cold clammy fingers around his throat and extremities, running their jagged nails through his hair and plucking one after another from his scalp. His eyes flew open as he let out a deafening scream, but his arms were restrained across his torso in a straight jacket, so he couldn’t stop the fingers from prying up the rough edges of his scars.

Touya shouted as his flesh was slowly peeled from his body, unable to distinguish reality from hallucination since his nerve endings were shot in the real world too. He struggled and squirmed as best he could to get away as his body tried to catch up with his mind. Blood pooled on the padded floor as he left a trail of flesh and gore the further he scooted away. Cheeks, lips, eyebrows, ears… bits and pieces were scattered across the floor and not a damned person did a f*cking thing to help.

Chapter 4: Help

Chapter Text

Fuyumi groaned dramatically and flopped her head down on the enormous desk of the Endeavor Agency’s Grand Command Office, as her father so named it when he still ran things. Now it was a haphazard juggle between the three Todoroki siblings with Burnin left to run around and attempt to decipher any semblance of what the hell was going on. Fuyumi initially tried balancing teaching and upholding her stake in the company, but that quickly fell to pieces and she reluctantly stepped away from her classroom with every intention of returning as soon as possible. However, with every passing day and every increasing heap of work piled on the massive wooden desk, that wasn’t looking possible until Shoto was officially named the head of the Endeavor Hero Agency.

She’d never set foot in this room once in her life before she’d inherited the suffocating responsibility and it was a far cry from how she’d found it. Mess cluttered every corner of the room with stacks of paperwork, not to mention her email inbox only read as 999+ now. She thought it’d be comforting not knowing the real number, but in the end it was just harrowing.

“How’d he do it, Moe?” Fuyumi whined, rolling her head to the side to look at the green-flame-haired pro-hero currently pouring her a cup of tea. Moe Kamiji offered the cup and saucer, reviving Fuyumi as she graciously accepted it and sat up to take a sip.

“Well, first of all, he never had to simultaneously plan a wedding.” She pointed out, pouring herself a cup as well. “And he never put energy into helping a sociopathic villain family member attempting rehabilitation coaching.” She continued, taking a seat in a second large office chair. It was nearly an exact copy of the one Fuyumi was sitting in since there was always at least two people occupying the desk trying to sift through legal documents and such. “Natsu did offer to take on some of the work, you know. And there’s always Shoto, you don’t have to do this by yourself.” She reminded Fuyumi, surveying the piles and grimacing at the sight.

“Natsu’s in his second year of college and Shoto’s in his second year of high school. They both need to focus on their schoolwork more than anything, so I don’t want to bother them with this stuff.” She relented, slouching in the oversized swivel chair with a displeased frown. “I’m doing what I can, but between the government, the shareholders, the unending complexities of hero law, and the lawyers, my brain is fried.” She confessed, closing her eyes and dropping her head against the backrest of the chair before letting out another whining groan.

“Whoa, this place sure has seen better days.” A chipper voice announced from the entrance of the room. Fuyumi and Burnin sprung to attention at the guests as their faces lit up with glee.

“Hawks! Best Jeanist!” They both announced, glad to see the two heroes entering.

“Heyo!” Hawks waved back with a charming grin. “Sorry to just let ourselves in like that, but now that I’m seeing things, it looks like you should’ve called a while ago.” He pointed out with a chuckle, his tone far from judgmental.

“I know, I know!” Fuyumi announced, hiding her face in her hands. “Everything’s just been so stressful, and I haven’t heard a single thing from dad! Not even one letter! Have either of you received anything, or do you know if he’s at least okay?” She asked, lowering her hands to give the two a worried expression. The two men exchanged a glance but were met with the same uncertain look. Hawks shook his head.

“Sorry, but there’s been nothing. It’s almost like he’s vanished… which is pretty impressive considering his personality and how recognizable he is.” Hawks pointed out, walking up to the desk and deciding on a pile to start with.

“Indeed. May the fabric of his jeans be as strong as his resolve.” Best Jeanist offered as a blessing, earning confused looks from the two women.

“Anyways, sorry to change the subject, but what’s this I hear about you trying to rehabilitate your brother?” Hawks asked, peeking over the top of a file folder with suspicious eyes. Fuyumi flushed at the realization that Hawks was one of the few people she knew intimately aware of what Touya was capable of. It’d taken a long time, much longer than normal, but his wings had eventually grown back. He’d confessed he lost some of the finer receptors in his feathers, along with his long blade feather, but nothing that would drastically change his lifestyle. After the war, the hero rankings had come out earlier than normal after so many had been lost. The sensational stories and magazine attempts at retelling the complicated records had left many with more questions than answers, and also left many heroes in tricky situations. Best Jeanist had jumped the ranking straight to number one after Endeavor stepped down while Hawks saw a dive in his rankings and found himself back in the seat of number five. Kamui Woods continued to sail to number three with gracious acceptance, and Mirko came in at number four which she smugly pointed out to the former number two hero whenever she had the chance. Hawks wasn’t too surprised at his decrease in rankings after the public found out about his involvement with the League, but he didn’t think it’d drop that much.

“I-I’m sorry, I know Touya did such a terrible thing but, I just…” Fuyumi trailed off, unsure how she could explain her thoughts to someone who’d had his back completely incinerated by her elder brother. Hawks lowered the folder to reveal a soft smile as he chuckled at her response.

“No need to apologize! Seriously, I think it’s great you see such potential, I just wanted to know how things were going.” He continued, his smile carefree and pleasant. Fuyumi worried her lower lip between her teeth before her eyes involuntarily filled with tears much to the shock of the three other occupants. “Hey, gosh, I’m sorry!” Hawks attempted, setting down the file and walking around the desk to take her hands in his.

“I-I’m sorry, I just…” Fuyumi was cut off as she choked on a sob. “It’s so stressful… Touya keeps getting into fights with his doctors and I know it isn’t going to be easy, and I know things aren’t going to magically become normal, but the lawyers say one thing, and the accountants say another thing… and the doctors all say different things…” She used a hand to push up her glasses as she wiped her tears and tried to compose herself. “I don’t know what to do, and dad would be so mad if he saw his office…!”

That was the last straw. Fuyumi broke down and collected Hawks, the unfortunate closest form of contact, into her arms as she sobbed into his shoulder. He panicked a moment, glancing between the other two heroes who kept their respectful distance and expected him to fix the situation. Hawks gave them an annoyed pout when he realized the duty was, literally, on his shoulder. He gently wrapped his arms around the crying young woman and patted her back, attempting to soothe her.

“Hey, now. You’re super strong for taking all that crap on and I really admire you.” He said, gently pushing against her shoulders to be able to look into her eyes. Round tears cascaded down her reddened cheeks as she sniffled pathetically. “And Endeavor might be one tough son of a gun, but he’s not here right now to fix his own messes. You’re here sucking it up and being the grown up, and that takes a lot of guts.”

Fuyumi tried to smile but it came out weak and she glanced away.

“We’re not going to let you do all this by yourself. Myself,” He stated, touching his hand to his chest before motioning to the number one hero standing on the other side of the desk. “AND Best Jeanist are here to help give some pointers about what it’s like to run an agency.”

Fuyumi turned and smiled a little stronger at the two heroes as they nodded in sync.

“Without a doubt, Yumi! We’re here for you, ok?” Burnin chimed in, giving her a thumbs up. Fuyumi forced a smile and used a hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Hawks then took her hand in his and led her away from the desk to a small seating area with two leather couches. He removed the files stacked on the cushion and indicated the seat to which she bashfully accepted. He then removed files from the other seat and dragged it closer, sitting and collecting her hands back into his.

“Tell me about everything.” He insisted, gazing wholly into her eyes and ignoring the peevish aura emanating from Best Jeanist when he realized Hawks was just using this as an opportunity to dump the paperwork onto him. He silently cursed the dubious younger hero but, nevertheless, got to work with Burnin trying to make sense of the piles surrounding them.

“Well,” She started, unable to hold onto his soulful gaze when she felt a well of tears brimming at her eyelids.

~0~

The last bell of the day at UA had chimed several minutes ago, scattering students out into the halls to head back to their dorms or take part in extra-curricular activities. Shoto Todoroki found himself walking alongside Izuku, Momo, and Mina as they had a brief stroll together on the way to their separate club activities.

“Can you guys even believe we’re going to be third years in a few months?!” Mina announced, her energy shooting far beyond what the other three were capable of.

“I know, I can hardly believe it!” Izuku replied, attempting to match her enthusiasm.

“It seems as if only yesterday we were taking our entrance exams and fighting against the League of Villains.” Momo continued, touching her cheek and looking off into the distance.

“Agreed. Being in class with everyone has certainly made the time fly by.” Shoto added, earning odd looks from the other three.

“Aww! Shoto, that’s so sweet!” Mina stated excitedly, bouncing up and down before scooping her fellow student into a hug. Shoto balked at the affection, not entirely sure how to handle it.

“Indeed, Todoroki. A delightful way to phrase it.” Momo continued with a smile lighting up her face.

“Yeah! Soon we’ll be third years working on our final class project. What do you think it’s going to be?” Izuku asked, his eyes sparkling with delight.

“Oh, come on, Deku! Get a clue!” Mina cackled with laughter, punching him in the arm harder than she meant. Izuku rubbed his arm. “We don’t wanna to think of some final class project, we wanna think about graduation and becoming official heroes!”

Izuku glanced away and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Y-Yeah, I guess you have a point there.” He offered lightly.

Shoto regarded him curiously, realizing Midoriya had a point. Their second year was more than halfway over and it was only a matter of time before they went into their third. Each class in the third year was also tasked with coming up with and completing a project together as a class. It could be about anything, even something not related to hero work, but it had to be something that’d span over the course of the year and have a positive impact on the community. Most classes chose something basic like community service, but Shoto had a feeling his class wouldn’t settle for something so blasé.

There was plenty of time to decide, but that didn’t stop his mind from coming up with a few ideas.

~0~

Touya felt his stomach leap into his chest as he stepped out of his cell. His wrists were cuffed together and he still wore his prison uniform, but it was a break in routine he was thankful for. He thought he’d lost his chance quite some time ago, but it seemed as if he might’ve finally caught a lucky break for once in his life. He was led down the hallways by a fun-filled team of officers armed to the teeth with weapons and unknown quirks. He tried to ignore them at first, but then he tried to focus only on them the closer they got.

He felt his breath begin to shallow, he gripped his hands so tight to hide the shaking they ended up shaking regardless. The corridor seemed to stretch impossibly as he placed one foot in front of the other, one step at a time, inch by inch, treading closer, floor tiles sliding beneath his shoes as they marched on and on and…

“You have one hour.” One of the officers interrupted Touya’s panicked thoughts as he stood embarrassingly rigid while the door was opened in and he was guided inside. He almost had a moment to wonder why they were being so gentle when his throat dried and he forgot how to breathe.

“Yumi.” He whispered, more on a reflex than a greeting. Fuyumi sat at what looked to be a metal interrogation table, her hands clasped with fingers threaded together. She gave him a warm smile, tears brimming in her eyes as she willed them not to fall.

Touya didn’t hear the door close behind him and didn’t even notice how long he was standing speechless before his little sister indicated the chair on the other side of the table as an offer for him to take a seat. He blinked, realizing he was being awkward just standing there and slowly and silently took a seat. Two officers were standing behind either side of the chair to ensure he didn’t try any funny business and as soon as they were out of his line of sight, they were out of his mind. Touya placed his cuffed hands on the table to mirror his sister’s. He admired their manicured finish; a stark contrast to his cracked and peeling fingertips. The engagement ring stood out even more pronounced on her smooth skin and he found himself wanting to ask about her partner. What were they like? How did they meet? When was the wedding? They were such domestic questions he felt like he was going to throw up.

“Touya.” Fuyumi breathed, unclasping her hands and stopping herself before she could reach across the table and take his hands in hers. Would he want that? Does he even want to see her now?

Don’t stop. Touya found himself thinking. He let out a heavy breath and lifted his gaze to finally meet with his sister’s. Her grey eyes were some tumultuous mix of anguish and relief, an absolutely foreign expression he’d never been subjected to before. It made him uncomfortable, but he couldn’t convince himself to turn away.

“H-How have you been?” Fuyumi asked, twiddling her thumbs. Touya blinked, having to take a moment to absorb the question. He figured the answer was obvious; this sh*t was sh*t. And he figured the expected response was even more cliché… just fine, all’s dandy, doing great… But you can’t let others worry, you can’t be a subject of burden, and you certainly can’t speak against the one person trying to help you in this whole godforsaken life-

“Abysmal.”

Touya blinked, wondering where that word could’ve possibly come from. No, you dumb f*ck, this is where you LIE!!

Great, now he was beginning to sound like Twice.

“O-Oh… really?” Fuyumi asked, glancing away and doing that thing where she bites the bottom of her lip. She might’ve grown up, but she was still the same little sister. “Well, it’s good for our case, but I’m so sorry to put you through something like that, truly I am!” She continued, turning back to him with a tear running down her cheek.

f*ck.

Her hands separated and pressed against the table’s surface, coming a bit closer to where his were.

Don’t stop.

“I managed to find some good help, he’s really done a lot and I don’t know how to thank him, but he helped me gather some useful information.” She began, turning away to dig through a shoulder bag she had sitting on the floor. Touya felt a pang of sadness course through his veins as she turned away from him, but it was only a matter of seconds before she was facing him again and holding a packet of paper. Touya blinked. “This is an unfinished contract. We’re still working out the details, but it essentially grants you liberties in exchange for information.”

Fuyumi slid the paperwork across the table to his hands, bridging the gap between them. “The lawyers are drawing up the rest of the contract, so nothing’s official yet, but we’re thinking about visitation access and maybe even getting you into a facility with more rehabilitation resources.”

Touya gently accepted the paperwork and lifted it slightly off the table, but without squinting obviously and bringing the whole document inches from his face, it was impossible to read. He thought about the prospect and what he’d been told by his so-called psychologists. He’d never personally been to therapy, or knew anyone who had, but it seemed like a massive waste of time and money to send in these fools with their interrogational questions. It only made sense if it was some ploy to get information on dismantling the League of Villains and Touya realized he was going to have to make a choice. He’d joined the organization knowing exactly where his allegiances allied, and it was only through mutual benefit that he worked alongside those lunatics. He wasn’t willing to die for Shigaraki, and his personal goals took precedence, but that didn’t mean he was willing to sell out whatever remained of the League for peanuts.

“Where is Endeavor?” Touya asked, flicking his gaze to meet his sister’s eyes. He regarded her warily, still waiting for all this to blow up in his face, but he had to take a chance or risk staying in this drab place the rest of his life. Fuyumi was rendered speechless as an internal battle flitted through her eyes. From their last meeting he remembered she’d been instructed not to reveal any outside information, but in order to earn his trust she was going to have to break some rules. Fuyumi glanced away, presumably at the guards standing behind him before she took a large breath.

“Might I remind you he’s not allowed to hear any outside…”

“Dad hasn’t been home in months, and no one’s heard from him since. We don’t even know if he’s still in the country and he gave up his spot as number one.” She blurted out quickly, sending the guards into a flurry of motion as two others appeared from the corners of the room and stood beside her, motioning for her to stand up. Fuyumi glanced up at the imposing officers with a bit of panic, and Touya found himself torn between shock at the news and being impressed by his sister’s rebelliousness. She eventually complied, standing and deathly afraid she’d just ruined any chance Touya might’ve had at getting the help he needed. The squeak of a chair being pushed back caught her attention and before she could even weigh the consequences, Fuyumi brushed past the officers and rounded the table. She dove beneath her brother’s handcuffed arms and wrapped him up in hers, trying not to focus on how small and fragile he felt in her grasp.

“Touya-nii, please… I can’t do this without your help.” She begged, tears cascading from her eyes as she squeezed her brother tighter. Touya felt his joints lockup at the physical contact as his breath caught in his throat. Her face was buried in the crook of his neck, her arms wrapped around his back pressed against every bit of surface area they could manage, and he stood there with a dumbfounded expression.

Voices attempted to pry them apart.

“I don’t want to lose you, never again.”

Hands attempted to pry them apart.

“Please, please, Touya-nii!”

Touya finally managed to snap himself from his stupor and tightened his grip around his sister, grimacing before he spoke.

“You have to get me out of here.” He instructed, causing Fuyumi to glance up at him from where she was still leaning into his shoulder. She regarded him with shock, wanting to point out it was damn-near impossible, but instead nodded her head resolutely.

Touya grit his teeth, wondering how bad the repercussions were going to be. If Shigaraki was still out there and found out he talked, he was certainly going to find himself in a world of trouble.

“Next week, after this little hero task force investigates my lead, you’d better be back here.” He stated, his eyes more intense than necessary. Fuyumi nodded again and Touya raised his arms to release his sister. She took a moment to step back, not wanting this to be over when they hadn’t used up the entire hour, but in no time they were separated by the officers and Fuyumi was escorted out of the room. The door was shut and she found Shoto and Keigo with anxious expressions carefully approaching her.

“Man, that was intense! Are you alright?” Hawks asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into a side hug.

“Y-Yeah, I’m alright.” She relented, giving the two an unconfident smile.

“You did great in there, honest. It looks like we’re really getting somewhere with this which is impressive.” Hawks continued, holding up a fist to give her a fist bump. She smiled and obliged, not feeling quite as accomplished as the pro hero was making it sound. Someone cleared their throat behind Fuyumi and the three turned to find an officer giving Hawks a look. The Todorokis turned to him, receiving an innocent smile as he stepped around.

“Shoto, take Yumi home and both of you get some rest. I’m going to stick around and see what I can do here.” Hawks stated, giving them a pleasant smile. The siblings exchanged a look, but eventually conceded and were escorted out.

Chapter 5: Rehabilitation

Chapter Text

Naomasa Tsukauchi leaned back in his chair with a withering sigh, raising his first finger and thumb to massage the bridge of his nose between his eyes. Papers lay disorganized and scattered over his desk, their corners rumpled and creased after having been shuffled around a dozen times. He’d gone through the evidence more than he’d like to admit and spent the last week pouring over every detail, every outcome, and every hypothetical affect he could possibly imagine, and it got him nowhere.

“It’s a pretty convincing deal, if you ask me.” Hawks observed from the other side of Tsukauchi’s desk. The detective regarded him with narrow eyes, still not entirely sure how to read the young hero. For the most part he was open about his opinions and honest almost to a fault, but something about this situation seemed off.

“That’s what makes it so dangerous.” He replied, repositioning himself in his chair and clearing his throat. “Touya Todoroki revealed six locations with Meta Liberation Army ties, two of which were abandoned and clearly had been for months, three were hastily vacated likely after catching wind of the raid operations, and the last one we were able to make several arrests, including one high ranking officer.” He listed off, picking up a folder and letting it drop back onto the desk. “It was clean, it was straightforward, and not a single operative on our side got so much as a bruise.”

Hawks leaned back into his chair and tapped his chin with his first finger.

“You know, if we’re going to keep pressing him for information, we’ll have to start meeting his demands.” Hawks stated, earning another grumpy expression from the older man. “He’s been attending his mandatory counseling meetings, he behaves under normal instances such as mealtime and lights out, and he’s never used his quirk against another person while in this facility.” The pro hero pointed out. Tsukauchi huffed an annoyed sigh.

“It hasn’t even been a year, and his behavior is less than stellar on average.” He reasoned back, fixing the younger man with a calculating frown.

“And who knows what other information we could be missing out on. If we’d had this knowledge months ago, we could’ve made significantly more arrests.”

Tsukauchi was willing to admit the blond was right, but that didn’t make him happy about it. He closed his eyes and rolled his head from side to side, feeling several satisfying pops in his neck as he let out another breath.

“We still need to wait and see before we do anything drastic, but I do think we can grant nonpermanent transfer requests once a week in the interest of attending group rehabilitation programs.” He relented, opening his laptop to pull up some files.

Keigo blinked from the shock, not sure if he was more taken aback by Dabi being granted liberties, or his own personal feelings of accomplishment for facilitating them.

“Considering your history with him, your opinion is certainly highly regarded. And if you think this is the right step to take, then I’ll approve it.” Tsukauchi gave him a hesitant look, trying to convey his thoughts through his eyes that Keigo had the right to say no. The pain was mostly gone from the burns on his back, and he’d gotten used to the feeling of the scars. Every once in a while he’d catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror after taking a shower and have to do a double take. The scarring wrapped over his shoulders and neck, and when he was lost in thought not paying them mind, they’d startle him until he remembered what happened.

“I think if he sticks with the program and is truly interested in rehabilitation, then he should have the support he needs.” Hawks replied, confident in his words. Tsukauchi let a long moment of silence pass between them, allowing the hero to take those words back if he so desired, but Hawks was firm in his resolve.

“Alright, but there is one more matter to take care of.” He muttered, turning back to his laptop screen. “Normally they’d be assigned at random, but in the case of the ‘Aspiring Former Villain’ Dabi, Touya Todoroki, we’re going to need a benefactor that will not only be able to relate to and inspire him to succeed, but also handle the situation if something were to go wrong.”

Hawks blinked twice, trying to absorb that information.

“I can’t think of a person more qualified than you.” Tsukauchi stated, unplugging his laptop and turning it to face the pro hero. Keigo stared at the application form, then back up at the detective.

“Y-You want me to be his probation officer?” He asked hesitantly. Tsukauchi lightly shrugged his shoulders and tipped his head side to side with a grimace on his lips.

“Not… exactly. It’s more like a life coach. He’ll have a team of probation officers he’ll check in with, but if things continue on with his good behavior, he’ll need someone there during any down time to continue to steer him in the right direction.”

Keigo blinked again, his expression practically vacant as he tried to process what he was told.

~0~

“And you said no, right??” Rumi Usagiyama demanded, jutting to the end of her seat with a pint of ice cream in one hand and a spoon attached to her prosthetic. The number four hero sat on a couch in Hawks’ apartment, having come over when he’d enticed her with Ben and Jerry’s and gossip. Keigo swallowed his bite of ice cream from his own pint and flicked a sheepish glance at her.

“Well…” He hedged, glancing away and up to his left.

“No!!” Rumi shouted, falling back into the couch and kicking her feet with laughter.

“I said I’d think about it!” Keigo defended, giving her a grumpy frown.

“I’ve been telling myself this since last year’s billboard, but you are without a doubt, one hundred percent, in love with him!!” She cackled, falling to her side on the couch as she continued to laugh. Hawks felt a dusting of pink light up his cheeks as he nearly choked.

“Rumi, what the hell! How could I possibly be in love with Dabi??” He shot back, balking at the thought. There’d certainly been some uncomfortable situations, and the guy didn’t understand much about other peoples’ personal space, but that didn’t mean she was allowed to make such weird accusations.

“NO!! Not him, you dumbass!” She continued, trying to reel herself in when the idea of Fried Chicken being with Staple Face made her laugh even harder. “First you tease him on live television, then you constantly team up with him, then you practically take over his agency while running your own, now you’re trying to get his long-lost son out of prison??”

Keigo’s face went from a dusting of pink to a deep crimson red as his eyebrows tried to disappear into his hairline. This time he really did choke and had to set his ice cream aside as he doubled over coughing.

“Not to mention the action figures. Yeah, don’t think I didn’t notice those.” Rumi pointed out with a snigg*r, jerking her head to indicate the electric fireplace mantle behind her. Atop it were two mint condition Endeavor action figures, still in box. They were the only things in his apartment that might allude to his inner fanboy and he internally justified them by insisting they were collectors items and worth a fortune.

“I-I’m not…” He croaked in between coughs, wiping the tears from his eyes as he tried to remember to breathe.

“You’re so in love with Endeavor it’s kinda gross, but mostly endearing.” She said, taking another bite of ice cream. She’d gotten the ‘Dish-Mantle The Establish-Mint’ flavor whereas Keigo got the ‘Todoroki’ flavor which was a red and white swirled cherry-vanilla ice cream and all proceeds went to burn victims. Hawks wasn’t too sure if Shoto understood the implications of the PR stunt when he’d been asked to be a celebrity spokesperson, but the ice cream was delicious and Endeavor likely wasn’t in town to throw a tantrum about it.

“Don’t go saying weird stuff like that!” He demanded, shooting her a dirty look. Mirko gave him a devious smile and Hawks deepened his frown. “Stop it! He’s someone I admire, and I feel bad for Fuyumi!” He tried to reason, falling back into his seat and turning his attention to his pint of Todoroki ice cream.

“Whatever you say, short stack. Just don’t go getting yourself burned again.” Rumi stated, giving him a much friendlier smile. Keigo pouted at the implications, but other than the crude undertone, she had a point.

~0~

Touya sat contently in the back of a police cruiser as he was being driven to the second largest maximum-security prison in Japan. It wasn’t anything like where he stayed or Tartarus, those were significantly more secure and meant for the worst of the worst types of criminals, the most dangerous people imaginable. Instead, this facility was meant to house dangerous criminals with more normal infractions. Murderers, rapists, thugs, gang members, the usual contestants in the crime world. They were given large sentences for heinous crimes, but weren’t necessarily domestic terrorists. This facility also apparently had the strongest program for rehabilitating villains which is where he was going this fine afternoon.

He'd met face to face with Yumi again the other day, this time getting an entire hour to talk. They were even allowed to do so in private with no interference so long as the lawyer was there. The majority of their time was spent talking about his upcoming official trial, something he didn’t realize would take so long to actually have. Apparently, the court had to take a lot of time to compile all types of evidence against him, but it seemed to be working in his favor as he cooperated with authorities and won some brownie points here and there. He was informed that the doctors he met with weren’t entirely truthful with their credentials, their methods of subduing him with tranquilizer drugs were outdated, and he had a strong case of pleading criminally insane which would either reduce his sentence or save him from the death penalty. In short, the sh*tty treatment he was receiving worked in his favor to potentially get him out of prison, and if he continued being a good boy, he’d be given more liberties.

That, and hearing about Muscular being arrested again downright hilarious. He was still giggling at the thought of the brainless muscle-head in handcuffs.

He wondered how hard it was going to be to contact Shigaraki or any of the remaining League once he was out. Should he form his own League? Decisions, decisions…

When they arrived he was escorted in, given a basic frisk, and sent through a scanner. Everything came back clear and he was led through the prison. They walked through a wide hall with two floors of cells on either side. Touya looked forward without a modicum of interest at who was staring at him from behind the bars they passed, listening as the men whispered to one another.

“Ain’t that the crazy blue flame guy?”

“Dude’s my hero, every League of Villains member is.”

“Dabi? That guy’s nuts, he can kill all of us!”

Touya suppressed a smirk, glad at least one person understood.

They entered the cafeteria and he was led to a corner where a man was setting up a few small supplies like a rolling whiteboard along with a small stack of blank paper and crayons. Touya took a seat and was handed paper and offered the cup of crayons. He blinked at the sight, realizing it probably wasn’t a good idea to trust an inmate with pencils or pens and picked the pink one. ‘Tickle me Pink’ was apparently the name and it had quite the sharp point compared to the other much more favored colors like black, blue, and brown.

Eventually a buzzer sounded for recreation time and the rest of the group came strolling in, grabbing a sheet of paper and their own crayons. Ten men plus Touya sat at the tables with two guards standing behind their guest. The man in charge cleared his throat.

“Welcome back everybody, as you can see we have a guest so we’ll be starting with introductions. My name is Tom, I’ve been a guidance counselor for six years and got my certification right after completing my own prison sentence of eleven years.” Tom stated, receiving a chorus of ten voices.

“Hello, Tom.” The inmates replied in bored unison. Touya kept his face neutral.

Another man introduced himself as a bank robber with a silent quirk, he could make anything silent like alarms, screams, or basic noises within a radius up to ten feet. He was a preschool teacher best known for his ability to create silent napping spaces for the kids to rest well, but when his own kid became deathly ill and the bills piled up he turned to a life of crime.

Another man said he was a voyeur. He’d sneak into restrooms and film people over the stalls and when he was apprehended by law enforcement he used his fingernail lengthening quirk to stab the officers. His dream was to become a hand model since his hands were very effeminate looking and he could grow his nails to whatever length to have them painted.

Touya cringed at the company he was choosing to keep, suddenly missing the League of Villains. At least their kind of crazy made sense to him.

The rest introduced themselves and then it was Touya’s turn.

“My name is Touya, and I have a fire quirk.”

Silence washed through the group, no one offered to clap or greet him back and he found himself thankful for it.

“Welcome, Touya.” Tom stated, offering a clap but let it die out when no one joined him. He cleared his throat. “Would you like to tell us something about yourself? The goal of these sessions is to gain trust by giving trust.”

Touya bit back a sarcastic remark and thought about it for a moment.

“My sister is getting married in a few weeks and I don’t know anything about her partner. I’m working to build up relationships I’ve missed out on over the years.”

It wasn’t a total lie, seeing Yumi again had done something funny to his head and knowing Endeavor was knocked off his pedestal and hiding somewhere didn’t make being a villain particularly appetizing. The only thing left was to get out of this dump and track down his useless father to finish what he started.

The rest of the sessions continued with more sharing and emotions. Touya was thankful he was new and therefore not called on to join in, and when the session ended he used whatever manners he could scrape together to thank Tom for his time before being escorted back through the prison.

Recreation time was still going on and Touya looked forward, ignoring the catcalls and words of encouragement from his fans as he passed by. They begged him to look their direction, acknowledge them in anyway, and he disregarded every single one. They couldn’t throw things at him, but they certainly threw things near him and finally someone had the gall to bump into him. Touya stumbled and his guards raised their batons, threatening everyone to take a step back. He rolled his shoulder, knowing whoever it was didn’t do it on accident and glanced up to meet the stranger’s eyes.

“Apologies, didn’t see you there.” The man said in a low and dangerous tone. Touya didn’t recognize him, he was a man of average height, burnt eyebrows, bad teeth, and weird fluffy brown hair. Nothing particularly interesting stood out about him and he didn’t feel like throwing his progress away for an overenthusiastic fan.

“I suggest you watch where you’re going then.” He stated, waiting for the other to step aside. The prison shoes he wore did no favors for his height, not that the man was very tall to begin with, but Touya always dreamed of being able to look down on people like his father one day.

The man snickered and held out a hand. “The name’s Takami.” He introduced and Touya felt the sinister grin before he could contain it.

Interesting.

“Out of the way, inmate!” One of the guards announced, standing between the two. Takami eventually conceded and stepped aside, giving Touya a cold look as he passed by.

“Apologies, not allowed to touch anyone.” Touya said with a sly grin, rattling the handcuffs. “Give your son my warmest regards.”

With that he turned and continued on his way back to his own detention facility.

Chapter 6: Appointment

Chapter Text

Wake up came like usual and breakfast came like usual. It wasn’t a therapy day and it wasn’t a group day. So, when Touya was informed he was required somewhere, his suspicion skyrocketed.

“You have an appointment.” The officer stated gruffly, his annoyance audible. Touya wanted to roll his eyes and set the man on fire.

“An appointment for what, exactly?” He asked, returning the same lack of enthusiasm.

“Above my paygrade; some lady-doctor flew in from Germany.” The man replied, gesturing for the door as an indication to hurry up. Touya found himself cuffed and being led out like he was going to a villain rehabilitation meeting. He tried to think of what could possibly warrant such a trip to the outside world when he felt his heart wrench in his chest and all the blood drain from his face.

Weren’t they supposed to warn him before something like this?

Muffled commands attempted to force him from his disorientation, but he stood like a statue with his eyes fixed unfocused in front of himself. His new therapist was a well-put together woman, everything about her was efficient and practical. Anytime Touya tried to throw her off a question because he didn’t want to answer it, she’d turn it into a lesson about how therapy was a necessary chore. It wasn’t a fix-all to feel warm and fuzzy inside, it wasn’t an excuse to wallow in self-pity, and it wasn’t easy. He wondered what she’d say as he refused to take a step towards an opportunity most sane people would jump for. There was nothing else it could be; they were really going to bring him to a scar removal appointment.

He'd heard about people with skin grafting quirks making up an incredibly rare amount of the population while raking in substantial earnings depending on their skill. The rich and famous employed them for vanity, they donated time to impoverished victims of horrible accidents, and the pharmaceutical company owning Botox outlawed the use of their quirks in the United States. Touya wasn’t necessarily proud of his scars and admittedly didn’t like to look at them, especially since fighting Shoto and Endeavor in the war burned up the last bits of unmarred skin he’d had. After his arrest he was even surprised he had a full head of hair.

However, they’d become almost like a certificate of accomplishment for him. A reminder of endurance and perseverance in a life that wished to see him trampled. They were a physical manifestation of society’s unwillingness to accept outcasts, fear in the comfortable lives of the ignorant, and proof that heroes are a lie. All the wrong he’d done, all the people he’d killed, and for what? For others to throw it in his face and remind him of his failures? For his father to come back from whatever corner of the Earth he was hiding and remind him of his disappointment? He’d end up some poor sad story between the pages of a paperback novel, or a dismal Netflix documentary on the criminally insane. Everything he’d accomplished would be washed away, every facet of his being lost in some cosmetic tabloid, and every person stumbling upon his story would weigh the atrocities he’d caused against his new socially acceptable features.

His gasping brought him back to reality when he finally understood he was having a full-on panic attack. He glanced around, trying to find anything of comfort only to be met with an endless expanse of white. His hands shook violently, he was on his knees in the middle of the hall, shouting rattled his brain, and he’d never wanted to raze a structure to the ground so desperately like he did now.

~0~

“Natsuo, that’s not how they’re supposed to go!!” Fuyumi cried, rushing over to take charge of the centerpiece her brother was trying to craft. She was getting married in less than a week, and everything was nearly complete save for the last of the decorations. She’d employed her two brothers to help her against their will as they attempted to construct her artistic visions and the two young men exchanged an exasperated look.

“I think they look wonderful, dear.” Her mother complimented from where she was seated in the living room, relishing in the beautiful family moment. They were all in the Todoroki household since Enji hadn’t come back in months. Rei had been over a few times with good results, so Fuyumi invited her to the crafting party on the condition that she didn’t get too overwhelmed with the activities.

Fuyumi sighed, knowing she’d look back on these memories and smile, but in the moment it was just stressful. “I don’t suppose you’re handy with a glue gun too, are you Hawks?” She asked, turning to the young man curled up on a sofa with a laptop on his lap. He was scrolling through something with a bland expression, not pay attention to what was going on which made Fuyumi a little testy.

“Hawks!” She barked, narrowing her eyes at him as he jumped a bit and gave her a startled look.

“Sorry, was organizing some files there. What did you say?” He asked, trying to be understanding, but also wanting the remind the stressed-out bride to be that he’d been singlehandedly running two hero agencies over the past few weeks. He briefly remembered the cackling laugh from Rumi when she found out he was still offering the Todoroki family his services and entertained the idea that his involvement might have quite the conflict of interest considering how much he now knew about his peer’s agency. Whatever money the Todorokis raked in was hardly from Enji’s government checks; the guy was smart and had dozens of sources of income to the point where it felt bottomless. Even accidentally seeing Fuyumi’s checking account info was enough of a shock to make his eyes bug out of his head.

“A glue gun? Can’t say I’ve ever tried.” He stated, hoping that was a polite enough decline. It was midmorning, too late to be considered early, but too early to be considered a day off. At first, coming over to the Todoroki household had been a treat since it was practically a castle, but as he spent more and more days there he was starting to miss the views of his skyscraper apartment.

“Please! Just for a little bit? I can’t watch Natsuo ruin another centerpiece.” She begged, indicating his attempts at helping. Natsuo balked.

“C’mon, sis! That’s just mean.” He complained, setting down his glue gun and giving her a pout. Fuyumi groaned at the childish retort.

“Natsuo, please! I’m already stressed enough. I still have to get the banners, the florist isn’t returning my texts, the caterer is being impossible, not to mention I still have to deal with the lawyers and Touya!” She reminded him, stomping her foot like an angry teenager. Natsu blinked, his expression souring as he glanced away.

“Maybe you’re taking on too much, sis.” He stated quietly, his eyes holding a hint of shame. Fuyumi gave him a look of confusion.

“He’s our brother, Natsu. Our oldest sibling. I can’t just let him be alone after finding out he’s been alive all these years!” She stated, her voice rising to get her point across. Hawks cringed at the family drama, suddenly wishing he could disappear.

“Don’t you think if he wanted to come back, he would’ve?” Natsu asked sharply, giving his sister a pointed frown. She stepped back with a look of shock, not expecting to hear something like that. Natsu felt a touch of guilt for his words, but he also knew they were reasonable.

“Natsu’s right, you know. He might be our brother, but he’s responsible for a lot of harm.” Shoto reminded her. His centerpieces were coming out mostly correct as he set another one aside.

“How could you say that, Shoto? Am I the only one who cares about Touya?” She asked, tears pooling in her eyes much to the distress of the men in the room. Natsu and Shoto tried to reassure her that wasn’t true, only that Touya had a lot he was going through and it wasn’t right to sacrifice her own mindfulness if he wasn’t going to reciprocate the effort.

Hawks sank further into the couch he was occupying, pretending like he was disappearing into nothingness as he turned back to his laptop and tried to tune out the room. A notification suddenly caught his attention and he was thankful for the distraction as he went to open it. He read it through, his forehead creasing with confusion the longer he read as his eyebrows slowly knit together.

“What is it, Keigo?” Rei asked, giving him an inquisitive look. Hawks blinked, still not used to hearing his own name and turned back to his laptop.

“Were you guys aware Touya was scheduled for his scar removal appointment today?” He asked, glancing between the Todoroki siblings. They all gave him a bewildered expression before sharing a glance with one another.

“Today??” Natsu shouted, jumping to his feet and knocking over a few centerpieces when he bumped into the table.

“Weren’t they supposed to tell us when it was scheduled??” Shoto questioned irately, unlocking his phone and furiously scrolling through his calendar and email.

“W-What are we going to do?? We can’t let him go alone!” Fuyumi cried out, gripping Natsu’s arm and shaking him forcefully. “When is it??” She asked, turning to Hawks. The pro hero shrunk under her demanding gaze and read through the email in more depth.

“In a few hours, it seems.” He replied, glancing back up to see all three siblings staring at him. Something about the look in their eyes made him start looking for the nearest exit.

“A few hours?? Call them! Call anyone, we have to get there!” Fuyumi declared, shaking Natsu again. Shoto stood up and snatched Hawks’ laptop without a word, much to his annoyance.

“We wouldn’t make it in time in a car,” He stated, looking up the address of the hospital it was taking place at, “but we would make it if we flew.”

Hawks pursed his lips, suddenly realizing he was being involuntarily signed up for one hell of a workout.

“Oh!! Yes!!” Fuyumi shouted, jumping for joy. “Please?? Please Hawks??” She asked, running up to him and holding his hands in her own. The pro hero stared at her, mystified and wondering what it was like to have the nerve to ask someone to essentially run for hours on end while also carrying someone…

He stared into her glittering eyes and willed himself the strength to say no. Just as he thought he could muster the courage to shoot down this poor girl’s dreams, he groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Fine, I’ll do it.” He relented, slumping further into his seat as she jumped for joy.

“Thank you, thank you!” She announced, removing her sweater. Hawks gave her an odd look, wanting to remind her that flying through the air was going to get pretty cold. “Shoto can use his fire to carry me, and you can carry Natsu.” She stated before running out of the room to grab her shoes.

Hawks felt his jaw drop open.

“Great idea, sis!” Natsuo declared, following after with Shoto right behind him. Hawks watched them go, mentally noting the middle son certainly had with father’s height and build, before shaking his head.

“Wait, but doesn’t Yumi have an ice quirk?” He asked himself, wondering if he’d heard that right.

“Indeed, she does.” Rei replied, startling Hawks when he forgot she was there. “But she also has her father’s ability to withstand high temperatures.”

Hawks blinked, absorbing that information when he suddenly realized something.

“Wait, so she has the opposite powers as Touya?” He asked, realizing the eldest Todoroki sibling could produce flames and also withstand extremely frigid temperatures. Rei nodded.

What a weird family… He thought.

Chapter 7: Scars

Chapter Text

Hawks came in for a crash landing through the passenger drop off lane in front of the hospital, depositing Natsuo none too gently and rolling several times before he settled on his back. He desperately gulped in air, pressing his shoulder blades into the ground and spreading his wings as his chest heaved up and down. Shoto and Fuyumi landed shortly after with the youngest Todoroki not fairing much better.

“C’mon, we have to hurry!” Fuyumi insisted, pointing into the hospital and urging the two heroes to get a move on. Hawks groaned pathetically before something cast a shadow over him and he looked up to find Shoto extending a hand, still trying to steady his breath.

“Yeah, hurry up Number Five!” The familiar voice of Mount Lady announced. Hawks and Shoto glanced up, finding her along with Kamui Woods waving to them from the automatic doors.

“What’re they doing here?” Shoto asked, giving a small wave back.

“Gave ‘em a call… figured we could use… all the help we could get… if anything happened.” Hawks explained between breaths, eventually sitting up and accepting Shoto’s outstretched hand to help him stand. When he was vertical, he rolled his shoulders and fluttered his wings, knowing he’d be unimaginably sore tomorrow as he tipped his head from one side to the other.

“You mean if Touya goes wild.” Shoto observed quietly. Keigo gave him a solemn glance, silently admitting his assumptions before he gave the younger a wink and held a finger to his lips, then pointed to Fuyumi. Shoto gave the man a somewhat surprised look, understanding what he meant, and nodded his head.

“Your feline fantasies are here!!”

Hawks and Shoto jumped at the announcement, not noticing the Wild, Wild puss*cats until they were practically next to them. The former number two hero, now number five hero, let out a diminutive shriek as he found himself being engulfed in the arms of a large man before he was thrown over the shoulder of Tiger like a sack of flour.

“And the puss*cats?” Shoto asked, folding his arms and giving Hawks a dubious look. The blond shrugged his shoulders.

“Their agency is in the area.”

As they headed for the doors Hawks tried protesting his treatment but Tiger insisted, citing that he watched the man eat sh*t across the pavement before gasping for air like someone saved seconds away from drowning.

~0~

Touya sat on the ground on the side of the hospital exam table hidden from the door. He felt like a little kid with his knees pulled up to his chest, his arms wrapped over his knees, and head resting on his arms.

Then again, little kids aren’t handcuffed and locked away in super max facilities.

He wondered if he would’ve gotten into UA if he’d ever gone to high school. He thought about looking up the year of his graduating class, seeing his potential classmates and imagining what those lost years would’ve been like.

His therapist had once asked him what he aspired to be as a child, what his greatest dream had been. He reminded her of his sh*tty father’s expectations for his little creations and she shook her head.

“What about after? What would come next?”

Next? What do you mean next? After he succeeded in surpassing his father? When he got the chance to live the other man’s dreams and goals? When he accomplished everything his father desired? Next, after that?

What was next?

He’d had to literally bite his tongue before the answer blurted itself out. He’d honestly almost forgotten it until this nosey woman went poking around in his business and started pointing out all the things Touya worked so hard to bury. It was the same goal as every other snot-nosed brat; to be the number one hero.

How could he forget about that?

He exhaled a breath of hot air and reminded himself to calm down. There was no avoiding it, so there was no use running from it. He wanted to watch the anguish on Endeavor’s face as the flames he passed down incinerated his precious successors. He’d burned Shoto pretty badly in their fight, and nearly gotten Natsu killed, but forcing his old man to watch his long-lost eldest son descend into madness as his inherited fire scorched whatever remained of him had been so satisfying.

He still had work to do and being able to go wild without charring what remained of his ligaments would be helpful.

Afterall, these incentives were only gifted to him upon the delivery of information of the League of Villains, and whatever remained of the Meta Liberation Army. He wasn’t some charity case, and he certainly wasn’t going to be adopted by society as a loveable mascot upon his successful completion of villain rehab. He was a puppet used for the extraction of information, just another cog in the machine as he was used up until he was worn out. Once he spilled every secret, he’d be cast aside and left to rot in prison as some sick attempt at courtesy. They’d give him a new face and pretend it’s what he wanted, when all along it was hero society baring its ugly visage.

Voices caught his attention and he perked up, reminding himself there was no way Yumi could be here right now just before his sister burst into the room and frantically dashed inside.

“Touya-nii??” She asked, panicking when she couldn’t find him right away. Her heart dropped, wondering if he’d escaped out a window before realizing these ones barely had an egress, and they were on the sixth floor. She swept the room with her eyes once more before she locked onto the perplexed gaze of her brother sitting on the floor on the far side of the exam table.

“Yumi? What’re you doing here?” He asked, having to sit up straight and crane his neck to be able to look over the exam table at her. Her face brightened with elation when she found his scruffy white hair and brilliant blue eyes, dashing around the table and collapsing to her knees to snuggle up beside him.

“I’m so sorry, I had no idea! And then Hawks got an email and we rushed over here so fast!” She tried to explain, breathing heavy after having run through the hospital to his room. She didn’t even want to think about how many people she pissed off as Hawks, Kamui Woods, Mount Lady, and all four Wild, Wild puss*cats were trying to explain the situation to different prison guards and hospital staff between the entrance and this room on the sixth floor. She could hear Hawks and Shoto still arguing with the guards outside as Hawks insisted on playing his Safety Commission status by berating them for not beefing up security and how lucky they were he even got wind of this happening and showed up.

Touya’s eyes wandered to the door, also catching a few words from what sounded like Shoto and Keigo before his gaze fell on a surprising sight. Natsuo looked terribly uncomfortable standing at the room’s entrance, regarding his brother with such a sickeningly petrified expression it made him forget about the happy surprise of seeing his sister.

“Natsu! Come join us!” Fuyumi invited, waving a hand at him and beckoning him over. Touya stared at him with an emotionless scowl, wondering how much his younger brother was forcing himself to do this in order to appease Yumi. Natsuo’s face slowing dissolved and crumpled into anguish at the sight of his older brother in person; how injured he was and how angry he still was with the world. He’d died nearly ten years ago only to have been alive the entire time with his family moving on without him.

Touya watched, his expression turning to bafflement, as Natsu shuffled over and also dropped to his knees. Round tears scrolled down his cheeks and dripped from his chin, his grey eyes tormented by the understanding of how alone his brother had been all those years.

“T-Touya-nii…” He choked out, earning a shocked expression from the oldest Todoroki sibling right before the younger man reached out and wrapped the other up in his arms. He collected Touya from where he sat, receiving a strangled grunt as he squeezed his muscly arms around his brother and buried his face into the crook of his neck. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

Touya’s breath caught at those words, his eyes going wide. He felt as Yumi joined in on the hug, her shoulders shaking as well as she silently cried.

“Guten tag.” A voice spoke from the doorway. Fuyumi glanced up and found a woman greeting them as another also entered the room.

“Hello, sorry to intrude, but we’re here to see Touya Todoroki.” The second woman introduced, not having to guess very hard as to which on the floor was the patient. “My name is Yoko, and this is Dr. Fischer. She’ll be aiding you today and I’m her translator.”

Fuyumi hopped to her feet and ran up to greet the doctor, introducing herself along with the two others, as well as the other two in the hallway. They talked for a moment about various things as Touya shifted in his brother’s arms and turned so his shoulder pressed into his chest as he leaned against the younger, his head resting on his shoulder before letting out a deep exhale. Natsu recognized the anxiousness in his older brother, remembering him fretting over any new burn he got when they were kids since it’d disappoint dad.

He was impossibly thin compared to his hulking younger brother; Natsu got more of his dad’s bulk than he’d like to admit. Shoto was beginning to turn out the same as well, but he also spent considerably more time exercising.

“Dr. Fischer says its time to begin the procedure.” Yoko stated, directing the statement to the two still on the floor. Touya tensed in his brother’s arms, not wanting to remove himself from where he was situated. The doctor rattled something off in German.

“Dr. Fischer says your brother and sister are welcome to stay, if it makes you more comfortable.”

Touya was surprised how calm the statement made him feel. He felt the familiar hot well of pressure in his nose, but no tears could come out. He found himself chewing on his lower lip like his little sister and took a deep breath.

“Please stay.” He murmured quietly, preparing himself for the moment they rejected him.

“Of course, Touya-nii.” Natsu murmured back, squeezing him a little tighter for reassurance. Touya glanced up at the warm expression of his little brother and just enough strength managed to well up inside him to stand. He gingerly took a seat on the long end of exam table, cursing all the eyes he had on himself and wishing for this nightmare to be over. Fuyumi and Natsu followed suit as well, taking a seat on either side of him and gripping a hand in both of theirs.

“Y’know, Shoto’s come with me to most of our meetings. I’m sure he’d want to be in here right now, if that’s something you’re okay with.” Fuyumi pointed out softly, squeezing his hand in hers. He shot her a questioning look, wondering if he had to remind her about the city-leveling fight they’d had during the war. His mouth opened and closed trying to find the words, but in the end he reminded himself of something. Even if he’d killed them, he still would’ve mourned his siblings. After all, it wasn’t their fault they were the children of that man, it was just a means to an end.

“I’d like that.” He stated quietly, squeezing her hand back. She jumped up with excitement and ran to the door, collecting a very surprised Shoto by his wrist and dragging him into the exam room. He tried to stop his sister before she pulled him completely in, wanting to remind her it could undo months of hard work, but it was too late. Shoto gave his oldest brother a look of trepidation, ready to apologize and leave once he could persuade his sister to let go. Instead, he was led to the exam table and sat beside Touya, their shoulders practically touching as he felt himself being awkwardly rigid next to the former villain.

Fuyumi climbed onto the table behind Touya and leaned against him gently, placing her hands on his shoulders. Shoto cleared his throat and glanced away, running a hand through his hair right before he felt a poke on his thigh. He looked down and found Touya offering his empty hand as an invitation to take it. Shoto stared a moment, wondering if he should, when he saw Touya’s other had its fingers laced and gripped with Natsu’s. He gently followed suit, gripping his brother’s palm to palm as his other rested on top.

Touya looked up to meet the pleasant eyes of the doctor as she spoke again.

“It’s nice to see such family bonds, are you ready to begin?” Yoko translated from off to her side.

Touya felt a squeeze in his gut as the butterflies fluttered through his stomach and up into his chest. He squeezed his brothers’ hands involuntarily, receiving the same pressure in return and let out a shaky breath, nodding his head.

Dr. Fischer placed a hand on either side of his neck, her thumbs resting on his jawline as she got to work.

A tickling, itchy sensation shot down his spine into every corner of his body as she worked to undo the damage. Ravaged skin, scarred organs, years of self-inflicted torment, everything was being smoothed over by the hands of an expert. Her quirk took quite a bit of prep time to be given the best results; a tissue sample and original picture had been mailed to her months prior, along with a check written for a substantial amount of money. She’d turned down the request once, stating she wasn’t in the business of aiding villains when she’d been told who her prospective patient was and what he’d done. In response, a second check was sent with an even higher sum with instructions stating she could deposit both on the condition of coming to Japan to erase the scars of Dabi.

Dr. Fischer had never treated a patient with such a severe case of scarring and when she saw the damage in a provided picture, she warned her client she may never be able to completely retore him, and it might have to be in multiple visits with the same collection of payment each time. In response, she was told the Todorokis were willing to pay, not matter the cost.

Twenty minutes of discomfort passed before the woman finally lowered her hands and had to take a step back. She looked worn out and stumbled a bit, taking a seat in the chair across the room as she admired her work.

Fuyumi was the first to make a startled utterance, her eyes lighting up with amazement as she let out a little squeak.

“Touya nii-san!” She exclaimed, engulfing him in her arms from behind. He gave her an annoyed scowl, not appreciating the reaction but was cut off from saying anything when he noticed Shoto’s face from the corner of his eye. His youngest brother didn’t have a menagerie of expressions and he wished he had a camera to show the young man how dopey he looked. He then turned to find Natsu staring at him agape with watery eyes and recoiled as the college student snapped him up into his arms once again.

“Touya-nii!” He balled, sobbing into his older brother’s shoulder. He could feel Yumi’s tears dripping onto his other shoulder as well and he sighed, resigning himself to his fate. With his free hand he wiped a bit of tear from his cheek, internally chiding his younger siblings for being too dramatic when he realized something.

He admired his hand down to his arm, noting the burn scars were a much healthier color of skin despite the remaining divots and mars. From a distance, he might even look as good as new. The staples were still embedded in his hand, but the two lines they were holding together looked significantly more natural and healed. He raised his hand to his face again and felt the scarring of his jaw, noting it hadn’t changed much which he figured might happen when the idea of skin grafting was first presented to him all those months ago. He then raised his hand a little further, feeling the healed skin of his cheek and a drip of something cascade down his face.

Touya blinked. Another drip.

He raised his hand to his eyes and was beyond surprised to find his own tears. How long had it been?

“Touya-nii, you’re crying!” Natsu announced, giving him the biggest and brightest smile he’d had in a long time.

Fuyumi pressed her hands over her nose and mouth, unsure whether she was more excited about Touya finally being able to cry, or Natsu’s heartwarming smile. Either way, neither one had experienced a wider range of emotions in far too long.

Chapter 8: The Project

Chapter Text

Touya’s next group session came a few days later and his initial walk through the prison to the meeting spot in the cafeteria was met with whispers of shock. He’d seen himself in the mirror and couldn’t believe the results himself, figuring he hadn’t been this unscarred since he was a teenager. He wondered if the inmates were beginning to see him as a traitor to the villain cause and pressed on after the meeting with the same uninterested expression he always wore. His steps were unhurried and casual as he faced forward and ignored his fans, but noticed there were quite a bit more lining the hall this time. The comments ranged from idolization, to sexualization, to disapproval, to encouragement, and a smattering in between. Scraps and trash were thrown before him like some sort of confetti raining down and if he had it his way, he’d scorch them all with a whip of fire.

“Show us your flames, Dabi!”

God, I wish…

Restraining himself from lashing out with violence was a lot more difficult than it looked. He’d been a master of stoicism for a while now, unless he was met with a real challenge. Everything else couldn’t hold a single moment of his interest long enough for him to react, leaving him with a constant look of boredom. These idiots fawning over him were a nuisance, but there was one thing he could look forward to on his walk through this prison’s main hallway during recreation time.

Takami always managed to stand somewhere noticeable, or maybe he was the only inmate he could consistently recognize. He performed the same motion he always did; dragging his extended thumb across his throat. His eyes were wide with adrenaline as he repeated the motion again and again, sometimes getting a little more graphic by opening and closing his fingers to simulate the blood spraying from his jugular. He stuck out his tongue and co*cked his head to the side like a partially decapitated dead body before laughing hysterically and mouthing the words:

I’m going to f*cking kill you!

Touya returned his gaze back in front of himself, not even realizing he’d been staring. He wanted to reciprocate the words with a maniacal laugh of his own, but being a good boy required him not to retaliate.

I look forward to seeing you try.

~0~

It was now two weeks before the new year and UA was abuzz with excitement. Winter vacation was around the corner, final exams were wrapping up, and Shoto Todoroki was in Principal Nezu’s office along with several other classmates. They’d been brainstorming their third-year class project for a while now, and were one of the first groups to submit their proposals. Each class had until the second week of the new term, but these students had made up their minds with unshakeable resolve.

Shota Aizawa was present in Nezu’s office as well and regarded the aspiring heroes before him with a look of astonished incomprehension. There were very few times in his life where he was shocked into speechlessness, and every time had been because he’d witnessed something unfathomably absurd. He wasn’t one to burst out laughing, instead he tried to understand the situation from another angle. This, however, was going to take a lot of understanding.

“What, exactly, are you trying to accomplish?” He asked slowly, his eye glancing from student to student. Shoto stood in front of an easel with a large pad of paper on it flipped to the last page of the presentation, giving the teacher an odd look as if he hadn’t been listening the past twenty minutes.

“Well, it’s kinda, umm…” Kirishima tried to answer, tapping his chin with his finger. “Empathy is one of the most important parts of being a hero; you have to be able to understand your opponent to be able to defeat them.” He explained, giving the two adults a glowing smile. Aizawa wasn’t amused.

“You got it all wrong!” Kaminari butted in. “The best way to be a hero is to stop bad things from happening before they ever start! This way we’ll learn how to prevent crime and keep people out of danger!”

That was a little better, but there was still a lot that needed to be unboxed about this proposal.

“You guys are making this way too complicated!” Mina announced, strolling over to stand on the other side of the easel as Shoto. “It’s simple, Mr. Aizawa and Principal Nezu. We want to learn how to be villains!” She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

“Mina!! It’s not something that crazy!!” Iida interjected, his hands chopping wildly at the thought of something so against his character.

“Yes it is! The best way to fight against villains is to think like them, get into their heads and figure out what they’re going to do before they ever do it! And we’re lucky enough to know someone with a family member who’s no longer a villain!”

Aizawa was dumbfounded into speechlessness again, unsure how to address that deeply concerning explanation. He slowly collapsed his head into his hand and let out a heavy sigh.

“Children, this is a very thoughtful and unique idea, but Touya Todoroki is responsible for many dangerous instances against UA students. He wouldn’t be allowed on campus.” Nezu pointed out, not shooting down the idea quite yet which concerned Aizawa greatly.

“He’d spend the weekend at my family’s estate.” Shoto reminded them, flipping to the page that indicated Touya would stay there and they’d be able to accommodate any potential round the clock security. “He’d arrive Saturday, spend the night, and leave Sunday.”

“And he’ll be the one teaching the class?” Aizawa drawled, hardly believing he was considering this ludicrous idea.

“Well, yes and no.” Uraraka chimed in. “It’ll be a collaboration, each of us will make proposals that might reform a villain, along with trying to come up with a shocking statement that ignites a villain’s interest in giving up their evil ways!”

Aizawa wanted to bash his head into a wall.

“Like Todoroki said,” Izuku piped up, “Dabi… I mean, Todoroki-san, wait, I mean Touya-san, has been cooperating with authorities to capture League members without prejudice. There’s been a ton of evidence coming in that’s being used to bring down large crime syndicates and round up the rest of those who escaped from Tartarus. All Might even said it’s the biggest break in these cases the police have ever seen.”

Tokoyami cleared his throat. “Hawks has even been unofficially named Touya-san’s benefactor. We could ask him to oversee the classes as well.”

“We’ve had plenty of training,” Asui continued, “and we’ve agreed to go in groups no smaller than five.”

Bakugo couldn’t take all this hemming and hawing and shot to his feet, fixing the two adults with an angry glare. “If villains are expected to reform, then we have to treat them like they can!!” His voice was explosive and ruined any semblance of endearment from his words. “These lousy, worthless villains can’t be anything else if all we do is shove ‘em in a cell and tell them to eat sh*t and die!!”

At those words Aizawa let out another heavy sigh and dropped his hand, regarding the students with a look of annoyance. They returned it with determined expressions, unwilling to back down from this idea and Aizawa began mentally kicking himself for conceding.

“Alright,” He relented, earning cheers of celebration which were cut short by a piercing glare and the remnants of his erasure quirk. “but you’ll have to convince Principal Nezu.” He instructed, his hair falling back to his side. The students all turned to their adorable principal and began talking at once, chattering away about how they were going to accomplish this task when the mouse held up his paws.

“You’ve already convinced me,” he began only to be interrupted with more cheers. Aizawa shot them all another glare with his quirk, silencing the group. Nezu giggled, “but you’ll need to convince Hawks.”

~0~

When he’d been invited to the Todoroki home for dinner by Shoto, he’d been a little suspicious. Normally it was Fuyumi who enticed him over with a home cooked meal and Shoto stayed in the UA dorms, sometimes coming over for weekends but he was usually studying in his room. When he’d walked in and found the teenager’s entire class sitting at the expansive dining room table, his hackles were raised with thorough skepticism. When he was told the business of this meeting, he was downright shocked.

“Uhh…” Hawks stated, raising an eyebrow at all the bright, young faces around him until his eyes landed on Aizawa with Nezu nestled into the man’s scarf.

“I know, I had the same reaction.” Aizawa stated, taking a sip of his tea.

“They’re certainly an exceptional group of students.” Nezu stated as well, also taking a sip of his own tea.

Hawks returned his perplexed expression back to the red and white haired teen. “You? Want Touya to come here? And teach you all how to be villains?” He asked slowly, receiving a nod in return from every student.

“Studies show criminals do very well when presented with a way to engage with society in a meaningful and impactful way.” Jiro stated from a few chairs down. Hawks blinked.

“But…” He tried to counter.

“My family has agreed to chip in on expenses for any security needed!” Yayorozu offered. Hawks gave the girl an odd expression, wondering how rich she had to be to think the Todoroki family needed help with expenses.

“But…”

“This is a waste of time!! Just sign off already!!” Bakugo shouted. Hawks gaped at the rudeness of his exclamation and glanced around, desperate for someone to reject this insanity.

Ojiro spoke; “Our families have all given their blessings and signed permission slips.”

Hawks gave a defeated sigh, angry with himself for agreeing about the part where anybody deserved a chance to show they’ve changed. He crinkled his nose and ruffled his hair, cursing himself for even considering giving in. “You’re really going to sign off on this, Eraser?” He asked dejectedly, several faces in the room lighting up at the crumble of his resolve.

“Yes, unfortunately.” The teacher replied. Hawks shook his head.

“Alright,” he conceded, earning a brief volley of cheers. He cleared his throat, “but you’ll have to convince Tsukauchi.”

~0~

Tsukauchi and All Might sat in stunned silence in the man’s office currently filled beyond capacity with second year UA students, the number five pro hero, Eraserhead, and Principal Nezu still tucked into the man’s scarf.

“You can’t be serious, young man!” All Might declared, coughing up a small line of blood and quickly wiping it away.

“We are serious! If we’re going to be heroes, then we have to be able to save anybody!” Izuku announced, earning a collection of cheers.

“This isn’t some simple matter.” Tsukauchi stated, drawing everyone’s attention to himself. They were all so bright-eyed and determined… even for UA students they were unique beyond measure. They were going to make some of the finest heroes the world had ever seen and in order to do so, they needed a system that couldn’t fail them. “But I’ll help you all through it.”

Everyone’s faces lit up at the agreement as several embraced each other along with the adults, thanking them for their help as Keigo and Aizawa did their best to remove themselves from these students’ suffocating affection.

~0~

Touya sat awestruck at the interrogation table where him and Fuyumi had been meeting once a week. He’d been surprised to see Hawks sitting with his sister and felt a wash of seriousness when he entered the room, but he’d never imagined it’d be something like this.

“You’ve got to be joking.” He stated in disbelief. He picked up the packet of paper that’d been handed to him and held the thing uncomfortably close to his face so his sh*t eyesight had a chance to read the text. He got about halfway through the first paragraph when he lowered it and gave the two a suspicious glare.

“You’re… not joking?” He asked testily. Hawks shook his head.

“It’s very rigid, there’s no room for anything remotely dangerous to the students, and you’ll essentially be at the mercy of a class full of third-year hero students for an entire year.” Hawks explained, trying to outline the negative aspects so he didn’t go into this project with unrealistic expectations. “You’ve also kept the company of many notorious criminals and can call upon those experiences to present the students with different scenarios. You’ll use those recounts to accurately and honestly respond to student attempts to reform villains. If the scenario is too challenging, it can be ended early for the day, and if the program falls apart and it's no longer safe for either side to continue participating, the program will be scrapped and the students will have to choose a new project.”

Touya gave the other a wary look, still wondering where the catch was. It couldn’t possibly be this easy.

Hawks let out a deep sigh and shook his head, knowing the other was smart enough to realize he’d left out some details.

“You’ll also be required to subject to a quirk suppression injection. It’s temporary and the effects will wear off after forty-eight hours, but you will not be permitted to be in the presence of these students while in full control of your quirk.”

Touya’s expression deflated dismally, and he sunk back into his chair and folded his arms.

There it is.

Fuyumi glanced between the two and their fierce expressions, panicking when it seemed like things were falling apart.

“You’ll be able to come home, Touya! Not to mention this is going to be a really positive thing in your case!” She pointed out with a forced smile. Touya didn’t acknowledge her. “Everyone’s excited to see your progress, and Shoto worked really hard on this!”

Touya narrowed his eyes. Home? What home was there to go to? He heard his mother had started going back to that house and seemed to be doing alright. Every now and then she’d be lost in a panic spell and have to be sent back to her room in the hospital, but slowly she was able to spend more and more time there. Her visitations would be suspended so long as Touya was present, but it was for the best since he didn’t have the highest opinion of his mother.

The home where Endeavor beat his children, where Touya’s wants and dreams had gone up in flames, and where his shrine might even still stand. Had they taken it down? Or was it tucked in some closet for when he finally hung himself in prison?

He wanted to lash out and felt the palms of his hands rise in temperature. Delegated as some experiment once again, left in the hands of less than capable ‘experts’, and disregarded as some unfeeling creature meant to be observed. Poke it with a stick enough times and you might be able to euthanize it for fighting back.

Fuyumi realized it wasn’t working and decided to change the subject for another reason she was there. She dug through her shoulder bag and found the little black and white film, gave it a touching smile, and slid it across the table.

Touya regarded the new sheet with displeasure as it was pushed towards him and he tried his best to interpret the glossy image.

Hawks did a double take and looked at the young woman with shock, instantly recognizing what it was. Touya raised an eyebrow at the other and looked back at the thing he was handed, trying again to figure out what it was.

Fuyumi chuckled. “I’m pregnant.”

Touya’s mouth went dry. Every thought left his brain as his mouth hung open at the news. He realized then that it was an ultrasound, but it was nearly impossible to see what was going on in the picture.

“It’s still really early, but the due date is sometime in July.” She stated, reaching across the table and offering her hands. “You’re going to be an uncle.”

Touya continued to stare speechlessly, searching her eyes for the lie. He knew it wasn’t there, he didn’t think his sister had ever lied to him once in her life. He just couldn’t help the incessant paranoia.

He found himself unfolding his arms and reaching across to take her hands in his. Her wedding band now accompanied her engagement ring and he was remined that life continued on without him.

But it didn’t have to.

“Take me home.” Touya said in a shaky voice, feeling as a line of tears dripped from either side of his jaw.

Chapter 9: Curious

Chapter Text

Hawks twiddled his thumbs in the passenger seat of the Todoroki family car with their driver Kurumada-san at the wheel. Fuyumi had dragged him along with her to go pick up Touya on their first trial-run weekend. It was the second week of the year and Touya would be staying at the Todoroki estate without interacting with the students to ensure he’d be able to behave himself in the home he grew up in.

Hawks found himself thinking about their last interaction together, how Touya’s expression had absolutely melted upon hearing the news of his sister’s pregnancy. He’d been caught completely off guard at the sight and honestly didn’t think the former villain Dabi was capable of making such a face. He’d always been a good-looking guy under the scars and apathetic façade, but it was easy to forget with how sh*tty his personality was. The moment tears sprung to the corners of his eyes, though, was enough to melt anyone’s heart. He caught himself wanting to reach out and offer some kind of comfort and quickly waved away the intrusive thought, reminding himself this man was dangerous. Everyone had their crutch, and everyone had a soft spot for something, but it didn’t erase the consequences of his actions and Hawks had the physical proof written across his back.

Fuyumi had gone into the prison with a change of street clothes for her brother; some sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a jacket since it was pretty cold out. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was for the two to come out with Touya clutching a metallic space blanket around himself like he was some hiker lost in the woods. The two quickly piled into the car with Kurumada-san trying to greet the eldest Todoroki son only for him to bark out the word “Drive”.

The man was familiar with the life Touya had lived along with the villainy he’d done, and he chose to oblige without a word.

They drove away calmly as a police car tagged after them on the way to bring Touya home. Hawks glanced over his shoulder at the two, noticing the eldest Todoroki sibling was huddled up against his sister and shivering violently. She had an arm around him and a worried expression while he glared at the seat in front of him as if it was solely responsible for his misery.

“How’s the quirk suppression injection?” Hawks asked, figuring that might have something to do with his discomfort. Touya shot him a venomous glare.

“Take a wild f*cking guess.” He seethed through chattering teeth. Hawks raised an eyebrow.

“Geez, touch-y. What’s got you so riled up?” He asked lightly, trying to liven the mood. Touya somehow managed to make his glare even more malevolent and intimidating.

“Shoto isn’t the only one with two quirks, jackass.” He bit out, a heavy shiver rippling through his body. Hawks made an ‘O’ with his mouth, finally realizing Touya had lost his fire along with his ability to withstand cold temperatures. With his body relying on his quirk performing most of the work, it was no wonder he was so cold on a moderately chilly day.

They arrived to Security already being on the premises. The guards weren’t terribly intrusive, but they’d been there for a week already to ensure nothing out of the ordinary could’ve been planted to be used as an escape for the prisoner. They mostly kept to themselves, and it was a large enough place where they weren’t always noticed. Touya pointedly ignored them and marched into the home, keeping his shoes on past the front door and still clutching the space blanket for dear life.

“Let me show you to your room!” Fuyumi stated, leading the way as he tailed after her. She chattered on about some of the work they’d done to the place, and he pretended to listen as he mostly tuned it out. All these years and this house looked practically the same. “And here’s your room!” She announced, indicating his old room now spruced up with more adult-like furniture. He walked in and glanced around; it didn’t stand out in anyway and was in the same traditional Japanese style like the majority of the house.

“I had Natsu and Shoto donate some clothes that might fit you, I hope they’re okay.” She said, walking past him and opening the closet door. He regarded it suspiciously, remembering the very smart and very different styles his younger brothers were into compared to what he’d been wearing over the years. It was mostly tattered chic bordering on transient, but certainly a far cry from the collared sweaters in drab colors he could see from where he was. “I’ll let you settle in, lunch will be in a little bit.”

With that, he was left alone. Touya shuffled over to the closet and picked through some of the stuff, figuring if he put on some more layers he wouldn’t be so f*cking cold. He tried to will himself to go through with it, but in the end, he didn’t have the stomach to. He wondered briefly if these were just the clothes he was offered so he wouldn’t judge the other two for their taste in street outfits, and if so it wasn’t working in their favor. Natsu and Shoto looked like they’d grow up to be boring, uninteresting old men.

Touya peeked out of his room up and down the hall, not finding anyone there and letting a crafty smirk onto his lips before sneaking over to Shoto’s room.

It was the same layout and nearly as vacant, probably since the teenager spent most of his time at the UA dorms. There was a study desk and some small exercise stuff which wasn’t terribly interesting, and looking under his bed didn’t reward him with any p*rn. He figured as much, but he still had to try. Shoto’s closet looked a lot like his own as he pulled out a shirt and held it up to himself, marveling at how much larger his little brother was compared to his wiry frame. His height had never been a point of contention, but every once in a while it was a nuisance. He gave up on his boring youngest brother and left, then disappeared into Natsu’s room.

It was just a tad messy, more as an indication that someone actually lived there. Natsu was out for the day on an assignment for college, but would be home earlier than usual to spend time with his siblings. Touya briefly remembered something about Natsu having a girlfriend and the thought gave him an idea. A conniving smile turned up the corners of his mouth and he strolled over to the bedside table, opening the first drawer and finding a nearly empty bottle of lube along with half a box of condoms.

Now we’re talking.

Touya pocketed the bottle and two of the condoms, wondering if he could realistically blame it on Shoto if Natsu came looking for answers. He then picked through the other’s closet and was met with the same dingey color palate and giant clothing. His sweatpants were already cinched greatly around his waist and he wasn’t interested in being swallowed up by his clothes.

All that was left was Fuyumi’s room.

He clutched the space blanket harder as he shivered again and wandered in the door. Unfolded boxes where left leaning against a wall with a few sitting half-filled around the room. He knew she was trying to move into a more secluded wing of the estate with her partner instead of spending the rest of her life in her childhood room, but it didn’t look like she’d gotten very far since her wedding was months ago.

Her closet was a little more interesting with some variations in styles, but the most exciting part was the clothes looked like they’d actually fit him. Touya relinquished the space blanket and held up a fuzzy little black sweater before shrugging and unzipping his coat. He put on the sweater, then another sweater, then a black sweatshirt with the letters BTS written across it along with images of the Korean boyband members. Next, he went through the drawers in her closet and found one full of leggings, some of which had fleece lining them. He let out a thoughtful ‘hmm’ before shrugging his shoulders and deciding ‘why the heck not’. The leggings were soft and complimented his physique greatly as he admired himself in her full-length mirror. The layers were beginning to help as he slipped the sweatpants on over the leggings and put on his coat once more, leaving the front unzipped. He put his shoes back on and wandered into the hallway, figuring he might as well head to where the other two were.

He found Hawks sitting on a couch facing away from him, his legs propped up on an ottoman like he lived here as he typed away on his laptop with a mess of papers surrounding himself. He briefly wondered what the other was up to as he crept closer until his attention was grabbed by something on the hero’s neck. As he approached, he began to realize it was the scaring from where he’d burned him during their fight, and he felt the slightest inkling of remorse.

Not enough to make him regret it, though.

Hawks glanced at the reflection in his laptop and didn’t even look up as he continued typing.

“Hello, Touya.” He greeted, looking as stoic as ever.

“Keigo.” He replied, setting his hands on the back of the couch. Hawks almost managed to hide the bristling in his shoulders, but the chuckle from Touya let him know he failed.

An icy touch made him shiver as the other reached out and pressed the tips of his fingers against his scarred neck.

“Sorry.” Touya muttered, apologizing for causing the chill. Hawks realized he’d stopped typing at some point as Touya brushed his fingertips along his skin and dipped them slightly beneath the neckline of his shirt.

There goes that lack of personal boundaries...

Hawks went to bat him away only for his hand to be caught in Touya’s, much to his surprise. He tried tugging it back without much effort and gave a grumpy pout when he wouldn’t let go.

Touya held his hand and admired it, slowly turning it over and receiving an especially odd look from the blond.

“Can I help you?” Hawks asked, more as a request to let him go. An interesting choice of words to use, though.

“Yes, you can.” Touya murmured, tracing a finger down the inside of his forearm. Hawks shivered again.

“Okay… with what?” He asked, attempting to speed things up as he tried wrenching his arm back to fend off the tickling.

“It seems you know most everything about my life, so tell me about yours.” He stated, abandoning his fascination with Keigo’s forearm as he also released his wrist. The pro hero wasn’t given much time though before Touya’s hands were placed on either side of his neck as he gently tipped the blond’s head back.

“My life?” He asked, searching his eyes for an ulterior motive. Dazzling blue eyes stared back into his and he found himself becoming rather uncomfortable underneath the attention. “What do you want to know?”

Touya grinned cheekily. “Tell me about your father.” He said in a tone that bordered on sultry, causing Hawks to raise an eyebrow.

“My father?” He asked as Touya slowly traced his fingers along his jawline until his thumbs were pressed at the back of his jaw underneath his ears and lightly massaged the pressure points. Hawks felt himself melt a little at the touch which was a weird sensation given his company. “What the hell are you doing?” He questioned, but didn’t move away.

“Don’t change the subject.” Touya murmured, massaging the outline where his jawbone ended and receiving a very interesting little noise of contentment. Hawks opened his eyes when he realized the noise came from him and he frowned up at Touya who returned the look with a smug smile.

“Don’t make this weird.” Hawks countered, attempting to jerk his head away only for Touya to hold him in place and trace his thumbs along his neck to his cervical spine and pressed a line up his vertebrae. Hawks gave up any form of resistance and sank into the couch, his laptop forgotten in his lap as he closed his eyes and gave in to the massage.

“My father was a paranoid criminal arrested by Endeavor. I haven’t seen or spoken to him since I was a kid, and I don’t know where he’s ended up.” He answered in a soft tone, whimpering with delight when Touya slipped his thumbs beneath the collar of his shirt and began working on the knots in his shoulders.

“No interest in rekindling your relationship?” Touya continued.

“Why should I? Not like it’s hard to find me. If he wanted to mend our relationship, he’s had plenty of time to reach out.” He replied, feeling like pudding in the other’s hands. Was he really this stressed? Or maybe it was because he hadn’t had a massage in quite some time. Either way, it felt too good to stop.

“Yumi seems hell-bent on being one big happy family, but it’s hard to picture.” He confessed, digging his thumb into a particularly stubborn knot and earning a satisfied grunt for his efforts.

“Maybe you’re just thinking too hard about it.” Hawks replied. “Maybe she just wants to know her family is safe and happy, and can get together for a meal now and again.”

Touya paused, caught off guard by the hero’s observation and silently admitting he had a point.

“sh*tty things happen to good people all the time. If we all took it out on the world, there wouldn’t be a world left to be angry in.” He stated, leaning into the hand working on his right shoulder. Touya scoffed.

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” He murmured, sliding his hands across the blond’s shoulders and down to massage his biceps.

“f*ck, are you coming onto me or something?” Hawks whispered with a chuckle as a shiver ran down his spine.

“Why? You got something against hooking up with former villains?” Touya whispered back with a devious smile, stooping down to get a little closer. Hawks let those words sink in for a moment before he truly comprehended them and felt a flush tinge his cheeks as he opened his eyes to find mesmerizing blue ones mere inches away.

“Not funny.” Hawks protested, glowering at the other.

“Wasn’t supposed to be a joke.” Touya retorted, leaning even closer which caused the pro hero to sink further into the couch. It certainly was fun to tease him, but his end goal wasn’t to get Hawks to retreat into himself whenever they were in the same room. He pulled away and released his shoulders, giving the other a co*cky grin as he stood.

“I should apologize for how I treated your mother. It wasn’t right and I do regret that.” Touya confessed, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck as he glanced away. Those seemed to be the exact wrong words to say though as Keigo shot him a bitter glare.

“You may be in a rehabilitation program, but that doesn’t mean you can say and do whatever you want.” He stated in a serious tone. However, instead of backing off, Touya found it amusing and cracked a smile. Hawks couldn’t stop himself before he jumped to his feet and with a single flutter of his wings, leapt over the couch to meet him nose to nose. Papers rustled in the wind and Touya held up his hands, not trying to pick a fight but perfectly willing to participate.

“I’d suggest not instigating something you can’t win.” Hawks warned in a low tone, his serious gaze completely obscured by his adorable face and fluffy hair. Touya found himself wanting to ruffle it and seeing what he got in exchange. He took a forceful step forward and cornered the hero against the couch, leaning forward until Hawks was retreating.

“I don’t go down easy.” He breathed, jerking forward to steal a chaste kiss. Hawks barely had a second to think before he was on autopilot apprehending Touya and kicking his feet out from under him, wrestling for a moment before he found himself kneeling over the other. They were out from behind the couch in the middle of the living room with Keigo’s knees on either side of Touya’s chest, along with his wrists pinned over his head with one hand while Hawks held a rigid feather to his throat. For an instant, the pro hero expected to have this little spat continue before Touya let out a breath and relaxed into the floor where he was laying, staring up at the one looming over him.

Footsteps broke the silence and they both glanced in the same direction to find Natsu walking in with a plastic bag in hand. The two blinked simultaneously, unsure how to greet the other as he glanced between the hero and his older brother on the floor. To Keigo’s confusion, Natsu gave his brother a wilting frown and shook his head with a heavy sigh.

“What the hell are you doing?” He asked in a tone that was almost… frustrated? Maybe he was just disappointed his older sibling couldn’t even behave for one day. However, Hawks glanced down to find Touya giving his brother a playful smirk before he shrugged his shoulders.

“What… is happening?” He asked, wondering if there was some sort of inside joke he wasn’t aware of. Natsu let out a dismal breath and used a hand to rub the back of his neck as he glanced away.

“Our family has one legend from our father that makes us seem even remotely functional.” He explained, looking a tad uncomfortable for having to speak about it. “Our mother was raised in a family where she was taught self-defense in the event she was ever kidnapped for ransom money. When she met Endeavor, she agreed to marry him under the condition that he would take care of her and their family for the rest of their lives, and that almost didn’t happen because of this.” Natsu continued, gesturing to Hawks kneeling over Touya with his wrists in his grasp. The blond looked into those cunning blue eyes and felt his frown grow deeper.

“Endeavor and mom would spar, and it would always end with him pinned beneath her like so. So, he trained nonstop to find a way to break out of this hold and subdue her, thus winning her hand. He then taught it to all his children to ensure they never experienced the same dilemma.” Natsu concluded, using a hand to gesture at his brother to hurry up and get on with it. Touya scoffed and rolled his eyes, then somehow managed to buck his hips and twist himself so fast Hawks didn’t have a single second to react before he found himself in the arms of the former villain. He balked at the situation; his left shoulder was pressed into Touya’s chest, his left arm was wrapped around his torso with his fingers laced into Touya’s right hand at his waist, while his right hand was held over his head with those fingers twined with Touya’s left, all while the oldest Todoroki sibling held him like he was being dipped in the middle of a tango routine.

Hawks felt his face light up tomato-red when he realized the other was playing caught. He stammered in an attempt to ask him why, and Touya squeezed him tighter.

“Was a good view.” He admitted with a wily smirk. Hawks wanted to punch him in the teeth, but the rustling of plastic distracted him, and he glanced over in time to find Natsu sliding what looked to be a condom between their outstretched hands.

“And that’s how Touya was conceived.” Natsu stated blandly, earning an even more panicked expression from Hawks when he understood the implication.

Touya’s expression dropped to one of miffed annoyance as he released the pro hero and subsequently dropped him on his ass with a thud and a yelp. Hawks sat stunned on the ground, unsure what to make of this situation as Touya walked up to his younger brother and jabbed a finger harshly into his stomach. Natsu doubled over at the action and had his shopping bag swiped from his hand. Touya dug through it, finding a few protein bars along with a fresh bottle of lube and an open box of condoms. His mood improved as he pulled the mostly empty bottle from his pocket, exchanged a mischievous look with Hawks, and swapped it with the full one from the bag. He then ripped the string of condoms in half and squirreled them away in his pocket before tossing the bag back at Natsu.

“Hey, come on! Don’t steal that many!” Natsu whined, giving Touya a pout. He rolled his eyes in response and fished them out, ripped off two, and threw the rest at his younger brother who caught them and stuffed them back in the bag.

Hawks regarded the scene with mortified horror before Touya turned back to him and offered a hand to help him stand. He glared petulantly at it before batting it away and climbing to his feet himself, brushing off his pants and collecting whatever remained of his dignity.

“Lunch is ready!” Fuyumi called from the kitchen, startling everyone. Natsu dashed out first, claiming he was starving, before Keigo and Touya made their way over as well. Before they got very far though, Touya grabbed Hawks by the arm and pulled him in close.

“Meet me in my room tonight if you’re still curious.”

Chapter 10: Visits

Chapter Text

Fuyumi had been more confused than anything when Touya sat at the table wearing her favorite BTS sweatshirt, and both her and Natsu gave their older brother indignant scoldings for rifling through their things. Natsu scrambled to check his shopping bag, but didn’t have the heart to point out the swapped bottles in front of his sister. The meal continued mostly in good spirits, and Touya even managed to stow any provocative expressions he wanted to send Keigo’s way.

When they were done, an IPad and a credit card were shoved in Touya’s idle hands and he was told to buy whatever clothes he wanted online and have them delivered to the house when he was back for his next visit.

What a dangerous proposition.

Touya scrolled through clothing options from suggested websites and realized maybe this wasn’t going to be as fun as he thought when everything was beginning to look like Natsu and Shoto’s closets. Then again, who said he actually had to purchase anything from these companies? He closed the tabs, reopened the search engine, and the first result to pop up from his key words was Hot Topic. When he tapped on the link, the options were much more interesting as he scrolled through emo and scene items with studs, rips, and lots of black. He wasn’t surprised to find All Might and Endeavor clothing items, but he couldn’t help giving a curious hum when he stumbled upon a Hawks sweatshirt. He hardly needed a moment to tap on the ‘Add to Cart’ function and moved on, wondering what else he could find on the wide world of the internet as he was checking out.

~0~

Dinner saw the appearance of Shoto, and as they sat down for a meal together for the first time in over ten years, Touya recalled Keigo’s theory about why Yumi was trying so hard to help him. He glanced along the table at his siblings and Hawks enjoying the soba his sister prepared, completely silent as they dug in and appreciated the meal. He looked down at his own bowl, wondering when was the last time he’d eaten something prepared with love and plucked some noodles with his chopsticks before slurping them up.

“This is delicious, Yumi! As always, of course.” Hawks complimented, giving her a broad smile.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” She stated humbly. “I wanted to make something Touya would like, but he insisted I make whatever, so I chose Shoto’s favorite since it’s also fun to share.” She explained. Touya continued to only look at his meal when he felt everyone’s eyes staring at him. He didn’t appreciate the attention as his expression soured a touch while he tried to enjoy his meal in peace.

“What’s your favorite food, Touya-nii?” Natsu asked before slurping up more noodles. He thought about it a moment and ended up just shrugging his shoulders.

“My classmates and I actually talked about this once.” Shoto stated, earning everyone’s attention. Touya even glanced up at him as he ate his soba. “We were talking about the similarities of heroes and villains, and that even villains had a favorite food, and I wondered what yours was.” He continued, meeting his eldest brother’s gaze. Touya wanted to vomit at the warm fuzzy feelings he was getting and hoped this wasn’t going to be some weird speech about tenacity. He was about ready to excuse himself to eat in his room in order to get some decent quiet when Shoto continued. “Before I could think about it though, a classmate of mine assumed it was hot pot.”

Hawks choked on his soba when he wasn’t prepared to hear that, reaching for his water glass and glanced up to find Fuyumi and Natsu with horrified expressions on their faces. After drinking his water, he turned towards Touya with an equally concerned look knitting his eyebrows together. He knew Shoto had managed to grow a little less dense with time, but apparently it wasn’t enough after hearing a comment like that.

Touya glanced between the petrified expressions of Fuyumi, Natsu, and Keigo, then returned his sight back to his clueless little brother.

Touya snorted, then he began to chuckle. He had to put his bowl of soba down as he began to laugh until he threw his head back and leaned away from the table as he cackled heartily. Everyone stared at him and Shoto glanced at the others, finding dismayed features and wondering if he’d done something wrong.

“Touché, Shoto.” Touya replied, wiping a tear from his eye. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so hard at something so trivial and as the others realized he wasn’t going to go on a rampage, they slowly began to laugh as well until Shoto was the only one left wondering what was so funny.

~0~

Hawks laid in the guest bed staring at the ceiling. The first time he’d spent the night at the Todoroki house he’d insisted on sleeping on the couch since he was determined it wasn’t going to be a regular thing. Going all the way home was too much of an inconvenience and as a mode of accessibility he’d decided to spend one night.

Then one night turned into two, which turned into three, which had him coming back for other nights until he’d been given his own room. The longest string of days he’d spent in the giant home was six in a row and the sleepovers weren’t looking to end anytime soon.

He knew the clock was going to read sometime around midnight and the thought irked him. He’d hardly gotten any work done all day and now he was going to be extra tired tomorrow babysitting this reforming villain that lacked any personal boundaries. Not to mention his brain was plagued with the words that’d been whispered to him; “Meet me in my room tonight if you’re still curious.”

Hawks threw the covers off himself and pulled on a sweatshirt and sweatpants before marching irritably down the hall. He stopped at Touya’s door with every intention of letting the other have a piece of his mind about professionalism, limitations, and tact, but when he knocked and Touya answered still wearing Yumi’s fuzzy black sweater and leggings, he felt his tongue go stupid in his mouth. Heat poured from the other’s room into the cool hallway as Touya gave a crooked smirk and looped a finger into the waistline of his pants before yanking him in and shutting the door. Hawks barely had a second to protest before he was pressed against a wall with Touya engulfing his lips in his.

Hawks whimpered as he tried to resist, reminding himself about his speech on professionalism as he began messily kissing back with his arms draped over the other’s shoulders, Touya hiked him into his grasp with hardly any effort as he kneaded the blond’s round ass through his sweatpants. He then explored the hero’s mouth with his tongue, smiling as he grinded against Keigo’s hardened erection before he slid a hand between them to press against the outline through his clothes.

Keigo recoiled at the touch, his head thumping against the wall as he regarded the other with a stunned expression. His already tinged cheeks lit up bright red as he tried to stammer some kind of explanation with any semblance of coherence. Touya tried to patiently wait for him to just spit it out, but ended up leaning forward halfway through the explanation to press a kiss behind his jaw. Keigo’s mind shorted out at the sensation as he leaned into it, a little moan escaping through his teeth.

“You’re going to turn me on even more if you keep acting like a blushing virgin.” Touya warned, gently biting the pressure point beneath his jaw. Hawks whimpered as the hand pressing against his co*ck began creating friction again, slowly moving back and forth.

He wanted to say something but wasn’t entirely sure how to phrase it. He’d always been in accelerated programs, and often took long mentally involved jobs, not to mention keeping up the persona of his hero work… Sure, he’d dated! But not with the most involved partners, so to put it.

Hawks tightened his arms and legs around the other, silently begging for more touch until Touya removed his hand and stood up straight to look the other in the eye. He stared for a moment and Keigo swallowed under the pressure of those blue eyes as he tried to compose himself.

“No…” Touya murmured in disbelief with a cheeky grin. Hawks felt his face grow even hotter.

“I-It’s not like I never had the opportunity… But they all seemed so conceited, and I was never attracted physically, which makes me sound conceited, but…” He was cut off from his rambling with a finger held to his lips as Touya tried to choke off a laugh.

“Whatever, hero.” He stated with a chuckle, removing the other’s legs from his waist and pushing him into the wall with his hands on Keigo’s hips. “Just be honest, is this really what you want?”

Consent? Ooo, sexy. He stared into those mesmerizing eyes and searched for his answer, realizing he’d been unwittingly thinking of this moment for some time now. Whether it was Rumi making fun of his crush on the Todoroki family, or some subconscious desire to take care of the needy, he’d been flicking his gaze up and down Touya’s appearance more often than he’d like to admit. He could be professional and tell himself to back off, but goddamn was it so tempting.

“Yes.” Hawks whispered, earning a sly smile as Touya gave him one last kiss before sinking to his knees.

“Umm…” Hawks stated, another pump coursing through his erection as Touya took the drawstrings of his sweatpants in his mouth and pulled. “Oh, f*ck.” Touya then continued to use his teeth to remove the clothing and Hawks felt a shiver run up and down his spine. The former villain couldn’t help the sinister chuckle at this sight, admiring the full standing glory of the blond hero before him. Hawks didn’t know what he was expecting, but getting blown by one of the world’s most dangerous criminals wasn’t first on his list.

He gasped as his co*ck was taken into the other’s mouth down to the root as Touya continued to stare at him with a piercing gaze. Hawks felt himself shake and melt at the sensation as he placed his hands on the crown of his head as Touya got to work pumping forward and back, only using his hands to cup the other’s balls.

“f*ck… f*ck that feels good.” He whispered quietly, trying to choke off any sound he was involuntarily making so he didn’t wake up the rest of the household. Touya noticed this and did everything in his power to destroy that resolve. He swirled his tongue and tipped his head, bumping his nose into Keigo’s groin with every stroke as he took his length down his throat.

“T-Touya, I…”

His hips were bucking on their own, begging for more as he caught a glimpse of Touya’s expression, the sight of the man swallowing his co*ck way more erogenous than he could’ve imagined. He tried to warn the other before he came down his throat, but with one hand cupping his balls and the other gripping his ass cheek, he didn’t have anywhere to go. With a tightening in his gut, a shiver from his wings, and a moan of pleasure, he released into Touya’s mouth and felt his knees wobble in response. Touya swallowed without hesitation and slowly pulled away from the blond’s co*ck, giving it one last lick over the head before he stood and collected Hawks into his arms.

Hawks leaned into the kiss, tasting himself on the other man’s tongue and feeling another ripple of arousal course through his veins. He realized Touya was probably still hard and figured he could take a swing at sucking him off just before he was lifted into his arms and carried through the room. Hawks yelped as he was deposited onto the bed before any remaining clothing was snatched from his legs. He looked up, ready to complain about the handling, when he found Touya spinning his finger in a circle and a hungry look in his eyes.

“Turn over.” He ordered. Without a defiant word, Hawks removed his shirt and sweater in this sweltering heat and did as he was instructed, figuring he was in for a wild ride.

What he wasn’t prepared for, though, was two hands clapped on his ass cheeks and a tongue being shoved up his asshole. Hawks sucked in a startled breath, figuring he had every right to chew the other out for such an invasion of personal space but let the words die in his mouth. His expression was more desperate as his short refractory period sprang his dick back to life with vigor. He moaned with pleasure at the attention, his breath hitching in his throat when Touya reached around to jerk him off as well, his mind turning to pudding at all the sensations as he hoped this went on all night.

“f*ck, Touya… where the f*ck did you learn this?” He asked breathlessly, clutching the sheets and fighting the urge to rock with every stroke. Eventually Touya pulled away, cracking his hand against Keigo’s ass as a reminder there was more to come. Hawks wiped the drool for his mouth and heard the snap of a bottle being opened. He silently thanked Natsu for the stolen gift before a first finger was pressed into his ass, turning and probing a moment before a second was added.

“f*ck... me…” Hawks whispered, pushing back on the digits was each thrust, prompting a third to be added.

“That’s the idea, little bird.” Touya murmured. Hawks almost snapped out of his stupor from the pet-name, only for Touya’s fingers to be removed and replaced with his wrapped co*ck sliding in. Keigo whined from how good it felt, trying to steady his breathing as Touya grunted at the full insertion.

“Damn, your ass is hella tight.” He commented, gently rocking back and forth before he started sliding in and out. “f*ck, little bird… You feel so good.”

Touya used all his strength to slam into Keigo’s ass once, grunting at the pleasure as Hawks stifled a scream in his hand. Touya frowned at the sight, reaching forward to take hold of his wrists as he picked up the pace f*cking him into the mattress. Hawks whined and moaned at the pleasure, biting his lower lip which just made Touya f*ck him even harder.

The pace was consistent as they fell into a rhythm until Touya started to feel a well of release building pressure. He slammed his co*ck into Keigo’s ass over and over, stooping forward with a hand pressed between his wings to steady himself while his other reached around to jerk the blond’s co*ck. Hawks came for the second time, his cum spilling over the bed right before Touya was cumming hard with a guttural sound. They both took a moment to catch their breath, Touya draped over Keigo as he slowly came back to reality. He pushed himself back up, slapping a hand once more on the blond hero’s reddened ass as he yiped in protest.

“f*ck.” Touya muttered, standing and running a hand over his mouth before spitting on the floor. Hawks raised an eyebrow at the display, realizing he was still wearing a sweater and his pants were barely down his ass. When he looked a little closer, he couldn’t help snorting.

“Are those Yumi’s leggings?” He asked, realizing they had to be. Touya flipped him off with an unamused expression as he went to his closet and pulled out a t-shirt and used it to wipe himself down. He carefully removed the condom, dropping it into his waste basket and flung the shirt at Hawks.

“What a gentleman.” He stated, attempting to clean up and also getting the mess on the bed. Touya walked over and wrapped his fingers around Keigo’s jaw, dragging him forward and pressing a kiss against his lips. There was something strange about being butt naked kissing someone else who was fully clothed, and Hawks couldn’t help the little tinge of rouge across his cheeks.

“Same time, same place, next week.” Touya murmured as he broke away. Hawks realized he was staring flabbergasted before he nodded and leaned in again for another kiss.

Chapter 11: Breakfast

Chapter Text

Hawks let out a heavy breath as he plucked up the courage to open his door and greet the new day. Somehow he’d been tempted into Touya’s bed, but he refused to let it be weird and reasoned that he’d done nothing wrong. He wasn’t undercover on a mission, he wasn’t a probation officer; he was a benefactor meant to be a driving beacon in this tumultuous world. What even was a benefactor? The guidelines were fuzzy and seemed to be up for interpretation.

Yeah, everything was going to be fine!

He was so screwed…

Hawks leaned against the doorframe with a queasy expression, cursing himself for being so weak. Not like he could take it back, but he could certainly prevent it from happening again.

“Morning, Hawks.” Natsu announced with a yawn, strolling past him on the way to the main living space. Keigo flinched at the acknowledgement and tried to compose himself.

Get it together, you’re an absolute mess!

“Mornin’, Natsu!” He responded in a chipper tone, following after.

When they got to the kitchen, the sounds of something frying greeted them and they were both surprised to find Touya at the stove with Fuyumi guiding him along.

“Now, get the spatula under it, just like that! Okay, now flip!”

Touya did as he was instructed without a lick of hesitation and everyone watched as the omelet sailed into the air, arched to the left, and landed on the counter.

“Ooo, so close!” Fuyumi said with a chuckle, taking the spatula and dishing the omelet back into the pan. “Don’t worry, though. You’ll be a natural in no time!” She stated wholeheartedly, turning to find Natsu and Hawks taking a seat at the island counter. “Oh, good morning you two! I didn’t hear you get up!”

“Heyo!” Hawks greeted back with a grin, offering Touya a polite smile as well only to be given the cold shoulder as he turned away without a hint of emotion on his features. Hawks was surprised how offended he felt at the action and told himself to relax since it was just a one-night thing.

“Shoto’s training in the gym. Would you like an omelet? Touya’s really getting the hang of it. Oh! Umm, if you don’t mind, Touya. I could always cook them up, I’d be happy to!” Fuyumi rambled, worried she’d overstepped a boundary by insisting he did all the work.

“I don’t mind.” Touya replied in a low tone, removing his omelet from the pan and setting it gently on a dish.

“I’d love an omelet.” Hawks said with a neutral grin, thinking it was nice things could be so normal again. Whatever happened last night was a fluke, a one-off thing.

“We’re out of eggs.” Touya stated rigidly, digging his fork into his meal and taking a bite. Hawks scowled at him.

“What!! We can’t be, I know I got plenty at the store!” Fuyumi insisted, running to the giant fridge and digging through the shelves. She pushed things aside and muttered a few curses before emerging with a defeated sigh.

“Didn’t you say something about getting chickens?” Touya pointed out.

“Yeah… but they haven’t been laying very many eggs and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!” She whined, clasping her head in her hands and letting out an annoyed groan.

“Maybe they’ve laid one or two.” He offered, taking another bite.

Fuyumi sighed. “I guess I can check… gosh, I’m sorry you guys.” She muttered, drearily picking up an unused bowl and slumping her shoulders as she made her way to a door leading to the backyard. Hawks watched her depart as if she was the saddest person in the world and turned back in time to be startled when he saw Touya giving Natsu a pointed glare. Natsu blinked in surprise at his brother’s expression, then flicked his eyes briefly at Hawks before bolting from his chair and running after his sister.

“I’ll help you, Yumi!” He called after her, disappearing down the hall. Hawks raised an eyebrow, but as he turned back to ask Touya what that was about, he found the other reaching into one of the drawers to pull out a full carton of eggs and set it on the counter. Touya then set his plate down and crept around the island, his eyes fixed on the area where his siblings disappeared until he was standing next to Hawks.

Keigo swallowed at the proximity, finding himself tenderly leaning away until he was suddenly gathered up in Touya’s arms and they were kissing like school kids trying not to get caught. Hawks barely even attempted to put up a fight before he melted into the embrace and returned each kiss with just as much enthusiasm. Touya turned the barstool to be given better access and step between Keigo’s legs, pulling him close. They vigorously made out until Hawks finally managed to collect his thoughts and began gingerly pushing the other away.

“T-Touya, we can’t…” He tried to protest as his jaw was peppered with kisses and he didn’t want them to stop.

“Why not?” Touya asked quietly, biting the lobe of his ear and playing with the earring. “You’re not my probation officer. You’re some benefactor with a loose title.”

Hawks shot him a startled look when he thought the other man was reading his mind only to be smothered with another kiss he couldn’t resist. They each used their tongues as Hawks let out a little moan, his arms wrapping around Touya’s shoulders as he pulled himself closer.

Footsteps interrupted their make-out session as they hurriedly broke away, Touya returning to where he was cooking and Hawks scooting his chair so close to the bar top as he tried to calm the redness of his cheeks.

“Well, we found one egg, but, oh! You found them!” Fuyumi said, noticing the carton on the counter and dashing over. “Where were they?”

Touya glanced up to see his sister giving him a dazzlingly expectant look.

“Don’t look at me, Keigo found them.” He muttered, turning back to the bowl he was now cracking eggs into. Hawks sputtered as he was thrown under the bus and now had to deal with coming up with an excuse.

“I… Umm…” He tried, looking around for ideas. Was Natsu… giggling? Whatever, he just had to come up with an explanation to throw Yumi off. Something innocent and normal. “I was sitting on them.”

Fuyumi blinked and Natsu nearly had an aneurism as he stifled a laugh. Touya glared at him. Really? That’s the best you can do?

Hawks wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

“Okay, you weirdo.” Fuyumi stated with a chuckle, giving up on getting an answer as she began chopping veggies for the next omelet.

~0~

Touya stared down at the monitor he wore on his ankle, watching the flashing orange light and shooting it an angry scowl with how short his approved radius was. It seemed he’d barely be allowed into even a quarter of the Todoroki estate and parts of the house were probably off limits as well. He stood near the edge of a tree line over a bridge on the other side of a koi pond, frustrated that he couldn’t go much further.

However, it didn’t seem like he’d have to. Her steps were as stealthy as ever, perhaps even more inconspicuous than he remembered. He didn’t even flinch as a blade was brought to his throat and stopped millimeters away from slashing it open. He hadn’t even noticed her until it was too late, and if she’d actually been trying to kill him, he knew he wouldn’t have been able to escape without a scratch.

“Dabi. Or is it Touya Todoroki now?” Touga asked, her voice low and angry as she stood away from his line of sight.

“You know the answer to that.” He replied, unimpressed with her attempt to intimidate him. He stood calmly, focusing on the sound of the small waterfall on the koi pond.

“Shigaraki’s mad, you really made things tough for us.” She continued, her grip tightening on the blade.

“If I’d really wanted to get rid of you all, I wouldn’t have revealed the locations in the order I did.” He replied, raising a finger to gently push her hand away. “The safety commission and the heroes really believe I’m on their side. It’s a valuable trust to have.”

Touga scoffed and lowered her blade, tucking it back into its holster. Touya turned to face her, seeing she’d grown in their time apart. She was still the same psycho he remembered, but now her eyes were even more harrowing. What’d they seen in the war? How had she gotten away?

Why did he not seem to actually care?

“Be careful what information you give them next. Shigaraki was talking about sending people after you, says he can’t trust you anymore.” Touga stated, giving him a glare that said she couldn’t trust him either. Touya met her expression with an angry scowl and lunged forward, taking her wrist in his hand and squeezing hard.

“Tell Shigaraki to send them before he ruins the trust these heroes have in my information.” He retorted, receiving a grimace from Touga, but she refused to complain about the rough handling. They stood like that for a moment, unwilling to back down from their respective icy glares until Touga let out a huff. When she took a step back, Touya released her wrist and she held onto it, rubbing it to mellow the pain. “I need Moonfish.” He announced, giving her a bored stare.

“What?? You can’t!!” Touga protested, almost breaking from a whisper as she clasped a hand over her mouth.

“The heroes need to keep thinking I’m on their side. After they get Moonfish, send whatever goons you want to make it look like a retaliation.” He stated, folding his arms. Touga sputtered indignantly at the thought of their dwindling numbers before she realized this wasn’t her war. Shigaraki and whatever battle he had going on inside him with All for One were the ones in charge, she just wanted to do whatever she wanted.

“Fine.” She conceded, taking a few steps deeper into the forest. “But you were cuter when you had your scars.”

With that she turned and skipped away, disappearing into the trees. Touya glowered at her departure and turned back for the bridge across the koi pond. As he emerged, he was somewhat surprised to find Hawks already looking for him. He wasn’t gone that long…

“What’re you doing out here?” Hawks asked, jogging up and crossing the bridge. Touya didn’t dare look over his shoulder to make sure Touga had actually left.

“Enjoying the koi pond.” He replied boredly. Hawks raised an eyebrow but decided to drop it.

“We’ll be leaving soon, Kurumada-san is getting the car ready, and an officer escort is on the way.”

Touya stared into Keigo’s eyes without blinking, causing the other to give him an odd look. Before he could ask, Touya step forward and kissed him tenderly, sighing into the embrace as Hawks let his eyelids fall shut. When Touya pulled away, Hawks blinked a few times.

“A damn shame.” He murmured before walking past the hero across the little bridge.

Chapter 12: Class Part 1

Chapter Text

A week had gone by and Hawks was waiting in the passenger seat of the Todoroki family car, dragged along by Fuyumi once again to pick up Touya for his first class with the third year UA students.

“There’s gotta be another angle, something we’re missing.” Tsukauchi insisted over the phone, earning a bitter sigh from Hawks.

“I keep thinking the same thing, but with Moonfish back in custody, that means we’ve recovered ninety-five percent of the escaped prisoners from Tartarus. Two months ago, that number was forty percent. I know it’s risky, but his information has led to an incredible amount of a breakthroughs in other cases of villain activity.” Hawks reasoned, pointing out they had Touya to thank for a lot of street-cleaning action.

“Don’t you think it’s strange the League hasn’t done anything? And why haven’t we gotten Shigaraki?” Tsukauchi pointed out. Hawks chewed on his thumbnail, thinking the exact same thing, but who knows what complicated situation was going on with that mess of an acquaintanceship. “Still, you have a point. I’ll see what I can do about transferring Touya into the prison where he’s been going to for rehabilitation meetings. I’ve heard the inmates can be a bit rowdy when he visits, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to get approved.”

Hawks silently clenched his fist at the victory, glad he had some good news to spread.

“Thank you for your hard work. Oh! Here they come.” The pro hero said, bidding the detective goodbye and ending the call. Touya looked a little less cold with the outfit he was wearing as he strolled past the doors of the giant gate and approached the car. He’d bought a heated jacket, but they weren’t allowed to take the battery into the prison, so Hawks had it in his possession. Yumi had also packed thermal undergarments, gloves, and a beanie, and over the heated jacket he wore a black sweatshirt that read…

Hawks narrowed his eyes, reading the print again and still not understanding the phrase. Touya eventually got to the car and knocked on his window, indicating he should lower it to hand him the battery. Hawks obliged and read his sweatshirt one more time.

“’Hotwings is Canon’? What does that mean?” He asked, giving the other an odd look. Touya paused in the middle of plugging in the battery, returning the odd look with one of his own and scoffed.

“You’re such a boomer.” He muttered, plugging in the battery before sliding into the backseat with his sister.

They eventually arrived with police escort at the Todoroki estate and Touya hated how nervous he felt. They were just a bunch of dumb kids asking him a bunch of dumb questions. Worst of all, he couldn’t even kick their asses if any of them pissed him off.

Shota Aizawa stood at the main entrance where Kurumada-san was dropping them off, greeting the three as they stepped out of the car. Touya returned his serious expression with a bored one of his own before he resolved to avoid any sort of eye-contact with the teacher for the rest of the day.

“Since I’m the faculty member in charge of the third-year projects this year, I’ll be attending these classes every now and then. I hope to also learn from these experiences.” He stated, tipping his head with respect as if Touya was a credible source of information. The thought made him want to set this whole goddamn place on fire.

“I asked the students to submit their ideas for today and tomorrow so you can look them over before they arrive.” Aizawa stated, offering the folder that was in his hand. Touya regarded the thing suspiciously before he reluctantly accepted it and opened the folder. In it, there were a few packets of paper with font that look like it was suitable for ants. He gave the thing a disgruntled frown before shutting it and walking in the front door.

Fuyumi invited Aizawa inside much to Touya’s chagrin and soon the four were sitting down sharing a piping hot cup of tea which was, without a doubt, the weirdest experience Touya and Aizawa had ever been subjected to.

“Ooo, it looks like this first day is going to be Midoriya-kun, Yayorozu-chan, and Shoto!” Fuyumi stated, flipping through the packets since Touya hadn’t. She’d been wondering for a while now whether her brother needed glasses and decided to bring it up next time it was applicable so he could get a vision test soon. “Looks like they’re going to be talking about the importance of education.” She announced, glancing up to find her brother giving her a look of disgust. He turned away without a word, propping his elbow on the arm rest of the couch, leaning his chin against his fist, and sulking.

“You could always go back to prison.” Aizawa reminded him, silently wishing these students hadn’t chosen to subject themselves to the company of this degenerate. He trusted their judgement beyond a shadow of a doubt, but he still couldn’t help but worry. Touya narrowed his eyes further at the wall he was staring at when the doorbell rang.

“I bet that’s them!” Fuyumi announced with a giddy squeak, running up to answer the door. She ushered a small group of students in and led them past the living room, telling them they’d be meeting in the west wing conference room as they disappeared further into the house. Touya didn’t even bother to look at them as they walked by and softly chatted amongst themselves.

Eraserhead and Hawks exchanged a hesitant look as Touya continued trying to glare holes into the wall. The doorbell rang again and Fuyumi raced to answer it before leading the second group to the West Wing Conference Room.

Aizawa set his cup of tea on the end table beside him, letting out a heavy breath. “Being an assistant teacher never could’ve prepare me for my first day of class. My students might not have seen it, but it was hard for me to stand up there in front of them like what I had to say mattered.” He explained, watching as Touya’s expression morphed from consternation to annoyance. “I’ve learned over the years everyone has something to say, but only a few are worth listening to.”

Touya broke his vow and flicked his eyes at Aizawa, missing any eye-contact as the man turned to pick up his tea once more.

The doorbell rang again and he resumed his pouting as Fuyumi dashed by again, letting in the students and announcing they were going to the West Wing Conference Room.

One of the students broke away from this group and walked straight up to Touya like they had nothing to fear. He thought about lashing out, giving up everything he’d worked for and spending the rest of his life in solitary confinement screaming until his vocal cords disintegrated. That’s what they get for trusting a villain, just more dead kids as the vapid heroes sat around and watched it happened.

“Hey.”

Touya blinked, snapping himself out of his thoughts and glancing up. It was Shoto.

His youngest brother held out a fist and gave him an honest smile. “I’m really proud of you for doing this, Touya-nii.”

Touya stared at him, then at the fist he was offered, and slowly raised his to give the other a fist bump. Shoto’s smile widened a touch before he turned to catch up with his classmates. Touya made the mistake of glancing at Hawks and the stupid bastard’s delighted expression made him want to punch a hole in the wall.

Chapter 13: Class Part 2

Chapter Text

Touya eventually walked into the WEST WING CONFERENCE ROOM, washing a quiet over the space that he even found eerie. The students were all seated four to a long table with each row containing two tables. He didn’t dare count the students and wished with everything he could that Shoto wasn’t sitting front and dead f*cking center. There was a director’s chair situated at the front of the room, presumably for him, and Hawks and Aizawa claimed seats off to the side. He huffed an exhale and climbed onto his seat, taking care not to look like a f*cking idiot in front of all these stupid teenagers as he propped his foot on the footrest bar and crossed his ankle over his knee. He looked out passed the students at an analog clock on the wall on the other side, counting down the minutes until he was free.

A shocked squeak caught his attention and his eyes flicked at the perpetrator, finding a short kid with weird round purple hair and some dumb looking blond giving him looks of terror. There was another kid sitting between them, some girl with short black hair, and they leaned back to share a look behind her before whispering something. He couldn’t hear everything, but he did hear the words ‘hotwings’ along with ‘sweatshirt’ and he had to concentrate to keep his expression schooled.

Well, maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad…

“Yayorozu, why don’t you introduce your topic.” Aizawa announced, tired of the silence dragging on. A girl with long dark hair and huge tit* bolted from her seat, stammering a bit as she tried to speak

“Welcome, Touya Todoroki. We’re grateful you’ve accepted to be a part of our class project and we look forward to working with you. We wish to give you nothing more than the utmost respect and humbly ask that you please let us know if any topic is too troubling for you.” She announced, obviously having rehearsed that for a while. Touya couldn’t hide the hint of a frown souring his expression.

This whole f*cking ordeal is troubling.

“The pleasure’s all mine.” He replied simply, flicking his gaze back at the clock.

She then launched into a longwinded speech about education and statistics about those who go on to pursue higher or trade education versus those who don’t. Touya wanted to fall asleep at the lecture and began daydreaming as he tried focusing on his quirk, wondering if he could get so much as a spark despite the suppression injection. Unfortunately, nothing happened.

When she made her conclusion, a few murmurs rippled through the room as the students diligently took notes. Yayorozu stood still for a moment, waiting to hear a critique, before she realized it wasn’t going to happen and slowly sunk into her seat.

Izuku was next and went straight into practically the same speech, talking about his experience in the hero program and boring Touya to tears. He yawned blearily, having to catch a tear from the corner of his eye and admired it. His next skin grafting appointment was coming up and he realized he was actually looking forward to it. His therapist would be thrilled.

When he was finished, he also stood around awkwardly expecting some sort of comment and was met with unperturbed silence. He dropped to his seat and scribbled something in his notebook, muttering to himself.

Katsuki Bakugou glanced around his fellow classmates, noting most of them were on high alert with who was monitoring them from the front of the class, while a few seemed to be mirroring their guest’s lackadaisical aura. He couldn’t argue with either side; the person in front of them was a so-called ‘Reforming Villain’, someone who made a promise to turn over a new leaf. He’d given vital intel in the capture of many villains since he began spilling these secrets, but his babysitters seemed to think he wasn’t to be completely trusted. He’d confessed to killing at least thirty innocent people and when the past on these individuals was dredged up, it turned out to be rather checkered. However, the main argument against the man is that Dabi most likely wasn’t aware of these facts, therefore couldn’t tell whether his victims were innocent or not. The most hotly debated case was the hero Snatch since some intel came to light that he might’ve had some ties to the Meta Liberation Army. The evidence is choppy at best, and there were so many heroes that happened to get wrapped up in the accusations falsely since the war and everything leading up to it revealed a lot of double agents. Touya’s reform was making headlines on a few news sites, but only to fantastical tabloid ones. The ones that attracted all the conspiracy theorists and ignited conversations in the people who want to argue for the sake of arguing.

Then there were the students who looked as bored as the man glaring at the clock on the other side of the room. If he wasn’t giving them enthusiasm, interest, or respect, why should they? Bakugou agreed with Tokoyami, Ojiro, Shinsou, and Shoji. This motherf*cker better start thanking them for giving him a break from prison.

Bakugou shot up from his seat, teeth clenched and eyes murderous as he locked his glare on the surly man at the front of the room and slammed his hands on the table.

“Cut the sh*t, you jackass!! I ain’t wasting my weekends to come out to this crap fest just to watch your stupid ass sit back and yawn!” He shouted, pointing a finger at Touya. “Pitch in, you lazy f*ck!! Or we’ll find something worth our time to do!!”

Touya flicked his gaze from the clock to the angry blond, noticing the other students ranged from freaked-out by the outburst, to nervous features, but no one denied what was pointed out. Touya closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath which only seemed to make the shouting student angrier.

“Don’t you sigh at me, you white haired old bastard!!”

“Calm down, hamster head.” Touya said with annoyance, leaning his chin on his right knuckles with his elbow propped on the arm rest. A giant furious vein threated to burst from Bakugou’s forehead as a student on either side of him had to hold him in place.

“Girl.” He stated, ignoring the angry shouts and not bothering to remember anyone’s names. Yayorozu stared, blinking once before she realized he was talking to her even though he wasn’t looking at her. She shot to her feet, forgetting the rude acknowledgement.

“Yes!” She said, a little more eager than she meant.

“Where did you get your coffee?” He asked, indicating the disposable paper cup on her desk. Yayorozu stared silently, perplexed by the question before looking down at her double whole milk cappuccino with a curious expression.

“There’s a small coffee shop I like to stop at. I’ve gone for almost two years now.” She replied, not sure what that had to do with anything.

“A barista doesn’t need a formal education to make espresso, but that doesn’t make every barista a villain.” He stated, glancing at his fingernails and admiring the ones that were growing back. Yayorozu’s expression flushed a mortified pink as she dived back into her seat and regarded her coffee hesitantly.

“One for All.” He stated next, gaining Izuku’s attention as he jumped from his seat. He barely glanced at the kid before returning his gaze to the backwall and letting out a testy huff. “Your boring statistics make a point, but there’s more to it than a disinterest in continuing an education after high school. And you,” he flicked his eyes back at Bakugou, “if you don’t want your time wasted, then don’t waste mine. Regardless if a person has an education or not, they can still be a villain.”

Students exchanged various looks and scribbled some things in their notebooks. Touya wondered who would be the first to respond if he was able to light one of the notebooks on fire.

Izuku had taken a seat at some point, his face a tumultuous mix of emotions, before Shoto stood.

“Nii-san, this was supposed to be an exercise on how to improve education attendance along with the quality of lessons. We were going over ideas that had to do with family involvement, outreach programs, and youth coaching. At the end we wanted to ask you if you’d be willing to try submitting applications so we could follow the process and see firsthand what it’s like.” He stated matter-of-factly, giving his older brother a look as if he was reminding him to behave. Touya narrowed his eyes at the other, remembering their fist bump, and cursing under his breath.

“One glaring problem with your idea, Shoto.” He said with annoyance, his eyebrow twitching as he remembered he was surrounded by high school seniors. “I wouldn’t be able to apply because I never went to high school.”

A surprised murmur rippled through the crowd and Touya found himself wondering the best way to get his youngest brother alone to beat the daylights out of him for making him admit that fact. A bunch of students hopped from the seats (the frog girl doing so literally) in order to form a huddle. Some pink girl reached out and snagged Shoto by his collar, dragging him into the circle as they whispered between each other.

“It wouldn’t hurt to try, I guess I’ll ask.” Shoto stated right before the circle broke and everyone returned to their seats. Touya didn’t like the glittering expressions he was met with from big titty girl and moss-headed One for All. The other students exchanged more whispers as they relayed the discussion with their group partners until Shoto stood again and cleared his throat.

“Touya-nii,” He started, looking his brother directly in his eyes. Touya frowned bitterly, knowing he wasn’t going to like where this was going; “my group is interested in how the contribution of education, and lack thereof, plays a role in a person’s life becoming a villain. We want to know if you’d be willing to complete the Certificate for Students Achieving the Proficiency Level of Upper Secondary School Graduates while we document your progress.”

Touya blinked. What a mouthful…

“You want me to what?” He asked, trying to telepathically communicate to his brother that he better watch what he says.

“It’s an equivalent test you can take if you never graduated high school. Midoriya, Yayorozu, and myself will help coach you until you’re ready to take the test and we hope to understand what it’s like, then use our experience to help improve the rehabilitation of other villains.” He explained, causing Touya’s expression to become more and more reluctant the longer he listened. He shot a look over at the adults only to find Aizawa glaring to remind him if he denied these children the opportunity he’d be headed straight back to prison for good. Hawks, the cheeky bastard, was giving him a dazzling grin and an encouraging thumbs-up. Touya rolled his eyes.

“Seems like I don’t have much of a choice.” He muttered, setting his chin back on his knuckles.

~0~

When Fuyumi asked what he wanted for dinner and he’d told her to do whatever, he didn’t mean this.

When Shoto asked if it was alright for some of his classmates to stay for dinner and he told him he didn’t care what they did, he didn’t mean THIS.

“Happy Birthday!” The crowd of students and his siblings called out as he entered the dining room and was accosted by the announcement. They didn’t seem to pay his disconcerted expression any mind as the round-cheeked girl handed him a bowl and invited him to be the first to dig into the hot-pot assortment. Everything looked, smelled, and sounded delicious, but the atmosphere ruined his appetite and he shoved the empty bowl into the red-haired boy’s empty hands.

Touya then left the room casually without a word and disappeared back into the house. Everyone glanced between each other, whispering about what to do when Natsuo grabbed Fuyumi’s wrist and stopped her from going after him.

“Let me.” He stated, receiving a glittering look of hope from his sister before she nodded her head.

Natsu checked a few places before he found his brother sitting on the porch steps overlooking the koi pond. His feet were on the next step down and his arms were wrapped around his knees. Without a word, he took a seat next to him shoulder to shoulder.

“I told her you were probably going to do something like this.” Natsu stated, nudging his brother’s elbow. He pretended not to notice the tear streaks running down Touya’s jaw as he also looked out at the koi pond. He’d always been overly emotional as a kid, but it seemed to be even harder to control ever since the dermatologist from Germany did something about his scars. Touya shivered and used a thumb to dry his eyes.

“All these drugs they have me on are making me a wreck.” He muttered, examining the tears on his thumbs as if to check they were still real. He shivered again.

“Don’t you have a heated jacket?” Natsu asked, offering his hand to which Touya hesitantly accepted. His fingers were like ice.

“I have it on max heat right now.” He replied.

Natsu squeezed his hand gently and brought it a bit closer to examine the staples. He used a finger to trace over them, marveling at how painful it looked. The burn scars were mostly gone, but the damaged skin still looked like it needed the staples.

“You wanna pull ‘em out or something?” Touya asked with a chuckle, earning a horrified look. “I wouldn’t blame you, took me a long time to stop picking at them.”

Natsu thought about replying but let the comments die on his tongue. He released the other’s hand but Touya wasn’t ready to let go of the warmth and held on instead.

“I suppose I can stomach being around those teenagers for a short amount of time.” Touya said with a sigh, rocking forward to stand up at once. Natsu followed suit.

“We’ve missed a lot of your birthdays, sis was just excited to finally celebrate.” The younger stated as they started walking back. Touya still wouldn’t let go of his hand. Natsu stopped, halting Touya as well as he bit his bottom lip. “It’s never been the same without you, and I’m sorry you had to go through such a horrible thing. Not just the night we thought you died, but the old man’s cruel expectations.” He stated, his expression twisted with guilt as if it was his fault. “I’ve never been able to forgive him, Yumi tried but then he went and disappeared to who knows where. His agency is a mess, Yumi’s stuck with all the lawyers and his business partners like he’s abandoned us again.”

Natsu looked like he wanted to punch a wall, and Touya didn’t blame him. He marveled at how calm he was with the mention of their shared abuser and briefly wondered if it also meant he’d lost a bit of himself with all this therapy and antipsychotic bullsh*t. Was it him tapping into some inner peace mumbo jumbo, or was he just watering down his personality to appease others? Regardless, the more freedom he could extort from the legal system, the better.

They eventually walked back to the kitchen to find everyone eating and sharing in conversation. No one made a big kerfuffle about Touya coming back and he was thankful. Shoto offered Touya a seat next to him and he accepted, ignoring the awkward expression of the One for All kid as he only paid attention to his meal.

“So, how is it?” Yumi asked as she walked by. Touya swallowed his bite.

“It’s great. I couldn’t miss it. After all, it is my favorite.” He stated with a sly smirk, taking a sip of broth.

A fist lightly thumped against the table across from him and Bakugo whispered underneath his breath “I knew it!”

Chapter 14: Warmth

Chapter Text

Hawks managed to restrain himself for a total of ten minutes after their promised time before he was in front of Touya’s door wondering if the other was asleep or not and maybe he should just go back to bed since it was late and a stressful day… Only to have it open suddenly with Touya’s expression morphing from annoyance to surprise. Hawks didn’t know what to say as his tongue fumbled in his mouth for an excuse until Touya plucked the front of his shirt between his first finger and thumb and dragged the hero into his room, shutting the door behind them.

With lips locked together and fingers carding through each other’s hair, they stumbled their way over to the bed until Keigo collapsed onto Touya. He straddled the other’s waist, kissing feverishly with little noises of pleasure, not giving up on the task. The room was like a furnace, but Touya’s skin was still cool to the touch. Hawks lost his shirt at some point and soon enough his pants were being encouragingly removed as he tried to keep his balance. He wobbled a bit with his attention divided until he was left in his underwear with Touya’s palm grinding against his erection as he rocked his hips with every movement.

They parted from the kiss as Touya pecked a line across his jaw while Keigo draped his arms over his shoulders and leaned into the erotic sensations. Touya eventually dipped his hand beneath the elastic, earning a flighty gasp as he stroked the other’s co*ck with his thumb pressing into the tip.

“Did you miss me?” He whispered into Keigo’s ear. The pro hero’s eyes flew open at the question and he felt his cheeks illuminate with a blush but gave up before he could pretend to deny it.

“Yes.” He whispered, whining as teeth sunk into the pressure point below his jaw. He wondered if it was enough to give him a hickey and thought about shoving him off, but it felt too good, and he was way too horny.

“I thought about you too, little bird.” Touya admitted, nipping little kisses down his neck to his collarbone. “Wanna know what I did as I remembered how well you took my co*ck?”

His grip got tighter as his wrist bent back and forth with each stroke. Hawks moaned in a higher pitch than he intended as Touya also sunk his teeth into his pec. That one was more forceful as he sucked on the skin until he knew he’d left a mark.

“W-What’d you do?” Hawks asked breathlessly, but he figured he could guess the gist of it. Touya collected the blond in his arms and scooted further onto the bed, manhandling him until he was sitting with his back to the other’s chest and Touya was flicking the last of his clothing away. A bottle of lube was extracted from his bedside table and he watched as Touya poured a heavy amount into his hand and went back to jerking him off. He squirmed at the pressure mixed with the lubrication, his back arching and his head pressing into the other man’s shoulder. He was butt naked again with Touya still in a sweater and jeans and he wondered if it was weird to be turned on by such a thing.

Touya’s hand was slow and methodical which was almost agonizing as it moved up and down his shaft. He wanted to demand more, more, dammit! Faster! But he held his tongue until his other hand moved to cup his balls.

“f*ck…” Hawks whispered before Touya began moving his fingers, rolling his testicl*s between his digits. “f*ck… Me…” He whimpered louder, more desperate as he leaned harder into the man behind him.

“Patience.” Touya whispered with a smirk, pressing a kiss below his ear. The sounds were driving him almost as crazy as the sensations while his mind was emptied by the pleasurable touches. Someone could barge in on them at any moment and he wouldn’t even care, as long as he continued to receive this hand job, he didn’t give a damn what else could be happening.

Touya increased the pace and Hawks yelped, his head turning into the crook of the other man’s neck as his fingers dug into his thighs. He felt selfish being the only one receiving such attention, but he also wasn’t ready to stop taking it. He wanted to disappear into Touya’s embrace, to be completely wrapped up in his arms as his scarred hand was f*cked by his co*ck until he came over them both. He felt small and fragile at the man’s mercy, but he also relished in the dynamic.

“T-Touya, I’m gonna…” He squirmed at the build of pressure and wondered if it was too greedy to come so soon, but he couldn’t take it and released in Touya’s hand and up his abdomen. His breath was more labored than anytime he’d pleasured himself on lonely nights and the satisfaction was worlds greater. Touya coaxed him to his side and met him with a kiss, diving his tongue into the hero’s mouth which earned a squeak of surprise.

Hawks found himself being manhandled again and wondered why he was so casual about it. Since he was so small he’d often find himself at the mercy of normal-sized people, which made it all the more infuriating whenever someone thought they had a right to remove him from the ground. He’d given many black eyes for such an affront, but with Touya he found himself wishing for more.

He found himself on his back with Touya between his legs French kissing him like he was starving. Keigo reciprocated, dragging his fingers through his spikey white hair and moaning happily with each kiss. Touya eventually parted with a sly smirk and sunk down the bed until Hawks recoiled at the mouth enveloping his co*ck.

“F-f*ck, Touya! It’s still!!” He stammered out, his hands pressing against the crown of his head and attempting to nudge him away, but Touya’s hands clung to his waist and held him steady as he slowed his pace and waited for the other to calm down. Hawks shot him a dirty look which he returned with an evil glint in his eyes before resuming his work. Hawks eventually relaxed, his arms dropping to his sides as he felt his erection slowly popping back up.

“f*ck… what’s gotten into you? What’d I do to deserve this?” He asked, feeling as Touya took his length down to the root and back up with a pop. He used his hand to stroke the blond’s shaft and chuckled.

“You want me to stop?” He asked, dipping his mouth back down and swirling his tongue.

“God, f*ck, no! Just wondering how I got on your good side.” Hawks continued, petting a hand through the other’s hair.

“You’re right, I should be punishing you for subjecting me to such a, idiotic class project.” He murmured, reached for the lube again and squeezing a dollop into his hand. He took the blond’s co*ck into his mouth so far his nose was buried into his crotch and pressed a finger into his ass, receiving a strangled yelp of pleasure as Hawks wasn’t sure which way to go. He moaned harder while the finger was f*cked into his ass, pulling out and pressing in hard as he was stretched open.

“f*ck, Touya, I…”

His finger twisted and pushed until another was inserted and Keigo’s hands returned to his head, encouraging him to go faster and harder on the blow j*b. Instead, he pulled himself from the other’s dick and licked the full length of his shaft.

“You’re… what?” Touya asked, curious as to what he was going to say. He scissored and twisted his fingers, jamming them in down to his knuckles.

“I didn’t mean to…” He whimpered, trembling at the ecstasy. Touya grabbed his wrists and pressed them into his chest, leaning forward to look the hero in his eyes.

“You’re about to come again, and you think I’ll let you get away with treating me like a science project out there?” He asked, wiggling his two fingers and earning such a delightfully desperate expression. Hawks struggled weakly in his grip, whimpering pathetically. “You’re going to come here every weekend, and you’re going to be at my door right on time so I can stuff you full with my co*ck, understood?” He instructed, adding a third finger which made Keigo arch his back dramatically.

“Yes!” He answered desperately, groaning as the fingers slid in and out. Touya pressed a heavy kiss on his lips and pulled away with a wicked smirk.

“So, you are a good boy.” He mused under his breath. Before Hawks could chastise him for saying something so cliché, Touya took his co*ck back into his mouth and bobbed up and down as he f*cked the other’s ass with his fingers. Keigo gasped and moaned, his fingers twisting into the other man’s white hair and moving along with him as his hips also bucked at the pleasure. It didn’t take much longer until he was stifling a cry as cum shot down Touya’s throat and he swallowed without hesitation.

Keigo’s chest heaved up and down, his eyelids heavy as they fluttered until they eventually closed. He hissed when Touya began to move, his face scrunching up as the other slowly bobbed up and down, coaxing the last of it out of his co*ck with a final throb. He pulled away and swallowed again, pulling his fingers from the other’s ass and collapsing next to the hero. He pulled the blond into his arms and pressed their lips together, dipping his tongue into the hero’s mouth and relishing in the slow kiss. Hawks positively melted into his touch, his brain feeling like it was drifting through clouds as a line of drool dribbled down his chin and he felt sticky all over.

Touya pressed his own erection into Keigo’s thigh and he suddenly remembered they hadn’t done anything for him. His hand went to it immediately, touching and squeezing as he tried to do anything even remotely similar to what’d happened to him. Touya undid the button and zipper, this time removing the pants entirely as Keigo took his co*ck in his hand and began working his shaft. Somehow, Touya was able to distract him from even that as he pressed the hero into the bed and leaned over him, sliding between his legs and using his body to press Keigo’s knees to his chest.

“How many rounds do you think I’ve got in me?” Hawks asked, with a chuckle between kisses.

“You just need one more.” Touya replied, getting rid of his underwear and reaching for the bedside table for the lube and a condom. He watched the former villain roll it over his co*ck before slathering it as he pumped his hand up and down. Touya used a hand under the blond’s knee, folding him over and lifting up to get a better view while his other guided his co*ck.

Hawks sucked in a deep breath at the penetration, his head rolling back as Touya slid his full length inside and grunted at how tight it was.

“Relax, little bird. You’re so f*cking tense.” He whispered, leaning down to press their lips together. Keigo did his best to let out a shaky sigh, unclenching his fists from where they were digging into the sheets and returning the kiss. He wrapped his arms around the other’s shoulders and Touya began rocking back and forth, f*cking his co*ck in and out with yelps and moans of erotic bliss. Hawks found himself biting the other’s shoulder to return the hickey, sinking his teeth into his skin and wondering if the other could feel it.

Touya began slamming his ass with his co*ck, wrapping his arms under the blond and gripping his shoulders in his hands. Hawks gave up trying to stifle every little sound as he was f*cked stupid, the slam of skin on skin echoing through the room. Touya suddenly sat up and shook the hair from his eyes, looking down again to find the other a mess with all the attention he’d been given. He sneered when he realized the hero was still hot for his co*ck and taking it like a champ. His hips moved in a rhythm and he sucked in a breath before letting out a groan as he felt a throb in his dick.

“Such a good boy.” He murmured, his words almost lost with how quiet they were. He slammed his palm into the other’s ass cheek and was given a surprised squeak which encouraged him to do it again. Keigo whined, wanting to complain but also realizing it was something he enjoyed.

“f*ck, your ass feels so good.” He complimented, letting out another groan between his teeth. He lurched forward but caught himself with his hands, feeling another throb course through his veins. “And you look even better wrapped around my co*ck.”

Hawks felt his eyes cross at those words, realizing he was, once again, about to get off from Touya Todoroki having his way with him. He didn’t care though, not when he was feeling this good and having this many org*sms in one night. Touya squeezed him in his arms and began pistoning his hips, slamming into his ass with every thrust before reaching a hand between them and rubbing the last ejacul*tion from Keigo. The blond bucked his hips and choked out a sob, feeling as the last org*sm ripped through him and made his vision go fuzzy. He didn’t even realize Touya had stopped at some point as they both panted from the exertion until the former villain managed to peel himself away. He sat up and flung his sweater aside, finally warm enough to be naked as he laid out on the bed and basked in the afterglow. Hawks wouldn’t have minded cuddling, but the sweltering heat of the other’s room was making it impossible.

“f*ck me, Touya. Really, where the hell’d you learn all that?” Hawks asked, aware it was bad form to talk about someone’s exes immediately after doing it.

“You seriously didn’t get enough?” He asked with a laugh, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Why don’t you just appreciate it, little bird?” He asked, closing his eyes. Hawks narrowed his eyes, finally remembering his wanted to snuff out that pet name before it got attached.

“Why the hell do you keep calling me that?” He asked, rolling his head to look at the other. Touya snorted.

“It’s from our ship name, the fans came up with it.” He admitted, not offering to expand the thought process.

“Ship name? Fans? What’re you smoking?” Hawks asked, giving him an odd look. Touya chuckled quietly as he sat up and reached for his other bedside table, opening the drawer and pulling out the IPad.

“I found it after Yumi gave me this to order stuff. There’s a whole fanbase surrounding us being in a relationship.” Touya answered, typing something into the search engine and handing the tablet to Hawks. He accepted it hesitantly and immediately regretted it as he was meant with fanart imagines of Hawks and Dabi kissing.

Amongst other things.

“Touya!! What the hell??” He demanded indignantly, giving the other an angry scowl.

“Don’t blame me, blame the fans.” He replied with an evil grin, opening the image search and revealing hundreds of rendered images. Hawks felt like he was going to pass out.

“B-But!! You tried to kill me! Multiple times!!” He defended, shoving the IPad back in Touya’s hands and turning away.

“And yet here we are.” He murmured, scrolling through a few pictures before selecting one. “This one’s my favorite. Somebody made up a theory about having babies through quirk accidents.” He explained, his smile a little too genuine. Hawks gaped at the sight of a white-haired baby with red wings and wanted to throw the IPad across the room. So much for cuddling in the afterglow. Before he could yell at the other though, he noticed something familiar, and his face instantly lit up bright red.

“Hotwings?? Our ship name is Hotwings??” He noted indignantly, remembering the sweatshirt the other was wearing all day. “And you wore that in front of high school students??”

Hawks was speechless as the other shrugged with a crafty smile. Hitting the man wasn’t going to solve his problems, but it sure would make him feel better. Hawks stood and grumbled angry curses under his breath as he threw on his clothes and skulked around the room until he found the ‘Hotwings is Canon’ sweatshirt. He fixed him with one last pointed glare before turning on his heel and marching out of the room.

Chapter 15: Class Part 3

Chapter Text

Hawks frowned at the small purple blemish at the edge of his jaw, debating whether he should sneak into Yumi’s room and borrow some foundation or whatever.

Concealer?

Highlighter??

Whatever. Not the point. He mumbled a curse and figured it was small enough. Maybe no one would notice it. Afterall, it certainly wasn’t like the giant purple welt on his chest.

He wandered through the house into the main living room and found spiky white hair laying against the armrest of a couch and braced himself for whatever Touya had to say to him. However, when he came around the side, it was Natsuo lying across the couch scrolling through his phone.

“Not going to join Shoto in the gym?” He asked with a chuckle and was caught off guard when Natsu held a finger to his lips. He gave the other a confused look and took a moment to realize he wasn’t the only one laying on the couch. Tucked between Natsu and the backrest was the eldest Todoroki sibling fast asleep with his arm draped over his brother’s chest. A blanket was scrunched over him, missing Natsu completely as he continued to snooze.

“I’m not some exercise nut like Shoto.” Natsu murmured quietly, indicating his much less defined physique. Keigo huffed a laugh and took a seat on another couch, marveling at how peaceful Touya looked when he wasn’t wearing his usual obstinate expression.

“How long’s he been there?” Hawks asked, wondering why he even cared. He couldn’t have gotten much rest consider how early it was and how late they were up together. He mentally swiped the thought away and reminded himself he was only going to find a world of trouble if he kept chasing after sex with Touya.

Then again, how bad could it be?

“Dunno, he was here when I got home.” Natsu answered, glancing down at his brother. Hawks had to replay that line in his head one more time before a sly smirk turned up the corners of his lips.

“Oh? Where did you go in the middle of the night?” He asked teasingly, earning a startled look when he realized he was caught. He glanced away sheepishly, figuring Hawks was the least of his worries.

“Nice.” Touya whispered, clenching his fist and holding it near Natuso’s. The younger balked at the offer, not realizing he’d woken up, but conceded with a sigh and bumped his fist against Touya’s.

“How long have you been awake?” Hawks asked, knowing the calm had to come to an end, but still not ready for another day of putting up with the reforming villain. He might’ve been less trouble when he was a villain.

“Natsu snores like a chainsaw and you walk like an elephant.” He replied quietly, closing his eyes again.

“I do not!” Natsu defended indignantly as he shot the other an irritated glare.

“Why else would your girlfriend not want you spending the night?” He asked, yawning lightly.

“I didn’t spend the night because I’m trying to spend the time I have with you, you idiot.” Natsu stated grumpily, lightly jabbing his finger against his brother’s forehead until he opened his eyes again.

“Don’t blame me for your relationship drama. I’ll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine.” Touya stated, swatting the younger’s hand away. Hawks shot him a dirty look but remembered Natsu was the one supplying the condoms.

“What’s with that look?” Touya asked, breaking Keigo out of his thoughts. He blinked his expression neutral before remembering he was still mad at the other.

“It wasn’t that hard to figure out.” Natsu stated, earning both their attentions. “I figured you had to have a reason for helping out around here as much as you have, which meant it was either Touya or Endeavor.”

Hawks felt the color drain from his face as his heart leapt into his throat. Rumi’s words about him having a crush on the former number one hero danced through his brain and he realized he was acting a lot more suspicious than he intended. He shook his head and waved his hands emphatically, the color returning to his face as a blush.

“Don’t say something so weird!” Hawks pleaded, unable to look either sibling in the eye.

Natsu laughed at the display, not expecting such an animated reaction. “I’m joking! Do you know how weird that would be? He’s, like, twice your age!”

Natsu couldn’t stop laughing at how embarrassed the pro hero was, but Touya couldn’t help noticing the over-the-top reaction for such a dumb joke.

~0~

Yayorozu, Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka were the only ones to return on Sunday. They came back with a mountain of textbooks in their hands which they looked way too enthusiastic about as they dropped them in front of where Touya was seated. He stared at the table covered in books with displeasure before glancing up at his youngest brother, waiting for an explanation.

“Yayorozu stopped at the bookstore to pick up study guides and we’ve each brought our own textbooks to help out.” Shoto explained, indicating the indistinct titles stacked higher than he was seated. Touya remained silent as he looked over the piles and didn’t bother reading any of the spines.

“You know I’m not going to be able to bring any of these with me, right?” He asked, not even knowing where he was supposed to start.

“Actually, your prison transfer was approved twenty minutes ago and Tsukauchi says you can take one book so long as it pertains to the UA students’ school project.” Hawks stated, not looking up from his phone as he was in the middle of texting someone, probably Tsukauchi. Touya’s expression deflated into a scowl.

“Oh goody.” He muttered sarcastically, unsure which of these monstrosities was going to be the least boring.

The students debated about what book he should bring with him, going in circles between intro to calculus, microbiology, and some book about global economics.

Touya felt an actual itch in his soul to light the table and everything on it on fire. He regarded the pile apprehensively, wondering what the hell he was going to do when he couldn’t f*cking see.

“H-Here you go, Todoroki-san” Midoriya stated as he set a sheet of paper in front of the man. Touya stared at the fuzzy words and felt his eyebrow twitch. “This is a short test so we can see where your knowledge is at. Please, take your time.”

Touya stared hard at the paper, fighting the urge to crack the table in half as he felt his eyebrow twitch again. Midoriya gingerly set a pen next to the paper and Touya wanted to slap his hand for daring to come near him.

“Is everything alright, Touya-nii?” Shoto asked, stopping his murderous train of thought. He wanted to shout, to throw something, to destroy whatever was nearest, but his stupid therapy sessions reminded him to relax and change his mindset. Find the problem and find a non-destructive solution.

“I can’t read it.” He muttered under his breath, angry he even had to admit it. Shoto blinked.

“You can’t read?” He asked, surprised his brother’s education suffered that much. Touya rolled his eyes.

“No, jackass. I need glasses.” He elaborated, stopping his hand inches away from where he meant to strike the other across the face. A sudden commotion came from all around them as the high school students glanced about and found armed men pointing weapons at the former villain. They’d honestly forgotten the security guards were even there and Shoto spoke up to ease the tension.

“It’s alright, we’re fine.” He stated, watching as they slowly lowered their weapons and exited the room, calling out on their radios that it was a false alarm.

“I-I can read them to you.” Midoriya offered, taking the paper again and clearing his throat. He’d definitely hit some kind of crazy growth spurt over the year, along with the majority of Shoto’s class when Touya noticed everyone was either as tall as himself or taller. However, he was still a nervous wreck of a person. He was probably trying to be overly sensitive as well which just pissed him off more. “The first one is just a basic differential equation where…”

“Pass.”

Midoriya blinked. “Excuse me?” He asked, not sure how to react. Touya scoffed.

“Can’t be a high school drop out if I never went to high school.” He stated, leaning back in his chair and examining his fingernails. Midoriya blinked, still not grasping it and Touya had to remind himself the house arrest guards had assault rifles.

“Middle school. I. Graduated. Middle school.” He stated condescendingly, then began counting to thirty like his therapist instructed.

Midoriya blinked rapidly, realized what he was saying, and began frantically searching through the stack of textbooks while apologizing profusely. This is the new All Might? He thought to himself. The student eventually found what he was looking for and cracked open the book, turning it to chapter one. He read off some examples of y=mx+b and Touya relaxed a little, finding the terms familiar and deciding to give these students one more chance.

Chapter 16: Monday

Chapter Text

Burnin rushed from her stop at the train station and ran full speed for the Endeavor Agency. Yumi had texted her an immediate emergency, saying she needed to come quickly which was completely out of the ordinary. When she approached, she grew more skeptical since there weren’t any cop cars parked outside, none of the alarms were going off, and no one seemed to be in a panic. She burst through the doors, ready to demand some answers, when a chorus of cheers erupted from a crowd in front of her.

“Happy Birthday!!”

Burnin stared at the smiling faces, shooting Kido and Onima dirty looks as they laughed at her confused expression.

“Moe!” Fuyumi called out, pushing through the crowd with a neatly wrapped gift. “Sorry for the deception! Happy Birthday!” She stated with a glowing smile. Moe regarded the gift apprehensively, but eventually dissolved her grumpy façade and smiled brightly.

“You really got me this year!” She observed, accepting the gift and giving the other a hug. She opened it and found a new bag inside along with a gift card to one of the most expensive clothing stores in town for an egregious amount of money. Her eyes bugged out at the number and she tried to give it back, but Fuyumi insisted and told her she deserved it for all the work she had to take on over the year. They laughed and hugged again before Burnin was escorted to the dessert table and had a slice of cake for breakfast along with a cup of her favorite coffee.

“I ran out of the train before I could stop for coffee, so I guess I can forgive you since you brought me one.” She said with a mouth full of cake. Fuyumi laughed as she ate her own slice.

“So,” Moe started, unsure how to bring it up and deciding to just go for it, “how was your weekend with Touya?”

Fuyumi pursed her lips, sinking her fork into her cake but stopping before she could eat it.

“I thought I could do a surprise party for him too, but I don’t think he liked it very much. Natsu even warned me, but I didn’t listen.” She relented, pushing her piece of cake around. “You two share the same birthday, but I had much more fun with this one.”

Moe swallowed her bite of cake and set a hand on the other’s shoulder, drawing her eyes to look into her own.

“It’s gonna take time, he’s still adjusting. You’re being too hard on yourself, Yumi.” She stated, squeezing the other’s shoulder. Fuyumi forced a smile but dropped it when she knew she wasn’t fooling anyone. “Did he lock himself in his room the rest of the weekend or something?” She wondered, imagining a smaller version of Endeavor angrily claiming to hate surprises before walking out of the room in a huff. Except for the hair color, the two of them had a remarkable number of similarities. The physical ones were especially noticeable after the first scar removal procedure.

Fuyumi shook her head.

“We had hot-pot and some of Shoto’s friends stuck around. At first, he looked so angry I was afraid he was going to lash out. But when he came back with Natsu he looked just fine.” Fuyumi explained. She meant to apologize to him but didn’t get the chance before he left yesterday.

“You’re being ridiculous. He came back and sat with a bunch of strangers! He had to have enjoyed it on some level, otherwise he would’ve stayed away.” Moe pointed out encouragingly. Fuyumi knew the other was right, but she couldn’t help feeling like something was wrong.

~0~

Mineta slouched in his chair and texted on his phone under his desk. They were on a break and everyone else seemed to either be gossiping or cramming in some studies, but he’d just downloaded a dating app and was busy texting girls asking for nudes. So far none had obliged, but there was still a chance.

He jumped when someone entered his personal bubble and nearly slapped the sh*t out of them before he realized it was just Kaminari. The blond was wearing an uneasy expression and leaned in with a hand to his mouth.

“Dude… what was up with that sweatshirt?? You don’t think… is it true??” He asked, referring to Touya Todoroki’s ‘Hotwings is Canon’ sweater. He’d obviously done some online shopping with Hot Topic, but that kind of stuff was usually purchased by overzealous fangirls. The sight had been shocking, and no one else seemed to understand what it meant. Not to mention Hawks and Dabi didn’t act like they were in a relationship. Maybe he didn’t know what it meant? That was always a possibility, but then why would he buy it??

“How the hell should I know??” Mineta whispered back, setting his phone aside. “Go ask him yourself!!”

Kaminari balked at the thought of asking the man if he was sleeping with a pro hero. “No way, dude! I saw your face, I know you want to know too!”

“What’re you two whispering about?” Jirou asked with an annoyed tone, giving them both a bored glare. Kaminari and Mineta shut their mouths in an attempt to hide their conversation, but it was obviously too late. Mineta thought about it and decided to find out if he could get some juicy details.

“Todoroki.” He called out, earning Shoto’s attention. He turned from where he was going over some homework with Izuku and acknowledged the other student. “When you saw your brother yesterday morning, was there anything different about him? Or perhaps something different about Hawks?” He asked, trying to be vague about it. Shoto considered it a moment before shaking his head.

“Not that I recall. Why?” He asked, genuinely curious.

“No reason.” Mineta stated, coughing into his fist. “Nothing at all? No bruises? Maybe on the neck?” He continued, waving his hands as a generalization. Shoto tapped his chin.

“I suppose Hawks had a bruise on his jaw, but when I asked him about it, he said he ran into a door.” He stated innocently, not raising any red flags with any of the students.

Well, except for Kaminari and Mineta.

“T-Thank you. That’s all.” Mineta stated, slowly turning back to Kaminari and giving him a horrified expression that said what the f*ck is going on??

~0~

Touya had arrived at his new prison Monday mid-morning and was escorted to his cell with mixed emotions from the other inmates. It seemed the rumor had traveled around fast as he’d expected since no one looked to be surprised. It was practically the same reception he got whenever he visited for his group sessions, but the nastier comments were crueler, and the emphatic comments were more insistent than usual. He continued to ignore them all as he was shown his new cell that also came with a bunk mate. The man was a heteromorph that resembled Spinner a lot, but seemed completely uninterested as he laid on the top bunk and stared at the ceiling. He ignored Touya and remained silent which was perfectly fine with him.

Eventually they were released and Touya followed the crowd to the lunchroom, noticing with great joy that even his supporters were giving him a wide berth in the hallway. No one knew what he was capable of, and his disinterested expression didn’t make it any easier to figure out. Whispers surrounded him but he tuned them out and kept his eyes focused forward.

He got in line like any other inmate, grabbed a tray like any other inmate, and continued down the line like any other inmate. Soupy rice was spooned in the middle, some sort of meat with sauce was slapped on top, and a brick of something resembling bread was placed off to the side. He briefly thanked the chef and broke off to find somewhere to sit. Most of the tables looked to be occupied, and he certainly hadn’t made any friends yet, but as he spotted an empty table in the distance he was stopped in his tracks by a hand grabbing his tray and tipping the contents into his face and then over his head.

Touya stood still and began counting to thirty, feeling the familiar build up of heat as his quirk was returning to him after the weekend.

“Don’t think for even one second it’s gonna be easy for you here.” A voice muttered threateningly before he was shoved in his shoulder.

Ah, Takami…

Touya slowly lifted his hands and used his fingers to scoop the remnants of his lunch from his eyes, flicking the mushy bits onto the floor. He then sucked in a heavy breath and slowly released it before flicking a dangerous glare at the man standing in front of him. Two others stood by his side with the same co*cky sneer, their arms folded across their chests like they thought it’d intimidate him. He quickly shut his eyes and turned his head to a more favorable position as Takami clocked him with a punch that stung a bit more than he expected.

“You’re a dead man.” Takami said through clenched teeth, grabbing the younger man by the front of his shirt and shaking him viciously. Touya remained silent, never missing a beat as he continued counting. The older man didn’t find it amusing, however, and used one hand to wind up a punch before connecting his fist with Touya’s eye. He fell backwards, landing in a pile of mush, and raised a hand to find blood from a split lip.

Touya scoffed a laugh at the sight, earning an outraged glare from his bully.

“What the hell’s so funny??” He demanded, stepping forward and planting a foot on his chest to send him crashing to the floor. Touya couldn’t help coughing at the impact, gripping the man’s ankle to lessen the force.

He laughed again. Takami felt a vein throb in his forehead as he began stomping on the other, aiming for his sternum and his gut, using all the power he could muster. Touya managed to roll away after a few hits and climbed to his feet only to be held in place by Takami’s entourage gripping his arms. The brown-haired man threw a punch in his cheek, another in his jaw, and a third in his gut. He gasped at the last attack and slumped in the grasp of the other men as he tried to steady his breath. Takami gripped his jaw in his hand and lifted his head, meeting his eyes with a look of pure hatred.

“I swear I’ll kill you for what you did to my son.” He seethed, tightening his grip before hocking a loogey in Touya’s eye. The two men then dropped him on his ass and the three departed. Touya sat for a moment in the utter silence as he realized everyone was staring at him. The thought annoyed him, but he did his best to ignore the feeling of hundreds of eyes as he used a thumb to wipe the spit from his eye. He made a face when the mucus stretched from his face to his hand and shook it out, trying to get it off him. Everyone seemed to go back to what they were doing when they realized he wasn’t going to go nuts, probably disappointed that the show was over.

A green hand was extended in his direction and Touya glanced up to find his cell mate. The man held a neutral expression but continued to offer his assistance to which Touya gladly accepted. The heteromorph helped him stand and even brushed a bit of goop from his shoulder.

“A friend of Spinner’s is a friend of mine.” He whispered to the former League member. Touya paused at the information, not expecting to hear those words and grinning devilishly at them.

Interesting.

Chapter 17: Revenge

Chapter Text

Touya realized he actually had a lot of friends in prison. So much so that it was a little overwhelming. The League’s influence along with his ties to the Meta Liberation Army were certainly coming in handy, especially since his only interests were personal. Of course, these people didn’t need to know that and soon enough he found himself as a de facto grand commander of a mish-mashed group of delinquents. Honestly, it suited him. His cell mate had introduced him to several key players and they were careful not to divulge too much information near curious ears.

They all wondered the same thing; what was Shigaraki’s next move, where was he, when was the next war going to take place. They preached about quirk suffrage, creating a better world for the next generations, and taking back their rights to use their quirks however they pleased. Ultimately, Touya didn’t care about these plights. It was frankly more of an inconvenience for a bunch of random people to do whatever they pleased whenever they pleased. Of course, he was perfectly willing to play some dumb game if it meant achieving his goals.

The first night he’d spent in his childhood home was suffocating. He didn’t sleep a wink the entire night and spent his time agonizing over every sound, every smell, and every shadow in the dark. While his room’s heater was cranked to max capacity, staying there threatened to drive him further into insanity. He’d thrown on layers and ventured out into the cold house, wandering for hours as far as his ankle monitor would allow before Yumi found him on her way to start a pot of coffee. If she was alarmed by him being awake so early, she didn’t let it show and instead struck up a conversation about her intention to start a homestead by planting a produce garden and getting chickens. It turned out she wasn’t blessed with a green thumb and her chickens hated her and would charge at her to peck at her ankles, but she refused to give up on them and continued to provide them with the best possible care.

His second night there resulted in the same inability to sleep, but this time he tried finding somewhere else to go to bed. He’d tried guest rooms, but those still allowed his mind to wander to dangerous memories. Outside was much too cold and he couldn’t muster up the courage to crawl into bed with Natsu like he’d done in their childhood, so the only other logical solution was a couch. He’d scavenged closets to find a thick enough blanket and settled in to hopefully get a moment of sleep when the front door had been gently opened and someone crept inside. With the security team skulking through the grounds, he knew it had to be someone familiar, and was fairly surprised to find Natsu slinking through the house like he was in a cartoon. Natsu must’ve felt him staring because he turned and nearly jumped at the unexpected sight before he realized it was just Touya and tried to play it off like nothing had happened. He must’ve looked worse than he felt because it wasn’t long before Natsu was climbing onto the couch with him and nudging him into the back cushion. He really did snore like a chainsaw, but the feeling was nostalgic and Touya managed to get an hour or two of sleep.

He'd spent so much of his life wallowing over his situation that it was almost embarrassing to be met with these moments and have the same thought running through his mind.

After you achieve your goals, what comes next?

His therapist was too clever for her own good and he never wanted her to know how much that question vexed him. When Endeavor was dead, could he still come over and visit Yumi with her chickens? Would he have to miss Natsu’s wedding too? Shoto turned out to be a pretty decent person despite actually living up to their father’s expectations. When he found out the kid regularly ghosted the man’s texts and forced him to beg for his attention, he actually smiled. Like, a genuine smile. Endeavor’s death wouldn’t give him his life back, but the thought of it sure did put a grin on his face.

The disintegration of that man’s confidence, his swift decline into crippling self-doubt… those were particularly satisfying moments to experience. The thought warmed his cold, empty heart and kept him motivated to seek the revenge he knew he deserved. Endeavor’s death would likely cost him the trust he’d built up in his siblings, but it was a price he was willing to pay.

Right…?

Voices broke through Touya’s thoughts and he shook his head, remembering where he was and what he was doing.

“I didn’t do nothing! It was all that Dabi bastard’s fault, he started it! I was just defending myself!” Takami insisted from the other side of the door. Touya couldn’t help smirking as the door handle was turned and the man was shoved inside.

“Tell that to him.” The ‘guard’ stated, slamming the door behind him and locking it from the outside.

Takami blinked, glancing around until all the color drained from his face at the sight of the only other person in the room.

It was after lights out when he was instructed to get up and come with this guard that looked familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. As he was being escorted through the halls, he couldn’t help getting a feeling of unease since the situation didn’t seem to be adding up. He’d never been asked to go anywhere after lights out, there were always two guards to an inmate when escorting them to a detention center, and he knew he’d never seen this guard before.

He swallowed hard at the sight of Touya Todoroki sitting on a stainless-steel table with his legs crossed at the knee. He was leaning back casually with his arms propping him and a demented smile carving up the corners of his mouth. Takami spun around and ran at the door, pounding against it with his fist as he shouted “Guard! Guard!!”

That’s when it hit him; he’d never seen this guard before, yet recognized his face, because it was one of the inmates who’d somehow gotten his hands on a uniform.

“Help!!”

Touya chuckled darkly, watching with amusem*nt as the man tried so desperately to escape.

“Please, someone! Help me!!”

“You can scream all you want, no one’s going to save you.” Touya murmured, glancing at the palm of his hand as his summoned a modest blue flame. Takami glanced over his shoulder and whimpered at the sight, realizing with great horror how hard he’d f*cked up.

“I-I’m sorry!” He tried, facing the man and collapsing to his knees. “I’m so sorry!!” He shuffled forward, tears brimming in his eyes.

Touya chuckled at the sight, enjoying the show as the man continued to degrade himself without a single threat. It was flattering to see it only took his presence to shatter a man’s will into nothingness, but it also wasn’t nearly enough.

“You can’t lie to me and expect me to forgive you.” Touya stated, his smile curling into a dastardlier expression. He must’ve looked absolutely frightening because Takami’s petrified features managed to grow even more horrified.

“P-please! I’ll do anything!” He begged, shuffling even closer as tears began pouring from his eyes. Touya scoffed at the sight and slowly climbed to his feet. He sauntered over, mentally deliberating what he wanted to do until he was standing in front of the man and looking down on him. Takami’s pupils were barely visible, his eyes shaking frantically as his breathing was labored. Touya gave it another moment of uncertain silence before he shot out a hand and clenched it around the man’s neck, gradually dragging him to his feet with little effort. Takami gagged and choked at the grip but obeyed and climbed to his feet until he was looking directly at the younger man. Touya chuckled at the sight as the other desperately gripped his wrist while tears continued sliding down his face.

“P-please…” He whimpered pathetically, his whole body shaking from fear. Touya pulled him closer until their noses were practically touching.

“Anything?” He asked, wondering what that word meant to the other man.

“Yes!!” He cried out hastily, sobbing pathetically. Touya took a moment to think it over, tapping his chin with wistful contemplation. He settled on another idea and released the man, watching as he stumbled and doubled over. Takami gasped and coughed, rubbing his neck as he took a step back.

“Well?” Touya asked expectantly, folding his arms. The other man stared at him like his was crazy, but decided it was in his best interest to get some clarification.

“Well, what?” He asked, hoping this wasn’t some trick to start hitting him.

“You said you’d do anything, what’re you going to do?”

Takami blanched, not really having thought it over and also not knowing what would even appease the man.

“I… I’ll give you anything from my meals, I’ll give you all my cigarettes!” He stated, regretting the second part since cigarettes were like gold in this facility.

“Boring.” Touya replied, examining his fingernails and igniting a blue flame on his palm again. He watched it flicker and returned his gaze back on the other man. Takami swallowed harder.

“I’ll kick anyone’s ass, you point him out and I’ll f*ck him up!”

The blue flames grew larger and Takami yelped.

“You can have my pillows! You can take anything you want! I’ll dump my own meal over myself and act a fool at the next free period! I’ll rub your feet, I’ll suck you dick, anything!!”

Touya blinked. This guy certainly was desperate to cling to life like a fly on a turd. The thought of the man even being near him was revolting, but he also couldn’t help the sick sense of curiosity causing him to entertain the idea.

“Alright.” He said with a cruel grin. Takami whimpered, feeling a pit drop in his stomach.

“Alright, what…?” He asked quietly, really, really, hoping it wasn’t what he thought.

“You offered to suck my dick, get on with it.” He replied with a silky voice, expecting the man to back-track and wondering which of his bones he should break first. To his surprise, Takami dropped to his knees again and shuffled forward. He watched with fascination as the man reached out with shaking hands to tug at the elastic of his pants and reveal his completely flaccid co*ck.

Takami shuddered, wishing for the other to just admit it was a merciless joke and maybe give him a black eye to call them even. Unfortunately, the younger was completely silent so he muttered a prayer and leaned in.

Touya closed his eyes to hopefully relinquish the sight of the unappealing man trying to win his favor by sucking his dick. When he did, he could feel himself hardening up just a tad; it wasn’t the worst, but it was far from the best.

“Watch your f*cked up teeth.” He muttered, still not opening his eyes. Takami obliged, choking a bit when his co*ck grew larger than he expected. He worked his shaft as much as he could manage while trembling like a cornered animal and trying to ignore the taste. He licked and sucked with no plan, hoping more than anything this was going to be over any second.

Touya let out a heavy breath and dug his fingers into the man’s scalp, guiding his head back and forth since his pacing was awful. Takami didn’t put up a fight, giving in as he made repulsive choking noises and tried to control his gag reflex. Touya thought about any situation that was even remotely more appealing than this one, but what finally sent him over the edge was knowing that this man’s son had so amorously cried out from being f*cked by his co*ck.

He shoved Takami’s nose into his groin and released down his throat, listening as he gargled his cum back up and looked down to find he actually made a mess of himself. Multiple tear tracks spilled from the man’s eyes, drool and sperm covered his chin, and he looked like the most defeated man in the world.

Touya laughed at the sight and pushed him away, remembering the death threats he’d been giving him over the past several weeks.

“If you make a threat, it’s in your best interest to keep it.” Touya stated, pulling his pants back up. For an instant the man looked relieved that the ordeal was over, and the sight annoyed him. He planted a foot in Takami’s chest and shoved his back into the floor, earning a look of terror. “As for Keigo you’ll have to specify which you’re most offended by; whether you’re referring to me recruiting him into the Meta Liberation Army, the incident at Gunga Mountain Villa, or during the war.” He continued, grinding his shoe into the man’s chest. He chuckled at the sight of the other cowering on the ground and leaned his elbow on his knee.

“Whichever it is, I just want you to know one last thing.” He said in a low tone, giving the man another harrowing smile. “Keigo looks much better than you do wrapped around my co*ck.”

With that he stood, booted the man in the head, and strolled over to the door. He knocked twice, paused, knocked a third time and said “It’s me.” The door was then unlocked and he walked out like nothing ever happened.

Chapter 18: Red

Chapter Text

Hawks was sitting in the front seat of the Todoroki family car for the third week in a row, wondering where his ability to set boundaries had gone. Fuyumi was inside the prison to give Touya his street clothes and he was stuck out here with Kurumada-san waiting for them to come out. His elbow was resting against the door with his cheek leaning against his fist and he glanced at the prison thoughtfully.

Tsukauchi had called him with news Monday afternoon that Touya had gotten into a fight. Nothing happened, and the other guy looked to be the one who instigated it, but the troubling part was that it was apparently his father.

The news had been shocking. He truly didn’t know where the man had ended up, and the fact that he was in the prison Touya asked to transfer into didn’t sound like a coincidence. He remembered the first night with him at the Todoroki house where Touya had asked about his father, but the questions seemed innocuous enough. He’d have to question him about it, and he wasn’t going to let the other man bullsh*t some excuse. He was a professional operative specializing in stealth, acquiescence of information, and strategizing. He’d trained countless hours and led numerous missions to success, but as Touya f*cking Todoroki waltzed out of prison wearing a sweatshirt with an action shot of Hawks printed on it along with the words ‘He’s My #1 Hero’, Keigo found himself utterly speechless. It was so surprising he nearly missed the purple shiner around his left eye.

Touya knocked on the window and indicated for him to hand over the battery to his heated jacket. Hawks flicked his eyes from the graphic to the man looming over him, his agitated expression dripping with the words are you f*cking kidding me? He eventually pressed the button to lower the window and begrudgingly handed over the battery before slouching in his seat with a consternated glare. The siblings climbed into the back seat and they drove away.

“I seriously hope they punish whoever did that to you!” Fuyumi groused, referring to Touya’s black eye and nearly healed split lip. “I’d like to give that man a piece of my mind! Who does he think he is starting fights for no reason, I oughta punch him and see how he likes it!”

Hawks pursed his lips awkwardly, wondering if he should tell her who it was or let it go and hope she never finds out.

“It’s not worth getting upset over.” Touya stated boredly, watching the back of Keigo’s head to see if he had a reaction. So far, nothing.

When they arrived, Mount Lady and Kamui Woods greeted them at the Todoroki home, stating that Aizawa had asked them to act as added security. They all went inside and sat down for a cup of tea and the atmosphere was very reminiscent of the previous weekend. Touya spent his time exclusively staring at a wall and Shinji Nishiya found himself waging an internal duel between asking about the sweatshirt and continuing to ignore it.

The students eventually arrived and Touya was glad the awkward tea party was over, but was also annoyed to have to still be a part of this tedious project.

He took his seat in the same classroom setting on the director’s chair, staring once again at the clock on the back wall. The girl with the round pink cheeks stood up and cleared her throats, shuffling through her notes.

Uraraka began her group’s presentation about wanting to understand a villain’s perspective on fighting, what it takes to end up on the side of evil, and the masterminding thoughts behind a villain’s victory.

When she finished her introduction, Touya gave a cynical frown and looked up at the ceiling as if it was going to split open and beam him to another dimension to escape this hell, before resigning himself to his fate with a contemptuous sigh. He rolled his head to the side to find Mount Lady scrolling through her phone and Kamui Woods diligently taking notes as if he was a part of the class.

“Oi.” He snapped, earning their attention and briefly wondering where Hawks had disappeared to. “They’re still kids, right?” He asked, jerking his head in the direction of the rows of students.

“Uhh, yeah.” Shinji replied skeptically.

“Is it appropriate to talk about living under bridges and in crack-houses, or should I skip that part?”

Shinji blinked, caught off guard by the question and sharing a startled look with Yu who also wasn’t terribly sure how to respond. Whispers cycled through the students as they shared astonished looks.

“You did crack??” Mineta blurted out, earning a hasty shush from Sero and Kaminari. Touya rolled his eyes.

“If I did crack, I would still be on the streets doing crack.” He drawled, trying to emphasize how stupid the question was. “Not a lot of options for a mentally unstable runaway.”

The third years asked a lot of questions, but none of them were directed at Touya, and hardly any of them were loud enough for him to hear. Touya sighed again.

“If you really want to stop the cycle of villainy, then stop acting like villains are beneath you.”

Uncomfortable silence filled the room before the students began scribbling more notes in their notebooks one by one. Kamui Woods also wrote down the line and Touya felt the slightest hint of pride for it.

Kirishima stood up. “How did you end up living like that?” He asked bluntly, earning a punch in his thigh from Mina as she whispered a scolding at him. Touya glanced around the room, his father’s wealth was obvious, but money didn’t solve everything. He regarded the red head curiously before climbing out of his director’s chair and strolling over to the third year. Everyone stared, wondering what in the heck he was up to as he stopped next to the student and continued to stare at him. Despite being several inches taller, Kirishima felt like an ant under his sharp blue eyes, noting that they were somehow more intense and intimidating than Endeavor’s. He knew he shouldn’t, and he did his best to not let it show, but he couldn’t help trembling at the ominous look he was receiving and hoped someone would help him out.

“Do you dye your hair?” Touya asked, reaching out to grasp a bit of his hair and examine the roots. Kirishima felt his mouth open with shock.

“Ehh??” He gaped dramatically, letting out the exclamation along with half the class. He shook his head to hopefully snap himself out of the shock before he answered. “Uhh, y-yeah… Crimson Riot is my biggest influence and I wanted to copy some of his style.”

He’d managed to go quite a while without his classmates finding out he dyed his hair the signature red color, but he could only keep it hidden for so long when all the guys shared a bathroom. As school continued and classes got harder, it also became more difficult to keep up with the root touch ups which is what Touya was pointing out.

Touya let out a hum. “Will you dye my hair the same color?”

Now the class was sent into utter shock. Midoriya nearly fell out of his chair, Bakugou was rendered speechless, Uraraka choked on a sip of water, and Shoto’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. Kirishima blinked, not sure he heard that right, but as he glanced around his class and caught the shocked expressions of the pro heroes sitting off to the side, he realized he wasn’t hallucinating.

“Uhh…” He replied nervously, feeling as the color began draining from his face.

“We can fix yours too, and I’ll answer everyone’s dumb little questions.” Touya continued, making his final offer. Kirishima gaped like a fish out of water before he finally managed to untangle his tongue and rewire his brain.

“S-sure… I don’t see why not.”

Touya nodded, then looked out at the room. “Who’s gonna buy hair dye?” He asked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a black metal credit card, waving it alluringly.

~0~

Hawks was sitting in the living room, trying to give himself a break from Touya since he’d spent a lot of his time trying to help the guy only to be mercilessly teased by him. It’d been strange to see two of the UA students rush out of the room to throw on their shoes and sprint from the house only to return ten minutes late panting and running back to their ‘classroom’ with a plastic bag in hand. He was close enough to the door to hear if anything suspicious happened, but not close enough to hear any normal conversations. However, what he wasn’t expecting to hear a half an hour later was…

Laughter?

Touya only seemed to laugh at the misery of others, so to hear giggling from the man’s classroom was concerning. Hawks managed to let it go on a little while longer before his curiosity got the better of him and he got up, walked down the hallway, and poked his head in the doorway. What he really, really wasn’t expecting to see was the man sitting in his chair with a towel over his shoulders and his hair Endeavor Red.

Hawks swallowed hard, caught between horrified shock that the man had finally lost his last marble, genuine concern that this was some self-destructive attempt at coping, and a very misplaced sense of intrigue at the bright red hair and stunning blue eyes.

“It really suits you!” Uraraka stated, holding up her phone with the camera facing Touya. He gently lifted it from her grasp, admired his reflection, and handed it back to her.

“I prefer the black.” He replied simply, glancing to his side when something caught his eye. He found Hawks staring at him dumbstruck from the doorway and smirked haughtily before he answered another one of the students’ questions.

Chapter 19: Caught

Chapter Text

Touya scowled at the ceiling of his room. The students, for whatever reason, decided it’d be a good idea to get a fighting lesson in with the former villain even though he pretty much wasn’t allowed to come near them. They’d somehow convinced Aizawa everything would be fine, and they decided the best time to do it was early tomorrow morning. Not like he’d be getting much rest anyway, but now the Todoroki household was having one big sleepover which meant his midnight wandering was going to be heavily restricted. His role tomorrow was basically referee and it sounded like both Aizawa and Present Mic would be stopping by to play body guard.

A familiar knock rapped at his door and Touya glanced at the clock in his room, noting it was rather early in the evening for such a visit, but when he opened the door he found himself being pushed back into his room with Hawks closing it behind him.

He threw his arms over Touya’s shoulders and pulled him in for a hot and heavy kiss, balancing himself on his toes to even out their height. Touya pressed his hands against the small of the hero’s back, humoring him for several moments before pulling away.

“You got a thing for redheads?” He asked with an evil smirk. Hawks gave him an annoyed frown and pulled him in again. He carded his fingers through the other’s dyed hair, only breaking the rhythm in the kiss when he was hefted into Touya’s arms and carried to the bed. They both went tumbling onto the mattress, still necking like teenagers as Keigo’s clothes began disappearing. He whined as Touya firmly grasped his dick, breaking out of his blissful stupor to palm the other’s half-hard co*ck through his pants.

“I want to do it.” Hawks insisted, pulling away from Touya’s touch. The redhead raised an eyebrow and grabbed his hips to drag him back over.

“Do what?” He asked, wondering what the blond had in mind. Hawks looked a little uncomfortable having to explain himself, but he persisted.

“You do all these things to me, and I want to do them back.” He murmured, dipping his fingers beneath the hem of his shirt and caressing up Touya’s abdomen. The former villain smirked at the proposition.

“Alright.” He said, removing the bottle of lube from his nightstand and scooted to the center of the bed. He undid his pants and pushed them just past his hips before beckoning the hero over with one finger. Hawks wondered if he was going to regret the offer, but obliged anyhow and found himself kneeling over Touya’s chest with the man’s semi-hard co*ck in his face, while his own was being taken into Touya’s mouth. He whimpered pleasurably at the sensation and realized he was going to have to keep up.

He used a hand to stand up his dick and licked his lips at the sight, finding it more inviting than he’d imagined. He’d felt the other’s size and knew it wasn’t this, dipping his mouth over the other man’s co*ck in an attempt to imitate Touya’s skill. Keigo sucked and licked, his concentration all over the place with the other man swallowing the life out of his own co*ck. Touya even reached out a hand to bat his away from his dick, silently instructing him to go further as it throbbed and he grew harder. Keigo was having a hard time fitting the size in his mouth and silently hoped he wasn’t snagging it with his teeth.

It didn’t take long before his concentration was broken completely and he was jutting his hips, f*cking the other’s mouth as he pressed his face into Touya’s thigh. By the time he realized the redhead had opened the bottle of lube, he felt a finger press into his ass and he accepted that he was down for good. There was no way he was going to be able to keep up, so he decided to be greedy instead and moaned blissfully as another was inserted. He tried tamping down his release, but before he could have another finger stretching him open, he came in Touya’s mouth with a noise of pleasure. He swallowed without protest, slowly bobbing up and down his shaft as Hawks came down from his org*sm.

“Sorry,” he said quietly, grabbing hold of Touya’s co*ck and circling his thumb over the tip. The former villain pulled off his dick and pressed a third finger into his ass, earning a squeak at the insertion.

“You’re not done yet, little bird.” He replied with a playful smirk. Hawks squirmed as the fingers f*cked his ass and he dipped his mouth back over the other man’s dick, going as deep as he could manage.

“You’re pretty good at that.” Touya stated, glad he could replace his most recent blow j*b memories with something significantly more pleasurable. He eventually removed his fingers and pulled the other off, coaxing him from his chest. Keigo stumbled as he was pushed around until he found himself sitting on the other man’s thighs and looking down at him. Touya reached above his head and dug around for something under his pillow until he found a condom and held it out for the hero to take. He regarded it thoughtfully before accepting it and glanced down at the redhead with a curious expression.

“Make your move.” Touya said with a devious smile. Keigo’s eyes widened when he understood the options he was being offered and gave the other a pensive expression. He considered the proposition, debating whether he wanted to climb on for a ride or take the reigns, and finally ripped open the condom to roll it over Touya’s co*ck. Touya gave him a sly grin as he shuffled forward and held the other man’s dick at the entrance of his ass before pressing down. They both grunted at the tightness until Hawks was seated on his lap sporting another rock-hard erection.

“That feels so f*cking good.” Hawks breathed out, slowly beginning to move. Touya smoothed his hands over his thighs to cup the round of his ass, helping him bounce up and down on his dick. He swatted it firmly with his right hand, receiving a yelp and a grumpy frown.

“You seem to like it, I dunno what that look is for.” Touya stated teasingly, swatting his ass again. Keigo held back another embarrassing noise and tried to f*ck himself harder only for Touya to join in by bucking his hips. They lasted a while longer before Touya finally slammed his co*ck as deep as it’d go and Keigo released all over the sweatshirt that had his face on it. They sat like that as they caught their breaths and Hawks wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Please tell me that’s the last graphic sweatshirt you have.” Hawks breathed out, still irritated by it.

“I dunno, I think it looks better like this.” Touya replied, swiping a finger through the mess and popping it in his mouth. Hawks regarded the other man with a twisted expression mixed between abhorrence and provocation. Touya chuckled and shoved him backwards, freeing his dick so he could remove the condom and throw it in the waste basket. Ultimately, he removed the sweatshirt to reveal a t-shirt with skulls and some heavy-metal band’s name as he crawled forward to steal another kiss.

“That’s more… like it.” Hawks stated between kisses, relaxing into the bed beneath him as Touya was propped on his elbows above him. He moved to press a kiss into Keigo jawline and the blond furrowed his eyebrows and held a hand to his chest to hold him back.

“Nuh uh, no way. Shoto already caught me with that other bruise you left on my neck, I’m not going through that again.” He complained, fixing the man with a stern glare.

“What? Shoto’s gotta learn about the birds and the bees someday.” The redhead retorted, squeezing the pro hero in his arms to pepper his neck with kisses. Hawks tried to resist, but it was futile. He felt his resolve weakening until Touya was biting down on his collar bone with much more force. He stayed there until he thought he was going to draw blood only to move to the other side and do the exact same thing. Hawks whimpered and dug his nails into the other man’s back trying to find the words to tell him to Get off!! but it was no use. He was enjoying it too much as he felt a fluttering response in his gut.

Touya finally let go and pressed a kiss behind Keigo’s ear. “Besides,” he whispered, “The big titty girl and green All Might both look like they have a crush on him.” He said with an evil chuckle. Hawks gave him a disapproving frown.

“Don’t be weird and play matchmaker.” He scolded, unsure what he could do to convince him when he was currently at the man’s mercy.

“C’mon, it’ll be fun.” He replied, leaning down to leave another bite mark where his neck and shoulder met. The higher he went, the more erogenous the sensation, but Hawks wasn’t trying to leave this room looking like a dalmatian.

“T-Touya…” He whined pathetically, squirming under the pressure as his wrists were gripped in one hand above his head.

“What? I see your tan line; your fancy tank top will cover it.” He stated defensively, kissing the mark as if that’d make it better. He then pressed his teeth into the other side, closer to his throat this time. Hawks whimpered, arching his back. Touya relished in the sight of his honesty and wasn’t surprised when he glanced down and found the other hard again. With one hand holding the hero’s wrists above his head, he used his other to reach down and grip his co*ck, slowing jerking up and down as he leaned in for a heavy kiss. Hawks moaned into it, rocking his hips into the touch and earning a deep chuckle.

“You ready for another round?” Touya asked in a heavy voice. Hawks whined and nodded his head. “Well, you’ll have to be patient, little bird. I’m not as quick as you.”

~0~

A few hours later, Touya wandered down the hall and silently cursed when he found the living room full of teenagers. He didn’t want to risk waking any of them up and there weren’t many places accessible from where he just came, so he decided to head back to his room and try ignoring the nightmares. Maybe he could do some push-ups or whatever until the sun was up and Yumi could make him some coffee. As he was about to open his door, a thought crossed his mind, and he glanced down the hallway. Yumi was probably asleep with her partner, Natsu might’ve snuck his girlfriend in for the night, Shoto was having a slumber party with his friends, and that just left one door.

Touya quietly opened the door to Keigo’s room and peeked his head inside. There were no sounds of sleep which meant the other was pretending in order to find out who it was invading his room.

What an untrusting guy.

“Keigo.” Touya whispered, stepping inside and closing the door. He didn’t stir. Hmm… maybe he was asleep. Touya crept along until he got to the bed, taking off his heated jacket and slippers before crawling underneath the covers. He noticed the other man’s wings were tiny as if he’d lost his feathers and as he looked around in the near-darkness he could see a laundry basket overflowing with red feathers. He supposed it made sense, it seemed impractical to sleep with those giant things. Hawks eventually stirred and blinked drearily, not sensing a threat but also wondering who the f*ck was waking him up.

“It’s just me.”

Ah, Touya…

Keigo’s eyes flew open and he fixed the other with a glare, trying to find just the right words to ask where he possibly found the nerve.

“Shut up and go back to sleep.” Touya stated grumpily, getting himself comfy underneath the covers. Hawks sputtered indignantly before he remembered where he found the other the last two weekends. He looked at his clock and saw it read two in the morning. He groaned, figuring it would be more work to argue with the man and kick him out than try and stealthily sneak him out in the morning.

“Just don’t bite me in your sleep.” He warned, turning away and frowning peevishly when Touya wrapped his arms around him to spoon him from behind.

“No promises.”

~0~

An alarm went off and the third year UA students slowly woke up, half of them complaining about having to wake up early on a Sunday and wondering why they did it to themselves. Kaminari, Sero, and Mineta were especially upset since this was their first normal coed sleep over and there wasn’t one sexy pillow fight the entire duration. They’d honestly thought about going home in the middle of the night but ended up feeling too lazy and decided it was easier to sleep on the floor. Tokoyami, Shoto, Kirishima and Midoriya awoke like normal people with the feathered student feeling drowsier than the other guys, while Uraraka, Yayorozu, Hagakure, and Mina arose from their side of the room with casual stretches.

Kirishima yawned. “Bakugou says he’s on his way.” He announced after reading his phone, popping his neck on one side then on the other.

“Is he too good for a sleepover or something??” Mina demanded with a huff. Kirishima scoffed.

“He seems to think he is.”

Hagakure jumped to her feet, “Well, whatever! We’ll just have to get a head start without him!” She announced, rushing through the living room to where the Todoroki bedrooms were only to realize she probably shouldn’t go alone.

“C’mon, Tokoyami and Todoroki! Let’s go see if Touya-san is awake!” She said, grabbing the two by their wrists and dragging them along. Neither one would’ve been opposed to it if she had just asked and soon enough they were hurrying together until they arrived at his door. What they weren’t expecting, however, was for it to have been left ajar. The three regarded it suspiciously, exchanging looks of concern before Shoto reached out a cautious hand and slowly opened the door to reveal an unmade bed and a completely empty room.

The three balked at the sight, looking around frantically and wondering where he could’ve possibly gone.

“You don’t think… did he run away??” Hagakure asked alarmedly, running into the room to check his windows. They were all locked from the inside, so that theory was out.

“He might just be wandering around the house, he’s had a hard time sleeping.” Shoto theorized. It made sense, but his radius wasn’t long, and he figured one of them would’ve woken up no matter how quietly he walked through the living room. The three decided to dash out and alert the others so they could all search together, but when they regrouped they realized Touya was still missing.

“What do we do??” Mineta sobbed, not wanting to think about what it was like to have that guy back in the world to enact his evil vengeance. He figured the man’s anger would now extend past his crappy father onto the UA students that used him for a school project.

“First, we should alert Hawks. He might know what to do.” Tokoyami stated as the voice of reason. They all agreed and marched back to the bedrooms, pushing Tokoyami to the front of the group to knock on his door. The student swallowed hard and reached out a hand, knocking resolutely and waiting for a response.

Hawks stirred at the sound, wondering what in the hell was going on to wake him up twice in one night.

“Who’s it?” He asked sleepily, barely willing to look out from under the covers.

“It’s Fumikage. Touya-san is missing and we need your help.” He replied, his voice calm but urgent. Hawks narrowed his eyes, forcing his brain to start working when he suddenly remembered the students had spent the night to get an early start on villain training. And they probably went to wake up their villain only to find his room empty because he was…

Keigo’s face flushed a deep pink, but before he could say anything his door was thrown open by Mina and Hagakure bursting in.

“It’s an emergency!” They shrieked, causing him to jump from the covers at the volume. He didn’t sleep naked, but he also didn’t sleep modestly, and it took him a moment to realize his upper half was exposed and he dragged a sheet over his chest as he tried to think of the nicest way to get them to leave. As he glanced at the crowd of UA students, he realized the girls had a mixture of excitement and embarrassment on their features while three of the guys were giving him looks of horror. Before he could insist for them to get out, he suddenly remembered the bite marks that were probably extremely purple by now and his face lit up bright red.

“The hell’s all the noise for?” Touya asked sleepily, slowly uncovering himself from the pile of blankets and pillows until his fiery red hair was poking out next to Hawks.

Keigo shot him a furious glare before he remembered the f*cking high schoolers were still there and looked back out to find them all staring with various horrified features. Hawks couldn’t even begin to think up an excuse to explain this when he was suddenly caught off guard by two of the students chanting “Hotwings is canon!”

Mineta and Kaminari felt like they were going to pass out, the girls were torn between seeing Hawks shirtless and seeing him in bed with another man, Kirishima and Midoriya couldn’t quite grasp what was going on because they were trying to rationalize it couldn’t possibly be what they thought it was, and Shoto let out a breath of relief.

“We thought you left, Touya-nii.” He stated, completely oblivious to what was going on.

Hawks dropped his head in his hands and Touya couldn’t help snorting at how clueless his brother was.

Tokoyami took a step back, his head spinning and his brain running a hundred miles a minute. His mind raced to the scene from Gunga Mountain Villa, but this didn’t seem to be the same thing. He tried to make sense of the situation, but he honestly felt like he just needed to sit down.

“Dude, are you alright?” Sero asked, but he knew the answer to that and also wasn’t trying to pretend this was something other than what it looked like. Tokoyami held his hands up as they trembled and stared at his fingers.

“Revelry in the dark.” Was all he said before he turned and marched out of the room.

Hawks and Touya watched him leave and the redhead leaned closer to the blond; “I think he has a crush on you.”

Hawks smacked a hand into his shoulder and gave the man an outraged glare, silently telling him to shut the f*ck up!

“Would you all please leave? We’ll be out in ten minutes.” Hawks stated gruffly, rubbing his temples with his fingers.

“Make that twenty minutes.” Touya stated, earning another smack from Keigo.

“Touya!!”

The UA students departed and shut the door, slowly walking back to the living room with the image burned into their minds.

“Should we tell Bakugou we won’t be starting for another twenty minutes?” Shoto asked. Everyone turned with haggard expressions and he recoiled at the sight, wondering what got everyone in such a bad mood.

Chapter 20: Let's Fight

Chapter Text

Aizawa and Yamada were escorted by Fuyumi through the Todorokis’ home, eventually finding themselves in a small courtyard out back near the koi pond. The situation seemed oddly tense with Hawks and Touya seated on different stone benches separated by about twenty feet despite both appearing to seat two comfortably. The students were all warming up and chatting amongst themselves, ignoring the other two entirely from quite a distance away. The teachers exchanged a wary glance, then walked up to Keigo.

“You have a fight with your boyfriend or something?” Aizawa asked, causing Hawks to bristle fiercely before fixing him with a sharp glare. He stumbled over his words, torn between denying it and asking how he found out when the other man used a finger to tug at the neckline of his shirt. “I do know what a hickey looks like.” He answered. The blond’s cheeks flushed bright pink and he turned away with a sour frown, raising the collar of his jacket to hide his mouth.

“Shota, you’re so insensitive!” Yamada complained, taking a seat next to the other pro hero and waving his hand as an indication for him to leave. He then turned to Hawks and placed a hand against his own chest, indicating himself. “Trust me, I know a thing or two about crushing on a brooding dark-haired beauty.”

Hawks wanted to scream. His eyebrow twitched aggressively and he wondered what deity he pissed off to have such consecutive bad luck. Yamada continued to give him the worst pep-talk of his life and Hawks considered ditching this whole ordeal to go back to simpler times when he only ran one agency and wasn’t a glorified babysitter.

Aizawa strolled up to Touya who was slumped over with his elbow resting on his thigh and his chin propped up by his hand.

“What do you actually hope to gain from all this?” He asked, folding his arms. Touya continued to stare in front of himself at nothing in particular.

“Afraid I don’t know what you mean.” He replied, looking bored out of his mind.

“Your goal seems no longer relevant, and your family is willing to do anything to have you in their lives.” He retorted, receiving an increasingly cynical expression from the younger. He waited for any kind of answer and hefted a deep sigh when he was given nothing.

“Three weeks ago was the deadline for Endeavor to turn in his renewal for his hero license. Since he missed it, he’s no longer a pro.” Aizawa stated, piquing Touya’s curiosity as he regarded the man from the corner of his eye. “Whatever drove you to live in the past is gone. Before he left, Enji wanted nothing more than to be a doting and present father. He attended all of Shoto’s school functions, he donated his time to charity events… Endeavor is dead.”

Touya lowered his arm and sat up a touch, turning to give the other more of his attention. “Whatever happened with you and your family can’t be undone, but the man responsible for your misery is gone and now you have a choice. Do yourself a favor and choose them.” He continued, pointing a thumb towards Shoto and his classmates.

Touya regarded his father’s prodigy laughing and smiling with All Might’s successor. How long had that man pined for the number one title only to lose it when everything he’d done in his past was dredged up? The anguish he’d torn from his soul, the resentment and loathing he clearly felt for himself, the torment in his eyes, and the grief on his face. It’d all been so rewarding to see, but it wasn’t the first crack to the end of Endeavor. When All Might revealed his injuries, when he could no longer continue as the number one hero, when he pretty much died in the eyes of the public and was forced to watch the world descend into chaos without a means to help, that’d been the first chip. Endeavor spent his life chasing the title of number one and couldn’t even enjoy his time in the spotlight because he’d trampled over everyone on his way there.

Endeavor existed solely to be the best but found out too late his methods were unsustainable. Everything he’d accomplished had been thrown away without a care, so when there was nothing left to achieve, he’d fallen to pieces. Endeavor really was dead, and Touya had a prominent hand in his demise.

“Can we get started already?!” Bakugou shouted, earning everyone’s attention. Touya found himself standing without complaint, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets where his hand warmers were.

Uraraka, Kirishima, and Bakugou stood in front of the group since it was their project, each giving Touya a determined expression like they were actually going to fight.

“Well??” Bakugou demanded harshly, sneering like a yakuza. Touya blinked, his expression indifferent.

“Well, what? Trust me, I’d love nothing more than to punch you in the face, but trigger-finger over there,” he stated, pointing to a tree on the other side of the koi pond, “would probably fill my chest with bullets.”

Touya waved at the guard sitting up in the tree and everyone turned and watched as the man waved back. Static from a radio crackled and a voice ordered the man to stop waving at the prisoner.

“What are your signature moves to win a fight??” Uraraka asked with a lot of enthusiasm, her eyes sparkling.

“You mean other than incinerating people?”

The silence grew awkward and even he silently admitted that was the wrong thing to say. He let out a heavy breath and glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “I’m sure Eraserhead and loudmouth over there already taught you how to fight villains, but most just use every dirty trick they can to kill their opponent.” He explained simply, unsure what he could contribute and still annoyed that Hawks had rushed them out of his room in under five minutes this morning.

“Yeah, but we want the perspective from an actual villain!” She countered only to clasp a hand over her mouth with a look of shock. “Oh! I’m sorry, former villain!” She corrected. A thoughtful expression crossed Touya’s features, and he realized he might actually be able to accomplish something with this exercise.

“Alright, but I’ll need two people.”

Uraraka stepped forward, feeling like the choice was obvious since it was her project, but Touya waved her away.

“Shoto, shy girl.” He stated, beckoning them over. Yayorozu and Shoto shared a look, wondering what he could be up to and stepped forward. Touya kept gesturing for them to approach until his brother was in his grasp and he used both hands to position him with his arms slightly bent at his side. “Now wrap your arms around his chest.”

Yayorozu blushed at the request, wanting to protest but ultimately gave in and did as she was told. With Shoto’s growth spurt giving them a fair difference in height, her forehead ended up at the back of his neck and his muscly arms made it hard to wrap hers around him.

“Like this, Touya-nii?” Shoto asked, his face completely unphased despite how red hers was. Touya examined the pose, letting the two stay like that for several uncomfortable moments before breaking his concentration.

“No, it’s all wrong. Trade positions.” He stated, waving a hand to encourage them to hurry up. They did as they were told and Shoto had a much easier time wrapping his arms around her slim build, but despite her tit* resting on his forearms, he still had no reaction. “Still wrong. One for All, trade positions with shy girl.”

Izuku balked at the request but ended up complying as well. Yayorozu walked back to her classmates holding her flushed cheeks and it was Izuku’s turn to be incredibly uncomfortable in Shoto’s muscly arms. Touya regarded the scene curiously, noting the slight discomfort in Shoto’s expression compared to the other teenager’s embarrassed features. But, alas, it wasn’t quite right.

“Still wrong.” He stated, waving them away. The class groaned, wondering what he could possibly be up to as Shoto and Midoriya parted ways without making eye contact.

“Red hair, hamster head, get over here.” Touya commanded, jerking his head. It took a lot of persuading for Bakugou not to light the man up with his explosions, but Kirishima was eventually able to convince him to calm down and Bakugou found himself standing with his arms wrapped around Kirishima.

Touya examined their posture with a vague grin turning up the corners of his mouth. Both looked positively uncomfortable in the most sexually tense kind of way. He was disappointed he wouldn’t be able to torment his brother as much, but he’d settle for the class jerk. He then beckoned Kirishima over and stepped away, whispering instructions quietly enough so no one else could hear and received a very alarmed expression from the UA student.

Keigo thought he was going to claw his eyes out as he watched Touya acting like a creepy old lady matchmaker. That, and Present Mic’s lovers’ quarrel advice was practically making his ears bleed.

“Yamada!” He whispered insistently, stopping the man midsentence. “This isn’t some defined relationship! There’s no plan, there’s hardly any boundaries, I don’t even know what it is!”

Yamada gave a perplexed blink from behind his signature glasses before his expression dissolved into a mischievous grin. Hawks, quickly, realized his mistake and tried to rectify the situation only to hear a commotion from the students and glanced up to find Bakugou on the floor with Kirishima straddling his chest, pinning his hands over his head in a hauntingly familiar pose.

“What the crap!! How did you do that??” The angry student demanded, struggling with all his might to no avail. Everyone turned from the scene to find Touya ruminating over the performance with half a dozen long range firearm lasers pointed at his head and chest.

“Not bad.” He complimented, stroking his chin as the red dots disappeared one by one. “Let him up.”

Kirishima released his fellow student and Bakugou angrily climbed to his feet, swiping the offered hand away. Touya jerked his head for the other to follow and with a snarl the blond obliged, folding his arms obstinately as the man whispered something to him. Bakugou’s expression managed to jump from fuming to startled, the rarest hint of a blush on his cheeks as he begrudgingly agreed and yelled at Kirishima to resume their match.

Hawks watched the scene unfold, finally getting to see exactly how Touya had bested him that first night, and scowling with how simple the move had been as the two students blushed dramatically at the outcome. He flicked his gaze to the reforming villain teacher and felt his consternated expression relax.

Touya looked like he was having fun… like he was actually enjoying himself. The scars on his jaw were still perfectly visible, but other than the staples embedded in his skin, from this distance he looked like he’d always been Touya Todoroki. His usual disapproving grimace was nowhere to be found, his posture wasn’t some unappealing listless slouch, and when the sun shone just right there was a hint of a twinkle in his eye.

“It’s hard to remember most villains aren’t born evil.” Yamada mused. Hawks glanced at the man from the corner of his eye, and it was obvious he saw the same thing. “Whatever’s going on between you two, just make sure you’re honest about it.”

Keigo didn’t have anything to respond with and eventually turned back to continue watching the class.

Chapter 21: Talking

Chapter Text

The Todoroki car pulled into the same drop off zone at the prison with Fuyumi already in tears like every other time her brother had to return.

“Yumi, I’ll be back next week.” He insisted, catching a tear from his own eye before it could fall. Between the antipsychotics, his mostly-repaired tear ducts, and him being a sympathetic crier, he was no match for his little sister’s tears. She nodded emphatically, trying her best to compose herself as she wrapped him up in a tight hug before Hawks escorted him back into prison. Getting him out was much easier, but going back in was met with a lot of high security, so as a safety precaution, only authorized personnel were allowed beyond a certain point. However, this time Hawks had ulterior motives. Usually, one of the officers would escort Touya in then return to give back his street clothes and Kurumada would drop him off at his apartment. Instead, he claimed he’d find his own ride home.

“What made you want to transfer into this prison specifically?” Hawks asked nonchalantly, waiting for a guard to open the main gate.

“I thought the reason was obvious.” Touya answered with a playful lilt in his tone.

“Humor me.”

The gate was slowly opened enough for them to walk through the front entrance yard, having to stop in order to avoid a sentry patrolling the grounds while snipers were positioned on the rooftop.

“I assure you it’s in my file.”

Hawks grabbed him by his elbow as a warning to stop being a smartass. Touya chuckled.

“This place doesn’t do a cavity search every time I come back.” He answered with an impish grin; “But your offer still stands.”

Hawks rolled his eyes as they walked into the entrance towards the security screening.

“So, my father being an inmate in here has nothing to do with it?”

Touya paused as he began stripping to put his prison uniform back on. He opted not to excuse himself from the company of others since he already had to sh*t in front of an audience in this place.

“Is he really?” He asked simply, deciding to play dumb. His black eye was nearly cleared up, the only thing that remained was a discolored ring underneath his left eye. When he removed the first few layers he immediately began shivering as the last of the warmth from the heated jacket escaped him. He’d left Yumi with a battery and silently cursed the frigid air since he was going to be shivering for another six hours before the quirk suppression injection began subsiding.

“You know I know that’s a flimsy lie.” He replied with an unamused frown. Touya shrugged.

“I was already coming here for group and you heroes owed me for all the big bad villains I helped you put away.” He answered, tugging on his prison approved sweater and folding his arms. “Besides, unless you scorched your eyebrows in a meth lab explosion, I can’t see the family resemblance.”

Hawks narrowed his eyes, wanting to tell him to watch what he said but ultimately gave up since that was a losing battle.

Touya was then escorted through a few screening procedures before being led deeper inside without so much as a glance over his shoulder. Hawks placed his hands on his hips and tapped his foot, watching the man leave completely as he tapped his foot louder and stuck out his lower lip in a pout.

“Fine.” He muttered begrudgingly, turning down a hallway towards the visitor reception area as he began rifling through his pockets to remove anything he had.

~0~

Takami the thief didn’t get visitors. His wife never visited, his son never visited… and who knows if he had other little accidents running around; it wasn’t like the two of them were terribly loyal. He half expected this to be some elaborate play put on by Dabi still trying to get his revenge. When he’d rattled off a list of stuff he was willing to do in order not to get the sh*t beaten out of him, he didn’t intend for it to be a grocery list. Whenever he got the chance, Dabi bummed a cigarette off him and sometimes did it just to hand it off to some other sh*thead. He stole his food, he stole his pillow (it was a damn good one, not one of the usual flat ones), and he always seemed to catch his eye with a horrifically deranged smile.

Takami took a seat at the little cubical and looked across the wired glass separating them, suddenly overcome with emotion at seeing his little boy sitting there looking all grown up. He swallowed and tamped down the bubbling emotions, not wanting to turn this into some weird desperate attempt at redemption.

He knew Keigo was at one point the number two hero in all of Japan and nothing had made him prouder. He’d seen pictures of him from magazines, all airbrushed and posed, but looking at him now it seemed like the editors didn’t have to do much. He was a good-looking kid, even as he sat with an unpleasant frown appearing like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Takami reached out and picked up the phone receiver beside him and internally pleaded for his son to do that same. The relief he felt when it happened was indescribable.

“Keigo…” He breathed into the receiver, choking back a sob as a tear rolled from his eye. His son’s expression didn’t falter, and he also didn’t speak. “It’s so good to see you. You look well.”

He was trying, but he also couldn’t completely remember how he’d left things. He knew it was messy, and he knew he basically abandoned his family. He could admit he wasn’t the most involved parent, but he knew he’d done what he could with what he had.

“Dad.” Keigo replied, his tone flat and his expression distasteful like he’d just smelled something rotten. A moment of silence passed and Takami didn’t know what to do. He had a million questions running through his head he wanted to ask, but all he could do was stare like a gaping fish. Eventually, Keigo huffed out a breath and broke the eye contact as he glanced away.

“How have you been?”

It was a simplistic question with hardly any depth, but it was somewhere to start and Takami was thankful for that.

“As good as I can be.” He replied, glancing around to remind the other of where they were. He was coming up on twenty years, and he wasn’t even halfway done with his sentencing. He’d never attempted any of the rehabilitation programs, every now and then he picked a fight with whatever inmate, and whenever he could get his hands on any sort of recreational substances smuggled in, he didn’t turn them down, so there were no Good Behavior points on his record. Not like there was anything waiting for him in the real world anyways. He’d barely been able to provide his family with running water and electricity and they never lived anywhere with high standards of cleanliness, but being in prison sucked. The best he could do was tamp down his addiction cravings and right now he could really use a cigarette. “I’m so proud of you, Keigo. You’ve become a great man, someone I could never be.”

Keigo pursed his lips, seeing the anguish in his father’s eyes and wondering if it was safe to believe him. Being constantly surround by the Todoroki family drama made him think about repairing his own relationships with his parents, but then again sometimes it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie.

“We all start somewhere; you could always sign up for one of the rehabilitation programs.”

Any progress in the right direction was a good indication, but staying in a sterile environment with little consequential options wasn’t going to convince him his father had learned anything from his mistakes. Takami smiled and it just looked so fake.

“Keigo, you don’t think those sessions actually do anything, do you?”

Here we go…

“Sitting around in some group circle pretending the guy next to me cares about my feelings isn’t going to solve anything. I can’t prove to anyone I’ve learned my lesson until I’m out in the world again.”

Keigo gave the man an annoyed face, wondering if was even worth it to continue this conversation.

“I’m serious! I’ve done more for myself on my own than I could ever get out of some campfire circle!”

Keigo rolled his eyes and took a deep breath before glancing at his watch. Takami’s expression screwed up into an angry scowl at the blatant disrespect as he slammed a fist on the counter in front of himself.

“You ungrateful little sh*t!! I gave you everything and this is how you repay me?? I’m your father, show me some damned respect!!” He shouted, his face growing red. A very familiar sight from his childhood; Keigo making one small mistake and his father blowing up at it.

“Alright, I think that’s enough.” He stated calmly with an unenthused expression. His father’s scowl grew darker as he gritted his teeth furiously.

“This is all your fault! If it wasn’t for you and your useless bitch of a mother I wouldn’t be here!! You’ll help some psychopath and not your own blood?! I should’ve aborted you myself!!”

Ouch, that stung… Honestly, though, what was he expecting? He went into this with most of his expectations being his father trying to weasel his way out of his prison sentencing or trying any sort of manipulation tactics in order to get his way. There was some small smidgen of hope the man was spending his time repenting for his crimes, but the logical part of his brain had to constantly remind him it wasn’t likely.

But what if?

Instead, he got the most likely outcome. His father would claim he did his best despite the circ*mstances, even though he was solely to blame for those circ*mstances. He made his choices, continued to make bad decisions, and was somehow confused as it all blew up in his face when he was arrested by Endeavor.

The torment and suffering he caused him and his mother was everlasting, even if Keigo was able to put up a cheery façade. He did countless good deeds and plastered a smile across his face so no one ever had the chance to scream at him for being a f*ck up. He always claimed he never wanted to top the charts of the national hero approval rating system, and he truly didn’t, but getting knocked down from number two to number five had hurt in a way he hadn’t felt since he lived with his parents. He didn’t reveal that to anyone, not even Rumi, and he’d graduated from his therapy sessions in his early teens, so the only option was to bottle it up. But, as he sat here being screamed at by his estranged father, all those emotions started boiling up.

He felt his pupils narrowing, his wings tensing, his fingers tightening into fists… he wanted to smash his knuckles through the glass and drag the man across the table, ask how he could possibly say something so deplorable. Why couldn’t he change? Am I not worth your effort?

Instead, he hung up the phone and pushed his chair back. If anything was different now, it was that he’d grown up, he’d conquered his own demons, and he had every right to walk away.

Keigo!! The shout was muffled by the glass and Hawks stood, giving the officer on the other side of the glass a nod as an indication that they were done.

KEIGO!!!

That shout was haggard, like he was screaming it through his tears. He probably realized he ruined his chance to gaslight his son into helping reduce or lighten his sentencing. Not like that was ever going to be an option, but he imagined his father still thought he had that power over him.

Hawks walked away, not bothering to look over his shoulder.

~0~

The next day the third year UA students chattered amongst themselves as they waited for Present Mic to arrive for their advanced English class. They usually broke off into smaller groups to talk about upcoming events, tv shows, assignments they needed help with, etcetera, but today everyone had the same topic.

Hagakure: Do you really think Touya-san went through all those terrible things??

Jirou: What reason would he have to lie?

Mineta: Umm, hello? He is a villain.

Mina: Mineta! He’s reforming, don’t be rude!

Mineta: I’m just saying!

Iida: It might be hard to believe, but we must take his word for it until proven otherwise.

Kaminari: Even the part about bush burning in Hokkaido to stop that crazy forest fire five years ago? I heard some kid started the whole thing and then fled the scene.

Sato: Maybe he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got blamed for the whole thing.

Ojiro: Or the factory he set on fire six years ago? The one where all those kids got burned.

Asui: I actually looked into that and it turned out they were using child labor and had ineffective safety systems. They were also treating their workers cruelly and forcing them to go weeks without a day off only to cheat them out of pay.

Bakugou: He can say whatever crap he wants, he still killed all those people!

Tokoyami: Indeed, even before he joined the League of villains there were reports of cold-case burnt corpses, but further investigation showed they had long histories of domestic violence and one was even a pedophile.

Midoriya: Even if that’s true, it’s still wrong to kill someone to enact your own personal justice.

Shinsou: It sounds like he had his own warped form of heroism if it turns out he really was trying to help in those instances. It’s no different than when heroes first started popping up before the Safety Commission enacted a ton of rules and regulations.

Shoto: Even still, the deaths he caused after he joined were mixed between criminals and bystanders.

Kirishima: (・へ・) Being a hero is a lot more complicated than I thought it was going to be.

Sero: (・・?) What did you expect? That we’d just go out and beat up some bad guys?

Bakugou: (凸ಠ益ಠ)凸 This is stupid, you're wasting your time trying to analyze him.

Mina: （; ﾟ Дﾟ) Bakugou! Todoroki is right here and you’re talking about his brother!

Shoto: (ーー;) No, no. He has a point.

Mineta: (o_0) When do you think him and Hawks started… you know…

Yayorozu: Σ(゜д゜;) Mineta! That is not appropriate!

Sato: ┌(；`～,)┐ Wait, what happened??

Bakugou: (╬ ಠ益ಠ) Shut the hell up about it!!

Mineta: (づ￣ ³￣)づ Tokoyami walked in on them doing it.

Shoji: (°-°) (°.°) No way, that can’t be true…

Hagakure: (/◕ヮ◕)/ It is!! Well, not completely. Pretty sure we just woke them up in Hawks’ bed

Jirou:（ # 0 Д0) In his bed?? Both of them??

Hagakure: ヽ(^o^)丿 Yes!! I mean, it was kinda weird, but I guess it can be sweet. Todoroki! Give us some dirt!!

Shoto: (￣□￣;) Me? About what?

Hagakure: ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ About your brother and Hawks!! You have to know something!

Shoto: (=_=) I’m not sure what you’re talking about.

Uraraka: ( °o° ) Todoroki… do you really not know?

Bakugou: (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ I said shut the hell up about this stupid topic!!

Mineta: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Pretty sure your brother and Hawks are hooking up.

Shoto: (⁄ ⁄•⁄__⁄•⁄ ⁄) H-Hooking up…?

Sero: (-_-メ) They were pretty close, and Hawks did have a bunch of hickeys over his chest.

Shoto: (; ಠ Д ಠ) …

Just then, the door to the classroom was thrown open and Present Mic came marching up to the lecture podium waving a stack of papers.

“Anyone want to explain what exactly is going on in these essays??” He demanded, throwing the stack on the tabletop. He looked around his classroom, finding a very interesting mix of emotions ranging from humor to trepidation and he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know why. “Todoroki-kun, your essay was especially alarming! Where in the world did you even come up with half these phrases?”

Shoto jumped from his seat after being called out specifically. He realized he was overreacting and the thought caused him to become even more anxious as he tried to recall what his teacher was talking about. The topic for writing they’d been given was ‘Does technology play a role in making people feel more isolated’ and he suddenly realized while he was helping Touya study for his supplementary high school degree, his brother had been giving him tips about his English homework.

“Please refrain from calling companies ‘sus’ in the papers you turn in. I know this stuff ‘hits different’ with you kids, and you can’t get enough ‘tea’, but all this slang in an advanced English paper is ‘sending me’.” He declared, fixing his student with a serious expression. Shoto wanted to crawl into a hole and die as snickers and whispers cycled through the room. He didn’t dare make eye contact with a single one of them.

“Apologies, sir.” He replied, slowly sinking back into his chair and stuffing his nose into his notebook as he tried to think about anything else.

“And you!” Mic announced, pointing at Midoriya. Izuku balked and pointed at his nose, wondering if Mic could really be directing his disapproval at him. “Yes, Midoriya-kun! ‘Bussin’ is not an approved statement, and ‘dank’ isn’t meant to be used like that! ‘No cap’!”

Everyone who didn’t fill their essay with an egregious amount of slang terms busted out laughing while Shoto glanced between Midoriya, Yayorozu, Uraraka, and Kirishima, silently apologizing.

“Goddammit, Icy Hot!!” ┻━┻︵ヽ(ಠ皿ಠ)ﾉ︵ ┻━┻

Chapter 22: We Meet Again

Chapter Text

Touya wasn’t sure how many times he counted to thirty, but this time the little trick didn’t seem to be working. They walked through the prison on the way to his therapist’s office she used when visiting him, but they’d already had their session yesterday. Instead, this was something else. He knew it was completely voluntary, he also knew he was allowed to decline the offer at any given time, but something inside made him want to continue which made him want to rip that part out of himself to incinerate it. He could see the door up ahead and he did his best to steady his breathing plus school his emotions. His right hand was wringing his left wrist and he couldn’t tell if he was more comfortable without the handcuffs or if it’d been a better idea to use them. That was her decision; she decided against them.

The door opened and his breath caught in his throat. There were two armchairs on this side of the coffee table separated about six feet with one already occupied by his mother.

Rei Todoroki turned at the sound. She’d been warned he’d dyed his hair, and she’d already faced her ex-husband once, but seeing Touya with such brilliant red hair and crystal blue eyes was quite the shock. She recognized his anxious features as her own and a maternal instinct kicked in as she mentally stopped herself from counting to thirty.

She couldn’t help the tears as she reached up a hand to cover her mouth. His scars were much more healed compared to the images of Dabi plastered over all the news outlets since the war, but the memories of him burning himself as a child still haunted her. The staples were a cruel reminder of all the torment he’d suffered and all she wanted to do was run up to him and collect him in her arms. However, she knew she had no right. While Enji had lit the fire under him to be his successor, she’d done nothing of merit to convince him he was more than some tool for his father’s aspirations.

Rei watched as tears streaked down her son’s cheeks and was glad to see there was still something of her little boy left. He entered the room without a word and took a seat on the other armchair, no longer able to look at her and she was fine with that.

Touya glanced up at his therapist and she gave him a knowing smile. His heart hammered in his chest and all he could think about was running, escaping, fighting, but somehow he found the strength to sit still and just absorb. They’d worked on that for a long time; facing an angering stimulant and not acknowledging it. He didn’t need to lash out because there was more to it than his own personal feelings of betrayal.

He wondered how his siblings were able to do it, how Shoto was able to sit in the same room as him without wanting to impale him with a saber of ice. Where had all this reform bullsh*t even come from and how had he lost so much of himself? He didn’t realize how painful it was going to be to tell those UA brats about his miserable life and he didn’t care if they believed him or not. No one ever did, it seemed.

He certainly didn’t hold the same grudge against his mother as he did his father, but sitting so close to her without a single restraint was testing his compulsivity to the breaking point. The only thing holding him back was his will and the same scene played over and over in his head. He’d decided to kill his infant youngest brother and his mother had looked at him with such disgusted agony. Her expression at that moment was seared into his brain for the rest of his life, reminding him he was a monster and could never amount to anything more.

The silence was killing him and he was about to impatiently insist to hurry up and get this sh*t over with when he heard the soft sound of his mother standing up. He let out a breath, his heart rate finally managing to calm down as his features sunk into melancholy understanding. Afterall, she was still living in that hospital recovering from whatever horrific trauma her husband and eldest son put her through. It was too much to sit in front of him and pretend like anything could ever come from seeing him again and now she was leaving. It was for the best, it’s not like he could ever learn to feel any different either.

The sound of the armchair sliding across the carpet caught his attention and he gave his mom a confused look as he watched the small fragile woman use all her strength to push the furniture piece closer to him. He blinked, stunned at the sight and unsure how he felt about the action as he watched it slowly creep closer and closer until the arms were touching.

Rei was out of breath. There was a time in her life where she’d been in great shape and could spar against Enji when they were still dating, but being cooped up in a hospital with soul-sucking depression for years on end had depleted that stamina entirely. Touya was staring at her like she was crazy and he wasn’t exactly wrong. She gave him a quick smile, taking a deep breath to calm herself and sat back down. Touya’s arms were resting on the arms of the chair and she willed herself with all her strength to reach out and take his hand in hers. It was cold, like his hands always were, but because of her quirk it never seemed to bother him no matter what the temperature was. She heard he was having a hard time with the quirk suppression serum since he had to experience being cold for the first time in his life and she found herself wanting to be there to support him. But she couldn’t very well do that if she continued to play it safe by keeping her distance.

“I’ve missed you so much, Touya.” She said, tears springing to her eyes again. “And I’m so thankful you agreed to see me.”

Touya stared back and searched her gaze for the deceit, the hatred, and the shame, but he found none of it there. Of all the awful things he’d done, and how she’d abandoned her children in the care of that man, maybe they had more similarities than he initially thought.

~0~

Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shoto were escorted through the prison that was housing their brother to the medical ward for his second scar removal appointment. The first time he’d gotten the procedure done was in an actual hospital because no one knew how he’d react to it. There were instances where individuals with extreme scarring went into cardiac arrest, had a ministroke, or had a seizure, but with how well he’d taken it they decided he didn’t need to travel all the way to a hospital. Which meant the Todoroki siblings had to go through the rigmarole of clearing prison security.

“Man, that was intense. Touya has to go through that every time he comes back?” Natsu asked, not happy he’d had to strip to his underwear in front of strangers.

“The prison he came from was much more stringent.” Best Jeanist stated. Him and Shoto didn’t have to go through as much scrutiny since Jeanist was a pro and Shoto held a nearly qualifying license. He was accompanying them today since Hawks was busy on a case and having the number one hero made it substantially easier to walk into the second highest security prison in Japan.

They were escorted through the halls by two security officers and Fuyumi and Natsu were thankful they didn’t have to walk by any of the inmates. Yumi had been warned about the awful things she might hear if she happened to cross paths with anyone and she didn’t want anything to do with it.

Eventually they arrived and were ushered inside, their faces lighting up with shock as they found Touya sitting shirtless on an exam table with their mother sitting next to him. Her left hand was clasped together with his right at their side and a nurse was standing in front of Touya removing his staples. He didn’t even flinch as the man gently pulled another from his shoulder and Rei gave a small smile to her other children.

“Mom, what’re you doing here??” Fuyumi asked in shock. Rei chuckled and squeezed Touya’s hand to which he glanced away with a harmless frown.

“We had a wonderful family session and I asked if it’d be alright if I accompanied Touya to his appointment.” She replied, standing up and walking over to greet them. Fuyumi and Natsu hugged her together and Shoto nodded to Best Jeanist when he indicated he’d be in the hallway if he was needed. Rei walked up to her youngest and got his attention, wrapping him tight in her arms as he stood rigid and unsure what to do. They’d gotten closer over the past few months, but she still felt fragile enough to break in his grasp.

Natsu watched as another staple was removed from his brother’s shoulder and flinched at how the skin stretched. Touya caught his expression and snickered.

“Wow, this is so exciting!” Fuyumi said, marveling at the lack of staples. “Are they going to take the ones from here too?” She asked, reaching out to touch the ones on his cheek. The skin was rough down to his jawline and looked to be the worst of what was left.

“Sounds like that part still needs to heal.” He answered, still not reacting as more were removed from his collarbone.

“That should do it.” The nurse stated, holding a stainless-steel pan filled with staples. “I’ll let the doctor know you’re ready for her.”

When he left, Natsu took a seat next to his older brother while Fuyumi climbed behind him just like last time. Rei resumed her initial seat on the other side of Touya and Shoto stood awkwardly as he realized there was nowhere for him.

“Come sit with me, you goof!” Fuyumi insisted, patting a spot next to her. Shoto obliged and walked around the table, climbing on and sitting with his back propped up by Natsu and Touya’s. Fuyumi took a moment to admire the scene and she couldn’t help her eyes misting up a bit. She draped an arm over her mother’s shoulder, her other arm going around Shoto with her hand resting on Natsu’s back while she laid her forehead on Touya’s shoulder.

“This is so nice.” She murmured, enjoying the family bonding moment they were sharing just before Dr. Fischer and Yoko walked in.

“It’s nice to see everyone again and it looks like the treatment has had very positive outcomes.” Yoko translated as Dr. Fischer approached and used a hand to tip Touya’s head one direction then the other. “Dr Fischer believes she can repair the rest of the scarring as well as she can today, which is why she had the staples removed, but the cheek and mandible are going to be particularly stubborn.” Yoko informed everyone. “Are you ready?”

Touya took a deep breath and nodded once, feeling as the doctor activated her quirk and the reminiscent itching sensation shot down his spine. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it’d be like to be completely free of the scars. He’d been told they were a physical manifestation of his inner turmoil and denying any sort of cosmetic surgery would be the same as not wanting to change, which would go against the rehabilitation program. He knew they weren’t glamorous, and the breaks and tears he'd experience with the dryness were inconvenient, but they were something he’d come to accept about himself. They pushed away the people unwilling to see him for more than just a dangerous sociopathic villain while simultaneously drawing in like-minded folks.

Stain’s words of reformation still echoed in his head. He still couldn’t stand the thought of false heroes, those who go out with the veil of justice over their heads pretending to be purveyors of righteousness. All the hypocrisy they spread, all the lives they taint, the money they take, the lies they live. He’d wanted to be a hero, but when he set out to achieve that goal, he found the roadblock of bureaucracy and all the nasty yellow tape holding him back. No hero license? No quirk usage allowed. No high school diploma? You can’t sit for the licensing exam. No birth certificate or proof of residency? Street rats don’t become heroes. What are you even doing out here, where are your parents?

Just ask your parents… They can help you…

Touya opened his eyes and watched as the doctor’s hair fluttered from the exertion of her quirk. She was deep in concentration as she worked to heal every damaged end of his body and smooth over the scarred skin. He wondered how long he could keep up this charade, how long he’d be willing to pretend he was some reformed good-guy when all he’d ever experienced was pain and suffering. He felt his siblings and his mother surrounding him and the thought wasn’t so bad. He truly did enjoy their company, but what if he stopped taking the antipsychotics?

Who was the real Touya?

Chapter 23: Moles

Chapter Text

When Touya strolled out of prison for his weekly session with the UA students, he was a little surprised at who was picking him up along with Yumi. He wasn’t necessarily upset it was Shoto in the front seat handing him the battery to his heated jacket, but he also greatly enjoyed every moment he got to poke harmless fun at the number five hero.

“Hawks is working on a case, but he said he’ll try to come over sometime today.” His brother explained as he buckled his seatbelt and Kurumada drove away. Touya couldn’t help the disappointed pout on his lips but decided not to throw a stink about it, unless he didn’t show up for their Saturday night get together. It was practically the only thing that made this insufferable class project bearable.

He was even more disappointed to see the number four hero Mirko waving to them from the front steps of the Todoroki home and he wondered what kind of awful day he was about to have. He honestly thought about calling the whole thing off and heading back to prison.

But then he definitely wouldn’t be getting any tonight…

He begrudgingly exited the car and followed the three into the home where they took a seat in the living room while Yumi wandered off to brew some tea.

“I’ll help you!” Mirko offered, bounding after her and Touya was thankful. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and relaxed into the couch. He usually reveled in the silence, enjoying its stillness, absorbing the calm, and basking in the peace, but something seemed to be disrupting the flow of energy and he glanced up to find the source was Shoto. His youngest brother was staring at him and quickly glanced away as if he thought he wasn’t caught. Touya rolled his eyes.

“What?” He demanded, dropping his head against the backrest of the couch and staring at the ceiling. Shoto fidgeted awkwardly, looking anywhere other than his brother, but remained silent. Touya let out a heavy sigh. “Spit it out or else.”

Shoto felt his cheeks tinge with a bit of blush as he thought about the conversation he’d had with his classmates concerning his brother and Hawks. The news had startled him, he honestly had no idea, but now as he faced his oldest brother with the question he’d been wanting to ask him all week, he found himself at a loss for words. He swallowed heavily and told himself this might be the best opportunity he’d get all weekend, so he went for it.

“H-How…” He started, his fists clenching from his anxiety and he expected to be yelled at for wasting the other’s time. He looked up, finding him in the same bored position staring at the ceiling and waiting for him to speak. He didn’t look angry or like he was about to lose it from how silly he was being, and he was thankful. Shoto took a deep inhale and let it out. “How do you tell someone you like them?”

Touya blinked, certainly not expecting a question like that. He raised his head and looked his brother square in the face, wondering if he was being serious and the absolute apprehension written across his features said he was. He let out an amused hum and dropped his head against the backrest again.

“Guy or girl?”

Shoto balked, half expecting the other to make fun of him and unsure how to recover as he shelved all the comebacks he’d been thinking up all week.

“Does it matter?” He asked quietly, looking down at his hands and wishing he could stop blushing.

“Not always, but usually it does.”

Shoto squeezed the fabric of his pants in his hands, figuring they’d already gotten this far and Touya hadn’t made some quip about his constitution, might as well see how far he could get.

“W-What if it’s a girl?” He replied, starting off easy. Touya considered it for a moment as he tried to recall the last time he attempted flirting with a woman.

“If she’s a nice girl then flowers and chocolates and some elaborate date, the basics.” He answered, waving his hand vaguely. “But if she’s not a nice girl, then you’ve gotta show her you can handle her attitude.” He continued with the sly smile, glancing up so see the other’s reaction. Shoto searched his brother’s eyes, glad he was receiving an honest answer, but it didn’t solve his dilemma. He looked away, his shoulders rigid as he looked incredibly uncomfortable.

“A-And if it’s a boy?” He asked, almost too quiet to hear. Touya blinked.

Oh…

Ohh…..

He couldn’t help snickering as he dropped his head back. No wonder he couldn’t go to Natsu.

Shoto fixed the elder with a grumpy expression, almost regretting he ever asked until Touya spoke.

“What’s he like?”

Shoto practically swallowed his tongue, his mind suddenly going blank as he tried to find a response. He relaxed a touch and Touya could feel the energy around them shift like his pent-up feelings were throwing off the feng shui.

“H-He’s nice… He’s really passionate about his hero studies, and he’s really strong.”

Touya clucked his tongue, thinking for a moment this was actually kinda nice. To think he’d almost skipped out on the day because of all the bad vibes he was feeling.

“Sounds like a good guy.” He observed, sitting up completely in the couch to give the other his full attention. Shoto looked much more comfortable as a goofy smile even turned up the corners of his mouth.

“Yeah, he’s great.”

Touya tapped his chin with his first finger, pondering his options. “Well, most guys are all the same, and you’re no different yourself.” He began, earning a confused look from his younger brother. “Guys are dense as f*ck.”

Shoto pursed his lips, completely unable to refute that statement. “What you gotta do is just rip off the Band-Aid and confess. Throw your feelings on the table, show all your cards, and make him understand. If you do anything else, it’ll go straight over his head.”

Shoto’s face turned almost as red as his hair at the idea of standing in front of the other and confessing.

“Don’t do it over text, don’t do it on the phone, you look him straight in the eye, and you drop the bomb.”

At that point he wondered if it was even worth it, maybe he could just spend the rest of his life by himself with a dozen cats and die alone. Yeah, that sounded nice…

“Tea’s ready!” Fuyumi announced, breaking the mood as Shoto did his best to wipe the embarrassed expression from his face.

~0~

Rei Todoroki looked through the large picture window at the students below, catching a few lighthearted conversations now and again in the courtyard by the koi pond as they continued to do villain training exercises with Touya. Mirko had even joined in as a demonstration partner for her eldest son despite his disapproval, and through it all everyone looked like they were having a good time. Touya was teaching the students how to monologue like a real villain, bringing up psychological detours and the best way to deflect them back at the bad guy. She felt an overwhelming sense of happiness tugging at her heart and glanced up at the one standing beside her.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” She whispered. They were standing in her former bedroom on the second floor which overlooked the best view of the grounds out back. Enji Todoroki stood motionless, staring at the scene and hardly believing his eyes. He watched as Touya argued with Rumi like a stubborn brat, accusing her of being an annoyance while she made a funny face and stuck out her tongue. Everyone laughed, even Shoto, and he felt as the tears welled up in his eyes until he couldn’t see anymore.

“Yes.” He whispered back, allowing the tears to cascade down his face and drip from his jaw.

When he’d arrived home after his extended time away, he didn’t expect his house to be filled with nearly grown children, he didn’t expect to see his estranged son lecturing a class, and he certainly didn’t expect his bright red hair and shockingly blue eyes to practically drive a knife into his heart. It was all too much for him to bear, so he spent several hours using every stealth move he could think of to avoid the commotion until he could gather his thoughts. Rei had ultimately caught him though, claiming she had a feeling he was back, and he almost asked how until he remembered it was in his best interest not to think too hard on it.

“You’ll have to talk to them eventually.” She said, breaking through his thoughts. Enji slowly breathed in and calmly released it through his nostrils.

“I know.”

~0~

Touya sat at Shoto’s study desk in his room glaring at the worksheet in front of his face through his new glasses as his eyebrow twitched. They were working on chemistry this week and just as Shoto was getting into whatever the hell topic he was trying to teach, his phone distracted him and he left sprinting out of the room saying he’d be right back. Touya tried reading the introduction in the textbook once again, but ultimately got lost as it talked about moles and some guy named Avocado. He slammed the textbook on the desk and tore his glasses from his face, stuffing them in their case. He then collected the book, his pen, and his notebook before marching out of his brother’s room.

“Where the f*ck did that little punk run off to…” He muttered under his breath. He skulked down the hallway and listened for any sort of sound until he heard something in the kitchen. If it wasn’t Shoto, then maybe it was someone who could tell him where he was, or tell him what the f*ck a mole was.

He was seething with anger at the fact that Shoto had ditched him without an explanation and Hawks still wasn’t here… If that red-winged chicken ended up being a no-show, he was going to rip off his anklet and shove it straight down the hero's throat.

Touya had a habit of walking quietly and he decided to use it to his advantage, figuring he could either scare the sh*t out of his brother, or get a kick out of whoever it was reacting to him from the kitchen. He grabbed the shoji door and threw it open, practically ripping it from its tracks as he caught whoever it was red handed.

And froze.

Touya stared. Enji stared. Both stood motionless without a single word as they thought this can’t be happening…

Enji spent the majority of the day in his room even after Rei left to join her family for dinner. The food smelled delicious, and he was certainly hungry, but he didn’t want to barge in on a family meal and figured he could make an appearance tomorrow after Touya was gone. It was going to be hard enough to face Fuyumi and Natsu after his absence, but he didn’t want to throw Touya into some state of shock as well. When it was finally quiet and his stomach was ready to tear its way through his abdomen in search of food, he crept out of his room to the kitchen. He found an assortment of fresh ingredients in the fridge, but he didn’t want to make much of a commotion to alert anyone he was here. Instead, he looked in the freezer and the first thing he saw was a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. He picked up the ice cream, suddenly having a craving since he hadn’t eaten anything other than vegetables and the occasional grilled fish for the last several months.

The label caught his attention and he gave it a befuddled look. “Todoroki flavor?” He whispered aloud, wondering if he read it right. There was a caricature of Shoto’s face on the front and the part about all proceeds going to burn victims caused him to snarl angrily, but he’d have his lawyers look into it later. For now, cherry vanilla would do. He pulled a spoon from a drawer, popped the lid off, and took a bite. It was pretty good, so he dug his spoon in again, only to spin on his heels as someone threw open the door to the kitchen.

Both men were utterly lost for words, but Enji was the first to break. It took Touya an incredibly long amount of time to process what he was seeing as his brain attempted to sift through the shock along with the unrequited rage.

That jagged scar down his left eye, the spiky red hair, the oversized shoulders and looming height, there was no way it was anyone other than his father. The memories of the war, Jaku City, the high end Nomu in f*ckuoka, everything came flooding at once. He felt his heartrate skyrocket, his hands clenched into fists, but the same dumbstruck expression stayed plastered on his face. Of all the stupid moments, of all the useless planning, to think he’d just see the man face to face like nothing had ever happened. Meeting him in the kitchen like this was a school night and he was caught sneaking out. Touya reached so far inside himself he felt the trapped flicker of his flames desperate to spill out and engulf everything in fire.

But then, he paused. Was… was he crying…? Touya watched with utter shock, going so far as to take a step back when he noticed the tears streaming down the other man’s face.

He stared, torn between incredulity and disgust. The man stood in his kitchen, hulking muscles like he’d done nothing but workout the last six months, ice cream pint in one hand, spoon in the other, looking like a teary eyed child getting caught sneaking sweets. Touya gaped, he thought of twelve different ways he could end the man’s life with everything surrounding him, he fanned his repressed flames and felt a ping of warmth resonate through his body before it disappeared completely, and he remembered Eraserhead’s words.

Endeavor is dead.

The pathetic man standing before him wasn’t Endeavor, not by a long shot. Touya wouldn’t have spent countless hours chasing a fruitless dream, or nearly burned himself to death atop a mountain for this man. The one standing before him didn’t command attention or radiate authority, he was just the hollow broken version of whatever he’d tried to cultivate himself as. Touya’s shoulders slowly dropped and he loosened his fists, heaving breaths in and out as he slowly came down from his wrath.

“Moles.”

Enji blinked, caught off guard by the word and not sure what it meant. He wanted to ask, but he was too afraid to speak. Touya took another moment to steady his breath, his shoulders loosening some more as his expression became more neutral.

“Shoto was going to teach me about moles.”

Enji stared, still not entirely sure what he meant until he glanced at what was in his hand and found a textbook on the introduction to chemistry. He had a faint recollection of Avogadro’s number and quantities of elements.

“I… could teach you about moles.” He found himself saying, wanting to slap himself in the face for suggesting such a thing. To his surprise, Touya nodded.

He was on autopilot, he barely registered he was even walking until he found himself taking a seat at the dining table next to Touya. His son set his textbook down, opening his notebook to the worksheet the UA students had printed out, and cracked open his glasses case.

Enji caught himself before he could gasp and watched as Touya put on his glasses, the shape very reminiscent of Fuyumi’s specs, and tried not to bawl his eyes out at the realization that he was finally sitting down with one of his kids to help them with their homework. He was beyond thankful Touya didn’t look up to find his eyes watering like an emotional wreck, but judging by his irritated features he probably had a feeling something like that was happening and was avoiding it.

Rei had explained the UA students were helping him get his supplemental high school degree and in this moment, nothing could possibly make him more proud of any of his kids. He cracked open the textbook and had to adjust the range he was holding it until he could actually focus on the words, realizing he’d left his own glasses back in his room. He read the paragraph on the introduction to mols and had to do a double take, having to read it again and giving an annoyed huff of breath. This stuff had been confusing the first time around and now he had to revisit it?

He glanced at Touya out of the corner of his eye and saw just how uncomfortable the other was, looking like he was waging a war inside his mind and Enji shut the textbook.

Touya looked up at the noise, finding his father standing and walking back to the kitchen. He was gone for a moment as he rifled through the fridge and some cabinets until he came back with a bottle of chilled shochu and two stout glasses. He sat back down and filled each glass, handing one to Touya. He regarded it skeptically, remembering something about not mixing alcohol with his medication, and shrugged. He’d never been one to drink, and the taste wasn’t great, but the buzz was welcome. Enji took a sip as well and cracked open the textbook one more time.

Chapter 24: Where Have You Been

Chapter Text

Rumi was the first to stumble upon the red headed pair and realized it would be incredibly inappropriate to start laughing. That, and while Enji had been away from his hero work for months, it didn’t look like he’d missed a day of training. Actually, it looked like he somehow added a day of training. The guy was jacked more so than usual and she decided it was in her best interest to join them for a drink if she wanted to experience this father-son homework mash up. She tried chipping in to help a bit, but ended up making a fool of herself when she admitted she wasn’t the best chemistry student.

The next person to find them was Fuyumi and she collapsed to her knees in tears as she embraced her father, jumping between relief that he was alright and anger that he’d left without a word. She chastised him for abandoning his mess for her to clean up and causing her to suspend her teaching job to which he apologized deeply. In the end, they were both in tears while Rumi and Touya kept their distance and sipped on shochu. When all emotions had been laid out and apologies were given, Fuyumi collapsed into a fit of giggles and looked up at her father with shimmering eyes before breaking the news about her pregnancy.

Enji felt like he’d run into a brick wall, the statement causing a well of emotions to screw up his face again as he celebrated that he was about to become a grandfather. The emotions kept flowing and the two hanging back shared a look of discomfort, still hiding behind their drinks.

“I can’t believe Shoto didn’t tell me, this is wonderful news.” Enji stated, using his thumb and first finger to wipe the tears from his eyes. Fuyumi jerked at that revelation, scooting back to look her father in the eyes as she started connecting some dots.

“You were in contact with Shoto?” She asked dangerously, fixing him with a malevolent glare. Enji pursed his lips and realized he’d made a terrible mistake. “You were in contact with Shoto and he didn’t tell us you were ok??”

Enji held up his hands in defense, stuttering an excuse about not having great cell service, only speaking about twice a month, and having Shoto swear to keep his whereabouts a secret.

The commotion ended up waking Rei as well and she also took a seat at the dining table, watching the drama unfold with a glass of water alongside Touya and Rumi. She chuckled as Fuyumi tried to beat up her ex-husband as Rumi cheered in her favor.

They eventually settled down and Touya tried to go back to his homework, still not surrounded by the most helpful crowd as his mother tried to recall any memories she had about gram conversions and significant figures. Just as she was getting the hang of it though, Natsu walked in with a plastic bag in hand and nearly had an aneurism when he noticed the crowd staring back at him.

“Dad??” He asked incredulously, wondering if this was the part of the scene right before him and Touya started trying to kill each other, only to realize they were all sitting around attempting to help his brother with his homework.

“Natsu! It’s late, where have you been??” Fuyumi demanded, sounding more like a mother than his own mother. He stammered lamely, attempting to come up with something when Touya snatched the plastic bag out of his hand.

“Hopefully to get me some smokes.” He muttered, digging through the bag and finding a pack of cigarettes along with a lighter.

“Touya! That’s such an awful habit, what’re you thinking??” Fuyumi groused, giving him a deplorable frown then attempted to reach across the table and snatch them from his grasp. Touya succeeded at playing keep-away and returned his sister’s expression with a bored look of indifference. Natsu let out a breath of relief and gave his brother a thankful glance, glad he didn’t have to explain where he’d really been so late in the evening. Rei had finally been given a cell phone but didn’t like to keep it with her at night, instead leaving it in the kitchen to charge and Touya had used it to send the message “Bring smokes -Touya” and he was thankful he’d listened.

“So, you weren’t out with your girlfriend?” Rei asked coyly, ruining the cover story and earning an indignant whine from Natsu.

“Mom!!”

“A girlfriend?” Enji asked, his expression perking up as Natsu groaned louder.

“It’s none of your business!” He declared, holding out a hand to demand the bag back. However, Touya held onto it after seeing what else his brother had purchased. Natsu scowled at him, knowing what he was thinking and gave him an irritated glare since he couldn’t demand his condoms back in front of mom and dad.

“I bought two, I’ll leave one in your room.” He insisted between clenched teeth, waving his hand to say give it back now.

“Take a load off and come join us!” Rumi announced, pouring another glass of shochu and handing it to him. Natsu managed to relax a bit and accepted the glass, then looked down to see Touya had one in his hand as well.

“Wait, you’re drinking??” He asked indignantly. “Isn’t that dangerous with the medication you’re taking?”

Touya fixed him with a dirty glare. “f*ckin’ snitch.”

“Touya!!” Fuyumi shrieked, climbing over the table to snatch the glass from his hand. “Dad, what is wrong with you??”

Enji balked, not realizing his son was on medication, but also figuring it made a lot of sense as to why he could sit in his presence without lashing out. She continued to berate him as she marched to the kitchen and dumped the alcohol down the drain, wasting the expensive drink. She then rinsed the glass and filled it with water, marched back to the table and handed it to Touya. He regarded it with displeasure but accepted it nevertheless, shooting his brother a contemptuous frown. Fuyumi muttered something about calling poison control and without anyone noticing, Rumi swapped hers and Touya’s glasses before dumping the water in the potted plant behind her and filling her glass with more shochu. Touya regarded the swapped drinkware with an impressed look, then held it up and clinked it against Rumi’s before they both took a sip.

Natsu eventually took a seat and was a shining beacon in the knowledge of mols and Avogadro’s number, finally explaining the process with ease and helping Touya complete the worksheet.

“So, where’s Shoto?” Enji asked, glancing around his family and quickly realizing none of them had a clue.

~0~

Hawks was exhausted, he’d been working non-stop since Monday with hardly any sleep as they chased their most prominent lead on Shigaraki yet. There was even a raid which nearly captured him, but somehow he always managed to escape. A few low-level thugs were taken into custody, but all the high rollers were still on the loose. His team was able to identify a few known faces on Interpol’s most wanted list running with what remained of the League of Villains, tracing them back to crime syndicates from Russia. At this rate, they were on track for an international incident, and he wasn’t looking forward to cooperating with someone else’s government. If Shigaraki fled the country, it’d be an uphill battle for jurisdiction.

He yawned heavily outside the front door of the Todoroki family home, wondering what he was even doing here. He was ordered to go home and get some rest by Tsukauchi, and when he glanced at the time, he couldn’t help feeling a pang of guilt knowing Touya would be giving him an earful next time they met. What did it matter anyway? He wasn’t some booty call to be summoned at a moment’s notice. Touya needed to take his ego down a notch if he was going to keep relying on him for help.

Hawks stumbled into the home, kicked off his shoes, and hung up his coat. He was a disaster held together by coffee and deodorant. He’d barely showered between raids and spent the rest of his time pouring over evidence, so the first thing he wanted to do before engaging with the grumpy redhead was take a long, hot shower. The thought put a smile on his face; the bathroom in his upscale apartment was nice, but it was nothing compared to the Todorokis’ main throne room with walk-in jet sprayers and a recirculating pump so the water was always hot.

Voices caught his attention coming from what sounded like the dining room and he quirked an eyebrow, recognizing Mirko and Fuyumi and was surprised they were still up. He couldn’t help chuckling when he heard Touya argue something back at them, but there was another voice he couldn’t quite place…

Could it…? No….

Hawks found himself walking over to the commotion and his heart leapt into his throat when he stood at the entrance of the dining room. He stared with open-mouthed shock as Enji Todoroki sat at the table with nearly his entire family.

“Hey, short stack! It’s about time you joined the party!” Rumi announced with a smile and a wave.

Keigo gaped, unable to form a coherent sentence in his head, let alone speak, and watched in horror as Enji climbed to his feet and approached him with his arms outstretched.

He felt the blood drain from his face as the man wearing a skin-tight tank top with more muscles than he remembered casually strolled up to him and collected him into his big meaty arms.

“Keigo! It’s so good to see you!” He announced, a warm and delighted smile evident from his tone. He felt himself squeak at the embrace, realizing he’d gotten stuck between intercepting the hug with a handshake and reciprocating the embrace. He found his hands clenched against Enji’s enormous chest and had a sudden revelation he didn’t think he’d ever experience if he’d never slept with Touya.

Rumi was right, eerily and accurately right. His life began flashing in front of his eyes; all the teasing, all the team ups, all this time he’d just had a big stupid crush on Endeavor and had been too clueless to see it right in front of his nose!

“Uh huh!” He yelped out, his face lighting up with a blush that went down past his shoulders and sent butterflies fluttering in his stomach. To his dismay, Enji only embraced him tighter, forcing another whimper from between his lips.

“Thank you for looking after my family, how could I ever repay you?” He asked sincerely, his breath tickling against Keigo’s ear and smelling a bit like alcohol. He shut his eyes and began reciting crime statistics from his latest case in his head to hopefully distract him enough before he popped a f*cking boner.

I’m so f*cked… He thought dismally, his joints completely locked and frozen as he felt one hand wander up his shoulder and the other wandering down his back!!

“Okay!!” Hawks burst out, laughing maniacally as he managed to push the other man away and tried to compose himself. He knew everyone was staring and he didn’t dare look out at the audience and grunted as Enji wrapped his arm around him in a side hug, pulling him in close again.

“Have a drink with us!” Enji invited, dragging him over to the table and shoving him in a seat across from Touya. He accidentally looked up and froze at the expression he was being given, attempting to play it off and hoping he was just mad he’d been so late. Hawks glanced down at the chemistry textbook and noticed Touya had a similar glass with a similar liquid, but before he could point it out Touya shot out his leg and kicked him in the knee with more force than necessary. Hawks yelped at the attack but just waved it off when he was given concerned looks until he found Rumi giving him the most wicked smile he’d ever seen.

“To Keigo!” Enji announced, holding up his glass. Everyone did so as well before taking a drink and Hawks found himself chugging his until it was gone.

“Where in the world have you been?” He asked blatantly, still hardly believing the man was back after all this time.

Enji paused at the question and glanced around, finding everyone else staring at him. He conceded with a sigh, setting his glass down. “I suppose everyone who didn’t know is here now, so I can explain myself.” He began, earning everyone’s attention like he was about to tell a grand story on Christmas morning. “I’ve been in India helping with the crime rates and providing community services. I’ve been working alongside their top hero agency aiding them with coaching and hero assistance.”

Everyone stared, certainly not anticipating that sort of answer.

“Wait,” Fuyumi stated, “you’ve been in another country being a hero?? What about here, what about us??” She demanded. Enji let out a heavy breath.

“With everything I’ve done and everything I’ve destroyed, it only made sense to step away and gain some perspective.” He answered, his expression dark and regretful.

“That doesn’t make any sense! You said you wanted to be a part of this family, and then you go and disappear for months on end??”

Enji regarded his daughter with a serious expression, noting the tears in her eyes and the frustration knitting her brows together. He’d tried to fix things, but it seemed no matter he did he could only destroy.

“I look around and I see my absence hasn’t been missed. I’ve been gone, yet my home is still here, my agency is still looked after, and my children are thriving.” He explained, reaching out to take her hand in his. “But now that I’ve returned, I’m here to take the burden I left on your shoulders back.”

Yumi’s expression scrunched up further and she scooted on her knees to wrap her father in an embrace.

“Don’t ever say you weren’t missed! I thought about you every day.” She muttered, squeezing tighter. Enji returned the hug and the tension in the air felt lighter.

“What, exactly, were you doing in India?” Natsu asked, still skeptical about this whole thing. Fuyumi released her dad but stayed by his side, leaning against him.

“Well, I spent a short while trying to find out who was in charge of crime management in New Delhi before I was introduced to an organization specializing in villain detainment as well as Tantric spiritual wellness…”

Enji was cut off before he could continue when Touya choked on his shochu. Everyone stared as tears crested his eyelids and he sounded like he was going to cough up a lung. Natsu held out a hand, wondering if he should pat him on the back when he slowly started to be able to breathe again.

“That’s… disgusting…!” He muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he fixed his father with a look of indignation.

Enji returned the look with one of confusion. “I’m not sure what you mean, Tantra is about feeling a connection that is both intense and enlightened. I had a deeper link with myself than any meditation I’ve attempted in the past.” He explained, not sure what the other was getting all worked up about. Touya grumbled something under his breath, climbing to his feet and rifling through the plastic bag until he found the pack of cigarettes and lighter again, then tossed the bag at Natsu.

“I’m gonna go smoke. Feel free to never have this conversation near me again.”

Enji watched his son leave and wondered what he did wrong.

~0~

Touya stood on the back deck leaning against the railing, frustrated he had to use a lighter for his damned cigarette, but even more irritated he couldn’t seem to get the stupid thing to work. Every time he tried to use his thumb to flick it, the gears just turned and no spark came out. How the hell did people make this look easy??

Just then, something caught his eye in the distance and Touya looked out, cursing his sh*t vision as he squinted in the dark and watched as a familiar red and white blob snuck across the courtyard holding the hand of someone tall and bulky. He stared at the sight in disbelief, realizing it was his youngest brother and what seemed to be his love interest, but the unknown person didn’t have the same shape as the moss-headed One for All kid.

The large shape stopped suddenly, seeming to notice him, and began waving vigorously as Shoto desperately tried to drag him away.

“Hello! You must be Touya-nii!” The voice of a young man declared, marching up to him like he wasn’t an imprisoned and dangerous criminal. Touya stared silently, watching as he came closer into view. “My name is Inasa Yoarashi!” He held out his hand when he was close enough to the railing and Touya was impressed the young man was practically as tall as he was despite him standing on the deck.

“Drop the ‘nii’ next time.” He warned, accepting the hand and shaking it. He looked up and found Shoto with his face pressed into his hand.

“Shoto.” He called out, earning his brother’s attention as he slowly lifted his head to reveal his embarrassed expression. “My room, bedside table, top drawer. And you’d better wash the bottle before you put it back.”

Shoto realized it was in his best interest to assume his brother was talking about something inappropriate and his face lit up a brighter red when he started jumping to conclusions about what he meant. He marched forward and clasped Yoarashi’s hand in his before he continued dragging him through the backyard.

“Shoto.” He stated again with a twisted smirk, stopping them in their tracks. “I need a light.” He said, waving his cigarette. Shoto fixed him with a consternated glare and snapped his fingers, lighting the end precisely to Touya’s delight.

“Hey, big guy.” Touya called out, earning their attention one more time. Yoarashi pointed to himself in question, as if there was anyone else the elder could’ve meant. “If Shoto’s walking funny tomorrow, there’ll be hell to pay.”

Shoto tensed up hilariously and Yoarashi also had a tinting of blush over his cheeks as the youngest Todoroki sibling resumed dragging him away, resolving not to stop if Touya tried getting his attention again.

Touya took a drag from his cigarette, pleased with the smoothness compared to the prison ones he stole from Takami. He wasn’t a habitual smoker, but every now and again it was nice to indulge in it. Especially after a conversation like earlier.

Footsteps caught his attention and he didn’t need to turn as Hawks walked over and joined him at the railing. He plucked the cigarette from his finger and took a drag from it as well, flicking the ashes into the small planter below before handing it back.

“You seem to be doing well.” He stated, letting out his breath.

“Don’t even f*cking joke about it.” Touya warned, taking another drag. They stood in silence until the cigarette was finished and Touya snuffed it out on the bottom of his shoe before flicking it into the courtyard. He shivered and jerked his head toward the house, indicating for Hawks to follow him, but as they went inside Touya turned away from the dining area to head toward the living room. It wasn’t long before Hawks found himself pressed against a wall with Touya’s fingers tangling into his hair. They kissed passionately as he snaked his arms over the red head’s shoulders, wrapping him tight and pulling him close. They’d both had too much to drink and they were both in questionable moods, but Keigo didn’t want it to stop. He let out a soft moan as Touya dragged his hands over his shoulders and down his sides before cupping his ass and hiking him into his arms. He pressed harder, forcing him into the wall which Keigo enjoyed more than he’d ever admit.

Until the lights flicked on. Both turned and wore very different expressions as Enji stood awkwardly in the entryway finding the two necking against the wall.

Hawks lit up bright red at the sight, squirming in the other’s grasp like getting down would make this situation any better while Touya scowled distastefully at the intrusion. Enji held up his hands, not knowing where to even begin as he turned to walk away.

Hawks felt a vibration in his pocket and was jolted back to reality as his phone alerted him to a call. He struggled in Touya’s arms, moving and shifting before he could finally get it out and answered it. Both Todorokis stared like it was any of their business until he hung up on the short call.

“I’ve gotta go.” He insisted, still held in Touya’s grasp as he gave the other man a grumpy frown. Hawks rolled his eyes. “Put me down.”

He eventually complied and the pro hero brushed past him, marching out of the living room for the front door. He heard Rumi shouting as well and it sounded like both of them were being called away which was an ominous thought. They likely wouldn’t need any sort of transportation since they were two of the fastest people in the world, meaning Hawks didn’t have an excuse for not coming back when he was finished.

“Wonder where they’re going.” Enji muttered, attempting to make small talk but it was just cringey. Touya almost told him as such when something grabbed his attention outside the living room window, and it wasn’t the high school lovers. Enji caught the wary glint in his son’s eyes right before he sensed it too and they shared a look of understanding before they ran further inside the house with Enji dashing for the dining area and Touya sprinting for the bedrooms.

Chapter 25: Attack on Todoroki House

Chapter Text

Enji didn’t even make it to the dining room before he heard the shattering of glass and the shriek of his daughter. The sound caused him to erupt into flames before he rounded the corner to find Fuyumi in the grasp of some thug. He snarled with rage and lunged for the intruder, aiming a precise fist to smash his septum into his brain only to get knocked aside by a familiar dark shape. He was sent through his TV and ended up crashing straight through the wall into the next room. He sat up and found the ugly mug of a black Nomu screeching at him before it jolted forward to continue their fight. It didn’t seem smart like one of the high ends and he figured it was one of the scraps the League managed to scrape up from the back room of some forgotten hide out.

It attacked without prejudice, destroying everything in its wake as he watched his home get torn to pieces whenever it tried to throw a strike. He met every blow with an equal one of his own until it began retreating due to the sheer power the former number one hero was displaying. He threw punch after flaming punch into its grotesque features, denting its head and smirking when he understood it didn’t have a very powerful version of the regeneration quirk. It squealed with rage as it tried to keep up, but it was no match. He beat the thing down into the ground, colliding his fists over and over as they cracked the floorboards and drove into the subfloor below. Eventually the howling stopped and Enji gave the pulverized skull a few more hits before he was satisfied it was dead.

He suddenly remembered his family was in danger, bolting to his feet and heading for the new entrance to his dining room. He stepped through the hole and found Rei pressed into a corner with Natsu shielding her behind his back as a stranger held a gun to his head while Fuyumi was in the grasp of some man. He stood behind her with both her wrists in one hand while his other arm was wrapped around her chest and he held a knife to her throat.

“Let her go and you can leave with your life.” He seethed, his expression dangerous. Of course, he had every intention of beating them within an inch of their lives, which might end up being worse.

“Enji Todoroki, what a beast of a man.” A voice with a heavy Russian accent stated, belonging to a man standing off to the side of Fuyumi and her captor. He took a few steps toward them and held his right hand within inches of his daughter. “I’d stay right there if I were you.” He said in a mocking tone. Enji narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth, wanting to challenge the man but also getting a bad feeling.

“Dad!!” A small voice called out and he vaguely recognized it as he turned and found a little boy no more than six years old with hair that was half red and half white. Enji blinked. “He has some weird aging quirk!”

“Shoto??” He asked, shocked. His unique eye and hair color gave him away, and the fact that he was wearing his shirt as a dress was another indication that it really was his teenage son turned into some little kid.

“Who the hell else would it be!”

Enji glared at him, reminding himself to teach the kid some more manners to have during the midst of battle

“He’s right, I have the ability to age someone down a maximum of thirty years at a time, right up until they’re six years old.” He explained, stroking his first finger along Fuyumi’s jaw. She shivered with repulsion, giving her father a desperate look. “It gets a little tricky with some of the side effects, but a particularly gruesome one is a fetus cannot survive in its mother if I use my quirk on her. All I have to do is touch her with the palm of my right hand.”

Enji felt his heart drop into his stomach, his breath caught in his throat, and he watched as his little girl’s face dissolved into pure terror.

“Daddy…?” She whimpered, tears building up behind her glasses as her face lost several shades of color.

“You… bastard!!” Enji called out, balling his fists. The man chuckled darkly. “What the hell do you want??”

The man used his first finger and thumb to pinch her chin and rock her head back and forth while Fuyumi cringed and tried to pull away.

“We’re here to pick up Dabi, can you tell us where he is?” He asked calmly, his smile demented.

“He isn’t here!” Little Shoto yelled, stamping his foot.

“Come now, don’t lie. I know he holds a little class over the weekend for the high school hero students. We’re just here on behalf of Shigaraki to pick him up.”

Enji snarled at the name and silently cursed, wondering where Touya had even gone. Just as the thought crossed his mind though, his eldest son stepped through the doorway of the room with his arms casually folded and a smug grin on his lips.

“Really? Shigaraki sent you?” He asked in an amused tone, receiving a look of shock from each of his family members. Touya strolled up to the intruders and stopped a few feet away, giving the man a cheeky grin. “There’s no need for all this; all you had to do was ask.”

Touya’s mouth curled into a wicked smile.

~0~

A Few Minutes Earlier:

The only thing more concerning to Shoto than his eldest brother bursting through his bedroom door as he had his hand up Yoarashi’s shirt while making out with him was the sound of someone smashing through his bedroom window moments after. He stared in utter shock as the man lunged at the intruder and defended against several attacks, throwing punches and kicks and landing a few. Shoto and Yoarashi hastily climbed to their feet and watched as another man snuck in through the window, but before he could join in on attacking Touya, he found himself battling the two high school seniors. They dodged and blocked some attacks until Shoto had enough and used his ice quirk to subdue the trespassers, practically filling his room with ice as he encased them except for their faces.

Touya realized the two had been bested and relaxed, glancing around the room to see if anything else was amiss.

“Shoto.” He stated, marching over to the window to look out.

“What the hell was that? Who are these guys?” Shoto asked, walking up to one and fixing him with an irritated glare.

“Shoto…” Touya began again, turning away from the window when he didn’t find an immediate threat and fixing his brother a peeved look. “It’s been more than ten minutes, how the hell are the two of you still wearing clothes?”

Shoto choked on his response as his cheeks glowed bright red. He stuttered trying to come up with something to say but instead glanced to the side and let out a deep breath.

“Can we focus on something more important?” He asked in a testy tone. Touya walked over to stand beside his brother and leaned close to the intruder before flicking him in the forehead.

“Oi, who the f*ck’re you guys?” He asked, setting his hands on his hips. The man just glared in return.

“He’s all yours.” Touya said, shrugging his shoulders and turning to walk out the door.

“Wait, where the hell’re you going?” Shoto demanded, glancing between the men encased in ice and his brother leaving them all there.

“Pretty sure I heard the old man fighting someone downstairs.” He replied, much more calm than he probably should be. Shoto wanted to call him out for acting like he did when he was a villain, but also realized that was an unfair accusation since he’d just barged into his room to fight off a couple of burglars. Touya almost made it to the door when he realized they’d missed one, but as he turned and spotted the remaining man, he was already inches from Shoto. On reflex Touya threw his arm out like he was summoning his fire, but realized his mistake too late when his youngest brother was slapped across his face and sent tumbling to the ground with a blank expression.

Yoarashi shouted something and fought back against the man, earning a bewildered expression from the enemy like he wasn’t expected to be there. Touya fell to his knees at Shoto’s side and rolled him onto his back, his mind racing a mile a minute as he tried to figure out why he’d dropped like a brick after such a small attack.

Shoto blinked and looked up, a little surprised to find his brother leaning over him as if he was concerned about his wellbeing. Before he could point it out though, he felt something strange, almost like his clothes were sliding over every part of his body. Touya’s eyes went wide as he watched Shoto shrink from a six-foot-tall hulking teenager into a scrawny little boy.

“Uhh…” He muttered with confusion, earning an equally puzzled look from his brother. Shoto tried to look at his hands, but his gigantic sweater engulfed them and he sat up to find his legs were hardly able to poke out the bottom.

Yoarashi ran to his side, ready to do whatever he could, and froze in his tracks when he saw his sweetheart was just a tiny little kid. To Shoto’s annoyance, the young man gave him a heart-melting look like he was the cutest thing in the world, cooing over his adorable features.

A crash from downstairs caught their attention and they all sprung to their feet.

“Where’d the third guy go?” Touya asked, giving Yoarashi a serious look.

“He escaped out the window.”

“Well, go after him!”

Yoarashi nodded firmly and bounded for the shattered glass, using his quirk to send him outside as he went to secure the perimeter. The Todoroki siblings then leapt into action to see what was going on in the rest of the house only for Shoto to trip over his shirt and land flat on his face. Touya stopped and glanced back, rolling his eyes at the sight as he ran back, picked up his tiny little brother, and sprinted towards the main area of the house.

When he set Shoto down he regretted it instantly since the kid went running straight into the dining room shouting about the guy’s quirk turning him into a child. He figured that meant the man was down there and he crept around the wreckage to get a better view of the layout. He found Natsu bravely shielding their mother, Enji and Shoto were staring down the villains like the heroes they were, and Fuyumi was held in some creepo’s hands like a hostage. He found himself livid at the sight, wanting to burst in there and rip the man’s arms from his body when he heard something that sent him over the edge.

“…But a particularly gruesome one is a fetus cannot survive in its mother if I use my quirk on her…”

Touya felt an evil leer carving into his face as a bit of his sanity literally snapped in his mind. He studied the men before him, committing their postures and their physical appearance to his memory. He imagined shattering each of their joints, carving doodles into their skin with a kitchen knife, and peeling their flesh to expose the muscles beneath. Their torturous screams, desperately pleading to make the pain stop…

Shoto tried to cover for him like he was hiding from these monsters, when in reality he just couldn’t decide where to start dismembering them. It was moments like these he missed his flames the most. After all, burnt corpses were so much less messy.

He strolled back towards the main entrance and brushed past his brother and father. “Really? Shigaraki sent you?” He asked in an amused tone, reveling in the confused look the unknown man was giving him. He stopped a few feet away. “There’s no need for all this; all you had to do was ask.”

Touya’s mouth curled into a wicked smile and the man mistook it as the sight of him betraying his family. After all, he did appear to be giving into his evil tendencies, and he certainly would’ve, but under vastly different circ*mstances.

“That’s right, I’ve come on his behalf. I apologize, I was told you’d have white hair and scars around your eyes and chin. I’ll just be a moment with this lot.”

Touya chuckled at the thought and took a few more steps, reaching out and plucking the stranger’s hand from where it was caressing his sister. He gave the man a pleasant smile, gripping his hand tighter.

“You see, there’s just one problem.” He stated, bending his hand back at the wrist, earning a grunt of discomfort. “Right now, you’re threatening my sister along with my future niece or nephew, and that's unacceptable.”

Touya flexed his grip and the sound of his wrist snapping was audible throughout the entire room. He shrieked at the sensation and Touya was just as fast to steal the knife from the other goon’s hand and lodge it into his shoulder before scooping Yumi into his arms and jumping back.

Fuyumi stared in fear at the scene, the sound of bones snapping was ringing in her ears, but she was too terrified to scream.

Touya took another step back and yelped when he sank to his knee, suddenly realizing he’d made a fatal mistake and must’ve been touched by the man’s palm. He watched helplessly as he shrunk to match Shoto as a six-year-old, holding his hands up as they disappeared beneath his clothing.

Something else seemed to be happening on top of the de-aging. Sounds grew fuzzy, sights wobbled and became unfocused, and he stumbled until he fell back. He held up his hands and they felt like they weren’t a part of him as a sudden wave of nausea threatened to make him puke all over himself. The feeling was familiar, and he realized only one thing could explain it since Shoto seemed to be just fine. His body was still trying to process all shochu he drank, along with the medication he took daily. Not only did that increase the side effects of drinking alcohol, but with the liver of a six-year-old, it was certainly a contender for the most drunk he’d ever been.

Enji rushed the two men who’d been holding Fuyumi captive after Touya rescued her, knocking the one guy out and having to avoid the other as he swiped at the man with the palm of his hand. Natsu also used the confusion to steal the gun from the man pointing it at him, using whatever martial arts he could remember to knock him back before grabbing Shoto as he tried to rush in and help.

“Stay here!” He ordered, shoving the younger into their mom’s arms and she held him firmly while he struggled to free himself. Natsu realized his father was at a disadvantage having to fight in such close quarters while avoiding the stranger’s quirk, but if he tried to do anything he’d likely get in the way.

Enji knew he was winning, slowly but surely, and it was only a matter of time before he landed the finishing blow, and his enemy knew it. Which is why he played a dirty trick.

“Now, kill the girl!!” He called out, causing the former pro-hero to hesitate which was all he needed to hit him with his quirk. Enji staggered back, watching as his muscles deflated as thirty years were stollen until he found himself looking like he did when he was Shoto’s age.

The man cackled at the sight, throwing his head back and laughing hysterically. “Now all I need is to touch you again, and you’ll be a helpless child!!”

Natsu found himself reacting before he could think, jumping into the line of danger and catching the man’s hand before he could use it on his father again. Enji snapped out of his stupor at the sight, watching as the last of his sons was shrunk into a little kid and flew into a violent rage. What that man didn’t realize was while he didn’t have as much power at seventeen years old, he still had his speed. He threw attack after attack at the man, sending him flying through the hole in the wall only to dash after him and continue to lead him on the defensive. The villain realized he didn’t have much hope of winning when a gust of wind blew open the living room doors and he decided that was going to be his one and only opportunity to run. Just as Enji was about to sprint after the man though, Fuyumi yelled and gained his attention.

“Dad!!” She shouted, breaking his concentration and reminding him there were other enemies. He ran for the dining room and dove through the hole in the wall, looking around to see where the danger was when he found Fuyumi kneeling beside Touya with tears streaming down her face. “There’s something wrong with Touya!” She sobbed.

Enji collapsed to his knees, desperate worry screwing up his features as he looked up and down his body for any damage. It was hard to tell with the coat, but when he pressed against his arms and legs he was only given a giggle in return. Enji narrowed his eyes.

“What do we do??” Fuyumi cried, watching her brother with panic like he was on death’s door. Enji came to the conclusion it was probably all the alcohol suddenly trapped in such a small body and lifted him from underneath his armpits to try and see if he’d stand.

Touya’s head wobbled back and forth with a goofy grin on his lips until he was slumped forward. Enji raised an eyebrow at the sight, then watched with disgust as the kid unloaded his dinner out of his mouth and onto the floor. Enji gave the sight a dismal frown and let out a sigh.

“He’s going to be fine.”

Chapter 26: Soup

Chapter Text

The sight of her sons so young again was honestly terrifying. Flashbacks of their treatment growing up, of their lives, and how broken their family was played in her head against her will. Natsu had always been last when it came to anything, whether it was studies, interests, or attention, he’d always been solidly average. The other two excelled immensely; Touya by pure determination while Shoto was naturally gifted. But seeing them now, Natsu right around the age his father gave up on him, Shoto near the age she’d scarred his left eye, and Touya…

They were all seated in the room with the kotatsu. It was Fuyumi’s idea, she wanted to be somewhere comfortable, and this seemed like the perfect place. She’d told Rei she didn’t have to stay, especially now that the house was flooded with officers and detectives tearing apart the crime scene. She could be taken home with no trouble, but she willed herself the strength to be there for her family. Natsu was dozing in her lap after snacking on some crackers and drinking plenty of water. He hadn’t had as much shochu as Touya, but he was still pretty out of it. She held him firmly, absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair which is what had put him to sleep in the first place.

Shoto was also having trouble keeping his eyes open as he leaned against his big… friend. Yoarashi had introduced himself, but didn’t offer much of an explanation as to why he was even here for the evening. All anyone knew was that he was responsible for apprehending twelve of the thirteen villains. There’d been an entire attack strategy that might’ve worked if he hadn’t used his wind quirk to catch everyone.

Rei gave a sad smile, playing through the aftermath of the boiling water incident with her youngest in her head. She hardly remembered anything leading up to the incident, and she certainly didn’t remember anything about the attack. All she knew was that it was her fault and she believed it without question. With every mental snap leading up to the moment, there was no way she could deny it.

“I hope Touya’s okay, they’ve been gone for a while.” Fuyumi stated, exchanging a worried glance with her mother. Rei agreed and hoped it wasn’t something more drastic than sleeping off a hangover. Enji had stayed with him while both were checked over by the emergency medical staff that showed up. As soon as the man lit himself aglow with a smoldering form of his fire quirk, Touya had latched onto him and didn’t seem willing to let go. It was almost endearing if she didn’t think about it too much.

Speaking of which, footsteps approached and in no time her ex-husband was entering the kotatsu room with Touya in one arm and a pole with a bag of saline in his other hand. Touya looked to be completely knocked out with his arms wrapped over his father’s shoulders and his spiky red hair tucked into the crook of the man’s neck. With the de-aging quirk from the villain, Enji had been turned into a younger version of himself, younger than she’d met him. It seemed he’d continued to grow through his twenties which meant Shoto had a very real chance of being as tall as his father one day.

“What’d they say?” Fuyumi asked, patting a spot next to her as an invitation for him to sit. Enji obliged, carefully seating himself on the floor, and still Touya continued to hold onto him. Rei smiled at the sight, remembering when his eldest child and first son was born, how proud he’d been. Even when it turned out the boy hadn’t inherited frost, for a while it seemed he was willing to amend his dream to be centered around Touya.

“It’s not alcohol poisoning, but he’s going to wake up with a hell of a hangover. They showed me how to remove the needle from his arm, so when it gets to a certain point that’ll need to happen and he should be able to sleep through the night.” He replied, smoothing a hand up and down Touya’s back.

“It’s not your fault, you know.” Fuyumi pointed out, receiving an indignant look like he was trying to say he knew he couldn’t have predicted something like this would happen. He gave up the excuse, however, and turned his attention back to Touya, running a hand through his hair and looking to see if any of his white roots were growing through.

“Yes, it is.” He quietly murmured, alluding to something much more profound than predicting a maniac with a de-aging quirk.

“Quit whining about it, you old man.” Shoto retorted, sitting up from where he’d been leaning against Yoarashi to give him a very cranky and very sleepy glare. “You screwed up your kids, get over it. Move on and make it right instead of always being stuck in the past.”

Enji found himself wanting to yell and curse out the boy for being so disrespectful but caught himself before he could and exhaled a heavy breath.

“I wish it were that easy.” He replied. He blamed himself for Shoto’s scar, he blamed himself for Natsu’s aversion to him, and he blamed himself for every atrocity Touya committed while he was a villain. There was no way not to, if he’d been even a slightly better person this world would have been saved from so much suffering.

“You can’t change what you did, but we’re here now, and we need you now.” Shoto added on, fixing him with as serious a look as he could muster as a six-year-old.

Enji regarded his youngest hesitantly, but decided to agree with him. It was a small step he could take to becoming a better man and a better father, and he was at a point where he was willing to do anything for his kids.

Touya stirred in his arms, nudging away from his chest and sounding like he was the most miserable person in the world.

“I’m gonna be sick.” He muttered, his complexion looking a tad green, and Fuyumi quickly reached for one of the barf bags from the stack the EMT’s left them. She handed it to her father just in time, but it sounded like he was only heaving stomach acid at this point.

Tears streaked down his cheeks as he let out a pathetic sob and collapsed against Enji again, burying his face into the man's shoulder. The warmth exuding from the shape before him was comforting and pleasant as his head spun and his stomach continuously threatened to invert itself. He tried to say something, but it just came out as a whiney, incoherent babble. Something warm and rigid then began smoothing slow circles on his back and he found himself relaxing at the sensation as it captivated his attention. It was a comforting gesture which was an oddity given his history and the company he usually kept. His mind began clearing from his distress as well, which would normally be a comfort. However, as it did, suspicious confusion creased his forehead and as he pushed against the hulking shape to look up, he had to squint until his vision revealed a young version of his father looking back at him.

Touya gave the man a repulsive look of shock, shoving against him as best he could despite his size and current predicament.

“Let go of me!” He ordered, struggling as Enji had to use very little effort to keep him subdued.

“You’re drunk, you’ll be lucky if you remember any of this.” He countered, earning an elbow in his teeth as Touya fought harder. He used one hand to collect his little arms in his grasp, holding them in place as he gave his son a vexed scowl and reminded himself anger had never been the answer.

Tears dripped fervently from Touya’s jaw as he sobbed out “I want Yumi!” The words sent a pang through his heart he hadn’t expected and glanced up to see his daughter giving him an apologetic look.

He remembered how attached his son had been to him at this age, how he’d wanted nothing more than to make his father proud. He’d started training before Enji had, advancing through everything with impressive skill, and now here he was glaring up at him with pure hatred. The understanding of how much his actions destroyed his family’s lives grew more prominent every day, but the raw emotions were something he was never going to get used to.

Enji conceded and rolled onto his knees, gently handing over the struggling child to Fuyumi who accepted him and sat him in her lap facing the kotatsu. He slowly relaxed as she fixed the comforter to cover his legs and used a thumb to dry his eyes.

“Are you hungry? There’s crackers.” She offered softly, reaching for the package as Rei handed it to her. She held one up for her brother and he accepted it, taking a few attempts before he managed to get it to his mouth only to drop it on his sweater. Touya stared at the thing like it’d grown arms and slapped itself out of his grasp before he teared up once more.

“Why’d it do that?” He asked dismally, drunk beyond comprehension as Fuyumi picked it up.

“Here, take a bite.” She insisted, holding it to his mouth and waiting for him to comply. She watched as the cogs turned in his brain until his mouth opened and he managed to bite down on the edge, chewing thoroughly.

“Y’know, they might enjoy some soup before bed. It’ll help settle their stomachs.” Fuyumi said, directing the statement at her father who regarded her with confusion. “There should be a leftover container in the fridge, along with tofu and dried seaweed in the pantry. Just heat it in a pot and add the chopped ingredients.”

Enji considered the proposal and stood, figuring he could do something that simple.

~0~

Hawks kicked an overturned stool out of frustration, sending it flying into a wall across the room with a loud clatter. He’d seen Shigaraki and yet the bastard was still able to escape. He thought for sure they’d get him this time, but once again the heroes were bested and left in the dust. They did manage to capture a few interesting people, including some Russian adversaries, and he was going to enjoy interrogating them after he got some well-deserved shuteye. There was no point beating a dead horse; they’d lost this round, but it was only a matter of time before something else came up again.

He sucked in a deep breath, attempting to calm down, and pulled out his phone to see if there was any news on the Todoroki family drama front.

“Seventeen missed calls??” He blurted out, unlocking his phone to see they were all from Yumi. She left a few voicemails as well and he quickly tapped on them to listen.

“Hawks!! Where are you?? It’s an emergency!!!”

“Come back!! We need you!!”

“Something’s happened, somebody attacked our home and everyone’s injured!! Touya’s gotten the worst of it, he’s been hit with a really powerful quirk!!!”

Keigo had already taken to the air, shouting a quick “Gotta go!” to Tsukauchi as he flew by and was given some very concerned looks. He cursed himself for being so stupid; of course this was some diversion tactic to break into the Todoroki home! He was such a moron!! Him and Mirko had been right there, but instead ended up on some frivolous goose chase!

He flew as fast as he could, eventually arriving at the Todoroki home to see it swarming with police cars and ambulances. Dread filled his heart, but he didn’t see any of the Todorokis outside and figured they were either still inside, or at a hospital. He decided to check around and burst through the front door, running to the dining room where they’d all been to see the destruction. There was a freakin’ hole in the wall for f*ck’s sake!

Keigo felt himself breathing hard, imagining the worst, and turned when something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. A familiar shape with brilliant blue eyes and spiky red hair stood down the hallway, giving him a curious face. Hawks felt a well of relief and didn’t even care that he looked like some schoolchild running up to their crush.

“Touya, I was so worried!” He announced, wrapping the other man in his arms and leaning up for a kiss. He sighed into the embrace, one hand carding through the other’s hair while his other arm draped over the red head’s shoulders. He surprised himself with this reaction, recalling not too long ago he’d been frustrated with the former villain for all his pranks. He figured he was being too strict though, and resolved to lighten up instead of being some kill-joy.

Something felt off about this situation, he realized. Usually Touya wouldn’t hesitate to return the affection, but right now it felt like he was kissing a brick wall. He pulled away with a look on confusion, wondering if the other man was upset with him for leaving so suddenly, but found him staring back with a look of bewildered shock. That’s when he noticed it… the scarring and the staples on the lower half of his face were gone, his hair wasn’t quite so long and scraggly, and he appeared to be slightly taller than he remembered.

Hawks took a step back, trying to compute what he was seeing when he noticed the man was also wearing an oversized tank top, much like Endeavor had been wearing earlier in the evening.

Keigo blanched, he felt himself shrinking into nothingness and he welcomed it. He fumbled to speak, unable and unwilling to admit what happened as the man standing before him reached behind himself and grabbed hold of the shoji door before throwing it open, revealing the kotatsu room where Rei and Fuyumi were sitting along with three children and a high school student. Hawks reluctantly turned, finding what looked to be and elementary school version of Shoto sitting at the table munching on crackers, a little boy with Natsu’s bright white hair snoozing in Rei’s lap, and finally a disheveled red-haired kid smaller than the rest being fed a cracker in Fuyumi’s lap.

“I couldn’t find the soup!” Enji declared, completely incapable of looking Keigo in the eyes as he also tried to school his expression. Hawks felt his jaw practically hit the floor. Yup, that was Endeavor’s voice alright…

“Th-The miso soup??” Hawks asked, his voice rising to a squeak at the end. “I know where it is!”

Enji then slammed the shoji door closed and snagged the pro hero by the scruff of his jacket, dragging him down the hall to the kitchen. When they entered the room, Hawks felt tears welling in his eyes. Enji finally managed to turn and face him, fixing him with a look of indignant anger only for his fearsome expression soften at the sight.

“Y-You can drown me in the koi pond now, I deserve it.” Hawks muttered, glancing away and feeling like he died on the inside. Enji stuttered in response but couldn’t manage to say anything coherent and instead let him go, stepping away.

“Just show me where the f*cking soup is.” He ordered, pointing to the fridge and Keigo instantly reacted. With shaking hands, he opened the door and pulled out a container along with the green onions, handing them to the man without meeting his eyes as he thought about flying back to his failed raid.

Enji gruffly accepted them, dropping everything on the counter as he began rifling through the cabinets looking for a pot. Hawks allowed the scene to continue for several cringey moments until he opened a cabinet near his knees and removed an appropriately sized pot, holding it out, while also covering his face with his hand in shame. Enji paused in his search and regarded the offering, then gingerly accepted it and set it on the stove. He turned the dial, leaving it on the highest setting with the flames licking up the side and Hawks swallowed his pride.

“You don’t boil it!” He insisted, his voice much higher than he intended. Enji stared at him like he was crazy and Keigo gulped hard. “Boiling it ruins the flavor.” He continued, stepping forward to turn down the temperature before shying away, finally looking up to meet his gaze. Enji returned his anxious expression with an unsure one of his own before conceding.

“I don’t suppose you know where the dried seaweed is?” He asked, his voice much calmer. Keigo spun on his heel without a word and marched away. Enji watched him go, scrubbing his face with his hands as the memory of Touya and Keigo making out in the living room intruded his thoughts. He found himself staring at the man walking away more intently than he should’ve and swore under his breath. Hawks had always been a cheeky brat, but that kiss was enough to give his mind some extremely invasive ideas.

He found himself chasing the feeling, the ghost of his fingers still running through his hair, how embarrassed he’d acted like he’d just experienced his deepest darkest secret and Enji chalked all this up to his rekindled teenage hormones.

Keigo dug through the pantry until he found the seaweed, but as he turned he was met with Enji Todoroki blocking his path. His face lit up with a renewed blush and found himself backing into the shelves behind him. His face twisted into anxious trepidation the closer the man leaned in, and before he could stop himself, he bridged the gap for another kiss.

This time Enji returned it, collecting the younger man in his arms and pressing his hands into the small of his back. Hawks felt his heart beating into his throat but refused to concede as his childhood idol kissed him without reserve. They eventually parted, equally flustered, and Enji stepped away.

“This never happened.” He murmured, glancing aside and hating himself for it. Keigo felt a jolt of betrayal but ultimately decided to agree.

“Yeah…” He consented quietly, cursing himself before being such an idiot. Despite having wings, he wouldn’t mind being fish food right about now.

“Chop the tofu, would you? And make sure it’s uniform.”

Hawks blinked, mystified at the request after the awkward situation they’d thrown themselves into. Of course, it certainly made sense considering the Todoroki children had to get their audacity from somewhere.

Chapter 27: Bed

Chapter Text

Hawks regretted not flying back to his failed raid as he sat at the kotatsu between Fuyumi, Touya, and Enji. The little red head managed to eat most of his miso soup with minimal spillage, but he had Yumi to thank for it as she fussed over him. Also, watching him trying to navigate everything as a drunk six-year-old took his mind off the former number one hero sitting beside him with such a baggy tank top it’s like he wasn’t even wearing a shirt.

Touya babbled on randomly about miso soup, how one time he'd spent hours perfecting his quirk usage to be able to dry his own seaweed on the spot, and how annoying it was that the most plentiful source of free meat was fish. Hawks listened with passive interest, amazed that such an odd kid ended up being a mass murderer.

“Why’s he so small?” He asked, his elbow on the table with his chin propped in his hand, his focus on the siblings as he completely avoided eye contact with their father.

“Touya? He’s always been small.” Fuyumi replied, glancing over at her other two brothers. Natsu was still seated in their mother’s lap drinking the last of his miso soup while Shoto had his head down on the table completely zonked out.

Keigo reached out a hand, brushing his thumb over the staples still embedded in Touya’s cheek and noticed he didn’t have any of his scars. Shoto had his, meaning he was incredibly young when the accident happened, and he remembered Endeavor also didn’t have his. It seemed physical alterations like foreign objects couldn’t be changed by the quirk, but anything related to a person’s body could. It was an interesting ability, but they certainly needed to figure out how to reverse it. Sometimes when the wielder or victim went to sleep that did the trick, but sometimes it wasn’t so simple. The police had a team searching for the man responsible, but if they hadn’t caught him by now then it was going to become increasingly more difficult.

Keigo turned and regarded the high school student sitting at the table, wondering what he was still doing here so late. “Yoarashi, was it?” He asked, earning the young man’s attention.

“Yes!! It’s a pleasure to meet you!!” He replied, much more intense than necessary. It didn’t seem to disturb Shoto though as he continued sleeping. Hawks held a finger to his lips then pointed at the youngest Todoroki, indicating for him to keep his voice down. “Yes, of course!” He said, reaching out and shaking the other’s shoulder to wake him up. Hawks stared at him, absolutely flabbergasted, as Shoto slowly sat up.

“I meant keep your voice down so you don’t wake him!” Hawks stated dismally, wondering if he should apologize to the other for interrupting his slumber. Yoarashi froze like someone hit the pause button on him before slamming his head into the kotatsu.

“I! Am so! Sorry!!”

Hawks stared at the display with extreme confusion, wondering where Shoto even found this guy.

“Whoa, hey, no need to apologize, man. Just chill.” He tried to reason, holding up his hands like he was trying to calm a horse. “I don’t remember seeing you on Saturdays, are you from another class?” He asked, attempting to change the subject.

“I thought he was in your class, Shoto.” Enji remarked, giving the young man a wary look. Shoto rolled his eyes.

“He’s from Shiketsu, dad. He doesn’t go to school with me.” He replied, acting like it was obviously common knowledge. Enji raised an eyebrow.

“If he’s not from your class and all the students from Saturday went home, then what’s he doing here?” Enji questioned, fixing his youngest with an accusing eye. Shoto suddenly realized he put himself into a tricky situation and sat up straight, his mind drawing a blank for an excuse.

“Uhh…” He replied, glancing around for answers. Touya always seemed able to bail Natsu out of awkward situations, but he was completely incapacitated and didn’t seem to be paying attention. “He’s, umm…” Hawks was smiling like a jackass, having already figured it out along with Natsu who gave him a shrug as if saying ‘I don’t know how to get you out of this one’, while his parents and sister gave him expectant looks. He glanced up at Yoarashi, giving him a worried stare that was returned with his own nervous expression. Shoto turned back to his father and squared his shoulders, putting on a determined expression as he decided to just come out with it.

“He’s my boyfriend.” He declared resolutely. Yoarashi’s face lit up at the statement as he nudged the smaller with his elbow, earning his attention and giving him an excited smile. Enji was taken aback, while Shoto had never talked about any of his female classmates in anything other than professional capacities, he’d also never acted any different around his male classmates. However, he did have his suspicions about Midoriya. His children were certainly allowed to fall in love with whomever they chose, but he also wouldn’t stand for someone who mistreated them.

“So long as he remembers I was once this nation’s top hero and won’t tolerate any harm against my children, then there’s no reason to keep it a secret.” He stated, giving Yoarashi a rigid glare. Shoto narrowed his eyes at the man.

“I don’t need your permission to date anyone. Besides, he’s the one who captured twelve out of the thirteen villains.” He shot back, scowling like a petulant child.

Enji’s eye twitched. “Fourteen, or are you purposefully not counting the Nomu I took down?” He pointed out.

“Nomus are Nomus, it’s different.” Shoto countered, folding his arms with an arrogant frown.

“Alright, I think it’s time for bed.” Fuyumi announced in her teacher-voice, commanding attention from her bickering family members. Enji understood what she really meant from her tone and decided it was in his best interest to drop the subject. He raised an eyebrow when he heard his daughter clear her throat, then noticed she was pointing at the IV line in Touya's arm. His eldest son's eyelids were drooping heavily as his head nodded each time he nearly fell asleep, and he realized this might be the only chance he had to get near the kid. He quietly shuffled through the supplies the EMT's left behind, looking for bandaging material.

"I heard Nomus are bio-engineered humans, is that true?" Fuyumi asked in an animated tone, sending a pointed look at both Shoto and Hawks as an indication to keep the conversation going. The goal was to draw attention away from her father as he crept behind her and did his best to press a cotton ball against the injection site to remove the needle. Touya didn't even flinch as it was pulled out and tape was wrapped securely around his forearm. The three continued drawing out a conversation like they were truly interested in the topic, while Touya finally seemed to succumb to his drowsiness. His arm was slack in Enji's grasp and the man couldn't help wanting to hold on a little longer. Twenty-five years seemed to fly by in a heartbeat since it felt like only yesterday his eldest was learning how to crawl. His skin was soft, unmarred, and cool to the touch, prompting the man to kindle a warmth in his hand. Touya murmured something, leaning into the touch which gave Enji just enough leverage to use some slight-of-hand and scoop the kid into his arms.

Silence filled the room as everyone held their breath and waited for the explosive aftermath. Surprisingly, though, Touya didn't so much as stir from the handling. He lay slumped in his father's arms, his head leaning against the man's chest. Enji stared wide-eyed at the sight of his son in his arms again, a million thoughts running through his head that all led to the same conclusion.

He didn't deserve this.

He glanced up to find Rei, Natsuo, and Shoto giving him uneasy looks while Fuyumi was beaming at him with shimmering eyes. He was thankful for her encouragement, along with the others' patience, and used a finger to brush a bit of hair from Touya's eyes. He regretted the action though when the magic was ruined and Touya's eyes fluttered open. It took him a moment to survey the situation, and he almost fell back asleep, but when he glanced up and found Enji Todoroki staring down at him again, he immediately began fighting back.

Touya shouted obscenities so profane Hawks had to remind himself not to laugh, regardless how ridiculous it sounded in his high-pitched voice. Touya pushed away from his grasp and instantly began shivering from the cold, but as Enji insisted he carry the kid instead of his pregnant daughter, he refused to comply.

“Touch me again ‘n I’ll bite your f*cking fingers off!” Touya warned as he crawled back into Fuyumi's lap, then swatted his father’s hand away. Enji glowered bitterly, ready to carry him kicking and screaming if he had to. Before he could, though, Hawks collected Touya into his arms which seemed to be the only possible compromise. Enji grumbled something underneath his breath and stood, excusing himself from the room without a word.

Shoto ignored the drama and climbed to his feet as well to peck a kiss against Yoarashi’s cheek.

“Thanks for coming over, sorry you had to fight a bunch of villains.” He said, looking guilty as if any of it could possibly be his fault.

“Anytime!” Yoarashi replied with a dazzling smile before engulfing little Shoto in a giant hug.

~0~

Fuyumi had convinced everyone to have a giant sleep over in her bed since they were all still frazzled after the events and her partner was away for the weekend. Her and Rei were tucked against the edges of the bed with Natsu beside Rei, Touya beside Yumi, and Shoto in the middle. The scene was heartwarming and also a little weird considering they were all grown ups (or nearly there) and Hawks found himself wondering how weird it was going to be if they got turned back to normal in the middle of the night with no pants on.

He strolled down the hallway, debating whether he should go home and decided it’d be best to spend the night here in case there was another attack. He’d gotten especially sleepy under the covers of the kotatsu and yawned drearily, wondering if he even wanted to take a shower. He eventually conceded, however, and decided to take a short, quick one and save the long soaking bath for another time. He grabbed a change of clothes from his room and headed down the hall for the simple shower when a sound caught his attention.

Keigo felt himself jolt into high alert, sending out a few feathers to scope the area when one signaled back about an unusual sound. He followed its trail and realized the sound was getting louder. He crept further, trying to figure out what it was as he wandered further into a part of the house he realized the personal gym was.

Choking? He mentally questioned, coming up to the door frame and slowly peering inside. The gym was empty with all the equipment stacked neatly until his eyes fell on a sight in the corner of the room. He hardly needed a second to react when he realized the choking sounds were Enji Todoroki caught beneath the barbel at the bench press station.

“Endeavor!!” Hawks yelped, sprinting across the room and seeing that the man’s face was completely purple. The weights he’d stacked on the ends were absolutely absurd and even if he’d been his original size, he’d probably have difficulty pressing it. Hawks grabbed the bar and used all his strength to lift, flapping his wings as well in order to get as much upward movement as possible. They eventually removed it from the man’s neck and continued working together to get it back on the racks. When it was safely secured, Hawks leaned against it panting, glancing down to see Enji staring up at him.

Hawks blushed. “I-I-I uhh… I heard something and thought I’d investigate.” He explained, pushing off the bar and taking a step back. Enji watched him go as he continued to catch his breath.

Keigo felt like a nervous wreck, hating that he couldn’t hold eye contact with the man after they’d spent so much time getting close. He cursed himself and his ludicrous feelings, wondering why this all had to get so complicated when everything had been just fine. He wished it could go back to the way it was, before he’d kissed a man whose son he slept with.

“I-I’m sorry… about everything.” Keigo began, tightening his fists. “I honestly didn’t mean to… to kiss you in the hallway.” He glanced aside, blushing. “And then in the kitchen, when we… and I guess I’ve always had ridiculous feelings for you, but I don’t want it if it’s just going to make everything uncomfortable. Granted, I have been running two agencies for months now,” Hawks chuckled dryly, “but I don’t want to stop coming over, or seeing Yumi, and dammit, Enji Todoroki…!” He felt his tears betray him as they welled up in his eyes. “I thought about you too! I never stopped thinking about you. And your family members aren’t the only ones who feel betrayed that you never spoke to them once while you were gone!”

Enji blinked, startled at this revelation and shocked by Keigo’s response. When the tears started cascading down his cheeks, he found himself reacting. He stood and froze, unsure where to even begin.

Hawks felt absurd standing in front of the man crying his eyes out. There was no point, he’d never received any sort of indication he was interested in him outside of working together and he was fine with that. They could go back to their relationship as it was with Keigo giving him harmless banter and Enji acting like a stuffy grown up. He missed those little interactions they had and if it meant he’d never get to kiss the man again, he’d be fine with it. He could move on, and they could act as if none of this ever happened. He gave the man a determined expression as Enji took a few steps closer until he was staring down his nose at the other.

Enji felt his heart fluttering like he hadn’t experienced since him and Rei were introduced. There was a moment of understanding when they’d met that they’d be raising children together, but the euphoria hadn’t lasted long. There was no fairy tale ending, or anything that could’ve been mistaken as more than a business venture. He certainly didn’t have to fight against some sort of repressed feelings squirming their way to the front of his brain. He knew it was the wrong move to make in this situation, but he didn’t know what else to do. His mouth wouldn’t work, and he couldn’t think of a single thing to say, so he lifted a hand to press it against Keigo’s jaw and direct him to look up.

The blond hero reminded himself this was a giant glaring red flag, but he didn’t care. He closed his eyes and met the man halfway, enjoying the tender kiss as he felt his stress flow through his body and out the soles of his feet. He leaned into it, pressing into the embrace as Enji tightened his grip around the younger man. Keigo reached up to wrap his arms around the back of the other’s neck, standing on his tiptoes to get a better angle. He parted his lips and attempted to glide his tongue along his bottom lip and was surprised when Enji followed suit.

Keigo couldn’t stop the little moan in time and blushed, hoping the other man hadn’t heard. Of course, he realized there was no hope when one hand pressed down his back to squeeze his ass while the other gripped the base of his wing.

Hawks yelped at the rough handling, opening his eyes to be met with serious ones before Enji kissed him deeper, diving his tongue into Keigo’s mouth. He moaned again and dug his nails into the man’s shoulders, crawling into his grasp as Enji used one hand to lift him into his arms. He wrapped his legs around his waist, crossing his ankles and refusing to budge. Enji stumbled forward until they crashed into the wall with a gasp before continuing. Hawks felt his shirt being lifted and his ass being groped, but when he reached down to feel the hardness being pressing into his thigh, Enji shoved his shoulder against the wall and snarled.

Keigo blinked, wondering if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He waited through the pause, staring at the top of the man’s head as he had his forehead pressed into Keigo’s shoulder. He wondered if he should ask, but when Enji’s hand slammed open-palm into the wall he swallowed his words. He dropped his feet to the ground, finding himself mentally asking what he’d done wrong again before the man spoke.

“Go.”

Keigo felt his stomach drop. He slowly retracted him arms, hoping this wasn’t happening but eventually turned and hurried out, silently berating himself for being such an idiot.

~0~

Five minutes passed before Enji was even willing to move. He sucked in a deep breath, whispering ‘f*ck’ under his breath before he balled up his fist and tapped it against the wall. He’d screwed up… AGAIN… which was nothing new, but it still felt awful.

He regretted the word before he even spoke it. There was no reason, there was no explanation, or at least not a good one. It wasn’t guilt he was feeling, which was an especially concerning notion considering his son was a reforming psychopath. It wasn’t regret either, it couldn’t be when he’d been standing here going for a second helping. He hadn’t been in a relationship for thirteen years, probably more since him and Rei were more like acquaintances with shared children. Was it because he’d actually felt something from this encounter? Was he afraid of his own feelings?

Was he afraid he enjoyed it?

What would his family think? Or those who worked for his agency? Or the world, for that matter? He always liked to think he didn’t care what other people thought, but that was obviously a lie since his life was centered around being the top hero. Enji stood and rubbed the back of his neck, letting out another deep breath and figured the first thing he should do was apologize.

He left his home gym and headed back for the bedrooms, finding a red feather down a different hallway before he heard the freezer door.

“Someone’s been eating my ice cream…” Hawks muttered cantankerously. Enji realized that was probably also his fault and sighed again, strolling into the kitchen without bothering to keep quiet since he knew the other man’s wings could detect the sounds and vibrations. Hawks was seated at the kitchen island on a barstool, pointedly ignoring the man. He walked up and dug through his brain trying to come up with the right thing to say, but nothing came out. The thought made him angry, which was his problem to begin with, but the more he thought about it the angrier he became, until a half-eaten pint of Todoroki ice cream was shoved in his face.

He glanced down to find Keigo giving him a look mixed between uncertainty and annoyance. He wanted to point out how rude it was, but dropped the subject and accepted the spoon.

“I’m calling my lawyer first thing in the morning to sue Ben and Jerry.” Enji muttered, taking a bite. Keigo balked, caught off guard by the statement.

“No way! You should’ve seen Shoto at the photoshoot, he was so happy!” He retorted, swiping the spoon back and scooping up some more.

“You were there?” Enji asked, realizing he’d missing so much. He wasn’t even there for his daughter’s wedding which was something he’d never be able to live down. He pulled up a stool and took a seat, staring sullenly off in the distance.

“No, but Yumi has a bunch of pictures.” He replied, offering the container again. Enji regarded it hesitantly, realizing he was dodging the situation and hefted a heavy sigh.

“I’m sorry.” He relented, looking like the words physically pained him. Keigo slowly retracted the offering of ice cream and glanced aside with an uneasy expression.

“Me too.” He said, setting the ice cream down. Enji turned to him with an indignant look and Keigo jumped at the sight. “Forget it, I can go. I can’t keep fooling myself into thinking this is going to go somewhere, so it’s better if I…”

Enji stood and spun Keigo on the stool to face him, silencing him effectively as he looked directly into his eyes.

“Stop blaming yourself, it’s not because of you.” He stated authoritatively. Keigo blinked. Enji wanted to say more, but he felt his tongue go limp again as the intrusive thoughts about the younger man invaded his mind. The blond looked like he was waiting to hear more and Enji let out a heavy breath, glancing away as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked softly, feeling like he really was seventeen again. Hawks blinked several times, then reached up to press his hand against the man’s jaw to look down.

“I’d like that.”

They kissed again, slow and methodically. They took their time pressing their lips together as Enji stepped closer, gently setting his hands on Keigo’s shoulders as he began massaging his biceps. The younger’s hands were on his waist, fiddling with the hem of his tank-top until Enji took his hands and slid them underneath the fabric.

Keigo gasped as he ran his fingers all the way up his chest and lifted the clothing, flinging it aside. It didn’t do much, but it was certainly better to have it out of the way. He found himself crawling into the man’s arms again, wrapping him in his grasp as he was lifted from the barstool with ease.

Enji stumbled out of the room, almost crashing into a wall as he continued down the hall until he found the living room and took several heavy-handed attempts to flick on the lights. They toppled onto the couch with Keigo attempting to stifle every whimper and noise without much success. His shirt was pushed up as Enji pinched and teased his nipples, seeming to rely on his past experiences. The thought sent a jolt of adrenaline through his body and he wondered if it was weird that he considered it a turn on.

All thoughts screeched to a halt in his mind as Enji then ground the hardened outline of his co*ck into Keigo’s groin, causing him to jump at the sensation which prompted the red-haired man to come up for air.

“Are… you ok?” He asked hesitantly, seeing the stunned look in his eye. Keigo nodded feverishly, not trusting his voice, and Enji couldn’t help loving the reaction he was getting. He grinded into the man again, causing him to throw his head back as he stifled a yelp, his face completely screwed up with pleasure.

A ghost of a hickey could be seen in the dim lighting underneath the end of his jaw, and Enji couldn’t help wanting to bite it…

Hawks clamped both hands over his mouth as he nearly screamed. His eyes squeezed shut, his toes curled, and he knew he’d regret it, but he also wanted to shout don’t stop!!

Enji continued to grind his co*ck into the other man until he released the pressure point on his jaw and kissed the mark, allowing the blond hero to relax. The younger heaved deep breaths and dropped his hands, reaching up to take another kiss.

“f*ck me.” He whispered, more as an exclamation than a request, but it was an interesting choice of words.

“Can I?” Enji murmured softly, slowly kissing a line down the other side of his neck. Keigo froze, completely shellshocked as he wondered if this was a dream. The former hero stroked their hips together, reminding the man of both their arousals as the younger whined from the sensation.

“Yes!” He insisted, raising his hips from the couch to press back.

Enji let out a grunt and wrapped his arms around the blond before lifting him from the couch and into his grasp. He quickly made his way to his bedroom with Keigo kissing him, sliding his hand into his hair, and grinding his own dick into the taller man’s abdomen. In the end he was stumbling and scolding the other for not staying still, then closed the door to his room as reasonably as he could and crossed the expanse to his bed. He threw Hawks onto it, his wings shooting out to stabilize him as Enji ripped the clothes from his legs before undressing himself. Keigo removed his shirt just in time for Enji to climb onto him again, kissing him like he was the most delicious treat. Keigo didn’t bother holding in the moans since this room was quite a distance from the others and was only wrenched from his delirious ecstasy when the other man spoke.

“I have no idea what I’m doing.” Enji whispered. Keigo uncrossed his eyes and swallowed hard, attempting to come back to reality.

“Hmm?” He asked, not quite there until his brain finally computed what was said. “Oh, um, is there…”

Enji sat up and reached for his bedside table, coming back with a half-used bottle of slick. Keigo didn’t say anything about the use of condoms, silently hoping it wouldn’t be brought up as he stared down at the man’s throbbing swollen co*ck looking right back at him. He accepted the bottle without question, still staring open-mouthed at what was about to f*ck the daylights out of him when Enji cleared his throat.

“Hmm?” He asked in a higher pitch, glancing up and meeting Enji’s amused expression before he realized what he was doing. “Oh! Um…” You shove your fingers up my ass and them rail me with your co*ck. He found himself thinking only to shake off the idea as he turned over and poured a heavy dollop in his hand.

Enji watched one finger slide in, followed shortly by another as Keigo scissored them in and out before adding a third.

This time he realized he was staring when Hawks was handing him the bottle of lube as an invitation to slick up his co*ck.

Enji scooted closer, sliding his hand up and down his shaft as he positioned at the other’s entrance and pressed in.

Keigo whined and gasped, seeing stars as the man on top was going a little too fast. He gripped the sheets and felt like he was going to melt from the inside out when he realized raw felt so much better.

Enji sank in completely until his groin was pressed into the other’s ass and stayed there enjoying the feeling before he began to move. He was slow and methodical at first, trying to make this last as long as possible and couldn’t restrain himself from swatting the younger man’s ass. Keigo yelped and it shot a jolt of excitement through his veins as a shiver ran up his spine.

A warmth sat in his belly and throbbed with each stroke as Enji f*cked him into the mattress. He yelped with each pounding, attempting to hold his position despite the power of the one behind him. He found himself wanting to face his bedmate and see his expression, to watch him work and see his co*ck sliding in and out of his hole. He felt as a hand pressed between his wings, holding him down while the thrusts became harder and much less coordinated. He didn’t want it to end, but at the same time he wanted them both to come crashing down with mind splitting org*sms. Keigo couldn’t resist sneaking a hand between his legs and jerking his co*ck until he was spilling over the comforter with Enji filling his ass with cum. They both grunted in succession until Enji was shuddering from his release with his co*ck still buried in the other man.

Eventually he stood, sucking in a breath as he removed himself, and catching his breath as he walked over to his own personal bathroom to turn on the shower.

That’s right. Keigo thought, remembering this whole thing started with him wanting a shower. He wondered if Enji would allow the company and figured he could ask, climbing from the bed and making a face when something started sliding down his leg.

Chapter 28: To be a Hero

Chapter Text

Fuyumi was the first to wake up in the bed filled with Todorokis. The sight brought a smile to her features as the morning light just barely illuminated everyone’s faces with soft silhouettes. They were all sleeping peacefully with the boys still so little, meaning the quirk didn’t seem to be negated with sleep, unless the villain responsible hadn’t slept last night. She was worried what that might mean for them, but also couldn’t help enjoying seeing her brothers reverted to a time where things had been simpler. However, as the rest of her body was catching up with her awakening, she was reminded of a less glamorous side effect to pregnancy. Morning sickness.

Fuyumi made a nauseated face, knowing it wasn’t an emergency, but she was better off heading to the bathroom now. She gently rolled out of bed, trying not to disturb anyone else, but when she glanced back at her family, she found Touya stirring and drearily blinking his eyes. She moved to tuck him in and tell him to go back to sleep when he gave her a pitiful look very similar to her own.

“Come on.” She whispered, tugging him out of bed and dragging him out of the room by his hand. They barely made it to the bathroom for Touya to throw up his hangover in the toilet while Fuyumi clutched the small trash can, both sounding dreadfully pathetic. She leaned against the drawers of the vanity trying to catch her breath while her brother was slumped over the seat of the toilet, and she couldn’t help chuckling at the sight.

“What’s so funny.” Touya muttered, spitting stomach acid from his mouth.

“Us.” She said, wrapping up the trash can liner and climbing back onto her unsteady legs to wash her face. She watched her brother from the corner of her eye, only seeing the back of his head poking out from his layers of sweaters down to his bare feet with his ankle monitor showing. They’d had to tighten it and were told it could be easily removed after he returned to his normal size, but she had her suspicions. She slowly shut off the water, then reached for a towel hanging up to dry her face, noticing the other was beginning to shiver.

“Touya-nii…” She began quietly, wondering the best way to ask. He didn’t respond, but she knew he was listening. “Are… you happy?”

The silence stretched out uncomfortably until Touya eventually began sitting up, turning to meet his sister’s eyes. His expression seemed uncertain but honest, like he was truly interested in thinking it over. After all the introspection, it was getting more and more difficult to hold onto what drove him to live all these years. His dreams were dead, his goals were lost, his life was in pieces, and the people most negatively affected by his actions were helping keep him above water. They didn’t hold his actions over his head, force him to walk on eggshells and apologize, or alienate him from everyday activities. He’d been invited into their lives and reminded it was his own paranoia working against him. They treated him like the older brother they loved when everyone lived under one roof, and it made everything he’d done since he left feel like an overreaction.

Would he have received the same lack of judgement if he’d returned home after waking from his coma? Unlikely. Just like he’d grown over the past year, his family had done the same. They’d recognized their flaws and resolved to learn from their mistakes, creating a nurturing environment of development. They weren’t perfect, neither was he, but as he distanced himself from Shigaraki and the League of Villains, Stain’s words seemed to be lost in this situation. False heroes were still a mar on society, but as he sat on the bathroom floor with his sister giving him such a warm and caring expression after everything he’d done, he couldn’t help remembering that not all heroes wear capes.

“Yeah, sis. I really am.”

Fuyumi beamed at his words and held out her hand, helping him to his feet before turning over the trash can for him to use as a stool at the sink. He washed his face and she helped him wipe up the spots he missed, then collected him into her arms and headed for the kitchen.

“How about omelets? My chickens have finally been laying eggs!” She announced. Touya laid his head against her shoulder with his arms wrapped around her, closing his eyes.

“That sounds great.”

~0~

Enji came-to gradually, surprised he slept through the first of the morning light when his arm nudged against something smooth and warm. He had to think about where he was for a moment, back in his home in Japan with his hero license expired and face to face with all the built-up sins he’d been avoiding for decades. The room was still the same since the housekeepers were methodical and consistent, and aside from the chicken coup and vegetable garden out back, the rest seemed to be as he left it. He wondered if it was from lack of interest, or some fear his family had that change would upset him, and he didn’t blame them if that was the case. He made a mental note to ask Fuyumi’s opinion on interior decoration and to agree with at least one of her ideas without question.

Something stirred next to him and he was reminded of what he and Keigo had been up to not too long ago. His back was to him and his wings were stripped of the majority of his feathers which saved a lot of space. It also revealed the extensive scarring from the base of his skull down to his tail bone and extended slightly onto his arms. Sympathy filled his heart with regret as he remembered their time in the hospital after the war. How many feathers would he sacrifice to Endeavor’s fire? It’d already been too many and he found himself reaching out even though he knew Keigo didn’t give the marks a second thought.

He stretched his arms to slide one underneath the younger’s head while the other draped over his torso, wrapping the blond up as he pressed a kiss behind his ear. He was much narrower than Enji had ever been, his body built to compliment his quirk in a way the former number one had always dreamed of. If he’d found a way to increase his power output, he knew Keigo would go straight to the top of the billboard, and he found himself thinking of ways to coach the young man towards that goal.

The skin-on-skin contact garnered a reaction he should’ve anticipated as he spooned right up to the other, gathering him in his arms with a contented sigh. Any feeling of guilt he might’ve had for taking the man to bed when he wasn’t sure the relationship his son had with him was shoved aside as he felt a throb in his co*ck while gliding his hand down Keigo’s naked waist. He smoothed his hand over the other’s thigh, rubbing his palm back and forth as the younger slowly began waking up.

“G’morning.” Hawks whispered sleepily, wiggling his butt against the hardening co*ck behind him. Enji grumbled in response, pressing a kiss into the back of his jaw and receiving a whimper in return. His hand slipped between his legs, lifting one up to slide his dick between his thighs. “f*ck, you’re so hard.” Keigo muttered, reaching down to stroke himself only for Enji to nudge his hand away. He didn’t complain though, not when his own co*ck was engulfed in the strong hand of the former number one hero. He realized he was trapped as one arm was crossed over his chest, the other’s hand was squeezing his dick, and Enji’s co*ck was rutting between his thighs.

Keigo let out a noise of bliss, beyond pleased to be woken up for a hand job and sex. Enji was being slow and sweet, but the more coherent he was becoming, the faster he wanted the pacing. He nudged himself from the other’s grasp and rolled into him, meeting him for a good morning kiss as the larger man guided him onto his back and positioned himself between his legs. He grinded their co*cks together, pressing Keigo’s knees into his chest as they kissed a while longer until Enji was reaching for the lube.

Keigo sucked in a deep breath as he was penetrated without any preparation, and considering how hard they’d gone at it last night he didn’t need it. His moans were cut off with a kiss as Enji f*cked his ass with a steady pace, reveling in the sensation and the noises.

They went at it in missionary for a while before Enji had Keigo’s leg draped over his shoulder to go even deeper and forcing the hero to choke back his screams of euphoria with his climax. He came with a guttural noise from his throat as a flash of white blinded his vision for a second before he started settling down from the adrenaline high. They were both out of breath and unwilling to separate until Enji dragged a hand over his face and snapped himself back to reality. He glanced down, finding handprints on Keigo’s waist and having to do a double take at the sight.

“f*ck.” He whispered, removing himself and kneeling between the blond hero’s legs to get a better look. Keigo blushed at the proximity until he realized what the other was staring at. “f*ck, I burned you.” He reached out and traced over the outline of his palm and thumbs on either side of the other’s hips, tracing the finger marks along the back. Keigo snagged his hand before he could be tickled any longer, giving him a playful look until he realized the man was being serious.

“Oh, umm, it doesn’t hurt, and I’ve still got some burn ointment.” He attempted to placate the other, but the correlation to his back injury was the last thing he wanted to hear. Enji felt himself bubbling from rage because of his own carelessness and decided to get up before he did something else he’d regret. He stormed into the bathroom and flicked on the shower, turning up the heat and cursing himself for being irreparably negligent.

Keigo watched him go and felt an intrusive jab from his subconscious that it was somehow his fault. He could’ve handled it better, he could’ve thought of a better excuse, or even realized it sooner and hid the marks. He let out a forlorn sigh, wishing this morning could’ve had a happier end as he climbed from the bed and squeezed his butt cheeks together. He moved stiffly to the bathroom and debated barging in on the other man’s shower but decided to give it a minute as he walked up to the mirror. He glanced over his visage, wondering if there was anything from their activities he should be aware of, when his eyes fell on a solid purple circle right below his jaw.

He felt his mouth drop open with shock at the color as he leaned in and wished it was his imagination. He rubbed the damaged skin in hopes that would help it disappear, but it was no use. In fact, the closer he got, the more he realized there were also teeth marks!!

Keigo rubbed the skin, his mind wandering between a dozen different ways to try and fix this before someone saw, and came up with nothing.

The shower door slid open without him noticing and Enji glanced up to find the younger man staring at his reflection in horror. He cringed when he saw the purple mark, having missed it entirely because it didn’t look like a bruise should. He wrapped a towel around his waist and felt like bashing his head against a wall for his folly.

Keigo jumped at the sound of the shower door slamming and spun on his heels to find Enji fixing him with a dangerous glare. He bristled at the sight, knowing it was a mistake to interrupt him and make a big fuss out of something that wasn’t a big deal. He stuttered and stammered which only seemed to make the situation worse but when he turned to excuse himself, Enji caught him by his shoulders.

“I’m sorry.” He compelled himself to say, the words contorting his face as he forced them out. Keigo blinked. “Stop blaming yourself. I was reckless with my quirk which is inexcusable, even if you don’t believe so, and I left a mark that’s going to have insufferable people asking prying questions.” He explained, releasing him when he was satisfied with what he said.

Keigo chuckled, more as a nervous tick than because of humor, but even still Enji narrowed his eyes. He realized his mistake and felt like slapping himself for wanting to chuckle again, instead he glanced away with an uneasy expression.

“Man, I’m being super lame right now.” He said, rolling a delightful smile on his lips and pretending like everything was okay. “Sorry, man. It’s been a hectic few weeks and I think I just had an anxiety attack. Nothing to worry about though! I swear, I’m fine.” He continued, his normal pleasant façade trying to overcompensate for the swirling emotions the past several months caused him.

It wasn’t weeks, it was months, or maybe just the entire year, but that’s not something he wanted to admit because it’d only elicit pity. He thought he’d been cleared from any strenuously involved cases from the Safety Commission only to have them request him to do something crazy like join the Meta Liberation Army. Hanging out and pretending to sympathize with that group was enough to drive him up a wall, but he didn’t realize the emotional toll nearly dying by Dabi’s flames had taken on him until he’d had enough time to distance himself from Soldier Mode. Watching Deku rip himself to pieces as a vigilante, chasing every step and every sneeze the Paranormal Liberation Front made, the downfall of heroes, the aftermath of the war… everything had compounded into a mega-stress bat that slammed into his teeth the moment he realized he could relax a little.

Now that had been one heck of a panic attack. He hadn’t been able to leave his apartment for days and when he did it was only because Yumi had begged him to help her with the Endeavor agency. The man’s sudden absence had torn at his heart as well, but the monumental effort it took to reorganize and update his agency had been the avoidant tactic he’d been looking for. He could pour his energy into helping a family revitalize their relationships with one another and bottle up his emotions to sort through some other time. When he had the time. But now here he was destroying everyone’s trust as he tried to slide in on two different relationships from the same household.

Enji had an uncomfortable frown on his lips that caught Keigo off guard. He searched his face for what was wrong until he felt something glint off his cheek. He blinked and the sensation happened again and when he realized what it was, it only exacerbated the problem.

“f*ck.” He whispered, wiping his eye and finding tears. “f*ck, I’m sorry-“

He was cut off from his apology when Enji wrapped him in his arms and pulled him into his chest without a word. Keigo was startled by the action, trying to read the intent behind it because it’s what he was programmed to do, until he accepted this was an attempt at consolation. He melted into the embrace as tears fell freely down his cheeks.

He felt like a miserable, awful human being. He ran from his problems and tried to drown them in someone else’s, but only ended up making things ten times as worse for everyone involved. It seemed he wasn’t so different from his father after all.

“Quit being a martyr, it doesn’t suit you.”

Keigo let the words sink in and gave a depressed sigh, finally moving his arms to wrap weakly around Enji’s waist.

“If something is bothering you, then say it.” He continued, plopping a hand on his head to smooth his hair in a way that the man would probably never believe was actually comforting. Keigo ran through his mental list of psychological disasters starting with his parents and ending with kissing the wrong redhead last night. He felt himself tensing and figured his stress was palpable, but Enji stood as patiently as he could until Keigo finally blurted it out.

“I slept with Touya.” He murmured, almost too quiet to hear. Enji blinked, realizing it was his turn to be stunned into silence. He wondered if he heard that right, then realized it was his brain trying to rationalize that what he heard couldn’t be right.

Right??

Enji gripped the younger man tighter in one arm as he brought his other hand to press his face into his palm, slowly dragging his hand down his features. He released an irritated breath he didn’t realize he was holding and wondered how the hell things could already be this messy.

Keigo latched his arms around the man’s waist, digging his fingers into his back as the tears wouldn’t stop flowing. This was it, he’d never see another Todoroki again and it was all his fault. His childhood idol hated him, Touya was going to have some destructive breakdown and be locked up for fifty lifetimes, Shoto and Natsuo would call him a freak, and Yumi would never forgive him.

“Go check in with Tsukauchi about this de-aging quirk bullsh*t.” Enji interrupted his thoughts, earning his full attention as he glanced up through watery eyes. He regarded the man hesitantly, giving him an uncertain frown and taking a deep breath reminding himself to stay grounded. “Go out the balcony or something so no one sees… that.” He instructed, indicating the tooth marked hickey. “Then call me when you have an update and we’ll figure this out afterwards.

Keigo teared up harder when he realized he wasn’t being cast away and Enji’s cheeks flushed with a bit of pink.

“Alright, already! Go!”

He ruffled Keigo’s hair and patted him on the back twice before shoving him in the direction of the shower.

“But clean up first, you’re a disaster.”

Chapter 29: Good (Bad) Luck

Chapter Text

The officer escort came earlier than anyone anticipated, brushing straight past Fuyumi when she answered the door to sweep the area. There’d been extra security at the Todoroki home all night and now it looked like they were diving into an investigation on Touya.

He sat at the island counter eating his omelet when a group of officers stormed the kitchen and put him in handcuffs. His stomach was still turning over itself from the hangover so he hadn’t eaten much, but it was an incredibly unwelcome interruption. He could hear Fuyumi shouting from the front door, threatening to call the lawyers because he didn’t even have the proper clothes to go out in this weather. However, it didn’t sound like she was going to be getting her way. Since the guys who broke in were linked to Shigaraki and had tried taking Touya, it seemed he was a prime suspect. It made sense to him, after all, it’d certainly been long enough since the war and Shigaraki wasn’t the patient type.

Natsu and Shoto burst into the kitchen next, demanding to hear an explanation as Shoto flashed his aspiring hero credentials and also threatened to get the lawyers involved, along with the entire Endeavor Agency. He found it all quite amusing, but it was starting to give him a headache as his brothers tried to look authoritative in their giant sweaters. They’d all been turned into six-year-olds, and the family resemblance was uncanny as they both stood firm and demanded the officers to leave. They were the same height, wore the same cranky expressions, and practically made the same gestures with their arms.

Touya sighed heavily and wriggled his hands out of the adult handcuffs, giving them back to the officer who’d cuffed him. The man regarded them with surprise, unsure what to do as Touya hopped down.

“This is irritating and not even close to the worst thing I’ve been accused of.” He said, folding his arms and trying to suppress a shiver. “If it means I don’t have to interact with those high school students like this, then so be it.”

He marched past his brothers with a bored expression followed shortly by the police officers as they all filed out of the house and into the cruisers.

Fuyumi had both her hands grasped by her remaining brothers as they held her back, watching Touya go. Footsteps caught their attention as Enji Todoroki approached the front door to watch the procession leave with an uncertain look on his face.

“This isn’t right, tell them they’re mistaken!” Fuyumi cried out, wrenching her hand out of Natsu’s grasp and gesturing at the departing vehicles. Enji gave his daughter a contrite look but didn’t say anything as he pulled out his phone to call Kurumada.

In Touya’s defense, he gave the officers plenty of warning about his volatile stomach. However, they either didn’t care or didn’t believe him. Halfway back to prison he deposited whatever remained of his omelet onto the seat beside him, earning an exclamation of revulsion from the driver complaining about having just detailed his car. The rest of the ride was no easier as he continued heaving up his empty stomach until they arrived. It must’ve been quite the sight escorting a barefoot child with vomit all over himself into the second highest security prison in Japan.

He shivered relentlessly as his heated jacket and other clothes were confiscated while he was handed the smallest prison uniform they could find. It was still giant, and he was given two sweaters to compensate, but this day was going to be endlessly worse because he had at least another twelve hours before his quirk started returning.

Touya was escorted in socks through the prison to his annoyance as his fellow inmates took notice. The bright red hair, striking blue eyes, and staples along his cheeks were a dead giveaway to who it was, despite his size.

“Looking good, Dabi!”

“I don’t see much of a difference, he’s practically the same height!”

“Better watch out or someone’s gonna step on ya.”

Touya narrowed his eyes at the last comment, glancing out of the corner of his eye to find Takami sneering at him with a frightening smile. He was too irritated to return one of his own as he was shoved in his shoulder to keep moving.

He found himself handcuffed to a table in an interrogation room with some boring detective sitting across from him.

“Did you have any contact with anyone from the League of Villains?”

“No.”

“Do you know who Shigaraki is working with now?”

“No.”

The man slammed his fist on the table. “If you wish to continue residing in this facility participating in the reformation program, then you’ll think a little harder on these questions!!” He collected his papers in a huff and let the legs of his chair screech as he pushed away from the table and stood. “Staying in here a few hours should cool your head.”

With that he turned and marched out the door but was only gone for a moment when he came back with a box fan, plugged it in and aimed it right for the former villain. He then cranked the knob to its lowest setting and left, slamming the door behind himself.

Touya shivered and regarded the small appliance with distaste.

~0~

The bell sounded for recreation time and Takami wondered offhandedly whether or not Dabi was still in the interrogation center. Considering the shocking state he’d arrived in and the direction they went, it only made sense that’s where he’d end up. He followed everyone else to the cafeteria, waited in line, got his food, and dumped it into a trashcan as he used the commotion of everyone around to sneak into the hall. He’d been here long enough to know certain routines and used that knowledge to navigate the corridors. He certainly wasn’t the most notorious criminal here, meaning he had a bit of freedom to move since all eyes were usually fixed on the most dangerous of the inmates. People were still filing into the cafeteria, meaning most attention from the camera operators would be on them, and with an insane amount of luck he arrived at the locked offices without raising suspicions.

He chuckled to himself, thinking this was such a grand scheme even though he didn’t have a clue how he’d be able to explain himself if he was caught. It didn’t matter; all he cared about was getting even.

There were six rooms in the corridor and when he peered into the fourth window, he found his little redheaded target. He’d likely been there for close to six hours sitting on that stainless steel chair and Takami had to stifle a raucous laugh when he noticed the box fan pointed at him blowing his hair around. He tried the door handle and smiled when it opened, but he made the mistake of not thinking ahead as he crept inside, any small noises muffled by the intensity of the fan. When the door closed the handle on the inside was inoperable, not that he attempted to figure that out.

Takami instantly looked for the cameras and found one in the corner above the door, and he had to use a nearby chair to climb up and point it in another direction. The other camera was across the table facing the redhead, so he walked around and spun it to face the ceiling.

Touya sat shivering violently, his fingers blue as he clenched his hands tightly and had his eyes squeezed shut. He didn’t notice when the other man entered or fiddled with anything in the room, he hardly even felt as his hair was gripped and his forehead was unexpectedly slammed into the desk. He assumed he’d find the stuffy detective was to blame, surprised he’d stoop to such a tactic, but when he found Keigo’s father standing over him with a malicious grin he realized he was in a bit more trouble.

“You’re dead.” He whispered before wrapping his hands around Touya’s neck and pressing his thumbs into his windpipe. Touya struggled in his grasp, choking as he tried to breathe. The handcuffs he’d been restrained in were a little more appropriately size, but not enough. With some conviction, and scraping a few knuckles, he was able to pry one off to grip the man’s wrist. He got just enough leverage to dip his chin into the other’s palm before sinking his teeth in so hard he tasted blood.

Takami retracted his hand immediately, inspecting the damage to see the little sh*t had nearly ripped a chunk of skin off. He glanced up to find Touya struggling to remove the other restraint and swore to not let that happen. He decked the kid in his eye and sent him toppling to the floor, his handcuff still keeping him secured to the tabletop. Touya used his leg to defend against a kick as he scrambled to his feet and sidestepped another punch.

What were his babysitters even doing?? He knew for a fact there was audio recording, but the box fan might’ve been drowning most of it out. He glanced between the two cameras, finding them facing different directions and assumed Takami had something to do with it. However, it should’ve been a giant red flag if someone was actually watching the feed.

He couldn’t dodge the punch to his gut as he was then sent crashing onto the table, his throat once again engulfed by the man’s hands as he squeezed.

“I’m going to enjoy this, even if I get forty more years.” He stated, chuckling evilly. Touya struggled and thrashed until he finally connected his foot with the man’s jaw and sent him stumbling backwards. He used his given time to rip his other hand from the cuffs, grimacing at the ruined skin on his knuckles.

Takami snarled with rage, coming at the younger like an angered bull as he threw uncoordinated punches while the other retreated.

“What’s the matter?? Can’t fight like a man??” He demanded, rushing after the kid until he realized it was no use and lobbed a chair at him. To he surprise, it made contact with the kid and sent him sprawling to the floor.

Touya rolled onto his stomach but wasn’t fast enough to evade the man’s shoe. He yelped as it stomped into his spine and smashed him into the ground over and over.

Until he got incredibly lucky.

Touya felt as his clothes slowly constricted him, glancing up and noticing he no longer had the hands of a child. He could see the familiar faint scarring on his arms transitioning into smooth skin on his hands and smirked. He pressed his weight onto his palms and whipped around, catching the other man’s legs with his and sending him sprawling to the ground.

Takami looked up with astonishment, finding Dabi climbing to his full height as he returned to his original size. He shrunk into himself, shaking with fear as he cursed his rotten luck and wished he could just disappear. Touya opened and closed his hands, watching his fingers curl and spat a glob of bloody saliva on the ground.

“Well, now. It looks like I’ll have to give Keigo an extra special Thank You for this gift.” He said with amusem*nt, his features growing demented. “But not before I demonstrate my gratitude for your hospitality.”

Takami blanched and retreated with horror, tears springing to his eyes when he remembered he’d turned all the cameras away. He jumped to his feet and ran for the door, but the damned thing was locked, and their commotion hadn’t alerted anyone yet.

“Please, anyone, help!!” He shouted, sobbing pathetically.

“No one’s coming. Just before you got here is when they left. I suspect they won’t be back for at least another hour or so.” Touya said smoothly, rolling his shoulder to try and pop it back into place. Takami slowly turned, snot and drool dribbling down his face as he realized he was trapped in hell with the devil himself.

Touya smiled charmingly at the sight before using a finger to coax the man over. Takami swallowed hard and cautiously made his way one step at a time until Touya was pointing down for him to drop to his knees. He obliged, still crying his eyes out as he wondered how badly he was going to be beaten.

“Beg.” Touya ordered, his expression somehow becoming more dastardly.

Takami sputtered, “P-Please…” he sniffled, “please don’t kill me…!”

Touya slammed his heel into the man’s nose, sending him sprawling back. Takami coughed and wheezed, glancing up to see the younger man beckoning him closer with one finger again. He knew it was a mistake but did it anyway.

“Make it worth my while.” He stated in a curious tone. There was no indication as to what he meant, but at this point Takami didn’t have much to give. That was the problem with prison fights; you always paid in blood somehow. The older man shuffled forward on his knees, seeing the contour of his co*ck through the thin and much-too-small pants. He whimpered and silently said a prayer before reaching for the other man’s waistline.

“Y’know, I could save you from this.” Touya murmured, cracking the knuckles of his fingers with a wicked glint in his eyes. Takami considered it a moment but reasoned that swallowing cum was significantly less humiliating than being beaten within an inch of his life.

He tugged at the elastic and was met with the other man’s co*ck once again, regarding it with trepidation before taking it into his mouth.

Touya was reminded of the same unenthusiastic blow j*b from the same disgusting man and had to close his eyes to picture something else. He couldn’t imagine the face of a partner with considerably more skill since the image didn’t match the action, and this time it didn’t seem like he’d get to full mast. He was still too angry with the man for getting the drop on him after being left to freeze in an interrogation room in the body of a child. The detective had come in two other times to grill him with questions, and he continued to give one-word answers. The second time he left he’d turned the fan to medium and the third time he left he’d turned it on high. Touya also wasn’t given anything to eat and was quite hungry at this point which also f*cked with his attitude.

Good news was the hangover was cured, but now he had an incredibly foul mood, and this old ugly bastard was doing nothing to appease him.

“There’s no point if you don’t start putting some tact in it.” Touya warned, his eyes still closed since he couldn’t stand the look of his f*cked-up face. Takami blanched and stopped mid stroke, unwilling to accept that he had to suck this guy off and get his ass kicked. He removed the other’s co*ck from his mouth and stared up with fear, swallowing hard.

“Y-You could f*ck me in the ass.” He offered, hating himself for the idea. Touya made a disgruntled face and opened one eye to stare down at him. He was obviously scared, but didn’t look like he was joking. He reasoned with it for a moment, remembering he’d been cheated out of his night with his little bird and weighed the offer in his head.

“Alright.” He conceded, stepping aside and gesturing to the table. Takami felt himself grow sick at the idea but willed himself to stand, walking over and lowering his pants. Even the sight of the older man bending over was enough to make Touya equally nauseous, but a sick part of him couldn’t help enjoying the power he held over the man. He closed his eyes, refusing to acknowledge the man presenting his bare ass as he stepped over and spat in his hand.

“You better not make a f*ckin’ sound.” Touya warned dangerously before sliding his co*ck straight up Takami’s ass.

It felt like any other hole and thankfully the man heeded his warning. With his eyes closed he could suspend reality and slam his co*ck into the other with only the sound of the box fan whirling in the background.

He didn’t dare touch the man with anything other than his co*ck. The lack of encouraging moans from a desired partner certainly threw off his arousal, and the fact that there was no chance for other intimate actions also dampened the mood. It was a far cry from the best, but it still somehow wasn’t the worst.

He thought about Keigo bent over and praising his thrusts with pleasured noises, some twisted part of himself enjoying that he was f*cking his way up the family tree. It certainly stroked his ego, but if he lost his chance to get the man in bed, he knew he wouldn’t be able to last in this damned program much longer. He gave one last shove with his hips, earning a single whimper of discomfort, before he removed his co*ck and yanked the man’s pants over his ass.

Takami blinked in confusion, wondering if he’d already done his business when Touya grabbed him by the back of his shirt and wrenched him up to stand. Takami stared, terrified the younger had changed his mind and was now going to beat him senseless. Touya then grabbed his collar and dragged him close, their noses practically touching as he whispered.

“This never happened. You were hallucinating, you broke into this room, attacked me, hit your head, sh*t your pants, and got knocked the f*ck out.”

Takami searched his eyes, wondering what he was talking about when Touya pulled back his fist and slammed it into the older man’s eye. Takami was instantly unconscious and Touya dragged him near the door, dropping him in a heap and grimacing when he saw the brown stains on the other’s prison pants. He tucked his own co*ck into his undersized pants, kicked the fan to face down, and righted his chair. With any luck, the security cameras were pointed far enough away, the audio recording only picked up wind along with Takami’s deranged screams, and the idiot played his part when he woke up. Touya picked up the handcuffs and squeezed the locking arm until the spring engaged and unlocked the strands. He then fitted them around his wrists and pressed down with all his strength until they were slicing through skin to his delight.

He’d requested his lawyer hours ago, yet they kept interrogating him. He imagined the man was probably stopped at security, detained for some asinine reason as an excuse to not be able to talk to his client, and the man was probably pissed. Touya knew the man had worked for his father since he’d still lived there and wasn’t thrilled about representing a villain, but he was very fond of the Todoroki wealth. He’d likely charge the family for every second, but he also knew they’d pay. And when he told the man about the conditions he’d been subjected to, they’d have one heck of a case to add to the lawsuit against the Japanese correctional system already in place. The thought brought a blissful smile to his face as blood dripped from his wrists.

Chapter 30: Reset

Chapter Text

Hawks was in trouble. His feathers were ragged and disheveled, he was lightheaded from a decent amount of blood loss, and he had a seriously nasty sprained ankle. Certainly not his worst predicament, but he was also alone with a busted cell phone.

Well, more like the only licensed hero on site.

“Your time is numbered, villain!” Enji Todoroki shouted before throwing a Flash Fire Fist at the de-aging quirk user. The man dodged it with hardly any trouble, meeting the other on equal terms as they fought through the junk yard.

Hawks cringed at the statement, reminding himself to update the man’s one-liners when they were done here. He’d arrived on a tip from one of Tsukauchi’s men when the former number one hero had called him demanding his location. He really didn’t think the information would lead to the actual whereabouts of a villain, and fighting in a junk yard just added to the cheesy cliches. However, he couldn’t pass up a chance to get Enji alone in a scarcely populated venue. He’d been daydreaming like a blushing idiot and was caught off guard by a series of booby traps.

Yes, more cliches.

Hawks wanted to scream with frustration as a villain with a metal manipulation quirk still had the majority of his feathers wrapped in a sheet of steel. His ankle was sore, his date was ruined, and he skipped breakfast so he was really f*cking hungry.

“I’m sick of this sh*t!” He exclaimed, using a feather to topple over a precarious trap he’d set, thus capturing his adversary and knocking him unconscious as a pile of scrap toppled over him. He huffed at the sight, not even impressed with the take-down, and limped to turn around looking for Enji. He realized with horror the reason he was finally able to win was because the other sacrificed himself in order to bind the redheaded former hero in steel cable, trapped and at the mercy of the de-aging quirk user.

“No!!” He shouted, rushing to the scene as fast as his remaining feathers would take him, but it was too late. He watched as the Flame Hero shrunk to the size of a six-year-old with his hero suit heaped over his limbs. He’d teased the man when he first saw him since he was wearing one of his antique suits from his younger years, one that fit him better than his current oversized ones. He briefly realized the man could be mistaken for Touya once again and Keigo wondered if Endeavor had just cloned himself to make his son.

Enji was booted down the pile of scraps, landing in a large metal crate which dislodged the thing and sent it tumbling to the ground. The lid had closed, trapping the redhead inside as it crashed down the slope. When it stopped, banging instantly resumed as Enji tried busting himself out of his prison with no results.

When he knew the other was (most likely) unharmed, Keigo turned his attention to the villain they initially attempted to apprehend, fixing him with a menacing glare.

“It’s no use, hero! You’ve lost!” He shouted, cackling with evil laughter. Hawks rolled his eyes.

“Yeah? What makes you say that?” He asked dryly, goading him into monologuing.

“It’s simple, the heroes ALWAYS lose! You think you’re so high and mighty as you sit atop your perch in high society, looking down at the common people and treating them like servants! You deserve to be taken down to a lower level, you deserve to know what it feels like to taste defeat!”

Keigo stuck out his lower lip in a pout, wanting to point out he’d grown up in a shack with abusive neglectful parents but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. He glanced around boredly, wondering if he was really going to have to climb up this pile of metal debris with his tender ankle when he spotted something.

“Heroes only help those they deem worthy! They let all the other trash wash away in the gutters when the rains come! They’re self-satisfying, narcissistic parasites living off the tax dollars of the low income. They take food off tables, funds away from schools, and all so they can smile for a photograph and get recognized on the streets.”

Hawks picked up a metal trashcan lid, dusting it off a bit and inspecting it. It wasn’t too dented which would work in his favor as he lifted it to his vision and closed an eye. He tested its weight in his hand, extending and retracting his elbow as he simulated throwing it like a frisbee. The man continued his long-winded monologue as Hawks didn’t pay a lick of attention. He then let out a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for his big dramatic piece.

“Look over there!!” He suddenly shouted, his expression distressed as he pointed in alarm at nothing in the distance. The man turned to his amusem*nt, and he spun around with all his might before launching the trash can lid as hard as he could and striking him clean in the back of the head. He pumped his fist with excitement, congratulating himself for an excellent shot as the man crumpled to a heap on the pile of junk. He looked around like he expected his audience to cheer for him when he remembered Enji was currently trapped in a crate.

“Endeavor, are you alright?” He called out, hobbling over and knocking on the metal wall.

Silence.

Hawks blinked, giving the situation another moment before panicking when his mind arrived at all the terrible things that could’ve happened.

“Enji!”

~0~

Enji Todoroki knew he’d made a fatal mistake as he was ensnared in thick metal wires, watching as his foe reached out to slam his palm into his shoulder. The sensation was weird as more years were stollen from him until he was left draped in his hero suit staring up at the man. He didn’t even get a chance to curse the other before he was shoved aside and somehow landed in a metal crate. The crashes had been deafening as it toppled down the hill and when he finally stopped, he couldn’t help lashing out in anger as he threw his tiny fists against the walls. He spat fire and slammed his shoulder into the metal, but it accomplished nothing. He could hear the muffled voice of Keigo talking with the villain and took a seat as he tried to calm his nerves and think this over rationally.

He considered everything he had at his disposal along with everything he lacked, knowing he needed to escape and get himself back to normal if he hoped to help the blond hero. So far it seemed like he’d only been a hinderance on this mission and cursed himself for putting the other man in harm’s way.

Just then, the feeling of his clothes shifting over his body was felt and he realized he’d been turned back to his original age. The large crate was quickly filled by his looming height and oversized muscles as he grunted at the small space. He lit a small flame in his hand, visually confirming he was back to normal, and grimacing when he noticed some of the seams in his suit looked ready to burst. He thought the fabric would be stretchy enough, but it didn’t seem to be the case. He prepared to send his fist through the wall with a cordon of fire when he stopped himself with a realization.

How was Keigo going to react?

They’d been significantly closer in age due to the villain’s quirk, and he admitted he got considerably more fans approaching him before he was a grumpy old man. There were even a few love-letters his sidekicks had teased him about when he was in his early twenties. What would he think when the man he slept with was pushing fifty again?

“Endeavor, are you alright?” Keigo asked from the other side, knocking on the metal wall. Enji grimaced at the name, wishing he could tell the other to stop calling him that. Endeavor wouldn’t have allowed such actions towards a man so much younger than himself, and Enji was torn over the outcome as well. There’d always been something alluring about the blond man’s smile and the way he poked fun at Enji. He’d never hated his company and even found himself missing the other at times. He supposed he’d have to emerge sooner or later, but when Keigo shouted his name with such desperation he was left stunned.

Banging and scrabbling clanged against the side of the crate as Keigo desperately tried to find a way to open it. Enji couldn’t help smirking at the sounds, imagining how ridiculous the smaller man looked trying to shove the crate around and use his lean muscles built for speed, instead of power, attempting to pry the sides away.

“C’mon… c’mon!!” Keigo whimpered, using his good leg to brace against the side of the crate as his fingers dug into a crevice and he threw all his strength into tearing the box apart.

Just then, a large smash sent him sprawling back as the familiar giant fist of the former number one hero was sent through the top of the crate. Keigo smiled wide at the sight, internally celebrating his victory.

“Welcome back!” He announced with a laugh, propping his arms behind himself and slouching back. “Ya know, sometimes all these quirk users need is a sharp strike to knock their lights out. It’s kinda like hitting the reset button.”

Enji threw another fist through the metal before thrusting his shoulder into what remained and sending the top flying through the sky.

Keigo swallowed hard. He knew what Enji Todoroki looked like, he’d seen the man just yesterday. However, between then and now something had changed about the man, and he couldn’t stop himself from gaping shamelessly as he traced his eyes over every outline and every bulge.

“You get a concussion or something?” Enji asked, legitimately concerned. Keigo attempted to pull his tongue into his mouth as he flicked his eyes back up at the other man’s.

“Sorry, was just remembering how much I loved that suit from your TV appearances.” Keigo admitted, watching as Enji climbed out of the crate and enjoying every angle.

He knew the younger man as staring, he wasn’t stupid, and the attention honestly made him uncomfortable. He reached down, offering a hand which seemed to confuse the hero until he eventually realized what was happening and accepted it. He was pulled to his feet in one movement, being reminded of their size difference. However, when he attempted to put pressure on his ankle his hissed at the discomfort.

“What’s wrong?” Enji asked, taking him by his elbow to keep him steady.

“I’m alright, it’s just my ankle.” He replied, taking a limping step to demonstrate he was okay. Enji rolled his eyes.

Keigo blushed as he found himself in the arms of the other man like a fainted damsel, his tiny frame completely engulfed in the man’s giant arms.

“What happened to your feathers?” He asked, suddenly realizing his wings were gone.

“Oh! Uhh…”

Hawks felt around until he finally found the metal casing and had to use all his concentration to get his feathers to move the heavy sheet of metal. Enji watched as a misshapen ball sloppily rolled up to them and stopped a few paces away. He raised an eyebrow at the sight, fixing the younger man with an irritated glare as Hawks just shrugged casually in return.

He gave a heavy sigh and strode up to an overturned car, setting Keigo gently on a smooth surface, then walked back to the crumpled sheet. With a grunt of exertion, he tore the metal apart, shaking red feathers loose onto the ground until he was satisfied he found most of them.

Hawks slowly called them back as they were freed, feeling like a dainty maiden watching a big strong man show off his muscles.

Enji brushed his hands of dirt, strolling back to Keigo and collecting him in his arms again.

“You do know I can fly, right?” He asked, more as an offer to carry himself than to point it out.

“I’m aware.” Enji replied, not letting him go. Keigo stuck out his lower lip in a pout once more but conceded, laying his head against the larger man’s chest.

When they got to his car, he had Kurumada call Tsukauchi to tell him Hawks apprehended two villains. He’d left Keigo with his driver to go back and ensure their captives didn’t escape, but Tsukauchi didn’t take long to arrive and soon enough Hawks was having his injuries examined by a medical technician. When he was cleared, he relaxed into the back seat and closed his eyes.

Well, one drama fest down… He thought, wondering how the rest of this was going to go. First, he hoped everyone else had been changed back to normal, and then he wondered how he was going to break the news to Touya he’d slept with the man’s father, the person he hated most in this world. He grimaced at the thought, wondering if there was any chance at forgiveness.

His thoughts were interrupted as the other back seat door was opened and Enji climbed inside. He’d found a change of clothes and was wearing a button up with slacks over his uniform. He forgot this car was kinda like the man’s Bat Mobile with secret compartments of gadgets and outfit changes.

“Shall I take you home, sir?” Kurumada asked, receiving a confirmation before driving away.

“You can drop me off at my place, if it’s not too much trouble.” Keigo offered, glad he had a balcony he could fly up to.

“Alright, but you have plans tonight.” Enji stated matter-of-factly. Keigo gave him an odd look, searching his memory for any such plans and coming up with nothing. The older man noticed his confusion and rolled his eyes. “With me. I’m taking you to dinner.”

Hawks blinked, taken aback by the statement and realized it was pretty damned irritating to be given such an order.

“I have something I need to discuss with you.”

Keigo scrunched up his face, relenting that he didn’t have any plans to begin with and he was always available for free food. However, he was still annoyed.

Chapter 31: Boss

Chapter Text

Burnin strolled into work Monday morning armed with a good night’s sleep and a piping hot cup of her favorite coffee. She’d spent the weekend visiting her parents out of town but was glad to be coming home to the housing provided by the Endeavor Agency. She was told she worked too much, and her mother had given her a stern finger-waggle insisting that she take more time off for herself. Moe had agreed to it, but only so she’d stop scolding her adult daughter. She was a grown up, made her own living, paid her own bills… there was no reason to still be treated like a child.

As Moe walked in the front door and was greeted by the reception desk, something seemed off. The normally chipper receptionist was giving her a hollow expression like he’d seen a ghost, which Moe took as a hint that something was amiss. She immediately flipped into hero-mode and rushed to the elevator, thankful when she pushed the button since one was already on the same landing. Before the man could warn her of what she was about to see, she was already headed to the main floor.

The elevator door opened and everyone in the area turned to look at her with stunned expressions, an eerie sight so early in the morning. She glanced around for Kido and Onima, or anything that might give her a clue as to why everyone was on edge, when a familiar form came around the corner.

Burnin choked on a surprised gasp, her coffee forgotten as it fell to the ground and burst open, spilling everywhere. She panicked, briefly lamented its loss, then completely forgot about it as the former number one hero Endeavor strode up to her and wrapped her up in a tight hug.

“Moe! It’s so good to see you!”

Moe’s face lit up bright red at the sound of her own name coming from her boss’s mouth. How long had it been since he called her that? Probably not since she was first interviewed to work at the agency. Not only that, but Endeavor didn’t hug people, he barely even shook hands! She stuttered prolifically as she tried to ask where he’d been and what the f*ck he was doing.

“E-E-Endeavor…!” Was all she managed as she was constricted in his oversized arms. He finally released her and took a step back, his hands still on her shoulders and… smiling? She’d seen him smile before, she’d even made him laugh once, but this was different. This was the smile of someone pleasant and easy to talk to, not the Flame Hero Endeavor.

“Please, call me Enji.” He said, patting her shoulder. “And let’s get you a new coffee.” He then wrapped an arm around her shoulder and steered her through the office to the break room. She caught a few glances from those they passed, exchanging anxious looks before being dragged away. She was even more shocked to find a coffee vendor with their small rickshaw espresso cart in the room, handing a cappuccino in a coffee mug overflowing with milk froth to Onima. She wanted to ask where the heck the barista even came from when she realized it was one of the ladies that usually set up alongside the food trucks down the street. Enji Todoroki then cut the line and ordered two lattes as the heroes behind him couldn’t decide whether they should ignore it or be upset.

“Yo.”

Moe turned to find Onima standing beside her with cappuccino in hand and a milk froth mustache on his upper lip.

“What the hell is going on?” She whispered, nearly at her wit’s end with how weird this day was starting out. Onima shrugged.

“No clue. Apparently, the boss booked the espresso cart for the whole day, and I’m not going to question why I’m receiving free coffee.” He replied, taking another sip and getting a dollop of foam on his nose. “I was told he even showed up riding the bike with the barista on the handlebars.”

Moe gave him a confused expression but didn’t press for details, trying not to imagine the scene.

“You think he’s sick?” She asked, trying to rationalize what was going on.

“Who knows. Could be stage four cancer, could be retirement doing wonders for his temperament.”

Enji thanked the barista as she handed him two paper coffee cups and he walked over to give one to Burnin. She thanked him hesitantly, wondering if she was still dreaming in bed.

“Boss?”

The three turned to find Kido peeking around the corner, the bandages wrapped around his face doing nothing to hide his surprised features.

Enji’s face lit up with a beam as he greeted his other sidekick and also engulfed the man in a hug. Moe and Onima gave the other an apologetic look and the green-haired sidekick realized something. She held a hand to her mouth and leaned towards Onima.

“Did he hug you too?” She whispered, receiving a withered nod in return. Kido stumbled over to the other Flaming Sidekickers, lost for words as Enji cut the coffee line again to get Kido something as well.

“Is that really…?” He asked uncertainly, giving the other two a bemused look. Burnin and Onima nodded their heads.

“Do you know what’s…?” He continued, unsure how to formulate the right sentence. Burnin and Onima shook their heads, then took a sip of coffee. Enji soon returned with a paper cup and handed it to the other man, receiving an uncertain thank you from Kido.

“Follow me to my office.” He instructed, leading the way out of the break room. The three exchanged a dazed look before following the man out.

The elevator ride was quiet and awkward as they all sipped their coffees nervously, wondering what this could be about. When they finally got to the floor and traversed the hallway, Moe suddenly realized they hadn’t done much to spruce up the place. Granted, it was endlessly more organized thanks to Hawks, and the cleaning crew did what they could, but as he reached for the door, she tried her best to prepare him for what he was about to see. Onima and Kido also realized the state of his office wasn’t as he left it and tried their best to hide behind their coffees.

Enji opened the door and stepped in, glancing around and finding the room looked the same for the most part, except for the inbox on his desk had a short stack of paperwork and there were two giant swivel chairs behind his desk.

“We’re so sorry, boss! We’ll get it cleaned up right away!” Onima insisted, running around the place straightening things up and dusting the surfaces. Kido dashed off in the other direction to do the same and Moe ran behind the desk to grab one of the swivel chairs and wheel it into another room.

“Wait, there’s no need.” Enji announced, stopping everyone in their tracks. The three paused, stunned, and exchanged another confused look with one another. “Have a seat.” He insisted, motioning for Moe to sit in the chair she was holding, and she bristled at the idea while Enji walked around the desk to take a seat in the empty one. Moe stared like an idiot before her brain decided to resume normal function and she gingerly sat beside her boss. Onima and Kido took seats in the armchairs on the other side and everyone sat rigid, unsure what to expect.

Enji glanced between his former sidekicks, glad to see they were well. He knew his agency had been taken care of, and didn’t even know where to begin thanking Hawks, Best Jeanist, and his entire team; and judging by everyone’s reaction to him returning, he was more of a distraction than a relief. Burnin, Onima, and Kido looked like they were children waiting to be scolded, but he had nothing other than respect and pride for how they’d handled his absence. The conversation him and Keigo had last night resonated in his head and he took a large breath to calm his nerves. He felt like an absolute moron for even considering the idea, and silently wished they’d decline, but change was uncomfortable for everyone and Keigo wouldn’t let him hear the end of it if he chickened out now.

“I want to sincerely thank each of you for your contributions to this agency and for looking after my family. I don’t think you’ll ever know the depth of my gratitude.” He stated resolutely, looking each of them in the eyes. Their discomfort didn’t subside much, but there was definitely a positive shift in the surrounding mood. “As you know, I’m no longer a Pro Hero. The name Endeavor is retired for the time being and I will not be able to go on patrols or use my quirk against others, regardless of the situation.” He explained, hating the sound of those words. During the attack on his home the only time he used his quirk against another was with the Nomu, and the Safety Commission labeled them along the same lines as wild animals. There were no obvious ties upon first impressions to the human corpses they came from, and when faced with an overpowered adversary lacking basic common sense, it was unreasonable for a person to hold back against them. Of course, he’d been reminded of his expired license, and then again in the junk yard after apprehending the last of the villains. Keigo had sustained most of the damage and ended up subduing both criminals, but it didn’t take Tsukauchi much detective work to piece some other clues about his presence there together.

“Boss, might I ask why you made that decision?” Moe questioned, giving the man a cautious gaze and hoping she wasn’t overstepping any boundaries. Enji met her eyes and was reminded of the same look she’d given him on their first patrol together nearly eight years ago. She’d been much more uproarious in her early twenties with experience mellowing her out, but as she gave him such a soulful expression, he couldn’t help feeling a pang of guilt well up inside himself.

“I’m not dying, if that’s what you’re asking.” He said pointedly, not expecting the reaction he was given. Onima and Kido both let out an enormous breath, sinking into their chairs with relief as Moe held a hand to her chest like her heart started beating again. His forehead creased as he was unable to hide his annoyance.

“Sorry, this has just been a lot to take in.” Moe explained, noticing his unpleasant features. “Don’t get me wrong, we’re happy you’re back and we’re happy you’re working on your relationships with your family, but there’s been a lot of times we wished you were here.”

Enji turned away, attempting to mask the guilt and mostly getting away with it. He knew it was unreasonable and unfounded for him to suddenly pick up and leave, but he also knew it did a lot of good. He was able to spend time on self-reflection in a new environment, he learned how to recognize toxic behaviors and worked to reform certain habits. It’s not like he hadn’t noticed the clutter in his office, or how things had shifted and changed in his home, but he also recognized it wasn’t fair to make a big deal out of it. Other people lived there, other people needed to use this space, and he respected each of them enough to allow them to exist naturally in his life. When Rei had caught him in their home, he thought he was going to have a heart attack as he feared his presence was enough to undo years of therapy, and the idea that his existence would always be responsible for her suffering practically drove a stake through his heart. He felt as nervous as he had been when they first met, but as he looked into her eyes, he couldn’t see a shred of emotion looking back at him. She’d truly moved on with her life, but even still he was thankful she’d been willing to spend a bit of time with him as they watched the UA students holding a class with Touya.

Enji let out a heavy breath, realizing he still hadn’t given the question much of an answer. “I’ve already signed this agency over to three of my children, but realistically it was selfish and I now realize Shoto might be the only one willing to accept the burden. I’ve decided to return as an executor until he’s fit to take my position, and we’ll continue to run this place as usual.”

It sounded reasonable enough to Moe as she relaxed back into his chair, but she couldn’t help thinking his retirement had been an overreaction. There were still villains out there, there were still people to save. It was too early for him to hang up his suit and call it quits, not when he still had so much to do.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Enji muttered, fixing the green-haired woman with an irritable frown. She jumped at his expression, waving her hands emphatically as she tried to explain it wasn’t like that. “And you’re right.”

Moe paused, shocked at the words. She tried to think of something to say to rectify the situation, but as she looked out at Kido and Onima they continued to hide behind their coffees like they were watching mom and dad fight.

“You’re right, it’s selfish for me not to renew my license, but Endeavor isn’t what this country needs, not when I’ve done more harm than good.”

“You’re wrong! You’ve helped so many people, saved so many lives! You can’t just…” Moe was cut off when Enji held up a hand.

“I created a monster. I abandoned my family and allowed a seed of dissent to grow unchecked. If it hadn’t been for my actions, Dabi never would’ve aided the League of Villains and they may never have been prolific enough to create the Paranormal Liberation Front.” He explained calmly. He’d repeated this to himself ever since the war ended, but the words were no less sharp.

“People aren’t perfect, we make mistakes! We grow and we learn, that’s what makes us human!” Moe exclaimed, fixing the man with a frustrated expression. Maybe she hadn’t changed much from that first patrol… her personality was as fiery as ever and he appreciated that about Burnin.

“Yes, and we must face the consequences. In my absence, crime rate has gone down while the number of captured villains across all categories has skyrocketed. Well-established villains, terrorist groups, those who broke out of Tartarus… and it wasn’t this agency. It wasn’t even Best Jeanist, or anyone from the top ten for that matter. It was all because someone finally decided to give Touya a chance.”

Moe gaped at that realization. She hadn’t even thought about it, but he had a point. Of course, the only reason he was able to give over such information was because he’d immersed himself in the world of villainy for so long and was only cooperating because he was receiving favors in return. Even still, he certainly didn’t have to spill so many details across so many organizations and it was stated that the country hadn’t been this well-defended since All Might was in his prime.

“I…” Enji gritted his teeth as he sensed a well of emotion. He’d never felt this powerless, and it had nothing to do with the loss of his hero license. “I don’t know what to do.”

Moe blinked, suddenly realizing this conversation was taking a very emotional turn.

“I don’t know how to help him, or how to help any of my children. All I know is I want to, and I’m willing to do anything.”

Enji glanced between his Siderkickers, remembering when they were all just bright-eyed interns. They’d put in so much effort and accomplished so much over the years, he was beyond proud of them. During his conversation with Keigo over dinner, he’d voiced this dilemma as well, unsure where to begin after coming home to the same house and the same tense atmosphere. The younger man had thought about it only a moment when he pointed out that he wasn’t such a bad mentor to Shoto’s friends when they stayed with him for their second work study. He didn’t treat them like children, but held back from treating them like adults, and was able to teach them invaluable life skills. He was the reason Bakugou, Midoriya, and Shoto were able to pull so far ahead of their classmates with experience and it didn’t happen overnight. Without even realizing it, Enji had been learning how to be a good mentor for years. When Keigo told him to go consult his first actual children, Enji had been confused. How could speaking with Touya and Fuyumi do any more good than harm at this point? He’d spent nearly two years working on himself to spend quality time with Fuyumi when she requested it, and he was fairly certain Touya still hated him to his core.

Keigo had chuckled when he pointed this out which garnered a frown from the older man, and he’d quickly corrected himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean your actual kids. I meant your sidekicks. You’ve spent years mentoring and teaching them important life skills, why not ask them since they’re the ones who’ve grown under your tutelage?”

Onima, Kido, and Burnin gave him the same unsure vacant expression, waiting for him to elaborate. He hated that he had to go into any amount of depth on this subject and if this blew up in his face, he was going to have some extremely choice words for Keigo.

“So, lemme get this straight…” Kido began, no longer hiding behind his coffee. “You have a request for the Flaming Sidekickers as a distressed citizen?”

Enji closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out a sigh. “I suppose you could put it like that.” He muttered, trying to work through the discomfort.

Moe’s eyes lit up when she finally understood the situation. “Of course!! You can count on us, boss!” She announced, pumping her fist in the air with an excited smile. The other two called out in agreement as well and Enji couldn’t help the smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

Chapter 32: Heroes and Villains

Chapter Text

Keigo gave one final flap of his wings as he descended onto the front walkway of the Todoroki home, glancing at the estate with a guilty expression. It was Saturday, but he’d told Yumi he wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be coming over for the UA students’ villain classes. It wasn’t a complete lie, he’d been battling stomach cramps and headaches all week, but he had a feeling it was from stress and not some virus. He’d also been avoiding Enji ever since their dinner date Sunday night despite how much he wanted to accept the man’s offer to come home with him. He’d delivered boxes of paperwork back to the Endeavor Agency over the week and erased any files from his computer after copying them to a flash drive. Touya wouldn’t be coming home for another hour and Enji mentioned he’d likely be spending the entire day at work, so he decided to use this window of opportunity while Fuyumi and Shoto were picking up Touya to drop off one last file and collect what he could from his borrowed room. It certainly wasn’t him saying goodbye, but it also wasn’t his place to continue on like nothing happened. He decided he needed some space to think and that sounded like a healthy choice.

What he wasn’t expecting, however, was to be greeted by Enji as he pushed open the front door. The other man was reaching for the handle from inside, catching him off guard as he practically wore the same stunned expression. Keigo stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide as he stood in the shadow of the man before him and swallowed hard.

“Thought you weren’t feeling well.” Enji commented in a monotonous tone, his features deflating to a look of discontented boredom as he braced one hand on the frame with his other hand holding the door. Keigo drummed his fingers on the folder in his hands, turning away sheepishly as he tried to think of something to say.

“Figured some fresh air might help, and I found another folder to return.” He explained, not willing to look the other man in the eye. Enji raised an eyebrow. He knew this was more than some misplaced file and it wasn’t like the younger man to make up flimsy excuses. He figured it had to do with the flurry of emotions he’d been going through and silently admitted he had every right to want his space. He stepped aside and gestured for the blond to enter his home. Keigo hesitated, wondering if it was too late to fly away, but figured running would just make him feel worse.

“Thought you’d be in your office all day.” Keigo observed, wondering why he was home. Enji bristled ever so slightly, realizing he’d also been caught and rolled his eyes before letting out a sigh.

“Fuyumi asked me to stay, but it’s not the right time. Touya has enough to worry about, he doesn’t need me here as well.” He stated, wondering if Keigo was going to come in or if all the heat was going to escape his house.

They both stood around apprehensively, unsure how to continue this uncomfortable conversation when the sound of a car pulling into the driveway caught both their attention. Keigo blanched, realizing he was out of time to avoid Touya and glanced at his watch wondering what he was doing here so early. The pros scheduled to attend this week’s class hadn’t even arrived yet and he vaguely recalled Yumi bragging about their lawyer arguing for extensions on Touya’s allotted time outside of prison. When his father had been apprehended after attacking Touya a second time, the Todoroki’s lawyer brought up the lack of security detail in prison versus out, noting that if the Safety Commission wished to continue receiving tips, their informant needed to be alive and well.

Fuyumi climbed out of the car before it completely stopped, sending Kurumada into a flurry of emotions as she waved to Hawks and called out to him.

“Glad to see you’re feeling better! I was bummed when you said you couldn’t come!” Fuyumi announced with a radiant smile. Keigo returned it with a weak one of his own, waving dismally to her while Natsu stepped out of the other side, Shoto climbed out of the front seat, and Touya gently pushed past his sister from the middle.

His newly gifted black eye looked more painful than the last along with the bruising over his jaw and down his neck. Keigo felt an incredible amount of guilt at the sight, wondering if he was somehow to blame after visiting his father and leaving so abruptly. He felt a nervous flutter in his gut, quickly thinking of the best excuse to use in order to leave as soon as possible. The Todoroki siblings were all making their way to the front door at different paces while Touya led the way with long strides. Keigo figured he just wanted to escape the cold, but when he suddenly felt the man’s shoulder collide with his gut before he was lifted into the air firefighter style, he realized something else was on his mind. His folder was also knocked from his hands as it dropped to the floor and spilled paperwork everywhere.

“Touya!!” Keigo called out indignantly, squirming in his grasp as the redhead marched through the house straight to the bedrooms.

Fuyumi watched the scene with confusion, unable to hide the giggle at seeing Keigo’s astonished features right when he realized he was being kidnapped. Natsuo let out a heavy sigh and shook his head while Shoto seemed to have a dusting of blush over his nose, and she glanced between the two curiously.

“Did I miss something?” She asked, receiving bewildered reactions from both her brothers. They shared a look, silently hoping they didn’t have to be the ones to explain it to their sister as they both continued silently walking towards the house.

Enji watched them go with a contrite frown, remembering why he’d wanted to escape to his agency. He looked down at the scattered papers and bent to pick them up.

“Put me down, dammit!!” Keigo demanded, realizing quickly where Touya was going and feeling as a lump sank in his stomach. He felt his face flushing red hot and desperately tried to remember all the conversations he’d held in his head with innocent explanations as to why they should have a break in seeing each other. They were going too fast, it was too much of a distraction to his rehabilitation, it wasn’t right or logical… but as he was finally set on the ground in Touya’s room with their lips crashing together, he forgot all about those reasons. Touya held either side of his jaw in his hands, practically devouring the blond as he pulled hard and pressed deeper into the kiss, using his tongue to explore his mouth and drawing a pleasured sound from Keigo.

All reason left his mind as the pro hero returned every kiss and draped his arms over the other’s neck, leaning into their embrace as Touya ran his hands down the sides of his torso and dipped his fingers below the waist of his pants. He enjoyed kneading his digits into his ass and Keigo was all too willing to climb into his arms as he stumbled his way over to the bed. They collapsed onto it with the blond straddling the redhead, not missing a single kiss as they both breathed raggedly while Touya began scratching off the other’s clothes.

“Touya… we shouldn’t…” Keigo whimpered after his jacket and shirt were removed, his wings separating despite his words to make it easier to get rid of the clothing. Touya cut him off with another kiss while he tugged on the button of the hero’s pants and undid the zipper.

“Shouldn’t what?” Touya purred with a cunning grin, grinding his palm into the blond’s erection. Keigo collapsed into his chest, absolutely defeated as he rutted into the touch with a blissful moan. He was going straight to hell for this, and he didn’t give a single f*ck.

Touya chuckled at his victory and nudged the other over with his shoulder, rolling on top as he grinded his co*ck into his bedmate’s. They both let out a sound of pleasure before Touya pressed a kiss below Keigo’s ear, debating whether he should leave the other with a throbbing hickey. The blond looked like he was going to melt into the sheets at the touch and Touya couldn’t help enjoying the display.

The coloring there seemed a bit odd though, now that he thought about it. He’d left him with a bit of a mark, but nothing that should’ve stayed this long. There was still quite a bit of discoloration on the area, but he wasn’t given a chance to investigate when Keigo reached up to give him a kiss.

They continued for several moments as Touya had to work to remove the hero’s pants between their tangled limbs, then gripped his co*ck firmly stroking it up and down.

It was too good not to enjoy every kiss, but as time passed and desire increased, Touya was flipping Keigo over ready to shove his tongue up his ass. As he gripped the other man’s thighs, though, admiring his puckered hole, something else caught his attention. He frowned at the sight, having to dig through his foggy brain to figure out what he was looking at when it finally clicked. Four faint little points were fanned across either side of the blond’s abdomen, positioned almost like someone had dug their fingers into his sides. It was more than that, though, because these fingermarks looked more like burns.

He'd seen it before in partners he’d gotten carried away with. Fire was a temperamental quirk and could get out of hand if someone wasn’t cautious. He narrowed his eyes, knowing it wasn’t his fault since he didn’t have access to his quirk, and reasoning with himself that they’d never declared themselves exclusive. It stroked his ego a bit to think his dick was so good Keigo had to go seeking more, until he tried putting a face to the unknown fire user and felt his heart drop into his stomach.

While all the pro hero’s efforts had certainly helped increase the comfort of his incarceration, he’d only been able to accomplish so much after cozying up to Endeavor the previous year. All the time he’d poured into cleaning up his father’s agency, the reaction he’d had when Touya dyed his hair, the stumbling giddiness he’d displayed after the man came home from his Eat, Pray, Love expedition. It all pointed to Enji f*cking Todoroki and Touya felt seething rage bubbling up from the pits of his soul. He felt his quirk resonate like it was trying to escape and burn this world to ash like he’d tried so many times before.

Keigo glanced behind himself, wondering what the other man was doing just staring at his ass. He was taken aback by the expression he found, legitimately afraid by the viciousness in his eyes that was quickly replaced by a hollow façade.

“You’re so selfish, you know that?” Touya murmured. Keigo searched his eyes in confusion, wondering what he was talking about. “I do all these things to make you feel good, and you just sit back and take, take, take.”

Oh… Keigo grimaced, realizing the other was right, but also figured he just enjoyed giving it in his own way. He’d intended on paying him back, but Touya was always too distracting. Every time he thought he could try, the redhead was moving on to the next thing and turning his brain into pudding. He tried to explain this, but it came out rambled and jumbled until Touya dramatically rolled his eyes and stood from the bed.

“Suck me off.”

Keigo stared at him, torn between pointing out the lack of defined kink boundaries and doing whatever he was ordered. He couldn’t find a reason not to, however, and decided to see how this played out. He climbed off the bed as well, kneeling naked at the man’s feet as he reached out to tug at the zipper and lower his pants. Touya was only half-hard which made Keigo a bit jealous since he still couldn’t regulate his physical responses yet. He was like an open book to the former villain who played off his reactions sad*stically. There was nothing to distract him this time though, Touya didn’t even have his hands in his hair as he got to work. It didn’t take long for Touya to be fully hard and Keigo took that as a compliment.

Touya let out a heavy breath and leaned his head back, enjoying how f*cking good the other man’s mouth felt. It was certainly leaps and bounds better than what Takami could do, and he felt a nasty smile turning up the corners of his mouth. He knew for a fact Keigo hadn’t found out how he’d paid the man back after their altercations, otherwise they wouldn’t be here now. That was the difference between a hero and a villain; heroes have morals to uphold, and villains could only think about how to get revenge.

Breaking things off with Keigo might save him the embarrassment of being in a love triangle with his bastard of a father, but making the blond think of his co*ck whenever Endeavor tried to f*ck him was just too good to pass up. He knew the pro hero thought of him when they were apart, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so eager to crawl into his bed these past few weekends. Touya looked down, watching as Keigo moved back and forth at a respectable pace with his co*ck bumping the back of his throat. The memories of Takami’s disgusting features were replaced with Keigo’s lustful ones as he swallowed co*ck like a natural. He shuddered as his dick throbbed and figured they could brush up Keigo’s skills another time. He gripped a hand in his hair and pulled him back, earning a glare from the rough handling and he couldn’t help chuckling at the sight.

“How about I f*ck you raw?” Touya asked with a conniving smile, loving the surprised reaction he got and wanting to cackle with laughter when the other man nodded his head.

Keigo climbed onto the bed obediently, his face bright red as his mind raced. He heard the snap of the bottle and whimpered as a finger entered his asshole, briefly wondering how he was going to recover from this ordeal when his mind was cleared by another finger spreading him open. His heart was hammering in his chest, his breathing was quick and shallow, and he squeezed the comforter in his hands when a third was pushed in. When they were removed, Touya’s co*ck slid in with ease and Keigo felt every fathom of moral reason shrivel up and die. He threw caution to the wind, he discarded his moral compass, and he decided to send the ethical train barreling into the multiple victims, then send another train to run over the single one.

It was unreal how different the sensations felt as he was f*cked into the mattress enjoying every second of it. Not a single thought entered his mind, and he didn’t even realize how loud he was being with Touya slamming into him without reserve. Drool trickled down his chin, his eyes were rolling into his head, electricity shot up his spine, and Keigo could’ve swore he’d died and gone to heaven. He felt his org*sm build and found himself struggling to tamp it down because dammit, he didn’t want it to end!

Touya rolled his head back on his shoulders, closing his eyes and soaking up the sounds. He truly did pride himself on his attention to his partner, but every once in a while it was nice to be appreciated. And given the immoral sounds coming from Keigo, the man was appreciating the f*ck out of him. He didn’t have a short refractory period like Keigo, and he had to use every trick in his arsenal to keep from coming time and time again. It wasn’t long before the hero was spilling on the sheets and Touya was changing positions to get him on his side, continuing like nothing happened.

An undetermined amount of time passed as they switched from kneeling to standing to squatting until they were on the floor in missionary with Keigo’s legs draped over Touya’s biceps and his knees to his chest. Sweat dripped from his forehead, too warm despite the cool temperature of the room as he rammed forward until his hips were stuttering and he was coming hard, spilling his cum deep in the other man’s ass. Both heaved heavy breaths as Touya collapsed on the floor with his legs feeling like Jell-O. He’d barely gotten his pants down to his thighs and they were both equally drenched in sweat. He didn’t have to look to know he’d need to change since there was no way he’d get out of this without a single smear of lube or cum. Touya sat up, swiping the back of his hand across his forehead and glancing down at Keigo with his wings splayed out like a dead bird.

“Guess I’d better go teach that f*cking class.” He murmured, climbing to his feet and pulling off his sweatshirt as he walked over to his closet.

Chapter 33: Ethics

Chapter Text

Keigo sat on the floor of the walk in shower in the Todoroki’s massive bathroom, his head leaning against the wall as the hot water cascaded over his shoulders. He didn’t necessarily regret his choices, per se, but there were certainly better decisions he could’ve made. He played the scene of being whisked away in front of Endeavor over and over in his head, his frown deepening with every bit of information he could recall. His indignant squeak of surprise, catching Enji’s eye and feeling the heat of his mortified blush illuminate his cheeks, Touya’s long strides to his bedroom. There was no way this wasn’t going to blow up in his face, not when he was flip-flopping between the former number one hero and one of the world’s most dangerous criminals. Father and son, no less.

His wings fluttered underneath the warm shower water and he groaned miserably, wondering if he’d be able to sneak out of this place without anyone noticing. He’d have to face his choices one day, but maybe for now he could confide in Rumi and hopefully receive some helpful wisdom.

Right, who was he kidding? He was going to go home, list his apartment and everything he owned on Craigslist, and start his life as a wandering monk through the Himalayas.

Keigo eventually tore himself away from the luxuriously softened water (seriously, his feathers had never been so silken before bathing at this estate regularly) and toweled dry, taking an absurd amount of time drying his wings before plucking up the courage to open the door. He was wearing his usual getup and figured if no one caught him between here and the front door, he was home free. He slid his goggles onto the crown of his head before tugging on his gloves and tiptoeing towards his freedom.

He almost made it to the front door. Honestly, he could’ve gotten away with the excuse of being preoccupied, but ultimately didn’t have the heart to keep up the little white lie. His feathers sensed the man’s presence and he slowly turned on his heels with an expression like he was one of the man’s sons caught sneaking out on a school night.

Enji sat on his couch with a laptop on his knees, his eyes glued to the screen. Keigo mentally swore and cursed himself for not just dipping out of the awkward situation. Not because he wanted to ignore everything he’d done, but because his stomach was turning in circles from the anxiety.

“I-I was just, uhh…” He tried to start, glancing away sheepishly and attempting to dredge up a memory or two from his rebellious teenage years under the Safety Commission’s tutelage. The more he tried to think of something scandalous though, the more he was reminded how good (and boring) of a student he was. A situation like this was likened more along the lines of his father beating the snot out of him for leaving their ramshackle home to see the city.

Not a good thing to compare.

Enji hardly paid him any mind as he clicked his mouse and typed something into a word box. Keigo felt something inside himself break as his lower lip trembled and shame filled his heart. It wasn’t necessarily who he was sleeping with that mattered, but it was the lack of communication putting a damper on things. He needed to make a choice, and he was honestly terrified it all came down to his judgement.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, balling his fists and grimacing. That managed to catch Enji’s attention as he flicked his gaze at the blond man. His expression was completely unreadable, but he had a feeling he wanted to say something along the lines of ‘what’s there to apologize for?’

“You deserve more transparency than I’ve been giving you, and it’s because I’ve got a lot on my mind right now, but it’s still not fair and not right.” He elaborated, glancing up and trying his best to keep his composure. It was no use making a spectacle of himself like he was somehow destined to be the center of attention. “If you don’t forgive me, I understand, but I want you to know I meant what I said about how I feel about you, and I wish I had a chance to tell you sooner, before I…”

Keigo glanced away, unable to hold eye contact any longer. He felt his eyebrows furrow in frustration as his fists tightened. “I’ve been telling myself I’d be fine if we just went back to how things were before, when we’d work together and you’d play along with my little jokes, but it’s not true. I’ve been fooling myself about what I really want and at this point I’m just digging myself deeper into a hole… So, I’m sorry.”

Silence filled the space until Keigo mustered up the strength to glance at the other man just in time to watch his expression dissolve into one of mild annoyance. Enji let out a breath through his nose before shutting the lid of his laptop and setting it aside. Keigo was a bit surprised to find him standing and approaching with a look of understanding. He stopped just in front of him and reached out his hands to delicately take Keigo’s in his and gently coaxed his fingers loose.

“I believe you’re mistaking me for some sort of fragile soul.” He muttered, his face entirely serious. The younger man couldn’t help snorting at the words as he attempted to suppress a giggle. Enji cracked a rare smile as the hero acted like his usual self before returning to his own normal stoicism. “It is, however, ultimately your decision. I’d never bother myself with some sort of capricious pursuit, and I hope that aids in your conclusion.”

Keigo’s expression softened, the weight of his actions reminding him he still had a lot of work to do. He felt his stomach somersault again and looked down at Enji’s hands positively engulfing his. An intrusive thought wondered if it was appropriate to place those massive things on his ass when his thoughts were interrupted.

“Hey.”

Keigo glanced up just in time to have a kiss stollen by the taller man, but he didn’t dare criticize him on his tact. Instead, he leaned into it and draped his arms over his shoulders. Enji wrapped his around the other’s slender waist, hiking him into his grasp with no effort at all.

Shattering glass caught both their attention as they were wrenched from their moment to find Natsuo staring in absolute horror as they were caught in the middle of the living room. His water glass lay in pieces across the floor with a puddle at his feet.

In hindsight, not the best time or place.

Keigo wondered if it was too late to affix himself to the bottom of the koi pond.

~0~

Touya’s eyebrow twitched irritably and he tried his best not to reduce his glasses to dust in order to get out of this insipid lesson. First there was no slang permitted in English, yet Shakespeare was heralded as a literary genius, then quantities of elements were measures with rodents, and now math had words. Everyday was filled with new regrets for not just incinerating himself like he’d almost done atop Mt. Setoko.

“Give up yet?” The annoying pink girl asked, causing him to grind his teeth together as he mentally reminded himself do NOT strangle the UA students.

“Definition of a bisector.” He muttered, completely lost and about ready to tap out of this lesson, this whole project be damned. They were working on mathematical proofs which was downright tedious because it was one line crossing another goddamn line so why the f*ck do I have to PROVE sh*t??

“Nope!” Pinky exclaimed, way too animated to be the one in charge of teaching this crap. And to think, he was almost having a good day. “And you’re out of skips, so you’ll have to answer Midoriya’s question!”

Touya made an uncharacteristically tart expression, downright livid he’d agreed to these terms when he knew from the beginning nothing good would come of it. The class was in charge of sending him through a crash course of geometry and so far he’d been excelling at SOHCAHTOA. With every question he got right on the first try he was given the option of answering a question posed by one of the students or accruing one point in order to skip a question. With every question he got wrong, however, he would have to answer a question no matter what if he didn’t have any skips left. Of course, he chose to rack up every point possible so as to not speak to these brats, but with proofs he’d completely decimated his stash and was now left to answer mini-All Might’s entirely invasive inquiry.

“Definition of a line.” He tried again, absolutely hating how miserable he felt.

“Nope! Come on, it’s not that bad!” She attempted to placate him, giving him a radiant smile. Touya wondered if giving her a black eye would turn out the same color as anyone else, or if it'd blossom into some other whimsical color. Her skin tone reminded him of the crayon he favored in his prison group sessions, and he had to convince himself it wasn’t worth it to smash her head into his worksheet to find out if she smeared.

“If the man doesn’t want to answer the question, then move onto the next.” Rock Lock announced from the spectator seats of the classroom, giving Mina a stern glare. He could recognize the former villain was reaching his breaking point and figured it’d be better to suspend the activity than end up with injured third years.

“It’s not that bad of a question! I thought it was actually really nice! And the fact that you won’t talk about it means you have a really good answer!” She insisted, puffing up her cheeks in a pout.

Touya gave her a halfhearted glare from behind his glasses, but she was ultimately right. He stared at the irksome assignment, swearing under his breath. Shoto already tried explaining the process, Midoriya had made it worse, Bakugou had to be escorted from the room after his frustration got the better of him, and he’d already struggled through two other questions.

“Fine. But no more proofs.” He bargained, letting out a withering sigh. Mina jumped for joy.

“Yes, yes! Deal!” She exclaimed.

“Touya-san, if it’s too painful you don’t have to…” Midoriya offered, reaching out a hand of encouragement only to have it swatted away. Touya shot him a glare of annoyance, glad he didn’t have to do any more of these enervating problems and hating that he was being pitied. It really wasn’t that bad of a question; the green haired boy had only asked him when the first time he saved someone was. It was just going to be hard to explain it to this group.

“I’ve never saved anyone in my life.”

Silence filled the room as everyone sat in shock. All this time and that was his answer??

“Baloney!” Mina announced, pointing an accusatory finger at the man. “You told us you set fire to a factory to save a bunch of migrant workers from corporate exploitation, and that you were the one responsible for the bush burning in Hokkaido that stopped the largest forest fire in modern Japanese history, and that you helped take down sex trafficking rings by burning yakuza ranks until their organizations fell apart! When was the first time you ever saved someone!!”

Touya pulled his glasses from his nose and tossed them aside, scrubbing his face with his hands as he felt a headache poking him in the forehead. The class was silent again and he imagined Rock Lock was on the edge of his seat ready to beat him to a pulp if he dared raise a hand against these kids.

“I was sixteen.” He mumbled through his hands, hardly able to be heard. Mina blinked, almost missing what he said before a smile lit up her face.

“I knew it!” She squeaked, her tone much quieter as she did her best to school her emotions. Touya didn’t seem fond of her enthusiasm and she was trying to be accommodating about it, but it was hard to remember at times. Touya dropped his hands and let out a deep breath.

“I’d been living on the street for about two weeks after waking from my coma when I was taken in by a group of strangers and given a home.” He continued, refusing to make eye contact with anyone, even Shoto who was sitting beside him. “There was a house fire and I dragged them all to safety.”

Murmuring rippled through the room as he caught snippets of reactions. They remarked how surprised they were, how noble the action was, and the people were lucky they had someone with a fire quirk nearby.

“How’d the fire start? Was it an electrical issue?” The redhead with the hardening quirk asked, being the first to speak up. Touya felt his brain jumping to conclusions; What did you do? Were you the one to cause it?

“Their meth lab caught on fire.”

DEAD silence. For a moment he was glad for it, finally given a moment of peace after being subjected to nonstop racket. However, he knew it was a telltale sign of judgement. A meth lab? You saved people who cook meth?? What’s the point? They’re a dredge on society, a blight on decency, a stain on humanity. Why do they deserve to live?

The sound of a chair being pushed back caught his attention and Touya made the mistake of glancing in the direction to find Shoto storming out of the room. He watched his youngest brother go, wondering what his disgruntled expression truly meant as he marched out of the classroom and down the hall. Touya turned back to stare at his hands on the table as he twiddled his thumbs in the utter stillness.

Oh well.

The UA students glanced awkwardly between each other, unsure how to proceed after a heavy answer like that.

“They were your friends, right? It was the right thing to do.” Midoriya stated, looking resolutely between his classmates and receiving a few confident nods in return. Touya scoffed.

“No. They were complete strangers.” He muttered. “I’d known them about two days, but the gesture felt like the first act of kindness in my life. They had nothing, and what they were doing was illegal, but they couldn’t find it in themselves to leave a kid alone on the streets.”

Everyone shared another look of concern, suddenly glad Shoto left. It would certainly be a painful thing to hear.

“When I pulled them to safety, I didn’t know what to do, so I ran and hid in the crowd of onlookers. They all stared at the scene, wondering if the people on the sidewalk were alright, and chattering about what kind of hero was going to show up. No one bothered to help. And then…” Touya clasped his hands together and wrung his fingers until his knuckles turned white. “And then they started wishing they’d just died in the fire. They said the house was an eyesore and the people laying there were criminals, that the world would be better off without them.”

Uraraka covered her mouth from the shock, her eyes going wide. Momo placed a hand on her shoulder, indicating she felt the same from the reaction of his story. Others shared mortified looks, unsure what to even say to something like that.

“And?” Rock Lock asked, earning everyone’s attention. “What happened to them?”

Touya gave the other man an unamused expression. “They were taken in an ambulance with a police escort. I imagine they got jail time on drug charges as well.” He answered, leaning back in his chair and already unamused with where this conversation was going.

“As criminals do, I imagine you’re familiar with the situation.”

Touya rolled his eyes.

“The justice system can’t just ignore criminal activity, we have an obligation to enforce it equally without prejudice.” The pro continued, fixing the man with a stern glare.

“A system that allows its citizens to remain disadvantaged. Poke the sleeping dog enough times until it attacks and then write headlines about the streets being overrun by rabid dogs.” Touya murmured, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head and sinister grin on his lips.

“You talk like there isn’t kindness in the world, yet here you are surrounded by your brother’s peers invested in your wellbeing.”

Touya let out a noncommittal hum and wondered where Shoto had run off to. He wasn’t in the mood to discuss hero and villain ethics when he was outnumbered by agents of so-called justice. At this moment, he might even try learning about proofs again.

~0~

Shoto stood outside the door of the west wing conference room, listening to everything his brother had to say. If Rock Lock noticed him from where he was sitting, he didn’t make a commotion about it. The two men bickered and Shoto found himself wanting to burst into the room demanding the hero to shut up and let it go.

As soon as Midoriya had asked the question, Shoto’s heart felt like it seized in his chest. All eyes were on his eldest brother, so no one noticed the mild panic attack he suffered, but watching his brother struggle with the memory of saving someone caused a strange array of grief to flood through his own brain.

He knew Touya’s goal had always been to be a hero, even if it was tarnished with their father’s greed for status and power. However, hearing about his brother’s heroisms had struck a particularly painful cord in his heart. It was even more agonizing to admit the eldest Todoroki son would’ve undoubtedly been one hell of a hero.

Shoto raised a hand to cover his eyes as tears scrolled down his cheeks. Bakugou sat against the opposite wall, turned away out of respect and grimacing as he too found himself siding with the former villain.

Chapter 34: My Way

Chapter Text

Dinner was unimaginably uncomfortable. Fuyumi expected there to be some unease as they all finally shared a meal together after years apart, but she never thought it’d be more awkward than the first time her, Natsuo, Shoto, and their dad sat down for soba. Her mother had also accepted the invitation to dinner and looking out at the crowd, maybe it wasn’t the best time to include her as they shared a soba meal.

Hawks looked like he’d seen a ghost and was uncharacteristically unnerved as if something was eating at his subconscious. Natsuo shared the same discomfort, tinged with a bit more anger like existing at the dining table was physically painful. Even her father seemed like he had a dozen unpleasant things on his mind. Touya had his usual tumultuous appearance whenever they did anything as a family, and Shoto had a screwed-up expression like he’d tasted something repulsive. Midoriya and Bakugou also agreed to stay for dinner with the green-haired young man sharing the same bitter features as Shoto while Bakugou seemed to grow angrier with every passing moment.

“Would all of you shut the hell up?? You’re ruining the food!!” Bakugou announced, slamming his fist on the table to break the silence. Natsuo was the first to his feet and left without a single glance at anyone as he silently marched away.

“Kaa-chan, that was rude!” Izuku whispered, giving the other a peevish frown. “And nobody was talking.”

Bakugou felt a vein throb in his forehead. “Like hell! Their sh*tty energy is loud enough to ruin the taste!!”

Enji was next as he quietly thanked Fuyumi for the meal and left the dining room. She wanted to stop him and remind him that the first few interactions were naturally going to be uncomfortable. However, he was gone before a single word could leave her mouth.

“What on Earth happened?” She asked dismally, leaning her head into her hand as she let out a gloomy sigh.

Shoto stood next, unable to make eye contact with his sister as he thanked her for the food, a shimmer in his eyes like they were brimming with tears. Midoriya excused himself shortly after, bowing profusely as he thanked her for the meal too and apologized for leaving before chasing after the youngest Todoroki.

She glanced at her mother, then at Hawks who seemed completely unaware of the emptying table, to Bakugou who looked as if he was finally enjoying his meal, then to Touya as he slurped up some noodles.

“Please pass the bean sprouts.” Touya requested lightly. Rei picked up the small serving bowl and handed it to Bakugou who then handed it to Touya and the meal continued on.

~0~

Hawks felt a combination of nausea and guilt after dinner, resolving to finally collect some things from his room and head out. He’d overstayed his welcome by several hours, if not days, maybe even weeks, and was surprised Natsu didn’t say anything at the table. Both him and Enji managed to convince the middle son to keep quiet about what he saw which was and incredible achievement. It only worked when they agreed to tell Touya themselves and also when his father cut him a check for enough money to make his eyes grow wide.

That was enough drama to last him a lifetime, he thought, and right now he just wanted to steal the rest of Endeavor’s shochu from the fridge, go home, and drink his problems away.

He disappeared into his room and packed enough things in a bag to mostly be moved out, but when he opened the door, he caught Touya walking back to his room with a small parcel in one hand and a glass of ice in his other. Hawks made the mistake of staring as the redhead paused midstride and noticed what was in the hero’s hand.

“Leaving so soon?” He asked in a curious tone. Hawks darted his gaze away, the corners of his mouth turning down in a contrite scowl.

“I need to catch up on things with my agency.” He replied, not completely fibbing. For the most part he’d been on top of his work with his own agency, even though his people had to take on a heftier workload while he helped out with the Endeavor agency. He certainly wanted to spend some time going over statistics and case files, but it wasn’t dire enough to accomplish on a Saturday evening.

Touya gave a curious hum and tucked the package under his arm in order to free up his hand. Keigo’s scowl deepened as he approached the blond with a mischievous look in his eye, stopping when their noses were barely touching. He reached out his hand to pluck the bag from Keigo’s, then tossed it back into his room before shuffling the hero around to close the door.

“Might I convince you to stay a little longer?” Touya asked, his smile downright sinister. He rattled the ice in the glass as a temptation, but Hawks had no clue what he was insinuating. Before he could ask, Touya pinched his chin with his first finger and thumb, gently swiveling his head one direction then the other before pressing down to open his mouth.

“Stick out your tongue.” Touya requested softly. Hawks raised an eyebrow but complied without a fuss. The former villain admired it and let out a curious hum before patting him on the cheek.

“C’mon.” Was all he said, taking Keigo’s hand in his and leading the man to his room. Hawks stuttered a few more excuses about needing to leave, but it was a fruitless task as he was pushing into the sweltering room. He was ordered onto the bed which prompted a feeling of defiance to swell in his chest while he obeyed nevertheless. Touya set the glass on the nightstand and tossed the box next to Keigo, then climbed onto the bed and into the hero’s lap.

“Take this off.” He ordered next, tugging at his shirt with a suspicious grin. Hawks tried to resist and ended up being helped out of the clothing despite his best efforts. Touya pushed him down to lay on the bed as he shuffled further up to straddle his waist.

“What are you doing?” Hawks asked, his tone greatly annoyed as the redhead began ripping open the box. Inside the plain brown wrapping was a much more decorated box with alternative artwork, but he couldn’t read the label. He watched as that packaging was opened and Touya pulled out a bottle of antiseptic, a package of needles, rubber gloves, and a little bag of… Keigo felt his frown deepen as he started piecing some details together.

“I’m gonna pierce your nipples.”

Ah, naturally.

WAIT…

A lump sank in his stomach at the thought of being stabbed alone in a room with a man that tried to kill him several times. While he’d fiddled with the idea of getting some kinkier piercings, he wasn’t necessarily in the mood right this second.

“What the hell is wrong with you, aren’t you supposed to ask first??” Keigo shot back at him, wriggling in his grasp as he tried the leave and also tried to not get stabbed by the needles on the bed. Touya rolled his eyes as he tugged the second pair of nitrile gloves on.

“Do you want your nipples pierced?” He asked in a bored tone. Hawks gave him an astonished look, wondering if the question had even crossed the other’s mind. He considered it a moment as Touya sat there unwilling to continue until Hawks gave his blessing and relaxed into the bed.

“Fine.” He replied, narrowing his eyes at the other man.

“Good.”

Touya prepped a needle with a silver barbel before fishing in the glass for a piece of ice and setting it on Keigo’s nipple.

“This doesn’t seem terribly sterile.” Hawks murmured, watching at the cube was swirled around his nipple.

“Relax. The first time I did this was with heroin needles, you’ll be fine.”

The idea did not mollify the hero as his chest was then spritzed with disinfectant before the needle was stabbed though. The sensation was unpleasant, but nothing to scream about, as Touya twisted the other end of the barbel in place and admired his work.

“It’s crooked.”

Hawks blinked with surprise and was ready to chew him out for his shoddy craftsmanship when an honest smile lit up Touya’s features. “Kidding.”

Another ice cube went on his other nipple and before long he had a matching set. He looked down at the piercings with silent approval while Touya carefully removed his gloves, figuring they looked fine from what he could see. He was caught off guard when Touya bent down to steal a kiss and put up little resistance as his wrists were captured above his head. He kissed back since it seemed like an appropriate ‘thank you’ considering the man had wanted to do this before he had consent. He regretted the invitation though when Touya began fidgeting until he was kneeling between Keigo legs and grinding his half-hard erection into the hero’s thigh.

“Are you always horny?” Hawks asked, breaking away from the kiss only to have more peppered along his jaw.

“I can appreciate when opportunity presents itself.” He replied in a sultry tone, his hand wandering down to the other’s button and zipper. Hawks squirmed as the other hand continued to hold his wrists in place above his head.

“Quit it, I’m not in the mood.” He grumbled, wishing he’d left this cursed house already.

“Calm down.” Touya replied, using one hand to tug the blond’s pants off his ass. “I’m gonna pierce your dick.”

Hawks felt his eyes pop from his skull as his brain immediately pictured what it’d be like to have that giant needle threading through any part of his dick.

“Absolutely not!!” Hawks declared, squirming more to try and get away. Touya rolled his eyes even harder and let out an annoyed utterance.

“Do you want your dick pierced?” He asked irritably, his hand resting just below his stomach.

“No!!” Hawks retorted indignantly, amazed with the other’s grip strength as he couldn’t break free.

“C’mon, it’s not that bad.” Touya reasoned, his hand sliding over the other man’s abdomen and onto the back of his thigh. He grinded their co*cks together with a wicked smirk as he leaned forward to press a kiss on the ghost of a hickey someone else had left behind. “How else will I know you’re not getting into trouble while I’m away?”

Hawks went rigid and swallowed hard, his face losing a few shades of color.

“I-I don’t… what’re you…?” He tried asking, his voice soft and obviously a lie. He mentally swore and fixed the other man with a feisty expression, hoping this was just more of his paranoia.

“You think I wouldn’t notice?” Touya questioned, worrying the bruised skin below his jaw between his teeth and earning a whimper. “Or the fingerprints?” He slid his hand from the man’s thigh to his lower back, pressing the tips of his fingers into the marks. “As much as I’d enjoy leaving you with a brand, I already have you marked up.” He whispered, sliding his hand further up his back to feel the scar tissue. Hawks sucked in a heavy breath and locked a ferocious glare on the redhead.

“Not funny.” He seethed between his teeth, his wings twitching from where they were pinned against the bed.

“Wasn’t trying to be.”

He removed his hand and traced a line across his abdomen until he was palming his co*ck.

“Touya…” Hawks warned, having to mentally remind himself to keep his composure.

“We could do a frenum piercing to start out with.” He offered, rubbing a thumb over the intended area. “Or go straight for a Prince Albert.”

Hawks failed to stifle a gasp as the man’s thumb was dug over his head and swirled around. He still hadn’t agreed to anything and Touya released his wrists, using that hand to cup the back of his head and press a heavy kiss on his lips. Presented with freedom, Hawks instead chose to wrap his arms over the other man’s shoulders while Touya stroked his shaft.

He almost missed the warning twitch in two of his feathers. It was faint and quite far, but when he finally picked up on the threatening sensation, he pushed the other man away. Touya met him with a displeased frown.

“Something’s wrong.” Hawks stated, sitting up and spreading his wings.

“You’re stalling, either that or you’re delusional.” Touya murmured, pushing him back down on the bed and reaching for the nitrile gloves. Hawks was almost distracted by the redhead trying to bejewel his dick again when he came to a realization. He grabbed Touya by his wrists and tugged him into a position to look right at him.

“What did you do?” Keigo asked low and seriously. Touya gave him a petulant frown.

“I…” He began in a mocking tone, “didn’t do anything.”

Hawks sensed something again, this time it was closer.

“Don’t play stupid games. Tell me what’s happening before someone gets hurt.”

Touya practically snarled at the indication, attempting to release the hero’s hold on him but this time he was the one trapped in place. Keigo’s serious expression was once again overshadowed by his adorable features and he also couldn’t help feeling a pang of guilt at the insinuation anyone here could get hurt.

“As long as no one tries anything, nobody will get hurt.” He muttered, lowering his hands into his lap. Keigo’s eyes widened. “Did you really think they’d give up?”

Hawks blinked, suddenly realizing what was happening.

“You must’ve known they’d either take me back or kill me. Being out of prison like this means less dead bodies.”

Hawks thought back to the breakouts from Tartarus and surrounding prisons, how many guards and inmates had died in the chaos. He recalled the situation where the Todoroki household was broken into and Touya had nearly been taken despite the state-of-the-art security team. Not to mention the time when he found the man on the other side of the koi pond and he swore he’d sensed someone else with him. A click in his mind put some clues together as he looked up at Touya astonished.

“Toga Himiko.” Hawks whispered, realizing the security detail on the Todoroki premises must’ve been breached from day one. It made sense to have her pose as a security officer with her ability to change into anybody once she drinks their blood.

“Let me go, and nobody gets hurt.” Touya reminded the other man, breaking through his thoughts. He stared at the other like he’d spoken another language until a chuckle caught his attention from across the room.

“They really got you, didn’t they, Dabi?”

Both turned to find Toga Himiko sitting on the ledge of Touya’s open window, admiring the two with her trademark sad*stic smile. She was wearing a black tactical uniform with a bulletproof vest, revealing she had indeed infiltrated the security company. Keigo was at a complete loss for words, wondering how she could’ve possibly gotten so close without him ever noticing before he realized his pants were still around his thighs.

“Don’t be such a prude, hero. Not now, anyhow.” Toga said in a sing-song voice, hopping into the room and doing a twirl. “I’ve seen it all, such a naughty, naughty boy.”

Keigo’s face lit up bright pink at the thought, realizing that while the Todorokis owned a substantial amount of land, most of their windows didn’t have covers, or they were rarely used.

Well, he’d certainly let these guards have a show…

“Like he was saying, we’re just here for Dabi. Let him go and no one else gets hurt.” Toga continued, strolling over to the two. Hawks was thankful he still had his underwear on, at the very least. She stopped beside the bed and held out a hand, using her thumb to trace over the staples on his cheeks.

“You poor thing, I know how much pride you took in your scars.” She murmured, her touch tender and sweet. “And your hair… such a godawful color.” She continued, gliding her fingers through the red strands. Touya found himself leaning into the touch.

“They’ve stollen your fire, they’ve destroyed your mind with pills, and they’ve robbed you of your freedom. But don’t worry, Shigaraki and All For One are getting stronger by the day.” She said encouragingly, framing his jaw with her hands as she moved his head to look at her. “We’ll destroy this world and show these worthless heroes what it means to be an outcast.”

Hawks took this moment to strike with a few of his feathers only to lose miserably. Toga’s reflexes were nothing to sneeze at and before he could regret his choice of action, he found a throwing knife in his bicep while she held the feathers he sent to incapacitate her in one hand.

With his wrists freed, Toga coaxed Touya off the bed and pulled him in for a hug, wrapping her arms around his torso and leaning her head on his shoulder. He stared at the sight speechlessly, not sure how to react.

He recalled the day he first left prison for his weekend retreats, how cold he’d gotten as the quirk suppression injection stole his fire and any chance he had at regulating heat in his body. How bitterly frozen and miserable he’d been, how uncomfortable staying in his old room was, how humiliating it was to be taught basic education but a bunch of teenagers. Everything that could’ve made him a sad miserable son of a bitch, but instead he looked back on these past few weeks fondly. Instead of being told to suck it up and deal with the cold, he’d been allowed to raid his siblings’ closets and given unregulated spending power to buy whatever clothes he wanted. At first, he’d hesitated about the medication after being subjected to so many different prescriptions from unqualified doctors, yet because of it he was able to sit and endure situations he’d normally find tedious and mundane. He was able to enjoy himself, and enjoy life, for that matter. He’d bickered with Rumi, yet she still treated him as an equal. He’d challenged Eraserhead, yet the man still wanted to see him succeed. He’d fought against Shoto, yet his brother still advocated for his humane treatment.

He enjoyed watching Yumi teach him to cook, he enjoyed when she went out to her chicken coup and excitedly found the eggs he’d hidden in the nesting boxes from the store-bought carton in the fridge, he enjoyed his brotherly squabbled with Natsu and when they’d shared a couch that one night. He especially adored when Shoto came to him for relationship advice and ended up using it to woo another man.

Toga was right, Dabi really had been captured and subdued. However, because of it he was able to live a life he never thought he’d have a chance to. A boring, domestic one filled with typical family drama.

Of course, he certainly would appreciate more freedom.

Touya took a step back and pushed Toga out of his arms, earning a confused glare when he did.

“Shigaraki always said do what you want.” He stated, turning to find Keigo still clutching his arm with the throwing knife plunged in it. “I want to be a hero, and I want to do it my way.”

Chapter 35: Lost

Chapter Text

Shoto stood on the back deck in the cool of the evening, staring out across the indistinguishable foliage in the distance. His hands were in his jacket pockets, the chill of the night unable to permeate his skin as he used his fire quirk to keep a constant smolder ignited beneath it. He fiddled with the small container in his pocket, wondering if he had any right to take it without Touya’s permission. He had a feeling his brother wouldn’t mind, not when he had them all running errands for him whenever he pleased. Afterall, it’s not like he could leave the house unless he wanted to go back to prison.

He pulled the little carton out and examined it, debating whether he’d get reprimanded or not and ultimately decided that if he could help save the world from total destruction in the middle of high school, he could have one cigarette. He popped the lid quietly and held one in his hand, admiring it with hesitation as he gently flipped it around his fingers before finally situating it between his lips. He lit the tip of his first finger and held it to the end like he’d seen in movies, and when he took his first drag he came back coughing and choking like he’d swallowed something down the wrong pipe.

The door opened behind him and Shoto turned to find Natsuo stepping out and giving him an odd look until the smell hit his nose. He raised an eyebrow and for a moment the younger wondered if his brother was going to reprimand him, only for him to hold out his hand.

“Touya-nii’s?” He asked, plucking a cigarette from the offered carton when Shoto held it out.

“Yeah.” He replied softly, holding up a finger as an offer for a light. Natsu stepped into it and took a drag, letting the smoke curl past his teeth. He joined his brother at the rail and Shoto did his best to not cough up a lung on his next drag. They stood there in companionable silence for a few minutes and Shoto was grateful as he felt the tension in his shoulders lighten a touch.

The door opened again and they both turned expecting to see one of the ladies, only to find their father stepping out into the night. Natsu gave an exceptionally bitter frown, debating whether he should snuff out the rest of the cigarette and go straight to bed.

Shoto looked at the man nervously, ready to hear his disapproval of smoking as he braced himself for the criticism. Instead, Enji held out his hand like his brother had and Shoto raised an eyebrow. He offered the carton and figured the man didn’t need a light as he accepted it and joined the two at the railing.

“What seems to be on your mind?” Enji asked, taking a drag so long it was like he inhaled half the cigarette. Shoto blinked at the sight, then at his which he’d hardly started, and took a small inhale.

“Is that some sort of joke, old man?” Natsuo asked contemptuously, his anger screwing up his expression.

“I know what’s on your mind.” Enji replied, taking another drag practically to the butt, then letting out a heavy breath. “I was asking Shoto.”

Natsu scoffed and turned back to his cigarette, letting the nicotine cool his nerves a touch. Shoto gave the two an odd look but decided not to pry, looking down at his hands and feeling a familiar bubble of anger well up in his chest. It was the same as when he first started UA, when he’d participated in the first sports festival, and everything preceding it. Anger towards his life, anger towards his father, and such ugly emotions causing him heartache and pain. He looked up at Enji to find the man giving him an understanding eye. He didn’t need to say it, he figured it was obvious, but if he didn’t then he was afraid someday he'd turn back into the person he was before he decided to live his own life however he pleased.

“This assignment reminds me we never got to grow up with our big brother, and it’s awful to think about.” He replied, turning back and flicking the ashes into the planter below.

Enji made a noise of agreement and snuffed his spent cigarette between his fingers, then tucked the butt in his pocket. He reached into the carton for another at the surprise of his two sons and ignored their astonished expressions as he lit it and took a drag that wasn’t quite so long.

“I don’t think I could ever properly apologize for what I’ve done, but I can certainly thank you, Shoto, for the work you’re putting in.” He stated, giving his son a sullen expression. “And you as well, Natsuo.” He added, glancing at his middle son. Natsu bristled at the words and thought about throwing them back in his face, but swallowed his resentment before he could.

The door opened again and the three turned, expecting to see one of the ladies, and instead stared in absolute confusion at the intruder. Enji felt his heart sink into his stomach, Shoto gaped with incredulity, and Natsu lost all the color in his face. The sight was like a cold splash of water, like a day hadn’t passed and they were still fighting against the Paranormal Liberation Front with the fate of the world at stake.

“What a lovely estate you have.” The fluttery voice of Shigaraki commented as he carefully stepped through the door and glanced around. They wanted to ask how this was possible, where he’d come from, how he’d gotten this far, when Shoto realized something. Beyond the door looked to be some unfamiliar room, almost as if it was opened into a completely different building. Behind Shigaraki was a dingy industrial setting with rusted scraps, broken tools, and he realized it was probably the work of the man that stepped through with him.

“Apologies, please excuse the interruption, but we’re here for Dabi.” Shigaraki continued, coughing haggardly and having to turn away. Blood seeped through his fingers and dribbled down his chin before he could wipe it off. The war left the young man with multitudinous new scars across every end of exposed skin. His hair was patchy and disheveled, his teeth were chipped or missing, gouges carved ruts of missing flesh into his features, and the harrowing experience of being possessed by All For One was causing an array of nervous ticks. This villain was not well, and it seemed he was desperate to get one of his former senior officers back.

The man he stepped through with shut the door and opened it to reveal the inside of the Todoroki estate once again as two men dragged Rei and Fuyumi out onto the deck.

Enji snarled rabidly and had to be held back by his two sons while Shigaraki gave his ex-wife and daughter an eerie smile.

“It seems Dabi would prefer the lot of you to live through this ordeal unharmed, please don’t make me disappoint him.” He mentioned, his voice almost a purr.

“You can’t have Touya! He’s not some puppet for your creepy master anymore!” Natsuo announced, standing beside his father and puffing out his chest authoritatively. He wasn’t sure how much help he could be in this situation, but he could at least try.

“You think so?” Shigaraki inquired with a thoughtful expression. “Well, why not ask him.”

The villain gestured behind the three men and they all turned to find Touya standing on the deck with his arms folded and a petulant frown on his lips. He regarded his family members boredly before his eyes flicked back to Shagaraki’s vile smirk.

“Tell him, Touya-nii! You’re not going back to The League, you can’t!” Natsu demanded, his face screwing up with emotion. Touya didn’t even bother acknowledging the younger as he strolled past the three and stopped in front of his former boss.

“Touya nii-sama, what are you doing?” Shoto asked, mystified as he watched his eldest brother walk right back to the organization responsible for encouraging the villain Dabi. Touya barely glanced over his shoulder, giving his youngest brother a tumultuous look before turning back to Shigaraki.

“Like I said to your sh*tty goon, all you’ve got to do is ask.” Touya murmured, reaching out a hand to pluck the grip of the unknown man from his mother’s arm. Rei watched as if she was in a daydream, seeing her eldest son take her hand in his as he coaxed her away from the intruders and directed her to the three men still standing near the railing. She reluctantly complied, feeling like she should’ve done more, but was too petrified to act.

“Of course, but I think we can agree that last time was an overreaction, which is why I’m here.” Shigaraki countered, batting Touya’s hand away before he could also free his sister. He gave his boss a testy glare but ultimately lowered his hand. “And as an extension of good faith, I’ll need something from you.”

Touya watched as a grisly knife was pulled from a sheath at the villain’s hip and handed to him. The blade was serrated and the back was hooked like it’s not meant to come out of whatever it’s plunged into. He examined the crass item and glanced back up, awaiting instructions.

“Kill Endeavor.”

Fuyumi struggled in the grip of her captor. “No!” She shrieked, darting her eyes between Touya and Enji.

Touya let out a thoughtful hum and flipped the weapon around in his grasp one more time.

“Easy enough.”

In a split second he flew into his attack. He shoved his mother against the house, elbowed Natsu in the gut before socking him in his cheekbone, then sent a kick into Shoto’s gut along with a fist into his jaw which sent him tumbling over the railing.

Enji watched helplessly as his eldest son attacked the family members who were tirelessly helping him rehabilitate. He watched Rei shrink away with fear as Touya shoved her aside with exceptional force, he watched Natsuo sink to his knees after the wind was knocked from him, and he watched Shoto get sent tumbling away. He hardly even registered his own mortal peril until he finally caught the sight of Touya’s depraved smirk just before the knife was thrust with both hands towards his abdomen.

Fuyumi shrieked at the sound of the blade stabbing through flesh as her father’s eyes widened in shock. Blood dripped in massive quantities onto the deck and all the Todorokis didn’t dare take a single breath.

“I’ll see you in hell.” Touya murmured, twisting the knife with a sickening crunching sound and receiving another pained expression from his father. Enji stared at him in disbelief, his eyes conveying the question he desperately wished to ask; why?

Touya ripped the knife from where it’d been lodged, flicking blood across the deck dramatically as he raised his free hand to pinch the man’s cheeks together until his mouth made an ‘O’.

“Because you deserved it, you sh*t excuse for a father.” He seethed between his teeth, smearing blood over the man’s face before planting his hand on his stomach and giving him a shove. Enji toppled backwards with an enormous sound as blood continued to soak into his shirt. Natsu stared in horror at the scene, his mind racing endless as he willed his body to f*cking MOVE!

“DAD!!” Fuyumi and Shoto shouted in unison. The man holding onto Fuyumi smacked her as a reminder to compose herself while another man caught Shoto mid-attack to stop him from fighting Touya.

Shigaraki laughed at the scene before going into a slow clap. “A great performance, truly. The man finally tries to be a father and gets killed by the son he abandoned.” He commented, then snapped his fingers at the one he came in with.

“This man has the ability to link any door he’s walked through together. Thanks to Toga, we were able to sneak him onto the property in preparation for this night.” He explained as the aforementioned guy opened the door to reveal the same destination they just arrived from, then pointed to the next man. “That one over there can turn his body into metal, so little Shoto is going to have a hard time burning or freezing him.”

Touya scoffed and threw the knife in his hand at the man still holding onto Fuyumi, lodging the blade into the wall beside him.

“Whatever, just let her go and get me out of here.” Touya complained, strolling up to the man with his usual bored saunter. Shigaraki raised his hand like he was about to snap before the sound of a window breaking caught everyone’s attention.

“Shigaraki!!” Toga screeched at the top of her lungs as she dashed across the property closer to the light. A shape swooped after her followed by two others hopping out the window. “It’s a trap!”

Shigaraki blinked, letting the words sink in a moment before he slowly turned to find Touya with a disappointed glower as he used a hand to rub the back of his neck.

“Dammit, Keigo.” He muttered under his breath before stepping aside. Shigaraki didn’t have a moment to react when a cordon of flames was sent billowing for him, eliciting a scream of agony as everyone else dove out of the way. Touya snagged his mother and Natsu, dragging them from the heat to kneel behind Enji as he sent a continuous barrage to incinerate the villain.

Rei glanced between the three men, glad that Touya no longer had a demented expression darkening his face, and wondered what happened.

“Touya-nii, your hand...” Natsu muttered, reaching for the one covered in blood. Touya retracted it, squeezing it into a fist and losing several more drops of blood.

“It’s fine.” He gritted out, glancing over to find Shoto in the midst of battle with the metal-man.

Rei watched him hop over the railing to help Shoto, Keigo, Izuku, and Katsuki subdue the rest of the intruders. A realization dawned on her that instead of stabbing her ex-husband, Touya must’ve plunged the knife into his own hand with the tip of the blade just barely sinking into the flesh on his gut. She reached down at where he’d been holding her to find more blood, along with what was smeared over Enji and across the deck. It was all Touya’s blood.

“ENOUGH!!” Shigaraki demanded, using a combination of powers leftover from All For One to send Enji flying backwards. Natsu shielded his mother against the wall of the house, protecting her from the attack. When the fire was gone and his regenerative power began slowly patching him together, he turned to his newest warp-quirk member. “Banish them all, I don’t care where.” He ordered, stepping through the door back to the industrial setting he’d originally come from. Enji leapt to his feet, but he was too late. When the door opened again, a fierce and icy wind almost knocked him over along with a flurry of snow. He shielded his eyes from the blast and was barely able to see his daughter being dragged towards the frozen harshness.

“Fuyumi!!”

Shoto glanced away from his fight for only a moment as he heard his father cry out in anguish and watched as his sister was shoved through the door into what looked like a snowy wasteland. When she was pushed in, she fell like she’d fallen through the floor with a cry of terror before disappearing.

“Yumi!!”

Shoto took a step, instantly forgetting about his fight, along with his opponent with the ability to not only turn his body into metal, but to manipulate its shape as well.

The sound of steal piercing flesh brought the youngest Todoroki back to his senses as he suddenly remembered his surroundings and turned to find Touya standing behind him.

With a jagged sword impaled through his side.

Touya sunk to his knee, gripping the blade extending from the man’s hand until he jerked his arm and snapped it off.

Shoto stared in horror as he crumpled further to the ground, his extensive blood loss making him extraordinarily lightheaded along with the shock of being stabbed.

Touya swore under his breath. While his nerves were mostly shot from all the burns he’d sustained over his life, every once in a while he was able to experience excruciating pain. It was nothing compared to when he was younger, but it certainly was a surprise.

Shoto sounded like he was underwater as he shouted his name. He wanted to tell his little brother to f*ck off and bother someone else, you shrimp but it turned out both his brothers were gifted with some impressive height genes. It wasn’t fair being the oldest and ending up practically the same height as his little sister.

Oh, and he was dying.

He didn’t hear as his name was called out by several people in various flavors of desperation. He didn’t feel as he was dragged across the courtyard by his hair, and he honestly didn’t even feel as he was chucked through the blizzard door until something stopped his fall and reminded him he was still skewered. His injuries ripped and tore at the jostling and he wanted to shout at whomever it was to fly with some sensibility, dammit!! until he caught sight of the red feathers and realized his darling Keigo must’ve jumped in to rescue him.

Too bad for them both, however, since feathers aren’t best suited for torrential windstorms. It wasn’t long before they were sent careening into a cliffside and found themselves deposited on a bank of snow.

He might not feel a lot of things, but he could certainly feel the cold.

Temperatures that felt well below freezing sucked the warmth from any exposed skin he had, locking his joints, and sending endless shivers tearing through his limbs. Touya did what he could to curl into a ball and let out an earsplitting shout, mentally cursing his luck since it wasn’t likely anyone could hear him anyways.

That’s right, Keigo…

Touya glanced up through his incessant shivering, looking for the shape of the hero in the darkness of the blizzard until his eyes landed on a motionless shape slowly being covered in snow. He willed his body to reach out and drag himself across the expanse until he found his little bird unconscious in the snow. A line of blood ran from his temple down his jaw and Touya realized he must’ve landed face-first into the cliffside.

Speaking of…

He looked up as best he could through the flurry of snow, searching for where they came from and suddenly finding it when something bright came shooting through. In his delirious state, he didn’t question why there was a steal door affixed to the side of some mountain. He briefly wondered if it was Shoto or Endeavor and realized it probably didn’t matter since there was no way they’d find him as he was slowly being covered in all this snow…

“Touya-nii!”

Ah… what a clever boy…

Touya pried open his eyes, wondering how long he’d been out as Shoto kneeled beside him and shook his shoulders.

“Come on, let’s go!” He insisted, draping his older brother’s arm over his shoulder and about to pick him up like a fainted damsel when Touya gripped the collar of his shirt in his hand.

“Find… Yumi… first…” He managed to say between chattering teeth.

“We’ll find her, I promise.” Shoto tried to insist before he was slugged in the eye by his eldest brother. Touya collapsed in the snow and coughed until there was blood.

“Touya-nii, we have to get back.” Shoto insisted, trying again only for Touya to grip the collar of his shirt in both hands when he was close enough.

“If you… let her die… I…” He swallowed, “will kill you.”

Shoto stared long and hard at his brother before finally nodding and dashing off into the blizzard. Touya watched him disappear into the swirling snow, turning back to Hawks when he could no longer see his brother. He dragged himself to the hero and brushed some snow from his eyelashes, patting his cheek to get him to wake up.

“Get up, you lazy bird.” He ordered, smacking him a little harder. Keigo’s eyes fluttered delicately before he went back to sleep. Touya sighed, figuring that was some decent progress and draped himself over the other man’s chest. He was warm compared to the snowstorm, but he knew it wouldn’t last long since the hero wasn’t wearing his jacket.

Crunching footsteps broke through his hazy brain and he drearily looked up at the shape, ready to beat the snot out of his littlest brother if he came back without Yumi.

“I’ve got you.”

Touya crinkled his nose as he felt himself being dragged into the arms of his father. The man was an absolute furnace in this blizzard, which was extremely well received, except for the principle of the subject.

“Let go of me.” He demanded, his voice low and murderous, but his movements slow and sluggish. Damn all that blood loss.

“Never again.” Enji responded, pulling him closer. Touya did his best to struggle, but it was nose use in the man’s insufferable grasp.

“I’d rather freeze to death.” He countered.

“Not if I can help it.”

Touya groaned irritably, knocking his head into the man’s chest and giving up. He groped around his stomach until he found the blade lodged there and gave it a bitter scowl.

“Then make yourself useful and cauterize this.” He groused, getting a good grip on the blade and tugging a bit. It felt like if he gave it one good yank it’d come out no problem, but he’d definitely bleed to death in no time.

Enji gaped at the thought, protesting incessantly and trying to grab hold of his wrists, but it was no use. Touya dislodged the weapon with a single grunt of exertion and threw it aside, immediately staining the snow red. Enji swore profusely as he shoved his hands up his son’s clothing on either side of the puncture wound to burn it shut. Touya choked down a scream as he convulsed in his father’s arms and Enji was reminded of Mirko in the Nomu lab. In an instant, the nightmare was over, and they were left to embrace in the snow.

Enji figured his eldest passed out from the pain, but they’d have to find a doctor soon before he succumbed to sepsis or some infection. He juggled Touya with one arm wrapped around his back and under his knees, then reached out with his free hand to check Keigo for a pulse. It was weak and flighty, but still there. He tugged the young hero into his grasp as well, draping his arms over his shoulders and securing his hand underneath the blond man’s booty.

A wheezing gasp alerted Enji that Touya had awoken as he began mindlessly fidgeting.

“Relax, it’s just me.” He reassured, wondering if that could really pacify the other.

Touya groaned pathetically, answering Enji’s silent question.

“Looks like I’ve been burned by your flames again, Endeavor.” Touya whispered, his taunting smile evident in his tone. Enji frowned cantankerously at the thought, wondering when his son had become such a cheeky brat. “Where’s Shoto? I want him to carry me, he smells better.”

Enji ground his teeth together. “He’s out looking for Rei, Natsuo, and Fuyumi. Would you quit being so dramatic?” He urged, suddenly wishing he had a free hand to cover his mouth.

“When the hell did those two fall in here?” Touya asked, not remembering them being tossed in.

“Rei jumped in after Fuyumi, and Natsuo went after her. By the time I came through, Kamui Woods, Mt. Lady, and Wash were rounding up the last of the villains.” He explained, climbing to his feet with the two in his arms and glancing around, trying to see if he could spot Shoto.

“T-The door…” Touya started before dissolving into a coughing fit.

“It closed almost immediately after I came through. We’re trapped here, wherever here is.”

Touya made a sound of nonchalant amusem*nt, his eyes fluttering from fatigue. Enji couldn’t help trying to recall the last time he’d fallen asleep in his arms, when he was just a toddler. Back in a time when he’d demand Enji pick him up and carrying him around the house. He glanced out at the snowstorm and spotted something in the distance, what looked to be Shoto sending a signal. He lit the crown of his head on fire in response, making sure the flame was large enough until two bursts shot off. It was a code they’d developed; Enji asked ‘do you need assistance’ and Shoto replied ‘no’. It sounded like he’d be coming to them. Every sixty seconds he shot off another tower of flames and Shoto continued to respond with two bursts until he could see he son using his ice powers to ski up the mountain. Natsu, Fuyumi, and Rei were also on the ice toboggan, and he let out a heavy breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“Dad!” Fuyumi called out, sandwiched between her brother and her mom. With her quirk being ice and the ability to withstand intense heat, she wasn’t suited for being in this weather and he was relieved to see she seemed okay. “Is that Touya? Is he alright?” She asked hesitantly, noticing the crumpled forms in his arms and then seeing the blood. Shoto stepped off the toboggan with a sullen look in his eye, obviously feeling guilty as the one who got his brother stabbed.

“I’ll make us a shelter. Can’t do much in this weather, and we’re better off getting some rest.” Shoto stated, rubbing his hands together and letting out a deep breath. He’d been working on the preciseness of his ice sculpting and in no time constructed an enormous igloo with thick walls. It did an incredible job blocking out the wind, but with it he also blocked out what little light they had. Enji ignited his hair along with his facial hair and everyone blinked rapidly at the brightness.

“I guess I’ll go out and look for firewood.” Shoto stated, lighting up his fire side and heading for the smoke vent in the top.

Silence filled the ice structure along with awkwardness. Enji glanced out at his family, finding Natsu glaring daggers at him, likely for who was in his arms, and he glanced away in shame.

“Poor Keigo, did he hit his head?” Fuyumi asked, walking up to her father and reaching out a hand to brush the other man’s blond hair from his face. Keigo stirred at the touch and made a disgruntled expression, clasping a hand on his head.

“What the hell happened? My head is killing me.” He whined, collapsing back into Enji’s arms.

“You flew face first into a cliff, dumbass.” Touya muttered. Hawks groaned.

“Dammit, not again.” He grumbled, letting out a sigh. Fuyumi couldn’t help giggling at the comment and walking around to pry open one, and then his other eye. “Ouch!” He complained, hiding his face in the crook of Enji’s neck.

“You’ve probably got one heck of a concussion, one of your pupils is huge.” She observed, earning another groan.

“Just what I need in the middle of nowhere; brain swelling.”

“Can’t be that bad, considering how small a hawk’s brain is.” Touya quipped. Keigo took a moment to realize what he said and shot him a dirty look.

“Alright, settle down.” Enji muttered, glancing around to find somewhere comfortable to sit. He found Rei sculpting something with her quirk and was surprised to see an ergonomic lounge chair made for multiple people.

“Way to go, mom!” Fuyumi declared. Enji walked over and examined it, wondering how it worked when Rei took his arm and guided him into it. The seating was arranged so when Enji was sitting in the middle, Keigo could sit on one side, Fuyumi could sit on the other, and Touya could be seated in his lap.

Touya made a disgusted face at his predicament. “I’d rather freeze to death in the blizzard than be subjected to this.” He pointed out, trying to climb from where he was being held captive with no success.

“I dunno, you did team up with dad to fight against Shigaraki.” Fuyumi pointed out with a sly smile.

“What?? No way, did you get pictures?” Hawks teased with a laugh.

“It was circ*mstantial, get over it.”

Fuyumi ignored her brother. “They were so cool. Touya pretended to kill dad and then he blasted Shiggy with his Flash Fire Fist!”

“Wow, that was a team up!”

“Shove it, you’re making me nauseous.”

Rei busied herself by pulling her blouse from underneath her sweater before situating herself on the ice lounge chair where Touya and Enji’s knees were. She then brought Enji’s hands together as a cup and picked up a large pinch of snow, setting it in his grasp.

“Boil, please.” She instructed. Enji followed her direction without question, boiling the water and then releasing it onto her blouse. She then used the damp fabric to wipe their son’s blood from her ex-husband’s face before reaching down to start unzipping Touya’s jackets.

“Leave me out of this, I’ve been demeaned enough.” He stated forcefully, but Rei didn’t listen. She gently tugged his sweatshirt and t-shirt up, revealing the burn that was nearly a complete hand print. Touya sucked in a shaky breath, his hands moving to push his mother away but was thwarted when Enji clasped them in his own and held them to his chest. He turned up the temperature of his skin to hopefully help, and Rei got to work cleaning the wound.

“It’s no use. Who knows what sh*t-hole those goons crawled out of; whatever diseases I’m gonna get are sealed under the burns.” He tried to reason, attempting to wriggle free and failing miserably.

“Almost done.” Rei murmured, doing what she could with the puncture wound on his back. Just as Touya wondered how much longer his family members were going to torture him, a horrifying thought crossed his mind.

“What time is it.” He asked, his eyes growing wide as he hoped by some miracle he put them in his pocket.

“Almost eight, why do you ask?” Fuyumi questioned, realizing something serious was up. Touya groaned, holding his hands to his face as tears collected in his eyes.

“No… no no…” He muttered. Rei covered his stomach again and zipped up his jackets. “My pockets.” He insisted, waiting for his father to release him as he reached down with shaky hands. “f*ck…”

“What’s the matter?” Natsu asked, taking a seat on a pile of snow beside Fuyumi. Touya grimaced, hating he had to admit it.

“I didn’t take my pills.” He whispered, his face once again buried in his hands. Natsu blinked.

“Well, I’m sure it’s not that big of a deal if you skip one day.” He tried to be helpful, but Rei shot him a look and shook her head.

She gently reached out to take his hands in hers, slowly pulling them from his face as she circled her thumbs along the back of his hands.

“Whatever happens, just know that we love you and we’re here for you.” She stated, not even blinking as she looked him in the eyes. “Right?” She asked, directing the question at everyone else. They all glanced between each other and nodded. Touya let out a shaky breath and nodded as well.

Chapter 36: The No-Good Terrible Day

Chapter Text

Enji used every relaxation tactic at his disposal to remain completely still after Touya finally stopped fighting his fatigue. He didn’t want to have to deal with his son’s grumpy attitude more than necessary and being in a frigid snowy wasteland wasn’t giving them a lot of options to separate. Shoto eventually returned after a few trips with firewood and in no time the igloo was warm and toasty. Natsu forfeited his sweater to his sister who had a harder time retaining heat and they all settled in for the night. Enji was still surrounded with Hawks on one side, Touya in his lap, and Fuyumi on the other side while Natsu was a short distance from his sister and Rei took up a spot at the end. Shoto attempted to establish residence away from the group, but with a stern look from his father and silent command, he ended up constructing himself a lounging spot nearby on the other side of Hawks.

With the still of the night and the silence of the room only interrupted by the crackle of fire, most of the occupants were snoozing in no time. Enji warned Hawks he wasn’t allowed to fall asleep for long and as he began sliding down the ice lounge seat, Enji wrapped an arm around and hiked him back up. The blond stirred at the handling, momentarily confused until he remembered what was happening. He mumbled something about being sleepy and Enji being mean which elicited an agitated huff from the older man as he wrapped him tighter, placing his hand on the hero’s chest. As he did, his thumb brushed against something oddly metallic, and he raised an eyebrow. He rubbed the bead a few more times and Keigo felt a fluttering in his gut when he realized Enji found his newly gifted nipple piercings. He glanced up at the man with a flustered grin which was met with unperturbed stoicism.

Enji flicked the piercing a few more times and silently enjoyed Keigo’s weak attempts to fidget out of his grasp.

He was nice enough to leave the younger alone for the most part, allowing him to fiddle with his much larger hand to try and stay awake. Hawks traced the creases on his palm, slowly bending and flexing his fingers like he was a marionette.

Hawks managed to stay awake a little while longer before drifting off again, and Enji let him, but with the concussion it was in his best interest to nudge him awake every half hour or so.

Everyone else ended up falling soundly asleep for several hours as the fire slowly died down. Shoto had built it up well to last this long, but Enji could feel the cold creeping in and knew it would start bothering the three surrounding him soon. He tried getting Natsu’s attention, but his middle son slept like the dead. No amount of whispering his name or snapping a burst of fire in front of his face did much more than make him roll over. He turned to Shoto next, and it didn’t take quite as much effort to get his attention.

Shoto sat up blearily and rubbed his eyes, then glanced over to find his dad pointing at the dying fire. He nodded in understanding and stood, stretching after being on the hard ground, then walked over to stir the ashes and set the last of the wood on top. Even though he did so as quietly as possible, the popping of the fire still caused his family members to slowly wake, and Enji tried to stay motionless when he felt Touya move.

The eldest Todoroki son let out a grouchy mumble and pried open his eyes. His joints were unimaginably stiff, his abdomen still felt like it was skewered, and this was far from the first time he woke up in some completely unfamiliar place with grievous injuries. His mind danced between prison, the League of Villains, and his transient years, but none of it seemed right. His brain felt foggy like a bad hangover, but he also remembered swearing off alcohol the last time he got hammered beyond recognition and somehow ended up in Hokkaido during fire season.

An unpleasant squeeze in his gut along with excessive salivating in the back of his throat alerted him to a displeasing outcome, and as he tried to wriggle out of whatever he was tangled in, he glanced back and found Endeavor giving him an uncertain look. Touya stared motionlessly and turned a few shades greener.

“f*ck.” He whispered, shoving against the man’s chest with one hand and clasping his mouth shut with the other. When Enji was given the universal sign of needing to vomit, he tried to help his son only to have his hands slapped away as Touya gracelessly climbed over Keigo.

“Ouch, hey!” He whined, attempting to get out from underneath the redhead as he was mercilessly elbowed and kneed repeatedly. Touya managed to crawl a short distance and hurled what was left in his stomach where the ice wall met the ground.

Hawks gave the action a displeased scowl, not because of the proximity, but because it broke his own resolve after he spent the better part of the night trying not to puke up his guts from the concussion. He reluctantly joined Touya along the wall and it wasn’t long before Fuyumi was there too with a case of morning sickness.

“Anybody else?” Enji grunted, grimacing at the sight. Shoto and Natsuo shook their heads in sync, quietly pitying the three.

“I’ll see if it’s clear enough to head out.” Shoto offered, lighting up his left side and heading for the smoke vent. Natsu shot him a dirty look since he got to vacate the puke dome.

Not to mention he had to pee.

Touya collapsed on his side, shivering and out of breath. Keigo and Yumi exchanged a worried look before the hero reached out a hand to brush his hair aside and the young woman pressed the back of her fingers to his temple.

“Can’t say I’m surprised he has a fever.” She murmured, placing her hand on his shoulder. “But we need to get him to a doctor, quick.”

Everyone agreed and when Shoto returned saying the sun was rising and the sky was clear, everyone felt a glimmer of hope.

When Enji stood and stretched, his back popped in five different places. It was a satisfying feeling, but as he walked over to lend a hand to Touya, he watched his son’s pupils contract like a cornered animal. The young man moved with a speed that was concerning for his injuries as he avoided his father’s offered hand as if it was poisonous and regarded him like he was just as lethal.

“Don’t touch me!” Touya demanded, bristling with disdain. Enji retracted his hand slowly, his features sinking as he recalled what his eldest had admitted last night. He didn’t have a chance to take his daily medication and from what he knew about Rei’s time in the hospital, it was an awful experience to suddenly quit. Nausea, fatigue, even hallucinations were to be expected from the withdrawal symptoms. Touya thrust his hand forward like he was trying to summon his flames and nothing more than a puff of smoke escaped his palm. He turned his hand and stared incredulously like he couldn’t believe what had just happened before narrowing his eyes dangerously and gritting his teeth.

“Touya-nii, we have to go.” Shoto stated, coming up from behind Enji with a hand on his father’s shoulder. “We have to get your injuries looked at by a doctor.” He continued as he took a step forward and kneeled. He held out his hand like his father had and watched as his eldest brother recoiled with disgust. His forehead was obviously damp from the fever but his whole body was shivering from the cold, and he looked like he was living in a nightmare.

Touya couldn’t believe his misfortune. First, he woke up sticky from his own blood and excruciatingly sore all over just to find out he was in the clutches of Satan himself. He managed to escape, thankfully, but not before he was doubling over and throwing up a bloody co*cktail of maggots and leeches. The sight was horrific as panic shot through his veins and he felt a scream choked off in the back of his throat. He wanted to shout, but nothing could escape. He wanted to run, but his legs wouldn’t listen. A demonic shape had appeared beside him, dumping a trough of vile sludge alongside him before another unpleasant squelching sound came from his other side when he realized he was surrounded and outnumbered. He wouldn’t consider himself suicidal, but he also wasn’t willing to fight tooth and nail to cling to this existence. Maybe if he was compliant they might drag him into their organization and accept him as one of their own, teach him their demon ways, and count him amongst their ranks.

If he could survive the League of Villains, he could survive Hell. Something brushed its tendrils unpleasantly against his forehead and he realized he’d collapsed to his side. He wanted to yell at the thing to back off and give him some f*cking space! until a soothing touch graced his temple, and the voice of an angel made him open his eyes. He looked out of the corner of his eye and found his little sister kneeling beside him. How’d she wind up in Hell? He wasn’t surprised it was his final destination, but if Fuyumi was here then maybe he wasn’t actually dead.

A fever? Yeah, maybe she was right, maybe he could use a doctor.

He didn’t want to think about where he was or the company he was forced to be near, just Fuyumi who seemed to be the only one that wouldn’t be tempted to peel his skin layer by layer. He wondered how they’d be getting themselves out of this mess when the light from the hellfire a short distance away was blocked by Satan reaching a hand for his throat. He tensed alarmedly and shrank away, wishing more than anything these people would stop f*cking touching him.

Touya yelled something and thought about yelling some more, but his brain lost its connection to his mouth once again as he struggled to form words. He wanted everybody to just shut up and leave him the f*ck alone, but when he tried using his quirk nothing happened. He stared in horror as the one constant in his life was suddenly unreliable and wanted to scream when another demon approached him like Satan had.

Go away!!

Leave me alone!!

“Touya nii-sama.”

Fuyumi’s voice was soft and gentle, but Touya couldn’t help how fast his head snapped in her direction. His hand stopped inches from her cheek when he realized what he was about to do, and dread filled his heart. Hit her? Was he really about to hit her? He swallowed hard and thought of a thousand ways to beg for her forgiveness, but nothing came out.

Fuyumi reached up and clasped his hand in hers. Her brother’s were only a touch colder than her own and she desperately wished she’d done more quirk training to get a better handle on Endeavor’s fire.

“Please, Touya nii-sama. We need to go and get you help, and dad needs to carry you. Please?” She begged, her eyes glistening. She didn’t know what she’d do if he said no. There was no way they’d last if any of them split up, they had to do this together.

Touya felt his heart sink as he stared at his sister. Dad? Was trying to help? He flicked his shaky gaze at where she was indicating and watched as the fiery shape of Satan slowly morphed into spiky red hair and tired blue eyes. That’s right, Shigaraki broke in last night and tried to take him back. He was perfectly willing to go if it meant no one got hurt, but seeing his mom and sister being threatened had thrown him into an odd sense of anger. Even when Shoto, the one practically responsible for him becoming an invisible failure, was about to be cut down he jumped in without hesitation.

Movement between Fuyumi and Endeavor caught his eye and Touya faced it to find the shape of Shoto morphing back from whatever demonic vision his mind was conjuring up.

LSD was a way better trip than whatever the f*ck was happening right now.

Shoto offered his hand once again and Fuyumi loosened her grip. He took another moment to consider his options and concluded that if he could trust Yumi, and Yumi trusted Shoto, then he figured it couldn’t get much worse than it already was. He accepted the outstretched hand and found himself being hoisted in the air like a damsel in distress.

When did his littlest brother get so muscly? He still remembered the scrawny little nerd he’d tormented at the Wild, Wild puss*cats’ hideout. Shoto ignited his left side where he was supporting Touya’s back and Touya couldn’t help leaning his head into his shoulder.

Natsu approached and Touya regarded him hesitantly as he hovered between the familiar shape of his younger brother and some hellish apparition. He took Touya’s hand in his, squeezed it, and suddenly the room around turned a little more normal. It was still weird to wake up an igloo, but at least there weren’t any more bugs crawling up the walls.

“Shall we go?” Shoto asked. Everyone nodded in agreement and Shoto constructed a set of stairs, simultaneously snuffing out the fire beneath the smoke vent in the ceiling.

Chapter 37: Descent

Chapter Text

When they emerged from the igloo the snow had collected up the side of the structure as if they were coming from underground. Hawks was clinging to Enji’s back like a jetpack while Fuyumi was draped in his arms like a princess and Natsu went stumbling away to get some privacy behind a large rock. Enji and Shoto exchanged a glance, mentally agreeing he had the right idea, so the guys and the girls went their separate ways.

“You’re the best little brother a guy could ask for.” Touya murmured wistfully as Shoto stood behind him to make sure he didn’t fall over while taking a leak. Shoto gave an unamused frown but decided not to comment. Which was for the best while the dark, ominous smoke conjured from Touya’s tormented mind encircled them cryptically, waiting for any chance it could get to strike.

“Hey!” Natsu interjected, a little miffed as a little brother himself.

“Alright, that’s enough.” Enji stated, collecting Hawks onto his back again. “We need an escape plan, any ideas on where we are?”

All the guys shook their heads, wondering if they were even still in Japan while Touya tried to ignore the blood he just pissed into the snow. These hallucinations were really getting out of hand, and he was starting to get annoyed about it. It was one thing for Endeavor to flip flop between himself and whatever image of Satan his brain decided to fabricate, but the physical alterations were almost too realistic to ignore.

Shoto glanced over his eldest brother’s shoulder to see if he was finally done and blanched at the color of the snow.

“Whatever we do, we’d better hurry.” He stated resolutely as Touya struggled to button his pants again. He paused at that line, looked back at the snow, and swallowed hard.

Uh oh… Maybe it wasn’t a hallucination.

They met up with the girls again to strategize but Touya couldn’t find the strength to pitch in. Shoto was nice enough to give him a piggy-back ride and he did a decent job extending his heat into the right side of his body. It took a bit more concentration, and his left side was warmer, but it was still pleasant. Touya leaned his head on the younger’s shoulder and stared up at the steel door affixed to the side of the rockface. It was literally secured by the side of the jamb and seemed to be exclusively used by the quirk user to banish people to their deaths atop this mountain. He wondered how the guy got it up there since he didn’t look terribly fit. There was an ice structure that resembled a slide beneath it, and he figured it was either Yumi or his mom who made it to break their fall.

He wondered how many dead bodies were buried beneath this snow.

Somehow, they came up with a plan for Shoto to construct another toboggan, one that could hold them all, and they would all glide peacefully down the mountain. The way everyone talked made it sound delightful, fun, and pleasant, but in actuality it contended for one of the worst plans Touya ever found himself subjected to. First, he was sandwiched between Endeavor and Natsuo with his protests shamelessly ignored. The idea was that the two large men would be good insulation to keep him warm, but as the second to last person in the back, when the ice toboggan picked up speed, he felt like he was being flattened into a pancake. The incline of the mountain steepened, gravity took hold, and his motion sickness kicked in.

Yet, somehow, that wasn’t the worst of it.

Enji wanted to trust his youngest, he really did, but as they approached a blind precipice, he had a feeling they were on course to fly over a cliff. He shouted “Shoto!!” over the roar of the wind, but it was too late. The group was sent hurtling into the air into what looked like a drop hundreds of feet tall.

Everyone screamed. Shoto had a quick moment to regret his decisions before his hero training kicked in and he remembered the ice slide his sister had made.

Enji’s mind raced as his own hero experience flooded his brain trying to come up with solutions. Everything involved landing dangerously and with only one and a half fire users plus an injured bird, it wasn’t enough to fly his family to safety. He realized everyone’s life was in Shoto’s hands and he hoped his son really was up to the task.

The closer they came to the ground, the louder Fuyumi and Natsuo screamed. Rei seemed to have the same revelation as Enji and placed all her faith in their youngest son, Hawks probably had some plan to bail soon and save as many Todorokis as he could, and Touya seemed to be hovering on unconsciousness.

Shoto timed their descent, watching as they sailed closer and closer to the ground until he finally shot out a runway of ice and the toboggan touched down like a skillfully executed airplane landing sequence. It didn’t stop the two middle siblings from screaming their heads off as they rocketed through the mountain landscape and finally started seeing a drop in the snow levels as they continued gliding down the mountain. They eventually came to a point where the snow was just a dusting and Shoto was running out of stamina. He slowed their speed gradually by changing the texture of the ice until they stopped completely, and everyone piled out of the toboggan to catch their breath. Touya was the only one left behind as he leaned over the edge and heaved a small amount of stomach acid.

“Damn you… Shoto…” Touya muttered, closing his eyes and trying to make his head stop spinning.

“I guess that makes me the favorite little brother again.” Natsu joked with a cynical chuckle.

Enji was laying on the frosty dirt to calm his racing heart and clear his head. As everyone started to regain their composure after the chaotic fiasco, he sat up and observed the situation. Fuyumi was leaning against her mother and rubbing her stomach, looking like she could be sick at any moment as well. Hawks was propped up by a tree with his legs stretched out in front of himself, Shoto was crouched down with his head between his knees, and Touya was back to shaking from a combination of the chill, his injuries, and his fever. Natsu and himself seemed to be the only ones coming back to normal and Enji felt an old, ugly, familiar simmer of rage bubbling up. In the brief time they were able to spend together, Rei had taught him some of her relaxation techniques learned from therapists. The Flaming Sidekickers had also offered their expertise and opinions in his attempt to connect more organically with his family. This, however, was inexcusable. He wanted to tamp it down, he wanted to count to thirty, he wanted to think before he spoke, but something inside him snapped.

“Shoto!!” He bellowed, climbing onto his shaky legs. Everyone fell silent as they watched Endeavor stalk over to the aspiring hero. Shoto glanced up just as his father approached, his eyes growing wide as the man took him by his upper arm and yanked him up to stand. “What the hell were you thinking??”

Shoto stammered, at a complete loss for words as he felt himself shrinking beneath his father’s intense glare like he was five years old again.

“Something so careless could have killed somebody! It’s like you don’t have a shred of common sense!!” He declared, shaking his son for emphasis. Shoto broke his gaze to glance out at his family and Hawks, his eyes flicking to each person as three of them looked especially pathetic. Deja vu practically smacked him in the nose when he saw Natsu, Yumi, and his mom’s expressions that were very reminiscent of his childhood.

“I…” He started, trying to speak to every rise and fall of emotion he was feeling.

“These are peoples’ lives… your family’s lives!! How could you be so negligent??”

Shoto felt angry tears gathering in his eyes. Him?? Negligent?? Of all the times Endeavor had struck his children, berated them, made them feel like a waste of existence, for using them as his own personal form of achievement. After Touya’s descent into villainy, Natsu’s lifelong struggles to connect with others, Yumi’s incessant need to sacrifice herself, and his own personal accumulation of self-loathing, his father dared to stand in front of him and call him irresponsible.

Shoto jerked his arm from Enji’s grip and gave the man a piercing glower. “I’m negligent?? Do you hear yourself, old man? I gave us shelter for the night, I got the firewood, and I got us down the mountain! What’ve you done??”

“Watch it, boy!” Enji countered, taking a step forward and looking down the end of his nose at his youngest son. Despite his growth spurt, Shoto was still nearly a head shorter than his father. “Have you seen your brother?? If it wasn’t for you…!” Enji stopped, suddenly realizing he was wandering into dangerous territory he may never be able to recover from.

Keigo grimaced at the scene, feeling especially uncomfortable witnessing such family drama. Everyone else looked about just as weary, if not more considering this sounded reminiscent of the old Endeavor. He glanced around, wondering if there was anything that might be able to distract the two from their argument when he spotted something curious a short distance away. After sledding down a mountain at break-neck speeds while still recovering from a concussion, his head was absolutely killing him. He forced himself to stand and stumbled over to the familiar little plant and dropped to his knees, then gently brushed the dusting of snow from its lower leaves. It was small, nothing impressive or even able to produce many flowers, but the iconic fan of pointed leaves gave the hero an indication that civilization was nearby. He plucked the whole stock and stood, walking over to Touya and holding the plant under his nose.

Touya cracked open his eyes at the smell and stared with incomprehension until he followed the hand offering the little plant up to where Keigo was giving him a delighted grin.

“Where the f*ck did you find weed?” He asked softly, reaching out a hand to touch the leaves as if he didn’t believe they were real.

“Right over there.” He said, pointing to the spot. “And with this rogue little guy I bet there’s a farm nearby.”

Enji and Shoto had stopped their fight, distracted by the fact that Hawks had apparently found marijuana. The blond hero walked over to them, sensing a deflation to their explosive argument.

“And where there’s pot farms, there’s people. Maybe even medically trained ones, and phones that work.”

Enji raised an eyebrow, wanting to point out the possibility of armed militias as well, but decided it might be better than sitting on their thumbs, or trying to wander to some other establishment.

“I’ll scope out the place and make sure we’re not getting ourselves more lost.” Keigo offered, taking a few steps back and giving a flap of his wings. He wasn’t doing his migraine any favors, but it was starting to look like they could get out of this situation. Hooray for survival training.

Chapter 38: Take a Hit

Chapter Text

The path they were traversing down the mountain wasn’t terribly strenuous thanks to Hawks scouting ahead. When he’d returned, he’d laid out the directions pretty thoroughly before wrapping his arms around Enji’s shoulders, burying his face to block out the light, and stealing as much heat as possible. His migraine had intensified unbearably and until they were in mortal peril again, he wished wholeheartedly to be left alone. Touya was once again in his father’s arms, drifting in and out of consciousness and complaining every once in a while about his motion sickness.

After exploding at Shoto earlier, Enji was trying his best to keep his mouth shut, but with moments like these, he was certainly testing the limits of his patience.

“Aren’t you supposed to grow out of things like that?” Enji grumbled, thinking back to when the children were being shuttled to class or activities and his eldest always had to be sent with a barf bag. “Next you’re going to tell me you still hate fish.”

Touya absorbed that information a moment before giving Enji an odd look. The man in lead for the Worst Father of the Year award remembered his discomforts? That was surprising.

“Thanks for reminding me of another stomach-rolling gag reflex.” Touya muttered, letting out a deep cough and glaring when he found speckles of blood in his hand. Enji growled something under his breath, but pressed on nevertheless.

Natsuo and Shoto had gone ahead of the group when their stomachs got the best of them and they announced they’d be looking for food. They were currently ducking behind a tree line among some bushes after finding, what looked like, a goat. Both young men were staring as it carefully climbed through the scree of the bare side of the mountain one delicate step at a time.

Natsu nudged his younger brother with his elbow and nodded in the direction of the goat. Shoto stared back, a baffled clueless look on his face until he realized what the elder was insinuating and his face lit up with horror.

“Me?!” Shoto whispered indignantly. “Why does it have to be me?? You’re the older brother!”

“Shh!” Natsu hushed, looking out at the goat when its ears perked up and it glanced around. The two hardly took a breath until it resumed its leisurely trek. Natsu glanced back at his brother. “What do you mean? You’re the one in the hero course, not me!” He argued back, thinking he had a valid point.

“They don’t teach us how to slaughter animals! Are you crazy??” He argued, his voice becoming a bit louder than he intended. Both paused once again and watched the goat delicately step through a few more loose rocks.

“Then how’d you chop the firewood?” Natsu asked in a mocking tone.

“I used Frost to slice up tree limbs. You have to get the thickness just right so it’s not too brittle, but not too thick, and then you… hey, no!” Shoto demanded, leaning back aghast as his brother nodded along with a determined grin.

“It’ll be simple! You could even make a spear, and then you just…!” Natsu imitated throwing a spear, “And then we get breakfast!”

“You do it, you have mom’s quirk too!” Shoto stated defensively, looking out at the little goat as it stumbled a touch and shook its head after slowing its descent. The more they talked about killing and cooking it, the cuter its little goat eyes and little goat horns started to look.

“I don’t have quirk training like you! You need to do it!” Natsu ordered, ready to use his Big Brother Card even though Shoto was taller and significantly brawnier than he was. The two whispered arguments back and forth until one shoved the other in the shoulder and they were suddenly tussling. By the time the others caught up, Natsuo was kneeling over Shoto with his wrists pinned above his head. Enji glowered at the sight of one of UA’s top hero-course senior students being held beneath a soft-science major as he and Rei helped their daughter climb down a short hill filled with tree roots.

“Quit screwing around.” Enji barked, earning the young men’s attention. They stopped mid argument and stared, remembering the altercation a short while ago and wondering how pissed off Endeavor actually was.

Rei stepped through the awkward tension like she was immune, strolling over to the tree line to admire the goat still gingerly making its way through the scree.

“I think that might be a tahr.” She mused thoughtfully, co*cking her head to the side. Enji blinked, wondering if that meant somebody finally knew where they were.

“What does that mean?” Shoto asked, still pinned beneath his brother. Natsu suddenly realized this and got up, extending a hand to the younger.

“It reminds me of the time my cousin and I decided to climb Mt. Everest, so I do believe we’re somewhere in the Himalayas.” She replied as simply as stating the weather. Everyone but Touya paused like time stopped and even Hawks glanced up despite his skull-splitting migraine.

“Mom, you climbed Mt. Everest?” Fuyumi asked in disbelief, wondering why this was the first she was hearing of it. Rei blinked rapidly, suddenly realizing what she said and glanced across her audience.

“Oh, well, yes. Sorry, your mother was a very different person when she was sixteen.” Rei said with a giggle, watching as everyone’s faces morphed even further into disbelief. “I was a touch more disobedient, I suppose. I stole my father’s credit card to buy our plane tickets; we wanted to be the first to climb the mountain in the nude.”

Everyone’s jaws dropped nearly in sync and Enji felt his tongue heavy in his mouth. Hawks couldn’t help glancing at the man from the corner of his eye and feeling a slightly intrusive nudge of jealousy. Rei chuckled at the reactions she was getting before walking over and taking Fuyumi by her hand again. “Shall we continue?”

Everyone blinked like they were coming out of a dream and Enji felt his ears burning from Keigo staring. He readjusted Touya in his arms which made him fidget groggily, trying to determine reality from imagination.

The black smoke was thicker and swirling more menacingly, twisting and rolling like a storm. He could hardly see any of the greenery around, let alone the Himalayan Tahr in the distance his brothers were eyeing as a meal. His breaths were shallow, the nape of his neck along with his forehead were drenched in sweat, and Enji was trying not to pay much attention to the endless shivering. He couldn’t help squeezing his son a little tighter as he prayed for him to hold on longer.

Touya grunted at the touch and Enji quickly relaxed his grip with a worried look.

“Sorry.” He muttered under his breath, wishing there was anything he could do other than be a heated blanket. Touya glanced up with droopy eyelids and a pallid expression, his eyelashes fluttering as he tried to keep them open. Satan was apologizing for something and it’d be a lot funnier if he wasn’t in so much goddamn pain. He wanted to ask what could possibly make the devil himself remorseful when something caught in his throat and he doubled forward in an attempt to hack up a lung. A goopy blood clot landed in his lap with more dribbling from his chin and down his fingers as he felt himself spiraling further into shock at the sight. Voices warbled around him and he just wanted to shout at all of them to shut the hell up!!

Jostling made the former villain knit his brows together in frustration. It was his final moments on this worldly plane and he couldn’t get some decent peace and quiet? He desperately needed a nap, more than he’d ever wished for in his life, but something kept him tethered to consciousness and he really wished the sensation would f*ck off and die. He forced his eyelids to open and tried to focus his spotty vision amongst the smoke growing ever-closer by the minute and was surprised to find Satan’s visage morphed back into his father’s constipated expression. The worry lines were doing nothing beneficial to the man’s aged face and he wondered if it was appropriate to point out something like that right now. Not like it’d be the coolest last words ever spoken, so maybe he could do a little better.

After all, this wasn’t his first time dying.

Touya chuffed a laugh at the thought and Enji glanced down at the noise as he jogged through the wilderness with Shoto at his side. Natsu and Hawks were helping the ladies traverse the last of the distance before they reached their intended destination, but it was looking like Touya was almost out of time.

“What the hell’s so funny?” Enji asked, trying to keep his tone more lighthearted than he felt as he grit his teeth.

Touya let out a sticky breath, finally allowing himself to close his eyes. “ ‘S ironic… is all.” He muttered softly, swallowing hard. “Finally try doing something right again… and wind up dead again.”

Enji sneered at the thought, remembering what it was like to watch Setoko Peak burn to the ground. “You’re not dead yet, you little co*ckroach.” Enji gritted, trying to keep a lid on the tears gathering in his eyes. “Can’t get rid of you that easy, not like this.”

Touya scoffed and admired his bloodied hands in his lap through fading vision. Had the wound in his gut torn open? It would answer a lot of questions if it did.

“Looks like you’ll have to pull out that shrine again, old man.” Touya whispered, his shoulders trembling harder. Enji gave him an odd look and the confused silence prompted the eldest Todoroki son to glance up one last time. He wanted to mock the man for his pathetic expression, but words were hard and he was so god-awful tired. “Yeah, I know about it. Least the mugshot got my good side.” He stated, thinking back to his burnt and leathery skin after the war. He was surprised they never made him take another one after the skin grafting surgeries.

“Afraid I can’t.” Enji replied simply as he tried to jog as smoothly as possible.

Touya scoffed bitterly, thinking this was a terribly misplaced time to give him a pep talk. Like he could do much more than be at the mercy of his injuries, let alone magically will himself into being healed. It felt like he was being coddled into a false sense of reality, like being told ‘it gets better’ would really cure him. It reminded him of his first few months in solitary confinement of villain prison, how every shrink he saw only walked him further down the path of madness. They’d dressed up the event like it was some hypothetical situation proposed in a psychology classroom. Pick your favorite TV character and classify their behavior patterns, extra credit if you can guess their medication. He wasn’t some project or experiment to poke at, all he ever wanted was to be treated with some damned respect. To be given the simple courtesy of being validated.

I’m dying, dad. Get over it.

He felt more helpless and alone than ever before. Even more so than when he walked into that house to find his family moved on and left him behind. He missed birthdays, graduations, a wedding… all to die in his neglectful father’s arms as the man tried to cling to some hope his son would make it and everything would be sunshine and rainbows.

“I can’t because I burned it all.”

Touya felt a lump catch in his throat as he choked on his toxic spiraling thoughts. He stared as the black smoke ebbed just a touch to reveal a bit of the vegetation they were running through. Pointed fan leaves reminded him they were following Keigo’s bright idea into a pot farm and everything seemed just a touch more ridiculous.

“Burned it?” Touya croaked, looking up at the man one more time with just a bit more strength. Enji nodded.

“The second I came home from Jaku City.”

Touya felt the tug in his sinuses and wondered if he had the strength to cry. All the pain and misery he caused, how happy he’d been to watch the man crumble into a pathetic mess, the burns he’d given Shoto… all so Endeavor could go home and dream of a day they all sat down and ate a meal together? Like some normal, nuclear family? He’d definitely looked for where the shrine was stashed while he was staying in that house, but always figured it was in some room he didn’t have access to. He never considered it might just be gone.

“Well, everything but the picture. You were much cuter when you weren’t such a lippy punk.” Enji added. “But I’ll take what I can get as long as you come home.”

Touya stared as every intrusive thought fled his mind and the smoke receded further. Bits of sky came through and Shoto sounded like he’d sprinted ahead to find someone to help. Unknown voices in an unfamiliar language started popping up in every direction and Touya strained to keep his eyes open, but eventually lost the battle as he succumbed to his fatigue.

Enji swore under his breath as he felt his eldest going limp in his arms as the shivering slowly subsided.

“We need help!” He demanded, watching Shoto trying to alternate between Japanese and English in hopes that someone would understand. The inhabitants weren’t currently pointing their assault rifles at the two once they saw Enji approaching with someone severely injured, and he wondered if any of them might recognize him as Endeavor to hopefully smooth this situation over a bit more. Regardless, there seemed to be a prominent language barrier and Enji wracked his brain for whatever Hindi he could remember from his time in India.

“Chik… chikitsak!” He stated, stopping in front of the group and indicating his dying son. They all stared blankly, first at Enji, then at Touya. It was hard to remind himself of patience, but it wouldn’t do him any good if these people turned against them as possibly their only form of aid. He tried again, thinking of the Chinese classes he’d taken years ago in school even though Mandarin was a long shot. “Yisheng!”

Again, he was met with uncomprehending silence and this time he wasn’t sure he could contain himself. However, before Shoto had to jump in to restrain his dad, a man in the back suddenly popped his head around the crowd.

“Cikitsa?” He asked curiously, pushing past the others to approach the three strangers. Mumbling affirmation and nodding rippled through the crowd and Enji felt his eyebrow twitch. Isn’t that what he just said?? As the guy approached, he finally understood what was actually going on with the group as the man touched a hand to Touya’s forehead with a fat joint held between his first and middle fingers. These f*ckers were high on their own product and the sun wasn’t even at midday. He thought about smacking the hand away to find someone, literally anyone else, when Touya suddenly heaved a shaky breath and tried to sit up. Enji juggled his son to keep from dropping him as he coughed raggedly until he was gulping in heavy breaths and slowly relaxing.

“sh*t… what a rush.” Touya mumbled, coughing when a bit of smoke wafted in his face. He stared perplexedly at the joint inches from his nose before delicately plucking it from the fingers with his own shaking hand and taking a hit.

Enji was overcome with emotion when it seemed like Touya was no longer on death’s door, but watching him take a hit off some stranger’s joint made him want to slap his idiot son. Touya choked down a single cough before exhaling and admiring it.

“Good sh*t.” He muttered, offering it to his father next. Enji glared at him like he couldn’t possibly be serious when an eruption of cheers came from the group in front of them as they all took a drag together from their own joints and resumed the party he assumed they interrupted. The man with the healing quirk motioned for them to follow and Enji conceded that when in Rome, do as the Romans do. He fell in step with the man as Shoto tagged along right behind him and he accepted the offered joint. He took a heavy hit as well, earning more cheers as Shoto stared at the sight incredulously while Enji choked down a cough and handed the joint to his youngest next.

“Don’t tell your sister.” He warned as he let out the smoke.

Chapter 39: Gratitude

Chapter Text

Enji sat in a mismatched chair beside the bed Touya was occupying, his elbows balanced on his knees and looking as if he’d aged ten years in the past day. The entire building was ramshackle and thrown together with whatever materials were on hand, it looked like. Nothing appeared stable, the electrical and plumbing were external from the walls running every which way and the furniture looked like someone ripped apart a bunch of pallets and rearranged the planks. The bedding was hastily quilted, the rugs were grey with dirt, and the lighting was just bare lightbulbs. It also didn’t help that everyone walked around with firearms ranging from pistols to machine guns.

The man with the healing quirk had done what he could until he was stumbling away lightheaded. Enji felt nothing but gratitude for the people here, despite being in the middle of an illegal growing operation. Touya looked like he’d survive, and the parameters of the unnamed man’s quirk seemed similar to Recovery Girl’s. Thankfully, the grubby little man hadn’t had to kiss his son; that’d always been unnerving whenever he went in to see the old woman while he attended UA.

“Hey.” Shoto interjected softly, catching his father’s attention. He knew what his son was going to say, he just wanted this to last a few more minutes. To watch and make sure Touya was breathing a few more minutes. “We should go, let him sleep.”

Enji let out a heavy breath through his nose and conceded, standing as quietly as he could on the creaky floorboards. He followed Shoto out of the room with a single glance over his shoulder and shut the door behind himself with a soft click.

When he turned to face Shoto, he immediately gathered his youngest into his arms, startling the young man. Shoto went rigid at the touch, his joints locking in place at the foreign display of affection from Endeavor as he stared over the man’s shoulder in wide eye disbelief.

“I’m sorry.” Enji whispered, gathering the teenager tighter as one hand threaded its fingers into his red and white hair. “I’m so sorry.”

Shoto felt entirely more uncomfortable at the admission, figuring it had something to do with their fight not too long ago. Honestly, it would’ve been better if he’d never said anything; it’s not like this was something new. Shoto felt a tremble run down his spine while his brain was at war with itself between accepting the apology and reminding the man he had a lot more to make up for. His hands opened and closed as he willed himself to just suck it up and return the gesture since this wasn’t the time or the place to make a scene over his childhood.

“I can’t… I just can’t lose any of you.” Enji continued as his shoulders began to shake.

Oh… oh Goddammit…

Shoto stifled a whimper as he was constricted just a tad tighter.

“And I can’t lose Touya again.”

Shoto squeezed his eyes shut and felt a million different thoughts running through his mind. He tried to focus on his breathing to control the temperature fluctuations as his body threatened to rise and fall from sub-zero to scorching. It’d been like this all through his second year of high school right up until his father told him he was leaving for India. He understood the man had his regrets, but come on…

Slowly and shakily, he closed his arms around his father to return the awkward hug and let out a deep breath, figuring he should at least be thankful the man was trying to atone.

“I know.” Shoto whispered back. His heart felt oddly heavy in the moment, and he remembered a time when he’d been told forgiving wasn’t the same as forgetting. All of Midoriya’s sappy speeches seemed to ring in his ears whenever he had to deal with his old man as well, and this was no different. However, he didn’t think he’d ever get used to the sight of Endeavor crying. Ever.

They eventually separated with Enji swiping a thumb under his eyes as he cleared his throat. Standing around wasn’t going to get them off this mountain and it was about time he went looking for a phone. His didn’t have a lick of service and neither did anyone else’s, he just hoped the people around here wouldn’t mind letting him make a call out of country.

Two men passed by with large weapons in their arms, scars down their faces, and machetes on their belts. Enji flagged them down without a second thought and Shoto couldn’t help thinking his father looked scarier despite the lack of weapons. He did have the advantage in height, though…

“Excuse me, is there a phone I can use?” He asked politely, holding his fist to his ear with his thumb and pinky extended. The two men stopped in their tracks and stared long and hard at the man before exchanging odd looks with one another. Enji’s eyebrow twitched.

“Is there,” He began, raising his tone and slowing down his words, “a phone,” he wiggled his hand meant to imitate a phone, “I can use?”

The two men gave him equally annoyed glowers, unamused with his attempt to communicate. Enji felt his temperature rising into his face.

“A phone!” He indicated louder, pretending to pick up the imaginary receiver from the wall like a landline. Shoto pinched the bridge of his nose out of embarrassment before stepping in to help his dad. He pulled his own cell phone from his pocket, then pointed from it to one of the men before opening Cash App as an offer for compensation. The indicated man’s face lit up with delight as he pulled out the latest model of iPhone and handed it over to the teenager unlocked.

Enji grumbled a curse under his breath as he snatched it and scrolled through his own phone’s contact list until he found Burnin’s number and punched it into the stranger’s phone. While Shoto worked on sending what he thought was an appropriate amount for the out of country call charges, Enji tapped his foot impatiently waiting for Burnin to answer. Just as it was about to go to voicemail, she picked up.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, can you trace this number?” Enji replied, listening to the background noises from her phone and wondering what was going on. Voices barked orders at one another amongst keyboard clicks and before he could ask, the intensity of her voice made the phone fly into the air as he scrambled to catch it again. It sounded a lot like BOSS, IS THAT YOU?? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?? WHERE THE f*ck DID YOU GO??”

Enji finally had a good grasp on the phone and grunted irritably as she was still shouting into the receiver. “Burnin…” He tried, only to be spoken over. “Moe!!”

That got her attention. “Err, sorry. Yes, Boss!”

Enji sighed heavily. “Can you trace the number or not?”

“Oh, shoot, yes!! Right away!” She replied, turning the phone away from herself as she shouted at the top of her lungs for anyone to get their butt over here and get a trace on this signal!!

Enji sighed again. “Moe, calm down. We’re okay, we just need a ride.” He tried to explain simply.

She immediately went into a rambling maelstrom about everything that’d happen after his home was invaded. How Shigaraki and a few others had gotten away, there were no leads, they’d gone all night with no sleep searching for clues on the Todorokis’ disappearances, the correctional system was busting down doors for Touya’s whereabouts, the lawyers were blowing up their phones…

“Moe…” Enji blurted out, gaining her attention. “Can it wait? I can’t do anything until I’m back, get Tsukauchi involved if need be.”

“Sir, yes sir!” She exclaimed, and he could almost see the salute. That woman was unhinged when her only driving force was caffeine. “I’ll get the military to lend me a combat chopper, I’ll be there in a jiff!”

Enji blinked, stunned. The background noises started making a bit more sense since it didn’t sound like his usual office chatter. “Wait, Moe, what are you…?”

“ANYBODY GOT THE KEYS TO A BLACK HAWK AROUND HERE?” Burnin shouted away from the receiver again. Regardless, Enji winced at the volume. “NEPAL? WHADDYA MEAN THEY’RE IN NEPAL??”

After that, the line clicked dead, and Enji stared at the phone. Oh well, Burnin would figure it out. He handed the phone back to the man and decided he needed some fresh air.

~0~

Hawks fought his hardest against the overwhelming urge to vomit. His head felt like there was a jackhammer going off and it didn’t help now that he and Natsu were in charge of carrying Rei and Fuyumi. Both women were having a hard time traversing the terrain since everyone had been spirited away in their casual outfits and house slippers. He figured Natsu and himself were equally disadvantaged between his lack of a rigid exercise regime and Keigo’s own injuries, but he couldn’t help feeling a touch resentful as he gave the former Mrs. Todoroki a piggyback ride.

“Are you alright, Keigo? I think I can handle walking a little further.” Rei offered. He knew he was masking his discomfort expertly; she was just trying to be polite.

Or strike up a conversation.

“I’m doing just fine, Himura-san! Thanks for the consideration though!” He replied as chipper as ever. Rei let out a little hum.

“Call me Rei.” She insisted, draping her arms over his shoulders, and tilting her head into her bicep. “You’re so strong, Keigo-kun.”

Her voice was a little too playful to ignore and before he knew it he’d left Natsuo and Fuyumi behind. He’d arrive at the place quicker, that’s for sure, but now there was no one around to tell him whether Rei Himura was flirting with him, or he was just going crazy.

He really hoped it was the second option.

When she started twiddling with one of the long strands of his blond hair though, he’d had enough. Hawks took to the sky, headache be damned, and swooped into the marijuana field. A few of the residents stared as he descended for the main building and landed a little less delicately than usual. Enji was standing outside the front door leaning against the structure and he took that as a sign that Touya was doing alright.

Rei climbed down from Keigo’s back, brushing her fingers through his feathers which sent an involuntary shudder rippling through his whole body. He tried to keep a neutral expression, but when she leaned in to leave a peck on his cheek, his face flushed bright red. She giggled at the sight and brushed past him into the building where she assumed she’d find the other two.

Enji gave the hero an uncertain look which prompted him to stammer lamely as he tried to explain the sight and play it off at the same time.

Just then he was saved from his long-winded speech when a thin trail of ice crystallized beside him right before Natsu came sliding in with his sister on his back.

“Nice work, Natsu-nii!” Fuyumi announced excitedly as she hopped down and followed where her mother had disappeared into. Hawks watched the two siblings enter the building before letting out a heavy breath and wondering if this nightmare was over yet. He was definitely ready to submit his letter of resignation as the official Todoroki baby-sitter and go back to his normal, uninteresting life. Maybe he’d even get some sort of computer hobby so he never had to leave his apartment for anything other than patrol…

Hawks let out a strangled noise of surprise as his wrist was engulfed in Enji’s hand and he was dragged around the side of the building to some sort of prep-station hidden in an alcove. He tried to stutter an explanation in hopes to make the peck on the cheek not look so weird when he was hoisted onto a small countertop and promptly shut up with a real kiss. Enji crashed his lips into Keigo’s without regard for what he was saying as he stepped between his knees and pulled him close. Hawks gasped as a hand immediately went up his shirt and zeroed in on a nipple piercing which made him squirm fervently. Enji pushed the shirt the rest of the way up in the cold wintery air, causing Hawks to shiver before latching his mouth over a nipple. Keigo clasped a hand over his lips to stifle any noise as the older man licked and sucked at the piercing.

“Enji…” Hawks whispered as clearly as he could. “T-They’re still sore…”

Enji moved to the next one, swirling his tongue with little regard for what he heard as he dipped a hand down the back of Keigo’s pants. He let out the littlest whine as his nipple was sucked and his ass was groped, his free hand carding through Enji’s bright red hair.

“How many times am I going to owe you?” The former number one whispered in a bassy tone, coming up to press a heavy kiss on the younger’s lips. Hawks felt himself going stupid as a palm was pressed into his hardened co*ck. In a very brief moment of clarity, he wondered if this was really the best place for something like this, before rutting into the touch. He soon found his bare ass sitting on the ice-cold counter with his pants down to his knees and Endeavor swallowing his co*ck.

Hawks just about had a heart attack at the sight as his head whipped back and slammed into the wall behind him. He winced at the pain momentarily, then blushed all the way down to his belly button as Enji’s tongue swirled around his co*ck and he wondered if he really had died from a traumatic brain injury. There was no way he could last the heat engulfing his co*ck and in what felt like no time at all he was warning the other man he was about to cum. He clapped both hands over his mouth in hopes to stifle any lewd noises and Enji kept going until he was spilling into his mouth.

Hawks breathed deep to try and calm his racing heart, feeling like an absolute puddle as he slumped down the wall with his shirt hiked up, his pants at his knees, and his wings drooping like deflated balloons. Enji made a show of swallowing and Keigo could feel it go straight to his dick before he found himself being kissed again.

A shriek from Fuyumi brought the two crashing back to reality as they simultaneously jumped at the volume.

Chapter 40: Help Me Out

Chapter Text

Hawks and Enji burst through the front door with every intention to kick some ass. What they found, instead, was everyone else staring at them like they were crazy. Enji lowered his fists, not sensing an immediate threat as he glanced around at the mix of Nepali pot farmers and his family members.

“We heard a scream, what’s wrong?” He asked, finding his daughter giving him a worked-up look. Fuyumi stammered something, obviously frustrated until she jabbed a finger in Shoto’s direction from where he was sitting on a lumpy sofa.

“Do you see this?? Are you kidding me??” Fuyumi groused, stamping her foot. Enji blinked, unsure what she was talking about until he noticed the joint between Shoto’s fingers. He gave his youngest a contrite scowl. “Are you insane, Shoto?? You get drug tested as a hero, are you trying to throw all that away??”

“Uhh…” Shoto began, already feeling the effects of the weed. “I mean, dad’s the one who gave it to me.”

Enji glared harder at the teenager, disappointedly shaking his head.

“Are you kidding me??” Fuyumi stressed before launching into a long-winded speech about drugs and Shoto’s future career. Enji held up his hands in surrender as Fuyumi got in his face like an overprotective mother. He flicked his gaze to Rei, wondering what she was doing and watched as her, Natsu, and Keigo were all handed a joint of their own. Fuyumi caught his line of sight and froze at the spectacle until Enji snapped his fingers and lit the ends all at once.

“All right, old man!” Natsu cheered, taking a long drag before joining his younger brother on the couch.

“Mom!!” Fuyumi yelled, going on another rant as Hawks tip-toed over to Enji after pulling two drags. He then handed the joint over and Enji gladly accepted.

Murmurs from the farmers scattered around the room as a few more entered from different doorways and Enji recognized one particular word over and over; Endeavor. He couldn’t help feeling a swell of pride in his chest at being recognized in a rural, secluded part of another country. He ignited his facial hair in the trademark Endeavor appearance which garnered startled exclamations as their faces lit up in excitement. A few announcements rang through the building, drawing in a larger crowd that began showing up with Endeavor posters and paraphernalia along with pens and markers being shoved in his face. This was a little more familiar, he thought. Certainly not to the level of All Might, but it was nice to see he had quite the collection of fans in this part of the world.

That is, until he glanced out and found a smart phone shoved in his face opened to Cash App. Enji stared at it in confusion, then at the woman holding the phone.

“They know you’ve got money, old man. And we owe them for taking us in.” Shoto commented before taking another hit. Enji grumbled irritably under his breath as he took the phone, punched in the necessary information, and glanced up to find more phones being handed over to him.

“How much did you give them?” Enji asked, a touch of annoyance in his tone.

“Eighty thousand.”

Enji shot the teenager a dirty look, shaking his head irritably as he began punching in the same number over and over. He knew the Yen and the Rupee weren’t too different in value, but these kids of his could use a few more lessons in economics.

Burnin showed up several hours later in the black hawk she promised, sending the whole farm into a panic until the Todorokis managed to explain it was just their ride. Touya was too grumpy when he woke up to tolerate his father, so Shoto ended up taking him into the chopper and they were on their way home.

~0~

Touya woke up feeling groggy and stiff. He rolled his head from one side to the other in the stark white room, listening to the hospital machinery and letting out a deep breath. He could feel the oxygen tube situated on his nose, the plastic clip on his finger, and an IV line feeding into his left arm. All in all, it could be worse, but as he lifted his hands to rub the sleep from his eyes, he could hear the clattering of handcuffs coming from his right wrist.

Well, isn’t that just great?

He felt a well of rage simmering in his gut, but ultimately understood there was nothing he could do. Surprisingly enough, he’d been granted access to his fire quirk again, but also concluded that was due to some Geneva Convention bullsh*t about human quirk rights while in custody. So long as he didn’t use his quirk as a weapon, they couldn’t medically subdue it.

Shigaraki really threw a wrench into things with that stupid stunt he pulled and Touya wondered if this was the end of his limited freedom. He’d likely be locked up and his lawsuit against the Japanese correctional system thrown away since he technically broke the terms of his anklet radius.

Movement caught his eye and Touya glanced over to find his silhouetted reflection in the window. It looked like he might be on the top floor in this hospital based on the view, and he was surprised at the bubbling rage he felt when he was reminded of his dyed red hair. The color really was an eyesore and he reached up to tug on a lock. Blue flames licked up his first finger and thumb until the red strands were in his grasp and the smell of burnt hair began permeating the room. He sprinkled the ruined pieces onto the floor and reached up to take another section over and over until the sound of creaking furniture caught his attention off to the side.

“Touya-nii?” Shoto asked sleepily as he uncurled himself and sat up from the sofa he’d been sleeping on. Touya stared at him, not expecting anyone else to be there as he held another burnt lock of hair between his fingers. He could see Shoto staring at it in confusion, and he glared at his youngest brother’s disapproving expression.

“It was pissing me off.” He muttered, dropping the strands on the pile accumulated on the floor. Shoto let out a heavy breath before standing and stretching. He walked over and took a seat on the bed, reaching out a hand to inspect the damage and finding short cropped white hair like a crater amongst the red mass.

“Quit it, I’ll find some clippers.” Shoto offered softly, standing again. Touya frowned at the suggestion, wondering why he wasn’t being chastised and decided it wasn’t worth it to pitch a fit when Shoto was offering to help. He sat sullenly, chained to the bed and watching as his brother left. He didn’t seem to acknowledge any type of sentry stationed outside the door and Touya let out a thoughtful hum.

He rattled the handcuff, noting the snug fit. He likely wouldn’t be getting out of here unscathed if he decided to run, and after pissing off Shigaraki there weren’t many places he could escape to. In the meantime, he hoped being near the top floor meant he’d be fed the good hospital food.

So much had happened and he didn’t even know what day it was. Obviously it was the middle of the week sometime since he could use his quirk again. The familiar smolder in his soul was comforting every time it came back and he couldn’t help flaring up the heat just to be reminded of the sensation.

The door opened again, and he was surprised Shoto was back already, but when he looked up he instead found Natsu dressed in a similar hospital gown dragging a bag of saline attached to a wheely pole with Yumi acting as a crutch. Touya raised an eyebrow at the sight.

“The hell happened to you?” He asked, remembering Natsu hadn’t done a whole lot in the home invasion. The middle Todoroki son snickered at the harshness in his tone and wandered around to sit on the other side of the bed near the window before giving his patch of short white hair an odd look and deciding not to comment on it.

“Turns out that stab wound mangled your kidney beyond repair, and you went into total renal failure from the infection.” Natsu explained. “Good news is we're a perfect match!”

Touya stared at his brother like he’d grown a third eye. A kidney? The idiot gave him one of his kidneys?? He felt his stomach sink into the floor and reached out a shaky hand to gingerly brush his fingers against his brother’s abdomen only to have it grasped in Natsu’s and their fingers threaded together.

“That tickles. Besides, it was the other one.”

Touya felt the streams of tears as they cascaded down his cheeks and dripped from his chin. The door opened again, and he glanced over to find Shoto holding an electric razor.

“One of the nurses gave me this, I hope it’s alright.” He said, taking a seat beside Fuyumi and offering it to her. She accepted it, also having seen the crater of white hair and glad to assist.

“May I?” She asked, pausing before she could turn it on. Touya stared at her through teary eyes before finally nodding and attempting to sit forward. Shoto and Natsu gave him a hand while Fuyumi dug around under the bed for an extra gown to use as a barber cape. The three boys sat huddled together while Fuyumi trimmed all the red away with clumps of bright hair falling around. The cool air felt strange against his scalp, but he couldn’t feel a single bit of regret the entire duration. The buzz of the clippers was almost comforting as he relaxed in the company of his siblings until Fuyumi was going back for the little bits she missed.

“There, that should do it!” She announced, turning off the device and taking a seat. Touya leaned back, taking Shoto and Natsuo with him too as all three sunk into the pillows. He let out a heavy breath and closed his eyes, thinking this was a nice feeling of comfort.

“I’m going back to prison, aren’t I?”

The beautiful moment was immediately ruined as he felt the air around him and his siblings tense. Silence basically answered his question until Fuyumi spoke up.

“The lawyers say it's temporary, until they can build a better case. But they also don’t want to promise anything.” She stated softly, trying to break the news as easily as she could. Touya let out a thoughtful hum, thinking about running again as he fiddled with Natsu’s fingers.

Rattling of keys broke the silence and Touya cracked open an eye to find Shoto jingling a little set. He furrowed his brows at the sight, but before he could ask, Shoto spoke up.

“The old man gave them to me. I also have a three-month supply of your medication and envelopes of cash.”

Touya stared, hard. Both his brothers were f*cking nuts. He expected to hear something from Fuyumi, but she was uncharacteristically silent.

“We don’t want to see you locked up, but we want you to come home.” Natsu explained, squeezing his hand gently. “We’re just afraid you’re going to try this by yourself, and we don’t want you to get hurt.”

Touya snorted, impressed they were reading his mind. He tugged at the handcuff like he was testing its strength, then held his wrist for Shoto to see and watched as the aspiring hero unlocked it.

Fuyumi stood and walked over to the couch Shoto had been sleeping on, picking up a backpack and bringing it over. “I brought an extra coat, wasn’t sure you’d need it or not.” She said, opening the bag and pulling out clothes for him. Touya let out a breath of steam through his nose.

“I’ll be alright.” He reassured, not sure he’d ever be willing to subject himself voluntarily to a quirk suppression injection again. They helped him remove the oxygen tubing and clipped the finger reader on Natsu’s index finger while Shoto offered to undo the IV drip. He pulled the tape and expertly placed a cotton ball on the site, then slowly tugged the needle out before wrapping it in gauze.

Touya felt odd being free as he opened and closed his hands, completely capable of hopping out the window and using his fire to fly away.

“What about you guys?” He asked, realizing his siblings would take quite the fall for releasing Dabi into the world again.

“Dad said he’d take care of it.” Shoto answered, extending a hand to help him up. Touya regarded it hesitantly, but eventually accepted. “You’d better come back.” He stated, tugging his eldest brother into a tight hug. Touya went rigid at the embrace while the other two came around and got in on it. He stood like a statue until he could fully compute what was happening, then melted into the affection.

“I promise I will.”

~0~

News of Touya Todoroki escaping spread fast, quicker than the Endeavor Agency’s PR team could contain. Hawks couldn’t fault them though, not when his blue flames were seen zipping through the sky before disappearing somewhere far away. He told Enji it was a bad idea, and now the man was going to have to face the consequences of his actions. He had a feeling his legal team would be doubling or tripling soon.

Not only that, but a few other strange occurrences popped up here and there from what looked to be Shigaraki’s presence. His newest band of misfits were causing just enough of a stir to be concerning, and one such incident saw the disappearance of Keigo’s father from prison. No one could explain it, he was just gone. He’d been back in Japan less than twenty-four hours when he was given the news and he was surprised at the visceral disgust he felt when he was told.

Hawks was back to staying at his own apartment, deciding it was best to put one hell of a wide radius on anything that had to do with a Todoroki. He’d gone out for dinner in the midst of all this chaos, reasoning that most of it was Enji bringing it upon himself. Now that he was back, showered, and fed though, he was ready to crack open the next case as he rounded the last block on foot to his apartment complex. The evening wasn’t too chilly despite it still being winter, and he was surprised to find a homeless man on the sidewalk in this part of town.

“Hey, Buddy. Why aren’t you in a warming shelter? It’s cold out.” He asked, making a show of shivering. The man looked like he winced at the words, and as he glanced up, Hawks had a feeling he knew why.

“Keigo?”

The blond hero blinked speechlessly, staring incredulously at the sight of his father outside his complex. Takami’s face lit up and he climbed to his feet, then walked over to embrace his son.

“It’s so good to see you!” He announced cheerily, squeezing the young man tight. Hawks remained rigid in his father’s arms, a hundred thoughts racing through his brain and none of them uplifting.

“W-What…” Was all he could manage, completely caught off-guard.

“It’s a miracle, Keigo. I’ve been given my second chance, you should be happy for me!”

Hawks blanched into a mystified expression at the words and pushed out of his father’s embrace. The man was staring at him with bright eyes and a crooked smile, a face he’d rarely seen in his childhood which made it all the more odd.

“You broke out of prison, what are you talking about?” He asked, wondering what fantasy he was living in. “You have to go back, it’s going to be a helluva lot worse if you don’t turn yourself in.”

Takami’s face slowly deflated as he listened to his son. Hawks clicked his teeth together, cutting himself off before he could say anything else when he saw the disappointment glossing over his father’s eyes.

“What’re you getting at?” He scoffed, gripping Keigo’s shoulders in both his hands. “I told you that all I need is a second chance, don’t you believe me?” Takami demanded, his eyebrows slowly down-turning into a glare. The pro hero stared hard at the older man, feeling so incredibly small beneath his piercing stare. “You’ll help a homicidal villain and not your own father??”

Hawks bristled at the comparison and tried to shush his father since they were still outside. This wasn’t appreciated by the man as he began raising his voice, defending his suggestion that he was perfectly capable of being a different person now that he’d learned the error of his way. Hawks tried to reason with him only to be shut down and spoken over until it was too much to handle, and he took to the sky while carrying his father.

“Shut up!!” Keigo seethed between his teeth as he shot into the air and flew towards the balcony of his apartment. They landed gently and he was surprised he wasn’t getting an earful for pulling a stunt like that. He couldn’t even look at the other man as he grumpily pulled out his keys and unlocked the balcony door.

“Make yourself at home, or whatever.” Keigo grumbled, walking in and dropping his keys in a bowl on the bartop counter separating the living space from the kitchen. Takami seemed to forget his anger as he glanced around at the place.

“Nice digs you got. I heard you bought your mother a house.”

Hawks paused as he opened a cupboard overhead and reached for the sake cups. “Mom didn’t go to prison.” He quipped back, going for the fridge next.

Takami grunted in acknowledgement as he took a seat on the couch. It wasn’t particularly comfortable and looked like it was more of an aesthetic piece. He imagined it was because Keigo spent substantially more time working than relaxing.

The blond hero took a seat beside him and poured them each a drink. He hoped it’d take the edge off and possibly make his father more compliant when he reminded him it was his responsibility to turn him into the authorities.

“Listen, Keigo; I’ve done some things I’m not too proud of.” He began explaining and Hawks did his best to stifle an eyeroll. “But I’m a changed man. I took your advice, I went to my first group session and it wasn’t as bad as I pictured it to be. I can see I was being arrogant and conceited, you were just looking out for me and I took that for granted.” He confessed, taking a sip of sake before downing the whole drink. Damn, he missed that taste.

Hawks glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye, feeling an oddly placed sensation tugging at his heart. Empathy? Was he empathizing with the man responsible for his childhood torment? This might be getting dangerous.

“You should be proud, Keigo. I got a job down at the soup kitchen. It don’t pay much, but it keeps me outta trouble, and I have a chance to serve my community.”

Keigo frowned bitterly. Oh my God…

“Oba-san keeps all us in line, but I need a place to stay and money’s tight.”

Oh…. My God….

“I just need a bit of money, I’ll pay you back I swear.”

OH MY GOD…

Hawks felt the looming cloud of his father’s expectations engulfing his mind.

“Dad, I…”

“Keigo, come on! You helped your mother, you help countless strangers, you helped the man that put me in prison! I’m begging you!”

Hawks clasped his hands together and wrung his fingers, feeling the tormenting weight of his actions on his shoulders.

“It was twenty years ago, I’ve changed! I’m a new man! Don’t people deserve a second chance?”

Hawks wanted to bash his head into a wall as all he could think about was the lengths the Todorokis would go to help Touya. He’d done significantly worse things and had infinitely more support, was it his own stubbornness holding his father back from rehabilitation? He felt the familiar sensation of emanate danger as he let out a hefty sigh and unwillingly conceded.

“How much do you need?” He muttered defeatedly, feeling like he was going against everything the Hero Commission raised him for.

“Just a million, Keigo. Just to get me on my feet. Don’t give me that look, I know you’ve got the cash, help me out!”

Hawks felt a miserable sort of anger as he stood and made his way to his bedroom. Takami listened to his son shuffle around a few things, opening a few drawers with a loud thunk and a whispered curse. He eventually came back with a stack of cash he was sorting through.

“Eight hundred thousand is all I have on me.” He groused, handing it over begrudgingly. Takami looked displeased as he accepted the stack and also counted through it.

“I guess it’ll have to do.” He muttered before he could catch his tone. “What’s with the face? I’m grateful, calm down! This is gonna do a lot of good, I promise.”

Hawks had serious reservations about that claim. He absentmindedly wondered if it was too late in the evening to give Enji a call to relieve some stress.

Chapter 41: 10 Months Later

Chapter Text

“Is this really how you want to celebrate your birthday?” Enji asked from where he was seated atop Hawks’ bed, completely nude. He fiddled with the elegantly designed wrapping paper discarded from the blond hero’s gift before he finally decided to push it over the edge onto the floor.

“You were the one complaining the other week about our bedroom roleplay routines not being explored equally.” Hawks accused from the master bath as the sounds of clothing being removed could be heard.

“That doesn’t make it imperative to start today.” Enji grumbled under his breath. “We could do this another time and I could get you something else.” He offered at a normal volume which resulted in Hawks poking his head out the door frame.

“You afraid you’re going to like it too much?” Keigo teased with an impish grin. Enji glowered at the other man before flicking the lid of the box like a frisbee and watching it sail into the bathroom as the younger dodged. The rustle of tissue paper indicated there was no chance of going back and he felt it go straight to his dick.

“Besides, the Italian leather diamond studded smart watch band is enough of a gift, daddy.”

Enji felt heat dusting over his nose and cheeks at the pet-name that didn’t seem to be getting worn out anytime soon.

“Hey, a halter top. Nice choice.” Hawks complimented with a chuckle. “I didn’t think this was your style, you dirty old man.”

Enji gave an annoyed frown, but his tone was considerably more light-hearted. “What do you think my style is?” He asked curiously.

Keigo let out a thoughtful hum and considered the question. “Sexy delivery boy? Maybe a scandalous secretary.” He replied, earning a snort of amusem*nt from the man. “Or a go-go dancer with killer thigh-high boots.”

The red-haired man gave a grunt of agreement. “Maybe next time.”

Keigo laughed at that as he put the finishing touches on his outfit before stepping out of the bathroom. He was dressed in a pleated mini skirt with knee-high socks and a cropped halter top that said ‘Cheer’ on the front.

“A cheerleader? Really?” Hawks inquired with a devious smile. “With those muscles I figured you’d get the whole squad.”

Enji scoffed. “I wouldn’t have the patience for that many blonds.”

Keigo scowled and made a show of putting his hands on his hips. “Rude. And I can't believe you didn’t get me any pom poms.” He complained in a snotty, bratty tone. Before he could react, though, a set of shiny, crinkly pom poms were tossed and hit him square in the chest. “Yes! I knew you were holding out on me.”

Enji couldn’t hide the smile on his lips as he gently shook his head at the show. Hawks struck a few cheer poses his mind conjured up, making sure to flash the matching panties that had ‘Leader’ printed across the cheeks, as he made his way over to the bed and climbed onto the mattress.

“Well, coach? You gonna test how flexible I am?” He asked, his smile evil and conniving as he crawled into the other man’s lap. “And be honest with me; is it the outfit or the crossdressing that’s turning you on?”

Enji let out a genuine laugh at the question as he placed his hands on the round of the younger’s ass. “Both.”

They kissed and Enji’s hands immediately began exploring the outfit as Hawks draped his arms over the other’s shoulders. He made little noises while he was hiked up closer and manipulated like he weighed nothing, his panties getting pushed aside after Enji slicked up his fingers to start spreading him open. It was technically the night before his birthday, but hot diggity, he wasn’t going to complain.

That is, until knocking came from the glass of his patio door. Hawks jumped at the sound, blanching stark white as the color drained from his features and he thought Not now of all times… The red-haired man gave him an odd look, wondering what that noise could possibly be at the top of the multistory apartment complex.

“Sorry,” the younger man apologized, “I’ll be right back, wait here.”

Enji glowered at the other, not at all pleased to watch the uniform be covered by a bathrobe with two holes cut in the back.

Keigo darted out of the room, his frown deepening as his suspicions were confirmed when his father waved enthusiastically from the other side of the glass door. He muttered a curse under his breath but unlocked it nevertheless and cracked the door just enough to completely see his face.

“What?” He demanded in a harsh whisper, hoping the man got the message.

“Keigo!” Takami announced, making the blond hero wince as he shushed his father. “Oh, sorry. Can’t a father drop by and wish his son a happy birthday?” He asked with the intention of receiving pity. Hawks narrowed his eyes.

“My birthday is tomorrow.” He reminded the man dryly. “What do you want? I’m in the middle of something.”

Takami’s tongue caught in his mouth as he pieced together the lack of hero attire and a bathrobe. A smile carved across his face at the thought and Hawks realized he was painting a very different picture in the man’s head.

“Oh yeah? What’s she like, is she cute?” He asked playfully, jabbing an elbow in his son’s direction. Hawks pursed his lips. “I’m just messing with you! Of course she’s cute, look at you, you could get any girl you wanted!”

Keigo felt his eye twitch irritably.

“Listen, I know it’s in bad taste, but I need you to do me a solid.” Takami started, placing a hand high on the frame of the patio door and leaning in. “I need some money. I know, I know! It’s not the first of the month yet, but an investment of mine didn’t go through and I’m desperate.”

Hawks rolled his eyes hard and folded his arms. “I’ve given you millions, dad. Millions!” He seethed, leaning in close as well. “How many more times are you going to ask for this amount? I can’t keep doing this!”

His finances weren’t necessarily in trouble, but he’d also been cutting down on charitable donations and street food carts which tugged at his heart.

“C’mon! Don’t be like that!” Takami insisted, placing his hand on the younger’s shoulder. “It’s not forever, I have a lot of investments that are about to make me a ton of money. I know I sound like a broken record, but you gotta trust me!”

Hawks glared at his father, thinking back to all the Tik Tok videos he watched on manipulative narcissists, and grit his teeth. The man had kept true to his word he wouldn’t commit any crime, but affording whatever expensive lifestyle he was living was getting tiresome. Takami gave as charming a smile as he could with his missing teeth, and Hawks felt his heart hammering in his chest.

“I haven’t gone to the bank, I don’t have any cash on me. Can it wait until morning?” He whispered dejectedly, his shoulders sinking. Takami’s face lit up.

“Of course, of course! Go get her, slugger. And, again, sorry for interrupting.”

Hawks let out a heavy, tired sigh. His mind was a catastrophe of emotions, so he didn’t sense movement until his guest was practically behind him and he jumped with alarm. However, before he could convince the former number one hero to go back to his room, a large palm was slammed against the frame of the patio door as Enji stood behind the current number five hero.

“What’s going on here?” He demanded in a gruff tone. Hawks felt his heart beating in his throat at the collision of two worlds as he also realized Enji f*cking Todoroki was only wearing a goddamn towel around his waist.

Takami sputtered indignantly at the sight of the man who’d captured him nearly twenty years ago standing in his son’s home dressed so indecently. More dots started connecting as he stared at the blond young man in a bathrobe and knee-high socks completely eclipsed by the muscular giant probably twice his age currently standing closer to him than necessary. Takami’s face morphed through an incredible transition of red to purple as every thought stumbled over itself along his tongue.

“Keigo… Y-You…” He started, attempting to piece together a coherent sentence through all his rage. Enji sensed an explosive, and colorful, use of vocabulary coming on and he wasn’t about to let that happen during their evening celebration of Keigo’s birthday.

In two quick movements, Enji thrust open the sliding glass door and wrapped his hand around Takami’s mouth before dragging the man into the apartment.

Hawks gaped at the sight and watched with horror as his partner dragged his father into his room and disappeared out of sight.

“Get that sh*t off me you disgusting freak…!” Takami attempted to shout before something obstructed his mouth again and then there were only muffled exclamations. He had a feeling he knew what it was and as Enji emerged, he covered his face with his hands. Takami had been silenced with a ball-gag from Keigo’s collection and restrained with a pair of leather handcuffs.

He felt anxious tears gathering in the corner of his eyes as Enji tossed the man onto the couch none too gently and held up his phone he’d grabbed from the bedroom.

“No!” Hawks yelped, jolting into action and wrapping his fingers around the smartphone while it was still in Enji’s hand. “Please, I’m sorry!”

Enji raised an eyebrow. “Why are you sorry?” He asked, lowering his hand.

“I lied and I hid this from you. And everyone else. I just… Thought he deserved a chance.” He explained, glancing away with shame. “Like Touya did.”

Enji felt as if he froze in time for a moment before he let out a heavy breath and wrapped an arm around Keigo’s shoulders. “Touya is… different.” He began, using a thumb to catch a tear before it could fall down the hero’s cheek. “Touya had a team of professionals working for him; therapists, heroes, antipsychotic medication, and his family. His cooperation with authorities led to many arrests and over the past ten months he’s continued sending information about Shigaraki and other organizations.” Enji reminded him, squeezing his shoulder. “The only thing it sounds like this man has done is shake you down for money.”

Hawks felt his lip tremble at the thought as his father tried to defend himself through the mouth restraint.

“He’s taken advantage of your kindness, but I’ll respect your decision, whatever it is.” Enji continued, pressing a kiss on the top of his head. Hawks felt more tears well up in his eyes, wishing desperately for things to be different and ultimately concluded it didn’t matter what he wished for. He knocked his head into Enji’s shoulder and released the phone as an indication to make the call. Enji did so without hesitation and soon enough Tsukauchi picked up.

“It’s me. I’d like to report a citizen’s arrest.” He stated vaguely, squeezing Hawks a little tighter when he felt his shoulders trembling. “And, umm… send someone discreet.”

~0~

Touya Todoroki descended the steps of the high school behind him, walking towards his partner who was standing beneath a tree holding his coat.

“You owe me dinner, because I passed.” He announced with a sly grin. The person didn’t react, and they were wearing a head covering that completely obstructed their face, yet somehow Touya knew what was on their mind from the way they stood. “Don’t be rude. Passing is passing regardless how close it was.”

They shook their head disapprovingly before handing over the coat. “I’m surprised the cops aren’t here yet since I had to take this boring test under my real name.” Touya murmured, glancing around like mentioning the police would summon a battalion. He slipped the recreated coat of Dabi over his shoulders, completing the head-to-toe ensemble of black going all the way up his neck to the gloves covering his hands. “I’d hoped the test would’ve been easier here in Osaka, but I suppose we should just be thankful no one’s tried to arrest us yet.”

His partner stared for a brief moment before glancing away, as silent as they always were.

“Come off it, you promised you’d be supportive when I finally got my supplemental high school degree. And you should be glad you didn’t teach me economics for nothing.”

They folded their arms and tapped their foot in annoyance before reaching into their pocket and pulling out their phone. Touya accepted it, reading the message and frowning. He thought about getting angry over the situation, but when he read the timestamp, he realized it was new information and not something withheld.

“Shigaraki’s in Shinjuku? That’s not good.” He muttered, rolling his shoulders and tipping his head side to side. “Just means our schedule’s pushed up. Think you can keep up, or do you need a ride?”

His partner drummed the fingers of one hand against their bicep in annoyance before stepping aside and revealing a sleek motorcycle leaning against the tree. Touya held up his hands in surrender.

“Alright, alright. But if you keep stealing stuff like that, you’re going to get me in trouble. Remember, I’m trying to be a hero these days.”

His partner dropped their hands exasperatedly, looking like they were groaning with annoyance at the clouds before gesturing to his thigh. Touya laughed briefly.

“You used my card? No wonder the old man shut it off. Because of you I almost went fishing.”

Touya jerked his head in the direction of Tokyo before cracking his fingers.

“Let’s go and remember what we talked about; you’d better behave yourself.”

~0~

Fuyumi kept a fast pace as she pushed the stroller with her five-month-old son inside after shopping for the last ingredients of Keigo’s surprise birthday lunch. Her father would be bringing him by in a few hours and so far, everything was coming together. The decorations were up, the gifts were wrapped, Natsu swore he’d be on his best behavior despite whatever happened between him and Hawks, and she was almost home with the finishing touches. Kurumada offered to drive her, but it was a beautiful day and she was feeling adventurous. Of course, she wouldn’t have expected to be facing off against a villain now of all time. And so soon after Christmas.

“Take whatever you want, just don’t hurt me or my son.” Fuyumi ordered in her best imitation of Endeavor as she puffed out her chest and tried to look more intimidating than a suburban mom in her Lululemons. The villain didn’t seem to care as he slowly approached. Fuyumi glanced around, hoping someone was nearby, but found nothing.

As she was distracted by the man in front of her, another came up from behind and pressed something cold and wet against her nose and mouth. She shrieked and struggled, but the sound was muffled, and in no time at all she was drifting off to unconsciousness.

Chapter 42: Misdirection

Chapter Text

It wasn’t long before the flashing red lights of cop cars could be seen dancing along the dingy warehouse walls. Touya breathed an excess amount of steam through his nostrils, some of it seeping through the stapled scars on his cheeks, as he tried to cool down. Shigaraki’s goons hadn’t gone down easy, but he and his partner ended up subduing the majority of them. Shigaraki escaped with Door Quirk Man, yet the overwhelming victory had been the former League member’s. Unconscious and injured bodies lay strewn about the place like the aftermath of a horrible disaster, and he walked through the wreckage with one goal in mind. He approached a bassinet with growing apprehension until he was looking down at the worried expression of his pink-haired nephew. The baby stared back with his big, gray eyes and eventually began mellowing out. Probably because his white hair and features reminded the kid of his mom.

The front door was kicked in and heavy boot-fall filled the silence as shouts of cease-and-desist orders were announced loud and clear. He ignored them all, even as several men surrounded him and yelled for him to start obeying them.

“There’s no need.” A familiar voice stated as he stepped through the riot officers and used a hand to point their guns away from Touya. The former villain didn’t even bother turning towards the one standing up for him as he gently reached into the bassinet and traced his fingers down the baby’s temple and along his squishy cheek.

Best Jeanist stood beside the young man, also admiring the little boy as curiosity lit up his eyes and he began kicking his feet with a gurgle.

“I believe this is the first time the two of you are meeting?” Best Jeanist asked, receiving a nod of affirmation. “I see. Then I’m honored to introduce you to Toma Todoroki.”

Touya scoffed lightly, a smile curling the ends of his mouth. “It’s a good sounding name.” He murmured, earning a happy baby smile in return.

~0~

The night hadn’t gone as planned and regardless how many times he denied it, Enji knew Keigo had woken up with a dismal cloud surrounding him. They were currently on their way to his home to celebrate the hero’s birthday with the rest of the family and Enji was trying his best to cheer up his partner. Of course, he wasn’t the most knowledgeable on the subject, but that didn’t stop him from trying. They were both in the backseat of his car with Kurumada driving and Enji reached out a hand to pat the younger man’s knee. This seemed to snap Hawks out of his daydreaming as his expression jumped into something more lighthearted and he glanced up at the red-head with a glowing smile. He tried to plaster a carefree facade across his face, but Enji saw right through it and gave him a knowing look. Hawks felt his expression slowly disintegrate until he let out a heavy breath and conceded.

“Today didn’t start out great, but that doesn’t mean I need to be a downer on my own birthday.” He confessed, a more genuine smile softening his features. “I still want to have a nice time with everyone since Yumi insisted on doing something special.”

Enji’s expression sat on a suspicious glower for a few moments before he allowed it to lighten as well, then squeezed the younger’s knee encouragingly. Everything seemed to be getting better until Kurumada turned down their street and they could see a collection of police vehicles with their lights flashing parked in the distance.

Enji and Hawks exchanged a look, both immediately flipping into hero-mode and dashing out of the car as soon as they could. They pushed past the officers on their way through the property and burst into the main entryway. There they found Rei, Natsuo, Shoto, and Tsukauchi gathered on the couches with a laptop sitting on the coffee table open to a live video feed. Officers were flooded throughout the house, rifling through things and trampling over birthday decorations as they looked for any sort of clues. When the two were close enough to see what was on the screen, Enji felt his heart leap into his throat.

The screen was split into three scenes; the first immediately tugged at Enji’s soul as he saw his daughter unconscious and bound to a chair, the second was of his grandson in some sort of crib not obviously in immediate danger, and the third was of Touya also tied to a chair, his head hung low and breathing heavy. As he stared speechlessly at the laptop, he watched his eldest get decked in the jaw by some unknown man off to the side.

He felt his flames burst into life across his hair and features as he tightened his fists and snarled. He turned to his family and found tumultuous faces staring back, waiting for Endeavor to take charge and come up with a plan.

“What happened.” He demanded, turning to Tsukauchi next.

“Fuyumi was late getting back from shopping.” Shoto began, wrapping an arm around his mom’s shoulder as she began softly crying. “We were becoming worried, but then Natsu checked the mail and found a USB in the box. It connected us to this.” He continued, gesturing to the laptop.

“I came as quickly as I could and got here a few minutes ago. My team is working on tracing the signal.” Tsukauchi reassured, glancing at Sansa and a few other officers surrounding their own laptops and typing away furiously.

Enji snarled again and turned to his youngest. “You didn’t think to call me??” he demanded, glaring venomously at the teenager.

“You were on your way!” Shoto shouted back, jumping to his feet and glaring at the man. Over the last ten months he’d continued growing and was only a few inches shorter than his father. “There’s nothing you can do until they trace the signals, and I didn’t want to deal with your sh*tty attitude, old man!”

Enji recoiled at the comment, wanting to retaliate with something but hearing so much of himself in his youngest’s tone.

“I’ve got something!” Sansa announced, gaining everyone’s attention. All the Todorokis practically leapt over the couch to get a look at the officer’s computer screen. “The signal from Toma is coming out of an industrial district of Shinjuku, I’m still working on precise coordinates.”

Enji caught Shoto’s attention and without a second thought, the teenager nodded. When Sansa rattled off an address, Shoto was bolting out the door and blasting into the air.

“Next I’ve got Fuyumi!” The cat-faced officer declared, narrowing in on a rural part of Kyoto in the south-west. Enji felt a hand grip his shoulder and glanced over to find Hawks giving him an understanding look.

“Go, I’ve got Touya.” He stated, patting the man’s shoulder. Enji felt his lip tremble but gave a nod of determination. When he was given a better location, he was also flying off.

“It seems like Touya is off the coast of Chiba somewhere, gimme a second and I’ll…” Before Sansa could finish, Hawks was flying out the front door completely relying on his own speed to find the other faster than waiting for an exact location. Papers rustled from the wind and Natsu watched as everyone departed the house to go off and be heroes. He flopped down on the couch along with Rei and gripped her hand tightly.

“Don’t worry, they’ll get them all back.” He whispered to his mom as they both watched the three on the laptop screen.

Not even five minutes later they could hear the loudest, most obnoxious motorcycle engine speeding up the street until it was killed what sounded like just outside the front door. Natsu spun around on the couch as angry shouting erupted from the officers that remained after several split in all three directions to aid in the kidnapping recoveries.

“Piss off, I live here.”

Natsu felt his eyebrows practically shoot into his hairline.

“And put those away, you look like an asshole.”

Both Rei and Natsu shared a look of shock as they glanced at the laptop, then over their shoulders to find Touya tied to a chair on the screen, yet walking through the main door with an unknown person brandishing a gun in each hand, pointing them at the officers following them in.

“Stand down, all of you!” Tsukauchi ordered in a commanding voice, not wanting to be the one to inform Endeavor of a bloodbath including his family in his own home.

“Told you.” Touya grumbled at his partner as they slowly lowered their weapons and turned to face the inside of the house. They then tucked the firearms behind their back and folded their arms haughtily. Touya stopped mid stride when he found his younger brother and mom staring at him like he was a ghost. “What?”

“B-But… the video feed!” Natsu announced, pointing at the laptop. Touya blinked, then stared at it before snorting a laugh.

“It’s on a loop, genius.” He stated, unzipping the top of his jacket next to reveal a little head of pink hair from beneath. Natsu’s jaw practically hit the floor as Rei leapt from her seat and ran over to the two.

“Toma!” She cried, taking her grandson into her arms, which caused him to start squirming and crying.

“Seems like the little guy prefers the heat.” Touya murmured as he let out a heavy breath of steam. Fighting and then flying was seriously overheating him, but he didn’t want to risk riding with his partner considering their erratic driving methods.

“Where the hell have you been??” Natsu cried out, taking long strides to his brother before clasping his right hand in his own and tugging him into a manly hug. Touya let out a strangled noise of discomfort as he went rigid at the touch before a strange sensation of ice washed up his arm and down his spine. His eyes went wide at the feeling, and as they separated, they both stared at each other in confusion.

“Does that mean Fuyumi is safe as well?” Rei asked as Toma was slowly calming down, catching their attention. Touya cleared his throat.

“No, unfortunately. That’s why I’m here; where’re Shoto and Endeavor?”

“Well,” Natsu began, “Shoto’s looking for Toma in Shinjuku, Hawks is looking for you off the coast of Chiba, and the old man is looking for Yumi in Kyoto.”

Touya’s eyebrow twitched visibly before swearing under his breath. “What the hell was the point of learning the signal?” He mumbled bitterly. Natsu gave him an odd look.

“What signal?”

Touya glared at his younger brother before pointing at the screen. Natsu turned and carefully watched until he finally noticed Touya letting off two small puffs of blue fire.

“Endeavor’s stupid signal. I did that every minute despite getting the sh*t kicked outta me.” He explained, rubbing his jaw. “And Yumi’s the one off the coast of Chiba, not me.”

Movement from the first video feed suddenly caught their attention and all three felt their breath catch in their throat.

“Call Endeavor and Shoto. Get them to Chiba.” Touya ordered his brother, reaching out to his mom and accepting his nephew back. Tsukauchi glanced between the three, wondering where the sudden urgency was coming from. Before he could ask, though, Touya, Toma, and the mystery person dressed all in black were rushing out the front door and Natsu was frantically pacing with his phone to his ear, waiting for either his dad or brother to pick up.

“Mind if I ask what’s going on?” The detective requested, directing the question at Rei.

“Oh, sorry.” She apologized, trying to find the words. “Touya and Fuyumi have quite a few similarities. While Touya was given a more powerful form of his father’s quirk, along with my resistance to frigid temperatures, the opposite is true of Fuyumi.”

Tsukauchi raised an eyebrow. “I was aware of that, unless…”

Rei nodded her head. “While Shoto displayed his immense grasp of his ice quirk in his first-year sports’ festival, Fuyumi had already sworn to never develop her power because it was devastatingly more cataclysmic. In her first year of UA, she nearly killed one of her classmates and transferred out of hero studies into general education.”

Natsu let out an angry snarl. “Dammit, Shoto!” He muttered as he scrolled through his contacts and tried a different number. “And now she’s about to wake up, pissed off, and missing her baby. If she doesn’t kill her kidnappers, she’s about to lose her fingers and limbs to frostbite.”

Chapter 43: Rescue

Chapter Text

Fuyumi’s world felt groggy and nauseating as she slowly came-to and tried navigating her way through the confusion of gradual consciousness.

Where am I? What happened? What am I making for dinner…?

That last question felt out of place as she realized she was in some dingey room strapped to a chair while the air around felt cold and damp. Her head throbbed like a beating drum and her mouth struggled to form words until her eyebrows slowly knit together at a horrifying realization.

Where’s Toma?

Fuyumi ran through her memories over and over. She’d gone to the market with her son and on their way back they’d run into some unsavory characters. That was the last thing she remembered before blacking out and waking up… wherever the hell this was.

So where was Toma?

Fuyumi grunted as she tugged against the restraints, her breath curling past her teeth as the temperature began plummeting. She desperately glanced around, hoping he was somewhere she could see, but even slinging her head drowsily side to side rewarded her with an empty room.

Where is Toma?? Is he alright??

A more urgent sound escaped between her teeth as she ignored the sharp tearing sensation of the frozen ropes against her skin. The dampness of the air was solidifying against the walls while shards of ice began spidering in all directions from where she was seated in the middle of the room. She started shivering uncontrollably at the unbelievably frozen temperature of the room until the ropes securing her could no longer hold up to the brittleness and crumbled apart. Fuyumi slowly raised her hands to her line of sight and felt a pit in her stomach at the sight of frozen blood from her wrists. She was shaking violently, and she wanted to remember what her UA homeroom teachers taught her about controlling her quirk, but every thought was overshadowed by fear for the safety of her son.

Fuyumi stood on trembling legs and forced herself to look up through the tendrils of hair cascading over her face before holding out a hand and trying her best to contain her power. An explosion of ice shot out for the door, blowing it open and blasting through the walls of the ship. What she couldn’t see was the extent of the range as her ice tore past the hull and rocketed across open sea, freezing an enormous iceberg in the wintery waters. As high as the peak was, it also extended into the sea beneath the vessel holding her captive and spread horizontally across the surface.

Two of the crewmembers stood on the deck and watched the spectacle with incredulous looks. One of their mates had gotten caught in the blast and was now who-knows-where in the middle of that mountain of ice. They’d never seen anything like it in their lives and realized with deepening terror that not only was it attached to their ship, but the newly crafted structure caused a shift in balance and it wasn’t long before the cargo vessel was getting lifted out of the water. The two men braced themselves against the railing and frantically glanced around the deck to make sure nothing came loose to slide right into them. Eventually equilibrium was reached and the ship ended up resting at an uncomfortable angle as the metal groaned from the shift in pressure.

They glanced at each other simultaneously when they weren’t immediately in danger and shared the same understanding that maybe they were in over their heads with this job.

~0~

Hawks realized he probably should’ve stuck around the Todoroki household a bit longer to get some more accurate coordinates, but as he flew through the chilly air he could feel an intense drop in temperature that led him to an impressively massive hunk of ice floating in the sea. When he flew a little closer, he could see a ship attached to it as the ice continued to creep across the Pacific Ocean and he guessed it wasn’t Touya he was dealing with. He briefly wondered what else got jumbled in the police’s search but also figured it was in his best interest to deal with what was in front of him right now. He’d been told a story or two about why Fuyumi had to forgo the hero course at UA High, but seeing it in person made him remember Shoto at his first Sport’s Festival.

Except the only Todoroki daughter had more range and significantly less control over her ability.

An intense gust of wind finally caught the winged hero off guard and he braced himself as he was ripped from his flight path and sent tumbling in the air. He was accustomed to getting caught by intense winds now and again, so it wasn’t long before he could stabilize himself and glide down to the slanted deck of the ship run aground by ice. It was a rough and slippery landing, but as he touched down he had a grim realization that there was no need for assistance in subduing Yumi’s captors. He could see two iced-over mounds on the deck he assumed were the bodies of villains and he tried not to think too much about it.

“Yumi!” Hawks called out, his voice sounding eerie as it echoed across the icy surface surrounding him before it was swept away by the wind. Silence followed his shout and he realized it was getting harder and harder to breathe in the intense cold. His skin began to sting and his hair was collecting frost as he tried to hurry and find her.

Another mountain of ice suddenly shot into the sky from the other side of the ship, spreading across the frozen sea and branching out with sharp spires. Hawks had to dodge a few quickly as he lifted into the turbulent winds and fought his way to the source. He held his arm over his face to ward off the piercing gusts and as he touched down he felt like he was going to be blown away.

“Yumi…!” He tried again, his voice getting sent in the wrong direction as the chill penetrated the fibers of his clothes straight down to his bones. In his concentration he didn’t notice two others approaching until he found himself tumbling over the side of the ship with a mysterious person dressed entirely in black, their face covered by some sort of motorcycle helmet, leaping after him. He plucked one of his long, rigid feathers to fend off the attacker as they threw expert attacks aiming for every way that would incapacitate him as painfully as possible. Whoever this was knew how to fight dirty and Hawks was having a tough time keeping up.

Just then, blue flames caught his attention from the corner of his eye right before he was decked in the jaw by an especially painful punch. He leapt back to gain some ground only for this person to chase after him and get right back to trying to beat the snot out of him.

~0~

Just as their jet ski was about to collide with the sheet of ice, Touya took to the sky with his fire while carrying his partner piggy back style. Originally he’d wanted to conserve his capacity to overheat, but seeing his sister in full disaster mode made him think he was overreacting. Before he could let his partner know this was their stop, they were already leaping from his back and he couldn’t help wincing at how hard they were fending off Keigo.

Obviously they didn’t pay attention to his instructions.

Touya found the source of the deadly blizzard and headed straight for it, turning up the heat as he landed on top of a large, dense ball of ice. It seemed like as fast as he could melt it, the ice was reforming, so he cranked the intensity further and felt as blue flames shot out behind him like a jet. Slowly he began melting his way through the surface and wondered if the negative temperatures were enough to keep his burns at bay.

Fuyumi knelt at the center completely encased in ice; hardly able to move and hardly able to breathe. A hundred thoughts raced through her head. What if she hurt someone? Killed someone? What if it was Toma caught up in all this, what was she thinking?? How could she be so utterly careless, useless, and incompetent? She had to stop! Please, just stop! She thought she heard someone call her name, what if they were trying to help her and she killed them too???

Please… please just stop!!!

Everything was frozen and every movement felt like she was cracking in two. She lost her ability to feel any finer sensations, and her appendages and fingers were beyond numb.

“Yumi!!”

Fuyumi gasped as it became ever-so easier to breathe. Heat? Was it Shoto, or dad? When she’d gone wild at UA, Endeavor had to come and subdue his own daughter. That’d been one of the scariest times in her life and it’d taken weeks to get her core temperature stable again. This wasn’t the same feeling though, not when a hand reached out and gripped her upper arm and instantly shot a bolt of heat down her spine. She gasped again as warmth flooded from the touch and she could finally move without shattering herself.

“Touya-nii?” She asked perplexedly, looking up and finding short white hair with intense blue eyes.

“Let it go, Ice Queen.” Touya stated, silencing all the self-deprecating thoughts she was screaming at herself. He reached out his other hand to touch her cheek and she could finally feel the tears cascading down her cheeks.

“But…” she attempted to choke out, wanting to tell him she’d lost her son, and oh God who else was in trouble?? Was there a ransom?? Was everyone else in danger because of her??

Touya removed the hand he had on her arm as he felt his internal temperature stabilize along with his sister’s. He then used a finger to flick her in the forehead after he melted through the rest of the ice to kneel beside her.

“Everyone else is fine, dummy. Stop over thinking.”

Fuyumi flinched at the small attack before fixing him with a vexed glare. She couldn’t stay mad at him long though, not after he just saved her. She watched as he then unzipped the top of his coat and felt as her heart nearly burst from her chest.

“See? Quit worrying.” He muttered, watching as tears filled his little sister’s eyes right before she engulfed him in an overzealous hug. Touya choked down a noise of discomfort but managed to stay still and allow his sister to lean against him as she placed a hand atop Toma’s pink hair. Touya grimaced and let out a shaky breath but stayed perfectly still as she trembled in his arms from a combination of adrenaline and her quirk while Toma let out a happy gurgle.

A shout echoed across the ice and through the melted entrance they were huddled in, and Touya suddenly remembered the other two. He rolled his eyes at the dramatics, earning a confused look from Fuyumi.

“It’s a long story.” He grumbled, scooping her into his arms and using his fire to help him leap out of the ice dome. It wasn’t long before he found his partner and the Winged Hero duking it out across the ice. “Hei!”

Blue fire and a shout caught Hawks’ attention once again, but this time he waited for the other guy to back off before taking his eye off him.

“We’re done, let’s get out of here.” Touya called out to the two and Hawks could see the other man had his sister in his arms. He flicked a glance at the stranger in black, but the guy remained silent and Keigo figured they were together if he stopped at a command. Any amount of speaking to him had resulted in silence and he decided it wasn’t worth it to continue probing for information if it’d get him nowhere. Afterall, Touya did enjoy monologuing. Maybe he could extract some information that way.

Hawks took to the air, landing beside the siblings and Toma on the slanted deck. “Yumi! Are you alright?” He asked, dashing up to her and taking a hand in his. He could hardly feel anything through his own gloves and frozen fingers, but he imagined she was cold herself.

“Yeah, I’m alright.” She said with a soft smile. “Sorry for being so much trouble!”

The comment was lighthearted but it earned an exasperated huff from the eldest Todoroki as he pinched her arm.

“Ouch!” She complained since he did it unnecessarily hard. Especially now that she was warming up and her skin felt like pins and needles.

Hawks couldn’t help smiling at the exchange. Crunching footsteps alerted him to someone approaching right before the mystery person in black leapt for the railing and grabbed hold, pulling themself onto the deck. He decided to let go of whatever altercation had happened and figured they were just trying to keep him away from Touya and Fuyumi so they could have their sibling moment. He approached the stranger with a pleasant smile and extended a hand. “Sorry for the rough introduction, I just wasn’t sure what to make of you. I’m Hawks, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

His hand was immediately slapped away and Keigo watched as the other folded their arms and stuck up their nose in a huff. The blond stared incredulously at the childish exchange and was at a complete loss for words.

Before he could ask, though, a crack in the ice rattled the ship as it came loose from its perch and had a short, yet alarming, glide into the ocean. Everyone on deck braced themselves for the impact as they struck the frigid water and eventually bobbed like a giant cork. Thankfully, nothing excessively alarming seemed to be taking place and everyone let out a breath of relief.

Hawks turned to Touya and stuck his thumb in the stranger’s direction. “What’s this guy’s deal anyway? First he attacks me out of nowhere, then he’s extremely rude. Who is he?”

An angry stomp caught the hero’s attention and he looked over to find the guy throwing an actual tantrum. He raised an eyebrow at the display and turned back to Touya.

“They,” Touya began, stressing the word, “are nonbinary. So I ask that you respect their pronouns or I can’t guarantee your safety.”

Hawks blinked. “Oh, umm… My apologies.” He stated, turning to the other person. In return, they folded their arms and stuck up their nose again. He cleared his throat. “Okay. Umm, how do you two know each other?” He asked casually, hoping to change the subject and maybe get off this person’s bad side.

“We’re married.”

Keigo felt his heart stop in his chest. Silence washed over the area until he and Fuyumi locked eyes in astonishment.

“You’re married??” They shouted in unison, causing Toma to start crying at the volume. Fuyumi realized her folie and attempted to shush the baby. Hawks quickly covered his mouth as he also realized he was not helping his situation. However, when he turned to apologize, he found a fist on a collision course with his nose. Before he could react, though, he was sent tumbling over the side of the ship and disappeared into the freezing waters below.

Fuyumi shrieked at the sight, fearing for Keigo as he hit the water with a loud slap. She turned to her brother with pleading eyes, but before she could say anything, she was caught off-guard by his look of annoyance.

Touya narrowed his eyes irritably. “Come on, we talked about this.” He urged, a little too calm for the situation at hand. Fuyumi balked and turned to face his spouse. They tapped their foot and drummed their fingers against their arm, their posture displaying equal irritation. Touya let out an angry breath of steam through his nose and walked up to his partner. “Then take these two inside and keep them warm.” He stated, indicating his sister who was now holding onto Toma. His partner turned away in a grumpy huff and he rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a brat, if he dies there’s going to be a lot of people asking a lot of questions.”

A few moments passed and Fuyumi couldn’t believe they were having this conversation while Hawks had yet to come up for air. Eventually, they conceded, and Touya slipped out of his boots and jacket before diving into the ocean.

Chapter 44: Secrets

Chapter Text

It was honestly impressive how Hawks was able to land perfectly between the cracks of ice directly into the ocean. Unfortunately, the punch to his nose short circuited his brain long enough for him to hit the water, and by the time he had any idea what was going on, he was drowning. Not only that, but the temperature was cold enough to seize his muscles as he desperately tried to fight against his dwindling mobility. His wings were heavy and clumsy in the water, but it was the same idea as he flapped them to get closer to the surface. His clothes were weighing him down and the rocking of the waves wasn’t helping, but it didn’t seem to matter since he was trapped beneath a shifted sheet of ice.

Hawks sputtered as his lungs tried to collapse, yet he still persisted as he banged against the jagged bottom and tried clawing his way through. It wasn’t long before fatigue finally began choking him into submission, and in his final moments he regretted that this had to be the end.

Touya melted his way into the ocean, the shocking chill of the water reminding him of his time on the quirk suppression injection while working with the UA students. Now he didn’t have to worry about it for long, though, as he ignited his flames internally and set out to find his little bird. Red feathers floated detached through the water until he eventually located the unconscious hero drifting lower into the abyss. He swam for the blond and collected him in his arms, then headed back for the surface. The current was strong and he wasn’t interested in boiling the red chicken alive, so he ended up melting through a different section of ice and emerging there. He gasped for oxygen a moment before hefting the blond onto the surface, then dragging himself up next. The sheets covering the water were starting to break apart due to the stabilization in temperature, along with Touya’s blast of heat to free his sister. The rocking was almost pleasant, but right now he needed to focus on getting everyone back to the mainland and giving his father an earful for this sh*t-show of a rescue attempt.

Water drained from Keigo’s mouth as he was tipped onto his side, but he wasn’t breathing yet. Without hesitation, Touya began performing CPR until the hero was spewing salt water in the former villain’s face. Touya grumbled a curse under his breath as he wiped away the splatter and fixed the other with a disapproving glare, but Hawks wasn’t paying attention. His breathing was haggard and he was shivering violently. His lips were blue and his eyes could hardly stay open, so Touya decided to give him a pass and hoisted the younger man into his arms like an exhausted child. The hero hardly even noticed the treatment, just the unpleasant jostling as his arms and legs felt like they were going to be torn off from the freezing temperatures.

“Quit your whining. It’s almost like you aren’t happy to see me.” Touya teased as he shot into the air and landed back on the deck. Hawks let out a noise of discontent, but couldn’t help curling into the former villain as he radiated a delightful amount of heat.

“F-f*ck you…” He whispered, burying his face into the other’s collarbone.

“Oh? Is that our relationship again?”

Touya couldn’t help chuckling at the groan of irritation from the blond as he collected his things and disappeared into the first door of the ship. It was some sort of recreation room with a kitchenette against one wall and some couches bolted to the floor. The other three must be holed up somewhere else, but in the meantime, it seemed like a good idea to treat Keigo’s hypothermia.

He dropped the hero rather unkindly on the counter of the kitchenette and Hawks let out a hiss of disapproval before slowly sinking down to lie across the surface. He was so unbelievably cold, tired, and sore he didn’t want to think about Touya rummaging through a bunch of cabinets and drawers. He closed his eyes and debated falling asleep right here and now when he was eventually wrenched into a seated position again. He squawked at the rough handling until his cheeks lit up bright red when Touya started ripping off his clothes.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Hawks demanded through chattering teeth as his coat was shoved from his shoulders. It wasn’t doing much to keep him warm, but it was certainly better than being exposed.

“Shut up, not like we haven’t done this before.” Touya argued, ripping off his sopping wet shirt as well. With most of his feathers left in the ocean, Touya didn’t have much trouble removing the clothing, and no matter how hard he tried, Hawks was outmatched. He felt his blush grow a few shades darker when he heard a scoff.

“W-What?” He demanded, searching the other man’s blue eyes. He flinched when Touya suddenly moved and was astonished to find a wool blanket getting wrapped over his shoulders.

“Surprised you kept them.”

Hawks blinked, trying to understand what he meant until he realized he was talking about the nipple piercings. His blush dusted further down his neck and he decided to bite his tongue on the subject.

Right before Touya yanked at the clasps on his pants. The hero squirmed and fidgeted to no avail; he was eventually tugged to his feet and his pants pulled to his ankles.

“A little decency wouldn’t kill you!” Keigo squeaked, using the other man’s shoulders as a crutch while everything below his knees was removed. Touya paused and Hawks could sense the sinister grin right before he lifted an end of the wool blanket.

“No dick piercing yet, though. I’m disappointed.”

If he had proper control of his legs, Hawks would’ve kicked him in the teeth. Instead, he yanked the cloth from Touya’s hand and wrapped himself in it tighter.

“Settle down, little bird. I’m a married man, remember?” Touya insisted calmly, climbing to his feet and standing uncomfortably close to the hero. Hawks tried taking a step back but had nowhere to go as the former villain set his hands on the countertop at either side of his waist. If it wasn’t for the heat spilling off his skin, Hawks liked to believe he’d have bolted to the other side of the room by now. Touya was like a radiator cranked to max output and Hawks was still having trouble feeling his fingers and toes.

Keigo found himself leaning away from the other until Touya reached out a hand to take his chin between his fingers and swivel his head to look into his eyes.

“Did you miss me?”

Hawks frowned at the question before breaking eye contact and using a hand to gingerly push against the other man’s chest. Touya didn’t relent though.

“Were you worried about me?”

Hawks bristled and froze, hesitating for a second which answered Touya’s question.

“How sweet.” He whispered, curling his fingers around the blond’s chin and forcing him to look in his eyes once more. They were chest to chest and Touya’s other arm had wandered more into an embrace around his back. “Were you worried about my well-being?”

Hawks searched his eyes, wondering what he was getting at.

“Or were you worried you broke my heart?”

Ahh… there it is. Another slight hesitation and Touya had his answer. He couldn’t help chuckling as Keigo deflated in his arms.

“How egotistical.” Touya murmured, tracing a finger from his chin up his jaw to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear. Hawks wasn’t sure he wanted to know what he meant and remained silent, earning another chuckle. “Come on, you can’t be serious.” He continued, pressing the palm of his hand against Keigo’s cheek. The hero blinked in mystification as he was mesmerized by those deep blue eyes. “My life isn’t going to be ruined by some greedy virgin.”

Hawks felt his tongue fumble in his mouth as he tried to search for any retort whatsoever when he was interrupted by something that sounded like an explosion on deck. A deep voice then shouted something and the two shared a surprised look until another malevolent grin lit up Touya’s features.

“Sounds like your boyfriend finally made it.” He whispered with a devious chuckle. It didn’t take much to lift the hero into his arms and Hawks let out a noise of protest as he was deposited on a couch. He tried sitting up only to have Touya push him back down and tuck him into the sofa with his long black coat draped over the hero.

“I’m gonna go fill-in Endeavor on the situation.” Touya stated, slipping on his boots and adjusting the gloves that covered any sort of exposed skin. “I’ll be right back.”

With that, the eldest Todoroki son lifted a black hood over his hair, a black muffler over his nose and mouth, and pulled the yellow goggles off Keigo’s nose to situate them on his own. If he didn’t know who was standing in front of him, Hawks never would’ve guessed it was Touya.

He had a bad feeling about this.

~0~

Endeavor had practically set the sky ablaze over Japan when Natsuo finally got ahold of him and informed him about the mix-up. No doubt the League was trying to confuse them, but with any luck Touya had already made it to Fuyumi. Of course, that didn’t stop him from worrying. He’d caught up with Shoto embarrassingly easily and was going to have a long conversation with his son about urgency when they got home, but for now his concentration was focused on the cargo ship out at sea completely surrounded by a mile of ice in every direction. He landed forcefully, figuring he already lost the element of surprise and instead wanted to give a demonstration of his fury, dropping with an incredible amount of power that echoed in every direction. On deck, he and Shoto weren’t met with any sort of resistance, Touya and Hawks were nowhere to be found, and other than the creak of the ice, it was alarmingly quiet.

“Cowards!! Come out and face me!!” Enji declared, his voice booming across the expanse. Shoto also stood at attention, watching his father’s back for when the enemy would strike. They stood that way a few moments, waiting for anything to happen until they both shared a suspicious glance. When Enji took a step toward the cabins, however, one of the doors gently opened. His eyes immediately narrowed at a figure dressed head to toe entirely in black with a familiar set of yellow shades covering his eyes.

Endeavor didn’t hesitate to lunge into fight mode, launching straight for the other and colliding mid-attack. The stranger met him with equal force and he realized this wasn’t some simple goon he was dealing with. Seeing Keigo’s goggles on his face was enough to send him into a blind rage, but fighting purely off emotion was an easy way to get killed.

“Who are you and where did you get those??” He demanded, shoving the guy back and watching him skid across the deck. Shoto attempted to engage in the attack as well but was greatly outmaneuvered until he was also sent skidding back to stand beside Endeavor.

“Go look for Fuyumi! I’ll take care of him.” Enji insisted, waiting for Shoto to dash off. The man in black stood his ground, his eyes almost playful behind the tempered plexiglass. Because of the yellow tint, Enji wasn’t able to see the familiar striking blue color and Touya was having a bit too much mischievous fun. Enji lunged for the other again as they both threw, and blocked, one punch after another. The former number one hero eventually let out a snarl of frustration as he became more and more fed up with this aggravating dance and started throwing fists of fire, quirk regulation laws be damned.

Touya ducked and weaved, wondering how long he could keep this up before he also had to meet his father on equal footing. The fire was aiding his old man in speed and it wasn’t long before a fist grazed the side of his face and knocked the goggles off. Touya leapt back to gain some ground and figured it might be time to call it quits, only to find the larger man launching straight for him. It looked like he wasn’t interested in interrogating him for details and in the nick of time the former villain was able to deflect the man and send him flying into the air with the help of his own quirk.

Enji was sent tumbling through the sky while he tried to recover from the surprise attack. And as he was finally righting himself in midair, a realization suddenly struck him.

Were those flames blue?

A shape caught his attention from above and he realized the stranger dressed in black had leapt higher than he’d been thrown and was plummeting toward him in a moment of Deja vu.

Touya’s hood and muffler had slipped from his face due to the wind, revealing a demented smile as he rocketed straight for his old man like when he’d first revealed the true origin of Dabi. He couldn’t help laughing at the same dumbfounded expression the other was wearing while he pulled back a fist ready to strike.

“FLASH FIRE FIST!!”

Endeavor was frozen speechless, completely incapable of dodging as Touya’s fist slammed into the side of his head and sent him careening through the thick ice into the ocean. He disappeared beneath the surface with an incredible explosion and Touya felt an absurd amount of satisfaction at the sight. He didn’t even bother waiting for him to come up before he flew back to the cargo ship and landed to find Shoto staring at him with a look of horror. His youngest brother gaped silently as he strolled along the deck like nothing happened.

“What the hell was that about?” Shoto asked, staring across the water to see where Endeavor might eventually pop up.

“Next time pay attention to my messages.” Touya warned, clapping a hand on the high school graduate’s shoulder. “And don’t worry too much about him, he’ll be fine.”

With that, he continued his stroll across the deck and opened one of the cabin doors. “Make yourself useful and find Yumi. My brat of a partner has her and Toma somewhere on board and I’d like to get off this dump.”

He closed the door behind him before Shoto could reply, tugging the gloves from his hands and pulling his shirt over his head.

~0~

Hawks jolted awake when he heard the door open and what sounded like Touya speaking to someone. He let out a heavy breath from beneath the large, scratchy wool blanket encasing him as if he was a burrito and wondered if Shoto and Enji had finally caught up. He still felt sh*tty after his near-death experience and just wished this whole ordeal would be over with. All he wanted to do was go home, take a bath, and eat the yakitori Yumi promised him.

When footsteps approached, he peeked over the top of the covers expecting to see Enji giving him an exasperated frown only to find Touya shirtless and reaching out to dig his fist into the blankets. Hawks let out a strangled squeak when he was forced to sit up and was rewarded with Touya shoving his shirt over him. He tried to protest, but the clothing was warm and he wasn’t about to admit it smelled kinda nice.

“What’s your problem??” The hero demanded when his head popped through the collar. He decided to play along and stuck his arms through the sleeves, but that didn’t mean he was going to be entirely complacent.

“I’m being nice, appreciate it.” Touya retorted, undoing his belt buckle and fastener. Keigo’s eyes widened at the sight of him dropping his pants while a fresh dusting of pink lit up his cheeks. He couldn’t help staring at the man undressing, wondering if the scar removal surgery hadn’t been too effective or if these ones were new. They weren’t nearly as defined as they had been while he was part of the League of Villains, but they still looked painful. Touya had also always been skinny, but now he looked even thinner, if that was possible. And he had a collection of bruises scattered over his chest.

When he was left in nothing but a pair of boxers and socks, Touya slipped his pants onto Hawks as well and tugged him to his feet by the collar of his shirt.

“I can dress myself.” Keigo murmured with annoyance, feeling like a child being dressed by their parent as the button was fastened and the belt was pulled tight. Touya clasped the belt in place and couldn’t help using a finger to tug at it, marveling at the size difference despite having to stab a new hole in it to hold his pants onto his own waist.

“You’re so small.” He observed quietly, tugging at the hem again for emphasis. Hawks frowned grumpily and slapped the other’s hand away. “Don’t be so unfriendly.” Touya insisted, wrapping his arms around the hero before hiking him back into his embrace.

“Do you have any concept of personal space?” Hawks demanded from where he was seated on the other's hip, his eyebrow twitching with irritation. Touya gave him a devilish grin in response, spinning on his heel and plopping on the couch with the blond straddled in his lap.

“You going to complain about it or something?” He asked, suddenly turning up the temperature of his skin as he threw the blanket over them both. Keigo was surprised to hear the noise of appreciation that escaped his mouth as he collapsed into Touya’s chest.

“You’re a manipulative jerk.” He whispered, cozying into the former villain and wrapping his arms over the other man’s shoulders. Touya hummed in agreement, leaning his head back against the couch and closing his eyes. They stayed like that a few moments until the door to the room was thrown open and Hawks nearly jumped out of his skin.

Enji stood in the doorway and glared dramatically at his eldest son relaxing on a couch with a smug smile turning up the corners of his lips. The former number one hero bared his teeth and snarled dangerously, saltwater dripping from his hair and pooling at his feet. When he finally entered the room, his shoes squished comically and he left a wet trail disappearing into the hallway. He wanted to curse out the young man and thought of a dozen unpleasant things to say until he noticed the pile of blankets covering Touya with a familiar head of stringy blond hair poking out.

Keigo looked like he was caught sticking his hand in the cookie jar, but as Enji stared he realized the younger might have also been tossed into the ocean himself.

“What happened?” He demanded gruffly, fixing his eldest with a displeased grimace.

“Yumi’s safe and Keigo’s warming up after falling in the water.” Touya replied simply, his expression fiendishly amused.

Hawks sputtered at the explanation. “Fell?? Your spouse knocked me in there! I almost died!” He stated wildly, pushing away from Touya to also glare at him.

Enji let out a heavy breath and suddenly ignited his quirk, causing steam to billow from him as the ocean water evaporated and his hair spiked up like it was normally styled. When he was dry, he marched up to the two and tucked his hands underneath Keigo’s armpits, hoisting the smaller man into his grasp and radiating heat like Touya had been. Hawks was not happy about being constantly manhandled like a little kid, but Enji’s arms were so delightfully large and comfy he let it slide.

The eldest Todoroki son draped his elbows over the backrest and set his ankle on his knee with a bored frown. Enji couldn’t help noticing Keigo’s clothes spilled across the floor while he was wearing whatever his son had been and Touya was nearly naked. He tried not paying attention to the obvious scorch marks across his torso and grit his teeth at the memories of Touya burning himself to impress the flame hero.

Footsteps could be heard down the hall and it wasn’t long before Shoto, Fuyumi, and another person dressed all in black came through the door.

“Dad!” Fuyumi announced, tears gathering in her eyes as she rushed up to the man and engulfed him in a hug. He returned the affection, glad to see her and Toma were alright. He recalled Keigo mentioning Touya having a spouse and turned to the stranger, assuming this was them. There was no indication of their gender, they looked completely androgynous, and were practically as skinny as his son. They also didn’t look terribly friendly as they leaned against the doorframe with their arms crossed.

“Don’t bother introducing yourself, they hate you.” Touya announced, reading his father’s mind. Enji gave him a calculated glare and ultimately figured he had a point.

“What?? That’s so rude!” Fuyumi insisted, swiveling from Touya to his spouse and back to Touya. “I know our family has its issues, but we’re all trying our best! That’s so unfair when they’ve never even met dad, he’s like a completely different person now!”

Touya scoffed a laugh, amused by something his sister hadn’t seemed to figure out. He decided to drop it though and move on.

“It’s not all bad, there is one other person in this world they hate more than Endeavor.” He continued with a crafty smirk.

Shoto raised an eyebrow, “Really? Who?”

Everyone watched as an evil smile carved into Touya’s features and he lifted his hand to point a finger at Hawks. The hero blinked, almost not believing it until he thought about the exchange they had out on the deck.

Fuyumi flew into another bout of hysterics at the accusation. “Of all the!! Why?? Is it the age difference?? That’s so unbelievably close minded, they’re two consenting adults perfectly capable of respecting one another in an equal partnership…!” Fuyumi would’ve continued ranting if Enji hadn’t placed a hand on her shoulder, but he had a feeling he knew where this was going.

“Me??” Hawks asked, completely in shock. “Why me??”

Touya snorted a laugh like the answer was obvious. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with you dumping me to date my own father.”

Silence so thick it could practically be carved with a knife filled the room. Several dots had to be slowly connected by a few of the occupants and Enji found himself pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a deep breath.

Fuyumi was first to speak as she couldn’t believe she’d been so clueless. “You were dating Touya??” She demanded, turning to Hawks and giving him an incredulous look. Keigo recoiled at the accusation and sputtered a few excuses, but it eventually came down to them not being in a defined relationship. Fuyumi stamped her foot; “That doesn’t mean you can just go and date our father!!”

Keigo snapped his mouth shut and felt like his world was crumbling around him. Involuntary tears gathered at the edge of his eyes when it seemed like his worst fears were coming true.

“Wait… you’re dating the old man??”

Now it was everyone’s turn to stare wide-eyed at Shoto. Enji legitimately couldn’t believe the words had just come from his son’s mouth and Keigo remembered back to a night when the two of them thought the house was empty at the start of their relationship many months ago. Enji was lying across the living room couch with Keigo straddling his lap, vigorously making out, when Shoto had wandered into the room from a door facing the back of the couch. The teenager had seen the red wings, asked if Hawks knew where his dad was, watched as the winged hero jumped to attention, then got to see Enji also pop his head over the couch. He’d asked some simple question, got a quick answer, and left. Apparently that wasn’t enough to make the youngest suspicious, though.

Touya burst into laughter, finally breaking the silence. Everyone else completely avoided eye contact in the awkwardness of the situation. Keigo wanted to shrivel up and die at the absolute devastation of this whole day, wondering if he was ever going to catch a break on his own birthday. When he finally started winding down, Touya stood and picked up Keigo’s sopping wet jacket. He pushed his arms through the sleeves and tested the fit, a little displeased with how small it was before steam wafted from his shoulders and the item was dry in no time.

“Relax, it’s not that big a deal.” Touya muttered, picking up the hero’s pants next and slipping them on before using his quirk to dry them out. They fastened with a bit of work and he marveled at the fit as he tried stretching the hem with his finger.

Enji wanted to lash out at the uncomfortable feelings he was experiencing, finally having to face the consequences of his latest lack-luster choices, but something about how calm Touya was made him remember he didn’t need to be the center of attention. Not when his eldest son had every right to be angry at him for a plethora of reasons. It was amazing to see the growth and maturation he’d developed since being a part of a rehabilitation program, and he wondered what the greatest contributing factors could’ve been. Over the past ten months, Touya had been part of a large-scale recovery team spanning across several countries despite Tsukauchi’s disapproval of his involvement. It certainly helped being the son of the former number one hero of Japan, along with being a former member of the League of Villains, but it was hard for other heroes in the task force to trust him. Fortunately, there wasn’t as much jurisdiction across the borders of other countries, and as such, Touya had been allowed to reign free just as long as he checked in with his progress following the League’s trail.

Enji knew his son had other motives for tracking down Shigaraki, he wasn’t fooling himself into believing Touya’s one and only goal was redeeming himself in the eyes of the justice system. Heroes had failed the young man all his life and now his goal was to stop living in the shadows of others and instead build a life he could find restitute in. He didn’t want to be treated like some fragile victim, he didn’t want to end up as some psychological experiment, he just wanted to be free to do as he pleased and what he truly needed to help him achieve that was someone to teach him how to navigate the real world. He’d deliberated the idea of Touya being some sort of trainee at the Endeavor agency, but it was still pretty messy while Shoto had just graduated UA and was learning how to manage the business. For now, the only thing Touya could do was hunker down in the Todoroki house to escape any sort of persecution that might land him locked up in prison for an inordinate amount of time and no chance of getting out.

“Fuyumi,” Enji stated, earning her attention, “be sure to feed your brother when we get home, before he shrivels into nothing.”

Touya furrowed his brows and pursed his lips. “Way to make a guy feel self-conscious.” He grumbled, brushing the jacket aside to look down at his gut. You could clearly see three of his ribs on both sides, but that didn’t mean it needed to be pointed out.

“Don’t worry, we have a ton of yakitori for Hawks’ birthday, I’ll cook up a bunch when we get home.” She assured her brother, linking her arm with his. Touya perked up at the statement and the look in his eyes gave the blond hero a bad feeling.

“It’s your birthday?” He asked, receiving a wary nod in return. “I didn’t get you a gift.”

A pit settled in Keigo’s gut unpleasantly. “You really don’t have to.” He urged, not wanting to know what constituted as a gift from the former villain.

“Nonsense, I insist.” He replied, walking up to the two and pulling a wallet from his pants that Hawks was wearing. He and Endeavor stared at it, thinking it looked rather familiar until Enji touched a hand to where he normally kept his wallet and glared daggers at his son. He swiped the stolen wallet and jammed it back into his pocket.

“Turn my credit cards back on and I won’t have to steal it.” Touya reasoned, holding up his hands innocently.

“Stop maxing out your limit every month and we’ll talk about it.” Enji retorted, fixing him with a stern glare. Touya shrugged but made no promises.

“Alright, I think we’ve had enough serious conversations for one day.” Fuyumi butted in. “Tell us about your spouse! What’s their name, how long have you been married?”

Touya grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck, wondering why all the attention had to be on him.

“Their name is Heiyu and we’ve been married about nine months now.”

Everyone turned to stare at Heiyu’s stomach. They jumped at the sudden attention but only Touya noticed the apprehension with their face still completely covered.

“Are they mute?” Shoto asked, realizing he hadn’t heard them speak once.

Touya let out a hum as he mulled over the question. “Not exactly. They took a vow of silence after renouncing their heritage. This was before I met them, I’m not even sure what their real name is.”

Everyone blinked in unison at the information and Hawks was the first to piece together some of the details. “So, you gave them that name?”

Touya nodded and Hawks shot him an incredulous look.

“You named your spouse Hey You?”

Touya’s siblings gaped at the realization and stared at their brother like he was crazy.

“What? I didn’t have a lot of time to think it over.”

All the Todorokis groaned in unison as Enji pulled out his cell phone to give Burnin a call to come pick them up ASAP.

Chapter 45: Honesty

Chapter Text

Enji stepped out for some fresh air. The whole day had been filled with infinitely more drama than he wished to deal with and Burnin would likely be arriving in ten or so minutes. Keigo was napping in the rec-room while Fuyumi had claimed a separate couch where she successfully cornered Heiyu and was talking their ear off about a dozen different things. He’d almost tried intervening as some sort of peace-offering for whatever stories Touya had recounted them with, but decided the less interaction the better. Not only that, but they were hard to read without seeing their face. Shoto was also trapped in the conversation as his sister looped him into topics now and again, allowing Enji to slip away unnoticed.

The ice was breaking into smaller drifts across the ocean, making it impossible to get another boat near it safely. He could see the coast in the distance, so it should be a pretty straight-forward rescue, and Burnin had proven herself on significantly more treacherous missions. He just wasn’t sure he was mentally ready to bring home his eldest son after ten months on an overseas scouting mission, four months of villain rehabilitation, and eight months being locked in a supermax facility. The heroes and investigators assigned to the task force unanimously agreed the former villain was more of a liability than an asset, but didn’t hesitate to use him whenever it was convenient. They’d conducted a dozen raids across four countries, confiscating all kinds of illegal quirk enhancing drugs and weapons with the help of local authorities, but it didn’t seem to be enough. Touya still remained a villain in their eyes and he wondered what kept his son wanting to work alongside them.

An ominous thud came from around the corner and Enji found himself intrigued. He followed the noise and stopped short of emerging on deck when he caught sight of Touya brushing off his hands like he’d accomplished a task. He considered turning around and going anywhere else, then mentally chided himself for having such a cowardly thought.

But what would they talk about? The good old days when he was too young to understand his father’s toxic expectations? The months leading up to his disappearance and the intense mental duress he underwent? The seven years he was off-grid living God knows where? The atrocities he committed as a villain? All of which were extremely grim subjects that should probably involve professional guidance before he ruined his son’s life anymore than he already had.

He’d heard some of the details on Touya’s life after waking from his coma and the recounts tugged at his heart. His eldest had traveled between homeless camps and had all kinds of interactions dancing along the legal limits, many of which his decades of hero-work disagreed with. It really seemed like Touya was trying to find his sense of justice and he wasn’t interested in being constrained by conventional laws.

Enji took a breath and decided to make the plunge, marching across the deck with a sense of purpose. Even if it was a catastrophe, they’d likely be getting a ride home soon anyways. He stopped next to Touya, a little annoyed, yet also relieved, he wasn’t acknowledged right away until he turned to look out over the rail.

And felt his heart seize at the sight.

After everything he’d witnessed as a pro hero over nearly four decades, it took a lot to render him utterly speechless. He’d seen carnage, maiming, mass casualties, and even people dying right in his arms. However, as he looked out at the pile of corpses atop the ice, he didn’t think he’d ever see anything more gruesome in his entire life. They might’ve been villains, the ones who kidnapped and threatened his daughter, but because the majority were covered in frostbite and frozen solid with haggard expressions, he knew the identity of their killer.

How would she react when she found out her quirk had ended the lives of so many? What would happen, would his daughter be labeled a murderer? Would she have to suffer through months of trials, lose any chance she had at continuing her teaching profession, and serve time in prison? The same prisons that housed dangerous villains he and Shoto spent years putting away?

Enji didn’t realize he was hyperventilating until an explosion of blue flames so hot, and so intense, made even him take a step back. His eyes grew impossibly wide as the bodies were ignited and their flesh began to bubble. Clothes disintegrated, soft tissue shriveled into nothing, bones popped, and it wasn’t long before there was a hole blasted into the ice and the sea was boiling. When Touya eventually lowered his hands, there was nothing left except a rapidly cooling crater.

Touya turned to his father with an eerily stoic expression. Enji met it with a look of horror until a hand was thrust in his direction. The former number one hero glanced down at it and stared, still not even sure he’d actually witnessed what he had until he was finally able to cool his nerves and clasped Touya’s hand in his. The temperature was surprising, even to the flame hero, but he used a strong grip in return.

“The ship was empty when I arrived, the villains had already escaped on another vessel and continued north,”

Enji managed to lose even more color from his face as it took every fiber of his being not to look at the hole in the ice. Touya squeezed his hand a little harder to bring the man back to the present and he blinked rapidly. He grimaced at the foul taste in his mouth and swallowed hard before shaking his son’s hand once.

“I’ll pass the message along.”

~0~

Burnin came to the rescue yet again in a Black Hawk helicopter and Enji had to wonder what she’d done for the military in his absence to be able to call in all these favors. The helicopter ride was fairly quiet, Fuyumi and Keigo were still wrapped tight in blankets, but the only Todoroki daughter was antsy with questions.

“So, what’ve you been up to while you were away?” Fuyumi asked Touya over the headset she was wearing. The sound of the blades spinning was incredibly loud and her voice was extremely distorted, but it came through clearly. Touya flicked his gaze at his sister a moment before glancing away thoughtfully, pondering the question.

“There was a string of prison breakouts in China, Mongolia, and Siberia, along with an unsubstantial one here in Japan. I’ve been tracking down the convicts to help dismantle what remains of the league.” He replied, figuring that was information he could share since it was already known to the public.

Hawks whistled impressively from where he was snuggled up and leaning against Enji. “That’s a lot. I tried to get involved and help out on this end, but I wound up too busy.” He stated, a little disappointed since it sounded like a hell of a job. He missed the warning glance Enji gave his eldest son, but Touya didn’t seem interested in reading the social que.

“It can be difficult for such an infamous organization to secure funds, and what seemed at first like an insignificant breach in security here actually turned out pretty damn serious.” Touya explained, ignoring his father’s irritated scowl. Keigo didn’t seem to pick up on the issue though. “I’d been wondering where Shigaraki was getting his latest cash flow when all the pieces came together the night before last.”

Hawks sensed something was going over his head and his expression grew more calculated as he tried to understand.

Could it? No….

Keigo felt his stomach flip flop and shot a desperate look at Enji. Instead of reassurance though, he was met with an apologetic eye.

“Turns out, Shigaraki and the door quirk man broke into the second highest security prison in Japan to release a certain thief named Takami, then hired him to squeeze money out of a certain hero.”

Hawks felt like he was going to be sick. Everyone turned to stare at him and he briefly wondered if it was too late to jump to his death from the helicopter.

“Oh, sorry. I’m supposed to keep quiet, pending investigation.” Touya said with a playful grin, earning a quivering frown from the blond before dropping his head against Enji’s shoulder and wishing he could be swallowed up into a bottomless void.

Enji wrapped an arm reassuringly over his shoulder and squeezed his bicep. Hawks figured he hadn’t heard anything about the investigation yet because Enji was paying a hefty amount of money to his expensive lawyers to keep it that way. First he was shaken down for money by his deadbeat father, then his night of fun was ruined by his emotional state, three Todorokis were kidnapped, he got his ass kicked by someone he was sharing a helicopter ride with, nearly died from drowning and hypothermia, his former and present relationship statuses were made impeccably clear, and now he finds out he’s a key financial benefactor of the League of Villains? Keigo whimpered as he stifled tears.

The car ride to the Todoroki home was equally as awkward after Touya attempted to fight off his family like an angry cat when they insisted he had to remain out of sight from the eye of the public. When the helicopter landed on the tarmac of the airport and they were met by Krurumada in an oversized SUV, everything had been fine, but as a precaution it was insisted Touya shouldn’t be seen wearing the coat of Dabi, or even show his face. He argued that right now he was more likely to be mistaken for the winged hero since he was wearing the other’s clothes, but he was overruled. He was covered in layers of material that smelled like old man from Endeavor’s BatMobile compartments and his coat was tucked away in some corner of the car. He was immensely displeased with the treatment, but when they pulled up to his childhood home, he was delighted to see the package he ordered had arrived.

Everyone piled out of the vehicle, glad to be home and exhausted after the events. The outdoor decorations that’d been strung up by Rei and Fuyumi had been knocked down and trampled, and the yard was a mess from the officers turning over everything looking for clues. Touya was first at the door and picked up the unassuming brown box, then turned around and handed it to Hawks. He stared at the offered parcel suspiciously, but delicately accepted it nevertheless before popping open the tape and sifting through the packaging material. He was a bit confused to find an unimpressive white coffee mug, until he pulled it out and saw it was printed with the words ‘World’s Greatest Dad’.

“Happy Birthday.” Touya stated, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a phone. He handed it over to Shoto and the teenager stared at it in confusion until he pat down his pockets and noticed his was gone. “When they say one hour delivery, they really mean it.” He commented, amusem*nt lighting up his features from beneath his disguise while Shoto swiped his phone back.

Enji pushed through the group and directed both his eldest and his partner into the home where more disaster and mayhem awaited them. Decorations were strewn about, dirty footprints littered the commons floors, couch cushions were thrown around, and the banner that read “Happy 25th Birthday!” had detached from one of its clasps and was draped down the wall with one end crumpled on the floor.

Just then, someone walked into the main living room and paused at the collection of people that just entered. Enji wondered what kind of security detail they were running if they weren’t even paying attention to the front door. Sansa paused mid-step, frozen like a cartoon, before he recognized the group.

“Oh! Tsukauchi said you guys were on your way back, that was quick.” The cat-faced man observed. “Happy Birthday, Hawks! Sorry about the mess, great party though.” He continued, holding up a piece of sheet cake with a smile.

Hawks felt the pressure in his sinuses before he heard the whimper escape from between his teeth. It wasn’t long before an overdue tear scrolled down his cheek as he lamented that he wasn’t even able to cut into his own birthday cake.

Enji was the first to respond as everyone else stared blankly, watching him lead the blond hero to a spot on a couch that still had a cushion. He then turned on his heel and marched up to the officer, yanking the plate and fork out of his hands before walking back and offering it to Keigo. The birthday boy watched deftly and shakily accepted, and when he did, Enji left. Rummaging could eventually be heard from the kitchen as he dug through a few drawers, then the freezer. He returned with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Todoroki cherry vanilla ice cream in hand and promptly scooped a large helping onto the plate. He paused before he could turn away, surveying the situation carefully before dropping two more scoops on it and figuring that was enough.

Keigo took a large bite of cake and ice cream as another tear rolled down his cheek and he tried to remind himself he was supposed to be happy on his birthday.

“This day just keeps getting better.” Touya mused with a chuckle, earning a low-five from Heiyu. Enji glared viciously at the other and the room fell completely silent. Hardly anyone even took a breath as Endeavor set the ice cream aside and stalked over to the young man with a snarl carved into his face.

“Watch what you say.” Enji seethed, coming up to tower over his son and despite his scary expression, Touya didn’t flinch. “I've had it with your sh*tty attitude and I will not tolerate your disrespect.”

Enji managed to keep himself grounded instead of flying off the rails like he’d done with Shoto, reminding himself he’d done enough to hurt his eldest. However, he was only human, and he was trying to be a better one. He’d improved leaps and bounds from when his children were young, but he had a long way to go. He decided to drop the subject and move on; there was only so much he could do about Touya’s sass and if it meant he had to walk away, then so be it. He stepped back from their showdown and stomped further into the house, noticing the banner that had fallen and grabbing hold to rip it from where it remained attached.

“And the joke isn’t funny.” He muttered, still loud enough to hear, as he began balling up the vinyl banner out of frustration. Fuyumi and Shoto shared a look, then turned back to their father.

“What joke?” Yumi spoke up. Enji scoffed and scrunched up the decoration even more.

“The age joke. ‘How many times can someone turn twenty-five?’. It’s juvenile.”

Fuyumi pursed her lips, this time sharing a look with Hawks. Touya immediately burst into laughter, clasping a hand over his eyes and another on his gut. Enji wanted to lash out, but the confused look in Keigo’s eyes made him second-guess himself.

“Hawks is twenty-five.” Fuyumi informed him, also looking rather confused. “Did… you think he was older?”

Enji balked at the information. He knew the other was younger… a lot younger… but he didn’t think he was that young. He thought it was a joke, like people normally played when they turned thirty or something. ‘It’s my twenty-fifth birthday for the fifth year in a row!’, something like that.

Touya couldn’t help his continued laughter as he felt his side cramp and his jaw ache. When was the last time he laughed this hard? Too long. He eventually started calming down and could finally see through the laughter tears in his eyes. He caught a glimpse of Keigo and had to turn away before he was sent through another fit of giggles.

“You might want to watch what you say, cradle-robber.” Touya warned, dragging a finger under each eye. “You’re upsetting your boyfriend.”

Enji gave a contrite frown, biting off a grumpy retort when he turned and found crocodile tears pouring out of Keigo’s eyes. He blanched at the sight, surprising everyone with the reaction as he reached a hand to nervously rub the back of his neck, realizing he f*cked up again.

“And if you’re referring to our spat back on the cargo ship, I just wanted to give a demonstration of what I tried to show you on Setoko all those years ago.” Touya said in a light and airy tone, giving his father a devilish grin for emphasis. Enji practically swallowed his tongue as he decided silence was golden.

Chapter 46: Watch Me

Chapter Text

The party eventually found its way into the living room after the police set up a temporary post in the estate before the other guests arrived. Everyone attending was in some way law enforcement or involved in heroics, so it became some sort of birthday-work-party mashup. People who came for Hawks were suddenly invested in tracking down the League, and the officers on duty were happy to be served endless barbeque and cake. Kamui Woods found himself attached to the grill after Mount Lady kept sending him back to cook her something else, Sansa found himself serving cake nonstop after he’d tried replacing the piece Enji regifted, and all the Todorokis dispersed.

Touya and Heiyu spent their time perfecting their ninja impersonations, dropping through ceiling tiles, disappearing into ducts, slipping through crowds, and mysteriously plucking yakitori from unattended plates while staying out of sight. Shoto fell in with Tsukauchi going over strategies and clues for the investigation. Fuyumi was glad to be reunited with her partner and their little family snuck off to take a nap after the day’s events. Natsu became the life of the birthday party, glad to celebrate everyone was home and safe again, and Rei was glad to watch Kamui Woods work his stuff at the grill.

Keigo and Enji snuck away from the crowd, grabbing an overflowing plate of barbecue each before disappearing far from everyone else. They barricaded themselves in the oversized bathroom, then raided Yumi’s stash of bath bombs and bubble bars, finding a manly combination of avocado, eucalyptus, tea tree oil, and basil. Their empty plates were stacked beside the tub and Enji had an emergency collection of tea in his study two doors down, so Keigo was able to enjoy an endless hot bath with camomile on demand in his newly gifted ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ mug.

He leaned into the chest of the man sitting behind him, taking a relaxing deep breath while Enji had his muscly arms wrapped around him and a straight razor balanced delicately in his fingers.

“Do you always shave with a straight razor?” Keigo asked in a soft voice, marveling as the blade glided over his unscarred cheek while Enji used his other hand to keep his chin still.

“Most days.” He murmured back, wiping the shaving cream on a towel draped over the rim of the tub. Keigo took a sip of his tea, enjoying the peace and the smell of the pine scented candle.

“If I move too much, are you going to slice open my throat?” He asked with a grin, expecting to hear something like ‘keep talking and I might just do it for fun’. Instead, Enji concentrated on getting a perfectly straight line across his partner’s jaw, tipping his chin along the motion before daring to speak.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He replied in a bassy tone, leaving a quick peck on the younger’s freshly shaven cheek. Keigo couldn’t help the flurry of butterflies in his gut and he nestled a little cozier into his heated back rest. The blond certainly had been through the ringer, especially considering it was still his birthday. It wasn’t fair how much he’d suffered, most of which should’ve been handled by Endeavor instead. Enji made sure to even out Keigo’s signature soul patch and expertly shaved his upper lip.

“I went to a barber once and got the full treatment, but I gotta say this beats the experience.” He complimented as he was given another chance for a sip of tea. Enji guided him to lean in the other direction, exposing the side with the scar and Hawks found himself tensing up before letting out a chuckle.

“Y’know, I was just about to warn you to be careful, but I have a feeling you know what you’re doing.”

Enji chose to remain quiet and delicately glided the razor over the rough skin, shaving whatever facial hair he could find even when there didn’t seem to be much left. He ran his thumb over the scar, checking for any bits he missed, and immersing himself in guilt for it being there in the first place.

“Don’t wear such a gloomy expression, it doesn’t suit you.” Keigo insisted, catching his eye with a cheery smile. Enji stared, wanting to remind the other of his constant villainous role in this whole catastrophic saga, but the shimmer in his amber eyes was enough to melt even his ice cold heart. Enji cracked a soft smile and squeezed the other man in his arms a little tighter before tipping his chin up to get the rest of his neck. As he was finishing, there was a soft knock at the door.

“It’s me.” A tired voice announced and both recognized it as Mera Yokumiru, the acting president of the Hero Commission. Enji and Keigo exchanged a glance, both not wanting this gentle tranquility to end. “Have you seen Hawks? I need to speak with him.”

While Mera let out an exhausted yawn, Enji held a finger to Keigo’s lips, indicating for him to stay quiet.

“He’s not at the party?” The former number one hero asked, giving the younger a pointed look that seemed to also be questioning why he’d rather spend the afternoon alone with a grumpy old man. After setting the razor aside, he dipped his hands into the water to wash away the remnants of the shaving cream.

“Afraid not, and I’m too tired to think of where else he might’ve gone.” Mera droned and they could both picture the eye roll he was giving them. “I just wanted to pass the message along that Fumikage wanted to speak with him before he left.”

Keigo shot up from the bathtub with alarming speed, sloshing water all over the place as he jumped out and made a mad dash to dry himself off as quickly as possible. With his hair scrubbed dry like a madman, a robe cinched to his waist, and his tiny wings poking out the two slits in the back, he was throwing open the door and dashing down the hall. Enji barely took a breath during the whole spectacle before slumping into the back of the tub with a heavy sigh, the mug somehow winding up in his hands. They had been in the bath for quite a while and his fingers were pruny, so he decided to leave as well.

“Endeavor?” Mera asked, and Enji was surprised the man was still outside the door. “There’s something I wish to discuss with you.”

Enji let a curious expression slip onto his face, wondering what it could possibly be as he stood and dried off as well. His and Keigo’s relationship wasn’t a deeply guarded secret amongst those they were close to, but they weren’t ready to go public yet.

Enji wasn’t ready.

The former number one tied a robe on as well, realizing he hadn’t bothered with bringing a fresh set of clothes and figured it was his home, he could do as he pleased. He stepped out to find the overworked man standing to the side with his usual tired slouch.

“What is it you wish to discuss?”

Over the past two years, his voice had lost its usual piercing sharpness. He’d normally sound irritated and impatient from the start, but now he just sounded conversational. His doctor even commented that the shift in his mood was probably to thank for his blood pressure lowering as well. Now he just needed to do something about the stress.

“It’s about Hawks.” Mera replied, his expression unwavering. Enji expected him to continue and when he didn’t, he felt a tick of annoyance.

“Is something the matter with him?” He asked as he tried to tamp down the irritation.

“Yes.” Mera replied, holding a hand to his mouth while he yawned again. Enji waited for him to elaborate and felt like this conversation was like pulling teeth.

“Are you going to explain or not?” He demanded, starting to sound like his old self again and hating it. He pinched the bridge of his nose, reminding himself to calm down and tried Rei’s little trick about counting to thirty.

“It’s you.” Mera stated definitively, his expression not shifting one bit. Enji glanced up at the other, feeling a rush of anger wash over himself. He stopped before he could lash out, reasoning that he’d had these same conversations with himself plenty of times in the recesses of his mind, it was just striking to hear it coming from somebody else.

The silence was uncomfortable as Mera stared, the dark circles under his eyes looking like they were carving deeper into his expression with every passing moment. Finally, he glanced away and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Hawks has always been a free spirit, not many in the HPSC could change his mind once he made a decision, regardless if it was a wise one.”

Enji figured he was the unwise decision in this scenario.

“Not to mention he’s a grown man and perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but that doesn’t stop us old coots from worrying about our kids.”

Enji felt a wire snap in his brain when he realized this was the Dad Talk. He managed to keep his jaw from falling open, but he couldn’t hide the eyebrow twitch. Mera fixed him with an unamused expression, almost like he was reading his mind.

“I’m not pretending to be his father, I’ve got enough work to do as is, but with a kid like that running around the workplace, it’s hard not to get attached.”

Mera pressed his index finger into the center of Enji’s sternum and he was surprised to be forced back a step with the pressure point while Mera took two long strides forward to be chest to chest.

“I know his line of work, I know the risks he takes, but that doesn’t mean I like seeing him injured.” The smaller man warned, a dangerous lilt tinging his words. “He’s reckless and absentminded, I can’t tell you how many times he sent Madam President into a tizzy over his antics. But watching him come home with injuries his chosen partner, and childhood idol, could’ve prevented boils my blood.”

Enji felt his hackles rise at the accusation, but the more reasonable side of his subconscious reminded him the man had a point. Keigo wasn’t some disposable keepsake, he was a pro-hero, a former colleague, a good friend, and an incredibly important person in his life. He took care of his family in his absence, led his own hero agency, was the former number two hero of Japan, and so much more. He’d accomplished a lot in his life to just be thrown around like a punching bag and he deserved infinitely more respect.

“I’ll try my best, but no matter how much I warn him he doesn’t listen.” Enji replied, not moving a muscle. After all, Mera wasn’t the only person who cared for Keigo. The blond man had an endless supply of friends and supporters.

Mera took a step back, the hint of anger in his eyes fading into exhaustion once more. He threaded his fingers into his unkempt gray hair and attempted to stifle a yawn.

“Then I suggest you do more than your best, Endeavor.” He stated, and Enji sensed this was the end of their conversation. All in all, the Safety Commission would respect Keigo’s personal life and that was that.

“Call me Enji, I renounced the name Endeavor some time ago.” The man stated, extending a hand as an offer of peace. Mera regarded it hesitantly, but ultimately accepted and shook it. “And while I may no longer be a pro-hero, I still intend to do my part to serve my community. And you’re right, I need to do more to keep those close to me safe.”

That caught Mera’s attention. He knew Enji was a changed man, but committing to it and practicing it were two separate subjects. The acknowledgement eased his tired mind enough though, and a rare uptick of a smile bent the corner of his lips.

“I look forward to seeing you follow through.”

~0~

Several hours passed and at some point Enji Todoroki had kicked everyone out of his home so his family could finally experience peace. When the coast was clear, Touya emerged from his room to see if he could find wherever his spouse had wandered off to. They weren’t one for large crowds and when they got bored playing ninja, opted to take a self-guided tour through the estate and left Touya to stew all by his lonesome.

He was pleased to find an assortment of clothes in his closet more his style this time with rips, studs, and witty messages on the t-shirts. Touya chose one that said ‘Incase of fire; stop, drop, and roller coaster’ with the image of a stick figure on fire riding a roller coaster. Heh. The color palette was black or dark gray, the accessories were edgy, and Yumi was even bold enough to get him nail polish. He wondered which member of this household would be his first victim to the classic prank of painting their nails while they slept. When he emerged from his room he couldn’t help looking both ways before slipping out and silently closing the door. As he walked down the hall though, he was caught by the quivering whimper of his baby nephew coming from Yumi’s room. He paused and considered the situation, realizing she still hadn’t moved her belongings to a more private part of the estate and decided to poke his head in the door.

The room was darkened with the shades drawn and the mass of covers gave away his sister and her partner’s location. They didn’t seem to notice the fussing baby though and Touya couldn’t help his curiosity. He quietly entered the room and approached the crib in the corner, peering over the edge and catching Toma’s attention. His big gray eyes were distressed with tears clouding them as he stared up at his uncle for help. Touya considered it for a moment and glanced over his shoulder, wondering if he should wake up the sleeping couple, and ultimately decided to give it his best shot.

How hard could it be?

Touya reached in and scooped up the pink haired baby, lifting the little boy over his head for a moment before the smell caught his attention. He wrinkled his nose, having a faint recollection of his younger siblings when they were babies and grimacing at the less glamorous side of adulthood responsibilities. Nevertheless, he decided this was still in the scope of his Uncle Duties (heh) and set Toma on the changing table. As silently as he could, he got to work changing the newest member of the Todoroki family and when he was satisfied with his efforts he decided to spearhead an adventure with his nephew. He put the kid in a gray onesie, glad they could match, and soundlessly closed the door after he left the bedroom.

The first thing on the agenda seemed to be food, however, when a gurgle came from Toma’s tummy.

“titt*es, huh?” He asked the kid, earning more whimpers and tears in response. Touya thought back to all the cans of baby formula he’d stolen over the years and donated to women’s shelters in need and wondered if something like that was in the cupboard, or if Yumi kept a stash of the real stuff in the fridge.

When they got to the kitchen, he checked and found a small collection of breastmilk in the door of the refrigerator. He grabbed a little bag and flipped it over back and forth looking for directions, but found none. Touya grumbled under his breath and glanced around while Toma tried grabbing the bag with his grubby baby fingers, crying a little louder from frustration for how long his dinner was taking.

“Cool your jets, buddy.” Touya stated, yanking the bag from his grasp. He was given a slight delay of about two seconds before crying erupted from the kid and tears cascaded down his cheeks. Touya rolled his eyes.

“You sound like your mom.” He complained, setting the bag on the counter before rummaging through the cupboards looking for bottles. He eventually found them and struggled to fill the glass container while he only had access to one hand. Toma seemed to be captivated by the display and slowly settled down. “You think it’s funny or something?” Touya asked, finally getting the thing full and popping the rubber nipple on top. “If you turn out to be some sort of sad*stic manipulator, we might actually get along.”

Toma stopped paying attention when he saw the bottle being raised and grabbed for it. However, when he was finally given his meal, he turned away and began crying again.

“What? How could I screw up milk in a bottle?” Touya demanded as his nephew squirmed angrily and gargled a shriek. He tried thinking up solutions and realized he might’ve skipped a step. “Does it gotta be warm or something?”

Toma cried even louder and Touya gave his nephew a consternated frown. “Yes, your highness.” He said mockingly, igniting blue flames from his fingers and engulfing the glass bottle in fire. Toma stared at the display, then up at his uncle until they were extinguished. Touya shook it with a finger over the opening and tried again, but recoiled his hand when the kid reached for the bottle.

“Ah ah, no touching.” He ordered, marveling when the little boy listened. He seemed to get it right this time as Toma drank his dinner hungrily.

See? This parenting stuff wasn’t so hard.

Fuyumi practically flew out of bed when she heard the faint cry of her son coming from somewhere she didn’t recognize. Her first instinct was to stumble over to his crib and somehow managed to stifle a scream when he wasn’t there. She ran around the room frantically looking for him, throwing her partner out of bed to look too before they both dashed out of the room and ran in opposite directions. Her heart was beating so hard it didn’t feel like it was moving at all as she skidded around corners and flew down the halls of the estate. She ran through the kitchen, the dining room, various other rooms, rifling through cushions and turning over tables until her path led her through the living room near the front entrance and she froze.

Touya stared at her like she was crazy from where he was sitting on the couch cradling Toma and feeding him a bottle. Fuyumi’s rush of adrenaline immediately crashed and she felt like a zombie as she trudged over to her older brother and collapsed on the couch, using his shoulder as a pillow.

“Don’t EVER do that again.” She grumbled, trying her best to catch her breath.

“What? He was hungry and smelled like sh*t. And you were dead to the world.” Touya argued, hardly even paying her any attention. Fuyumi gave a heavy sigh and closed her eyes, trying to remind herself she was home and she was safe. Her quirk didn’t need to rear its ugly head.

Speaking of…

“Was what dad told the officers really true? Was there really no one on board when you got there?” She asked, her stomach twisting in knots as she remembered her complete lack of control aboard the cargo ship.

“Why? You wish you could’ve killed one or two and played it off as an accident?”

Fuyumi bolted upright and gave her brother a disgusted look. “No! Touya…! That’s such an awful thought, I would never wish for something so terrible!!” She insisted, wanting to punch him in the arm until she saw Toma was still finishing his bottle.

“Relax, ice queen. They searched every end of the ship and found no one. Your record is still squeaky clean.” He replied, watching as Toma sucked down the last of his milk and pulled the bottle away before he could get the hiccups.

Fuyumi realized she was being insensitive considering Touya’s colorful past and felt her shoulders slump. Toma began fussing like he wanted another bottle and she reached out to run her fingers through his soft hair.

“You sure are good with him, I usually have a hard time getting him to finish one bottle.” She commented, standing and heading for the kitchen. Touya followed shortly after, setting the glass ware in the sink before using a finger to entertain his nephew to get him to stop fussing. He gently flicked the baby’s nose and tickled under his chin while Yumi filled another bottle.

“How long did you put it in the microwave for?” She asked, opening the door.

Touya gave her an odd look. “Microwave?”

Fuyumi stared speechless, suddenly not as thankful for his attempt to help if he couldn’t even be bothered to warm a bottle. Just as she was about to lecture him though, Touya walked over, took the bottle, snapped the nipple onto the rim, and held it up. Fuyumi jumped back and stumbled against the fridge door, watching as blue flames engulfed her brother’s hand for several seconds before he extinguished them and shook the bottle. He then offered it to Toma and the little boy gladly accepted, remembering not to touch the glass.

“Are you insane??” Fuyumi shrieked, debating whether she should snatch her son back from Touya.

“That seems to be the professional diagnosis.” He replied, turning and heading for the living room again. The house was still torn apart from the day’s events, but he’d heard his father scheduling a cleaning service sometime tomorrow.

Fuyumi wanted to make some sort of comeback, but couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t a personal insult. Instead, she settled for following him back onto the couch and wondering where her partner ended up running off to.

“Touya-nii, how long are you staying?” She asked, leaning against his shoulder and not daring to look in his eyes. She couldn’t bear the thought of him admitting he had a plan to leave.

“Not like I can go anywhere without being arrested. And it’s only a matter of time before Endeavor’s hero buddies are knocking down the door looking for me.” He retorted in a sour tone. The pile of blankets they’d avoided sitting on suddenly shifted and Fuyumi couldn’t help jumping at the sight.

“ ‘s not true.” The muffled voice of Natsu butted in before he finally found his way out from underneath the covers. “Endeavor said…” he hiccuped, “long as no one ‘spects you’re here, they have no reason t’look.”

Touya raised an eyebrow. “How much did you drink?” He asked, diverting their topic of conversation. Natsu snorted a laugh and then giggled. “You’d better be careful.” Touya warned, fixing the younger with a stern eye. “One day I might need a chunk of your liver, so you’d better take care of it.”

Natsu burst into laughter and dragged himself out from beneath the blankets, draping himself over Touya’s lap, and he realized he was trapped on the couch.

“Toma sure is hungry.” Natsu murmured, reaching up to squiggle a finger against the baby’s chubby cheeks.

“If he keeps it up he’s going to be fat like you.” Touya observed, earning another grunt of laughter.

“Least I’m not some skeleton.” Natsu pointed out, squeezing his older brother’s sides but taking care not to piss him off too much. “Yumi’s got her work cut out for her.”

Footsteps caught everyone’s attention and they glanced up to find Shoto strolling into the living room.

“Come join us!” Fuyumi invited, waving a hand to get him to come quicker. He considered it, noticing Natsu had the same glimmering smile and Touya looked beyond uncomfortable. Despite the apprehensive expression though, he jerked his head as an invitation and Shoto couldn’t help grinning as he strolled over and took a seat on the floor to lean against Touya’s knees. Fuyumi threaded her fingers into her youngest brother’s hair and tipped his head back to look in his eyes.

“Seems like you’re no longer the only high school graduate here anymore. I heard Touya went and got his supplemental degree.” She informed the youngest with a snooty grin.

“Oh sh*t…! For real??” Natsu asked, lighting up at the news. Touya gave a tired sigh and refused to make eye contact with any of them.

“Big deal, not like it’s good for anything.” Touya lamented.

“Not true.” Shoto chipped in, finally catching his oldest brother’s attention. “All you need to apply for a Provisional Hero License is proof of high school enrollment or equivalent.”

Touya’s mouth dropped open.

“And before the old man left for India, he signed over his agency to the three of us.”

Touya searched the younger’s blue and gray eyes for the deceit.

“Well, Dad did admit it wasn’t the wisest business decision he’s made, but he hasn’t asked for it to be given back to him yet.” Fuyumi explained.

“No way in hell I’d sign it back over to him.” Shoto stated, receiving a nod and an offered fist bump from Natsu.

“Hell yeah, he’s not taking that one back.”

Fuyumi rolled her eyes, deciding not to point out that their father’s lawyer had been working for the man for about twenty-five years. “Anyways, he might’ve signed it over, but he did hire himself on as a consultant so he’s still part of the agency.”

It was a lot of information for Touya to suddenly stumble upon, and it didn’t sound like the perfect scenario, but there was a glimmer of hope he thought had died long ago.

“Forget about him, Yumi. We all agreed Shoto would be in charge, he just needs help learning what it means to be CEO of a top hero agency.” Natsu stated, scruffling a hand through his younger brother’s hair. Shoto attempted to swat the drunken hand away but couldn’t hide his smile from the aggressive affection.

Touya glanced down at his nephew, hoping he’d stifled the tears in time as he watched Toma struggle to stay awake trying to finish his bottle. His siblings continued talking about what it’d eventually be like to run the agency, coming up with impossible scenarios and sharing their dreams. He wished he could be part of the conversation, and maybe someday he could, but would he ever realistically be a hero? Was it even possible for him? It’d been so easy to burn all those corpses and send them to the bottom of the ocean, even Endeavor couldn’t deny his talent. If he’d learned anything from the last ten months on his own, it’s that so-called heroes cared more about the results than they did about the means they were achieved.

If Stain could see him now, would he try to kill him?

Chapter 47: Antics

Chapter Text

Shoto bolted awake with a gasp, his eyes flying open when he sensed an intruder and wrapped his fingers around whatever was touching him. When his sleepy brain-fog cleared and his eyes focused in the dark, he found Touya staring at him from where he was kneeling beside his bed.

“Touya-nii?” Shoto asked groggily, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. He reached for his phone to check the time and saw it was one o’clock in the morning. “What’s wrong? It’s late.” He complained, trying to stifle a yawn.

Touya gave his brother a deflated pout, tugging his wrist from the other’s grasp and twisting a nail polish brush back onto its bottle. “Couldn’t sleep.” He replied, standing and stretching. Shoto narrowed his eyes at the black polish smeared over his middle finger nail, then watched as his brother’s t-shirt lifted from the stretch and revealed scar tissue in the moonlight from his most recent burns. He thought back to when they visited him in the prison infirmary for his last scar removal surgery. The doctor had done an excellent job of erasing nearly everything below his collarbones, smoothing the texture until it was practically new. He also understood Touya was incredibly adept at controlling the intensity of his fire since a person was only able to sustain so many burns before their body started falling apart. So, with his skill and expertise, he could only imagine the power and ferocity his brother was forced to use. Touya turned like he was going to leave and Shoto spoke up.

“Do you think there’s any yakitori left?”

Touya paused and glanced over his shoulder, thinking that sounded like a good idea.

“Dunno.” He replied, jerking his head for the door as he continued out. Shoto threw the covers off himself and grabbed a yukata as he followed after.

They entered the kitchen and Touya checked the fridge, finding a platter of marinated skewered chicken ready to be grilled up. He pulled it out and set it on the counter, lifting the lid and then watched with confusion as Shoto went to the stove. The youngest Todoroki son tried, and failed, to light the burner as the igniter clicked a few times, but never caught the gas. To be fair, the appliance was a little dated and Endeavor was due for a kitchen remodel, but Touya was more hung up on the fact that the other fire user was somehow unable to conjure flames. Soon the kitchen started smelling like gas and Touya rolled his eyes.

Shoto tried once again to light the stove, and when all he got in return was gas spitting from the little nozzle, Touya snapped his fingers and they both watched a puff of blue flames burst from the grill and tower up until they licked the ceiling and dispersed. In the end, all that was left was an intensely concentrated flame on the cooktop burner and Touya walked over to shut it off.

“What the hell are you doing?” He asked, his voice strained with disappointment. Shoto pursed his lips, unaware what he did wrong and unsure what to even ask. Without looking behind himself, Touya reached back and plucked a skewer of chicken from the plate, holding it up for the younger to watch as it was engulfed in flames. He thought about mentioning you’re supposed to hold your food over the fire, not in the fire, but he couldn’t find the resolve to make the comment as Touya continued to stare at him like he was an ignorant student. Instead, Shoto marveled at the color of the fire, too embarrassed to admit he’d tried many times to make his flames as intense, and was jealous it came so easily to the other.

Of course, it was insensitive to mention something like that when Touya’s own quirk accounted for most of the injuries he sustained.

Eventually, Touya extinguished the flames from his fingers and offered his brother the skewer. It smelled delicious, and the wooden stick hardly had any scorch marks, but when he took a bite his eyes lit up from how delectable it tasted.

“This is amazing, how’d you do it?” Shoto asked, popping another bite in his mouth.

“Practice.” Touya replied, grabbing another skewer and offering the raw meat to Shoto. When he finished his last bite he accepted it and inspected the chicken. “The fire sears the edges, keeping the moisture inside, and then you have to control the heat before you…”

Shoto ignited his fire quirk and they both watched as the yakitori was instantly burned to a crisp.

“...disintegrate it.” Touya finished lamely.

Shoto blinked, shocked at the sight and confused at what he did wrong.

“Y’know, I thought you’d be better at that, Hero Course graduate.”

Shoto blushed, embarrassed from his attempt as he set the ruined food aside and reached for another one. He held it out and tried to focus on searing the edges, and not disintegrating the meat, but ended up with the exact same outcome.

The sight frustrated him, but when he tossed it aside and grabbed another, Touya also reached out to take hold of the skewer with his index finger and thumb. Shoto watched as blue fire engulfed his hand and flinched, expecting the same scorching sensation as when he’d been forced to fight his eldest brother, but instead it was pleasant and warm. He listened to the sizzle of the meat and smelled the delicious aroma, taking note of how balanced the flames were in his grasp. Shoto tried matching the same skill, slowly starting to understand what his brother meant until the blue fire faded away and his red fire was left.

Touya quietly counted down several seconds. “Alright.” He announced, and Shoto extinguished his fire. He inspected the yakitori, noting this stick had a few more scorch marks and the meat was more blackened, but when he tried it, it was still delicious.

Movement caught their attention from the doorway and the two turned just in time for a dark shape to wrap their arms around Touya’s waist. He made a strangled noise of discomfort, but he knew Heiyu wasn’t one for affection unless something terrible upset them.

Shoto went from high alert to uncertainty at the scene, wondering if this was some normal occurrence between Touya and his spouse.

“I warned you not to go.” Touya grumbled, awkwardly setting his hands on their shoulders in what looked like the least amount of comforting action possible.

Shoto couldn’t help his curiosity. “Where’d they go?” He asked. Touya’s displeasure made it seem like it was a touchy subject. Heiyu uncurled their arms a touch, holding up a flower for Touya to take. He eventually accepted it, holding the stem gingerly like it was covered in spikes when it was completely smooth.

“Setoko peak.” He replied softly, setting the flower on the counter and trying to gently push his spouse away with no luck. “They wanted to see where I died.”

Shoto made an ‘O’ with his lips, understanding now why they seemed so distressed. He was so young when they thought his eldest brother perished. He and Touya were never close, but he certainly felt the weight of his brother’s absence from his other siblings.

Shoto plucked another skewer of chicken from the platter and tried his best to put what his brother taught him into practice. He ignited his flames for what he thought was an appropriate amount of time before offering it to Touya. The elder reached out and took hold of one of the chunks, pulling it from the stick and examining it.

“I don’t eat chicken sashimi.” He stated, holding up the piece to show it was pink in the center. Shoto gave a frustrated grumble, then attempted one more time to get it right.

~0~

When Hawks awoke, the world felt groggy and distant. It was rare for Enji to let him spend the night in his bed, but it seemed like yesterday wore at his resolve and Hawks was glad to take advantage of it. He opened his eyes to find the man propped against the headboard with a laptop, softly typing away some corporate email.

“G’morning.” He greeted, stretching his arms out and fluttering his little wings. He’d grown a few more feathers, but they were still hilariously small. Ever since Gunga Mountain, they took forever to grow back, and the war didn’t help either. Enji typed a few more moments before clicking send and shutting the laptop lid. Without a moment to waste, he set it aside and snuck back under the covers before wrapping Keigo in his arms and burying his face into the other man’s chest.

The action surprised the hero as he stared dumbfounded at the hulking man pressing his nose between his pecs like Hawks was much more inclined to do.

“What’s on your mind, big guy?” Keigo asked gently, wondering if he could get away with petting the man’s fiery red hair. He got one swipe in and decided not to push his luck.

Unsurprisingly, Enji didn’t reply and they stayed like that a few more moments before Hawks’ squirrel-brain reengaged.

“Is it about Yumi and Toma?” He asked, figuring that might be weighing heaviest on his mind considering the day they had.

Not a peep. Keigo traced along the lines and dips in the older man’s muscly shoulders.

“Is it about Touya?” He questioned. There were a hundred different things to discuss on that topic. Would he go back to prison? Would he be put on probation? Or absolved of his crimes entirely? Unlikely… Even if he became a patron saint, there was still a lot he had to answer for. How long could he stay at the Todoroki estate? Would he be confined like All For One and pilfered relentlessly for knowledge of the underworld? It was dark and twisted, but not off the table considering the ethics of the Safety Commission.

Enji remained silent and Keigo tried holding back, he really did, but there was something about Enji’s report yesterday that seemed off. Hawks, personally, didn’t see any bodies or crew aboard the cargo vessel, but he had seen something in the ice and it didn’t feel right to hold his tongue on the observation.

“Was there really nobody aboard the ship?” Keigo whispered, running his fingers through his partner’s hair. It was subtle and easy to miss, but Enji’s breath stuttered ever so slightly and Keigo felt a lurch in his heart. Had Yumi really…?

Something caught his eye and caused the blond to furrow his brows. He held up his hand, noticing all his fingernails were sloppily painted black. He held up his other hand and saw the same thing; someone had snuck in and painted his nails, cuticles and all, with uneven strokes of black. He reached behind himself to grab one of Enji’s massive hands and was shocked to see he’d had them painted as well.

A shriek made both men jump and they shared a look of surprise before stumbling out of bed, grabbing an available yukata each, and dashing down the hall.

~0~

Fuyumi slept exceptionally well and she was damned proud of it considering yesterday was an absolute nightmare. She had a feeling Touya might take advantage of her generosity and use the nail polish she bought him to paint her fingernails in the middle of the night, but she hadn’t expected him to paint her partner’s as well. And the least he could’ve done was a cleaner job.

While her spouse was in the shower, Fuyumi decided to head downstairs with Toma on her hip to put on some coffee. However, when she entered the kitchen she found a stranger with long, waist-length jet black hair, huge tit*, and an enormously pregnant belly standing at the cooktop with a spatula in hand.

It was way too early in the morning for her to process and Fuyumi shrieked.

Footsteps thundered down the halls until her father and Hawks were standing breathless behind her.

“What is it?? What’s wrong??” Hawks demanded, but his eyes found the unexpected sight immediately and they both pushed past Fuyumi. “Who are you?? How did you get in here??”

The young woman flicked her eyes at the two a moment before using the spatula to casually flip the omelet cooking in the pan. Only the sizzle of breakfast filled the room until more footsteps pounded through the halls before Natsuo and Shoto were peering past the three to get a better look.

“What is it? What happened??” Natsu demanded, practically yelping with surprise when he spotted the stranger. Even still, she didn’t pay them any mind.

“You’re all too damn loud.”

Touya pushed his way into the kitchen, nudging everyone aside as he did. He calmly made his way to the long haired woman, yawning and stretching his arms dramatically over his head before resting his chin on her shoulder and wrapping his arms as far as he could around her pregnant belly. Everyone thought he was going to give some sort of explanation and when he didn’t, Hawks spoke up.

“Are you going to tell us who she is?” He demanded, relaxing a bit since she didn’t seem to be a threat. That is, until she gave him a venomous glare that made him stagger back a step.

“The hell are you talking about? You’ve already met Heiyu.”

Everyone blinked in unison. Staring first at Touya, then at Heiyu, then at their…

“What??”

They all reacted at the same time, making the couple in the kitchen flinch at the volume.

Hawks mimed a round shape over his stomach. “How… how is that even possible??”

Natsu gripped his hands at his chest. “Not to mention the…” squeeze, squeeze.

Fuyumi gaped. “But… then that means…” she said, pointing a shaky finger at Touya.

At some point Enji had put the clues together and broke away from the crowd. He’d disappeared into the house while everyone tried coming to terms with the situation and returned with a small wooden box.

“My boy’s going to be a father!” The man stated jovially, laughing deep and hearty as he marched up to the young man and pried him away from his spouse. Touya choked at the sudden unwelcome handling, scrambling for freedom while Enji wrapped his arm around his eldest’s shoulders like a vice. “My second grandchild! I’m so proud!”

Touya felt like he was going to start foaming at the mouth any minute as every muscle demanded he be released. He felt his body temperature rising, flames sparking from his fingers, and everything was starting to turn red.

Until Enji opened the wooden box to reveal his cigar collection.

Touya’s rage instantly deflated as he considered the offering, debating which to choose until he picked one and held it under his nose.

“American?” He asked, placing it back and picking up another. This one smelled even better.

“Cuban.” Enji replied, slapping his son’s shoulder twice and rattling his whole frame. Touya scowled at the treatment and took a second one.

“How far along are they?” Fuyumi asked, coming up to stand beside Heiyu. They glanced at her and gave a genuine smile, reaching out to boop Toma on the nose.

Touya used his fingers to count, forgetting his father still has an unappreciated arm around him. “About nine months?”

Heiyu crinkled their nose and considered it, then shrugged and nodded.

“WHAT???”

Fuyumi took Heiyu’s hand in her own and jumped for joy, Toma giggled as he was bounced around, Hawks gave a look of disbelief, Natsu gave a look of horror (finally noticing his and everyone else’s nails), Shoto was still in shock, and Enji tightened his side hug enthusiastically, much to Touya’s displeasure.

“Okay, okay…” Natsu began, holding up his hands like he was calming a horse. “I’m happy for you both, but I really gotta know… where did these,” he indicated their boobs, “and this,” he indicated their stomach, “come from?? There’s no way that suit could’ve slimmed them down that much!”

Touya looked at his spouse like he was considering the physics behind it for the first time. He also realized Endeavor was still too f*cking close and slammed an elbow into his father’s side. Enji wheezed at the strike and backed off, giving his son an embittered glare.

“They possess a quirk that allows them to put anything into a pocket of space.” He explained. Heiyu then reached behind their back and pulled out a sheathed katana, handing it to Fuyumi. She stared at the thing in shock and gingerly accepted it, immediately wondering why she did that because it was real, holy sh*t!!

“Wait!” She announced, staring at the other. “You’re saying you can just take off your boobs?? And put them somewhere else?!”

Heiyu smiled and nodded.

“They can store parts of their own body, but for some reason they can’t store organic material.” Touya explained before accepting the omelet they made for him. “So, when we spent the last six months combing the Siberian Arctic for the new League hideouts, I ended up sacrificing a lot of meals so these two could eat.” He continued, giving Endeavor and Natsu pointed glares. They both bristled at the accusation, each using a hand to rub the backs of the necks as they mumbled apologies for teasing him. Touya glared harder but eventually relented as he held one of his cigars to his lips and raised a finger like he was about to light it.

“Don’t you dare smoke that in here!” Fuyumi declared, snatching it from his hand. “Outside!”

Touya gave her a look of disbelief, his eye twitching fiercely, but ultimately conceded and was handed the cigar back.

And cringed when Endeavor wrapped an arm around his shoulder again.

“Keigo, Natsuo, join us!” Enji ordered, dragging his eldest towards the kitchen door and clasping his other arm over Shoto’s shoulders. The hero and middle Todoroki son shared a look of surprise before choking down a laugh from Shoto and Touya’s expressions.

When they were finally outside, Touya freed himself from his father’s insufferable grasp and took a seat at the outdoor table with his omelet. It felt like yesterday when Shigaraki invaded their home and he worked alongside his family to dispel the intruders. The place has been fixed up good as new since then, but the memories were still there.

Enji passed a cigar to each of the young men at the table, earning uncertain looks from Natsu and Shoto. He clipped and lit the end for Keigo who took several puffs and exhaled the smoke.

“It’s good, but I don’t think I’m a fan of cigars for breakfast.” Keigo stated, handing it back to Enji. He accepted it and took an incredibly deep breath, turning nearly an inch of the fat cigar into ash before releasing all the smoke from his nostrils. Touya clipped and lit the end of his own cigar, taking quite the drag himself and the two younger Todoroki men started in awe at the display of manliness. Just the smoke alone was enough to make them a little queasy.

Touya plucked the cigar from Shoto’s fingers and clipped the end, handing it back to his youngest brother before doing the same for Natsu and offering to light the thing. Shoto and Natsu shared one last glance before the young hero ignited his own flame and his older brother leaned into Touya’s. They both then proceeded to drink in way too much cigar smoke and felt it go straight to their stomachs as they winced from the taste and turned a little green.

“To Touya and his family!” Enji declared, holding the cigar out, then took another heavy drag. The younger Todoroki sons tried to play along and gagged, deciding they’d had enough and snuffed the ends in an ashtray Enji had set on the table. Touya took a bite of his omelet instead, thinking this parade of attention was tiresome.

“Do you know the sex of the baby?” Keigo asked, sensing awkward tension in the air.

“Girl.” He replied simply, refusing to acknowledge his father as the man made an absolute clown of himself celebrating the news. It was almost as if he’d been possessed by an entity as he jumped from his seat and erupted fire from his mouth at the news of his first granddaughter. His younger sons stared in absolute incredulity, giving Shoto cringey flashbacks of when his father was first learning how to properly express his emotions and would go overboard more often than not.

“Any idea what you’re going to name her?” Keigo asked, trying to change the subject while Enji continued to celebrate.

“I already picked the name.” Touya replied through another bite of omelet. Natsu choked on his own saliva at the news and shared a concerned look with Keigo and Shoto, wondering what it could possibly be after finding out he’d named his spouse Hey You.

The door opened and the four turned to find Rei stepping outside.

“Good morning everyone.” She greeted, taking a seat beside Touya and setting a hand on his. “Congratulations.” She stated calmly with a delighted smile. Obviously, Yumi had told her the news and he scowled at the touch, but grunted in acknowledgement before gently moving his hand. All this attention was making him lose his appetite and he pushed the omelet across the table for Natsu to have while he continued smoking his cigar. His younger brother gladly accepted it, much to the jealousy of Shoto.

“Man, could this week get any crazier?” Keigo asked with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. It looked like Enji was starting to settle down as well after he had to step away into the garden from his excessive celebrating.

“What the hell do you have to complain about?” Touya asked, looking particularly arrogant as he took a drag from the cigar balanced between the knuckles of his first and middle fingers. Keigo gave him an irritated frown.

“Not to brag or anything, but I think that was the worst birthday of my life.” He replied. Touya gave the statement a thoughtful hum and tapped his chin.

“I don’t think that’s entirely true.” He countered, flicking his ashes into the dish in the middle of the table.

Keigo gave him an unimpressed frown. “And how would you know?”

Touya let a crafty smirk onto his features. “From when I was digging around to find your name, Keigo.” He explained. “Was it… your tenth birthday?”

Hawks stared hard, trying to think of what the other man was talking about as Enji finally took a seat beside him again. He ran through some memories, remembering his birthdays hadn’t been especially grand while in the care of the Safety Commission, but nothing stuck out particularly…

“Wait…” Keigo blanched.

“Yeah, your tenth birthday sounds right.” Touya continued, his smile oozing with malice. Hawks jumped up so fast, his chair went clattering to the ground. However, his tiny wings couldn’t lift him over the table separating him from Touya.

“Don’t you dare!” He warned, his cheeks lighting up bright pink.

“I seem to remember reading something about Endeavor hosting a signing event that year at the end of December.” He continued, watching as the winged hero rounded the patio furniture and lunged for him. Touya caught his wrists easily but couldn’t stop the chair from tipping backwards away from the table. “Your guardians thought it’d be a fun surprise for you, but when you found out they were taking you to see your idol, you got so excited you threw up everywhere.”

Hawks almost had his hands covering the other man’s mouth, but failed in the end. He snarled angrily, hating the delighted twinkle in the former villain’s eye as he told the embarrassing story.

A snort caught his attention and he glanced up, finding Shoto and Natsu giving him amused expressions, but then looked over to see Enji covering his face with one hand. Slowly the man lowered it until Keigo could see his brilliant blue eyes and blushed even harder to see the man laughing quietly.

“You threw up?” He asked between chuckles, covering his mouth once again.

“I was ten!” Keigo defended, stuck in Touya’s grasp now anchoring him by his wrists.

Enji shook his head lightly, lowering his hand to reveal his smile. “I remember Madam President personally requesting an autographed photo. She claimed it was for my biggest fan.”

Hawks groaned dramatically, then glared daggers at Touya.

“You seem to be under a lot of stress, Keigo.” Rei commented lightly, looking to be the only one at the table not actively making fun of him.

“Your son and your ex-husband are being mean to me.” Hawks pouted, struggling to get out of Touya’s grasp.

“Well, if you’re interested, there’s some open spots in my class today.” Rei offered with a glowing smile. The suggestion piqued the blond’s interest.

“What kind of class is it?”

He needed some positive energy, maybe it’d turn out to be something delightfully relaxing.

“Enji actually told me about it, I’ve had a wonderful time with the class and the instructor is so attentive.” She explained, a wistful look in her eye. “It’s some sort of spiritual yoga called Tantra and it’s been an amazing addition to my therapy sessions.”

It certainly sounded like something he’d be interested in, but he glanced down when he heard a gagging sound and noticed Touya was giving him a disgusted look.

“What? You’re just going to make your way through the whole family?” He demanded, shoving Keigo’s wrists out of his grasp. “Get off of me.”

Keigo balked, confused as to why his mood suddenly shifted.

“What did I do?” He asked, getting pushed further off until he was seated on the porch and Touya somersaulted out of the chair.

“I’ve actually been meaning to ask you to accompany me as well, Enji. My therapist says it’ll help with the closure.”

Enji gave her a baffled look, figuring she wanted as little to do with him as possible, but was also perfectly willing to do whatever she needed in her healing process. Touya shivered with his whole body and made a disgusted face.

“I’m literally going to throw up.” He grumbled, plucking his cigar from the ash tray and snagging Shoto’s and Natsu’s as well.

“What’s Tantra?” Shoto asked, almost afraid to even know.

“It’s an intimate expression of one’s inner self.” Rei answered, sounding almost dreamy. Touya stuck out his tongue like he’d tasted something bitter before leaning in next to Shoto’s ear and whispering something. The youngest Todoroki son blanched from whatever his brother told him, fixing his parents and Hawks with looks of horror.

“What??” Keigo asked, unsure who to believe.

“Knock it off.” Enji stated, no longer amused. “It’s a deep understanding of one’s self and your mother finds it helpful.”

Touya shivered even more dramatically. “If you need me, I’ll be carving out my eardrums with a spoon. And you…” He continued, pointing at Keigo. The blond flinched, “let me put it this way; if this class is led by some astrological white woman nut named Celestial, Moon Beam, or some sh*t like that, run.”

With that he turned and left, relighting his cigar.

“Don’t leave the estate!” Enji shouted after him, receiving a raised middle finger in return as he disappeared around the corner. While Keigo watched him go, he couldn’t help wondering if he should take the other’s advice.

Chapter 48: Tantra

Chapter Text

Hawks twiddled his thumbs in the backseat of the Todoroki family car as he sat beside Enji. Rei occupied the front seat and Kurumada was driving them all to her ‘Red Hat Tantra’ class. The navigation system told them it was going to take about an hour to get there and Hawks was trying his best not to google what Tantra was right in front of Enji. The man insisted he had no idea what Touya was going on about, that he’d gone to classes and seminars back in India, and while they’d sometimes get a little intimate or the instructors didn’t always observe someone’s personal space bubble, the experience was enlightening. He had a feeling the man and his eldest son weren’t on the same page about the subject, but figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.

What’s the worst that could happen?

When they arrived it was a pleasant surprise to see the building was gorgeous and located in a wooded area. Trees filtered gentle winter sunlight from the cloudless sky, a sparse dusting of snow sprinkled the ground, and a small creek babbled beneath a short curved bridge. The landscape was beautifully manicured in traditional Japanese aesthetic, the building was an ornate pagoda style, and the entire atmosphere brought out an incredible sense of inner peace. The initial experience lifted an immense weight of stress from Keigo’s shoulders and he found himself much less intimidated by the day ahead of him.

Rei led them along the path and up the front steps where they were greeted by two people wearing houmongi kimonos. She introduced her guests and indicated the two at the door were also students before they entered and swapped their shoes for geta sandals. They were guided to the changing room and Hawks found it a little odd they weren’t separated by gender. At first he thought the women changed on the other side of the partition wall dividing the room where Rei had gone, but when another woman entered and stripped right in front of him he shared an equally confused look with Enji. They’d picked out a decorated kimono each and decided to ignore the experience and move on. They were all adults, it was just naked bodies, and there was nothing wrong with that.

Hopefully.

Hawks stifled his intrusive inner thoughts that giggled when the three left the changing area and headed towards the classroom, finding it amusing that it was like he was being escorted by his parents. He periodically flicked his eyes between the two, noticing Enji was constantly growing more uncomfortable and Rei was slowly relaxing.

So far the day was promising to be a good one, even if his tiny wings were stuffed beneath his clothing. He wished he’d been told they were going somewhere with a formal traditional dress code, he’d have brought his own. Or maybe they’d let him buy one of theirs and make a few alterations with a pocket knife.

The main room was expansive and lined with shoji doors. A few students were already gathered and chatting amongst themselves until Rei came up to them and started introducing her guests. Everyone seemed receptive of the two and it felt like she was speaking to a whole group of exceptionally close friends. Hawks wondered how much she’d shared with the class about her life and started wondering if they should’ve gotten more information before agreeing to come with. While Enji had been the epicenter of his family’s turmoil and was willing to do anything if it meant facilitating their path to healing, it wasn’t fair for him to be thrown head-first into some sort of interrogation setting. It wouldn’t fix the past, and it wouldn’t help his ex-wife come to terms with their failed marriage. So far, everything seemed to be running smoothly, but there was something the prohero couldn’t quite put his finger on. The way everyone spoke, the intimacy they displayed with small gestures like leaning into one another and touching shoulders. It just felt… odd.

The room filled quickly as it eventually became time to start the class. Everyone took a seat like a normal yoga studio while a beautiful young woman made her way to the front, punctuating each step with a pause like she was enjoying every moment of attention. Keigo thinned his lips when he noticed her pale skin, wavy brown hair, and baby blue eyes. Touya’s warning played on loop through his mind but it must’ve been some weird sort of coincidence.

“Hello, class…” She began, drawing out the words in a soft calming tone, “it’s so good… to see everyone.” Her arms moved in flowing motions as she swept her hand to indicate the room. “I hope everyone… is well.” A soft smile turned up the corners of her lips and she received some head nods in return.

Enji and Keigo shared a side-eye glance, glad they were towards the back of the room.

“I’m delighted to see Pupil Rei… has finally brought her guests.”

Hawks scrunched his nose. Finally…?

The woman tucked one foot behind the other and slowly bent forward in a delicate curtsy, slowly swooping her arms outwards.

“Welcome… welcome.” She greeted, pausing a few seconds before uncurling to stand straight again. Every move she made seemed to take this woman ages. “Enji,” she raised a hand to indicate the redheaded man, “and Keigo,” she raised her other hand to indicate the blond and Keigo started subconsciously taking note of the exits. “It’s… a pleasure.”

Silence stretched out and both men cleared their throats before quietly reciprocating the greeting.

“My name… is Luna Ray, and I’ll be your spiritual guide today.”

Hawks felt a nervous flutter in his gut. Uh oh…

“This place… is a safe space. You are free to express yourself in any way you see fit.” She explained, looking back out across the class. “And,” she gave a sultry smile, “what happens in Red Hat Tantra, stays in Red Hat Tantra.”

Gentle music began playing as a few people entered through the side doors and began lighting incense. Shades were drawn, lights were dimmed, and a warm-tone spotlight shone on Luna Ray. She elegantly took a seat and started her class.

She began with some well-known yoga poses like cat-cow, king cobra, forward fold, and as they went into warrior one, Keigo was quickly reminded of the kimono he was wearing. He briefly wondered if anyone was bold enough to rock the fundoshi and as he stealthily glanced around he could see a colorful array of undergarments. He internally reprimanded himself for being a peeping pervert, but silently pointed out it couldn’t be entirely his fault considering the dress code.

He’d taken yoga classes before and found them greatly relaxing, especially when the instructor had one of those gravelly voices, but Luna Ray was starting to turn down a road he wasn’t sure he was ready to follow.

“Embrace your masculine and feminine energies intertwined within, feel them flow through your body as you exhale into warrior two.”

The class lowered their arms as a collective and exhaled together. Crashing waves mixed into the gentle music but it couldn’t hide the little groan someone made.

“Feel the sexual tension running through your veins and channel it as you extend into warrior three.”

The two guests did a double-take, wondering if they heard that right. As everyone leaned forward with one leg raised behind, though, they followed along before they could catch a glimpse of what was beneath the kimonos in front of them.

“Now,” Luna began, standing straight, “our journey to enlightenment is underway and we ask Shiva and Shakti to guide us.”

Everyone else stood as well and seemed to be pairing off. Luna scanned through her students before locking eyes with one and indicating for him to step forward. He obliged, making his way through the group and standing proud beside his instructor. He was an especially tall, muscly, handsome young man and Hawks couldn’t help judging the woman’s choice.

“Look to your Shiva; strong, proud, vigorous.”

Hawks looked up at Enji with a smug grin before lightly nudging him in the side with his elbow. Enji rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his little smile.

“Now look to your Shakti; dynamic, protector, goddess of divine energy.”

Enji couldn’t help returning the other’s smug smile with one of his own. Keigo shrugged; he could accept identifying with a goddess of divine energy.

Luna Ray began going into some partner stretches and Hawks was loving the close proximity to the former number one hero as he was used like a big muscly stretching barre. He wanted to give Enji a silly expression to make light of the intimate moment they were sharing in a semi-public atmosphere, but when he looked up he could see his partner’s discomfort. He followed the other man’s expression and found Rei in the hands of some other man with a well defined physique, blond hair, and young features.

Honestly, he looked like a taller, bulkier version of Keigo and he had to use all his strength to suppress a giggle.

Enji previously admitted to Hawks he was far beyond any sort of emotional tether when it came to his ex-wife, but it was difficult to relive his memories when all he could see was his toxic cruelty. Right now he saw the mother of his children being tenderly held by a man that was clearly invested with being involved in an equal partnership, even if it was for a class that met once a week.

Unless they were an item outside this building as well? Did both Enji and Rei have a thing for cute blonds?

Maybe not the most relevant topic to explore.

“Pupil Enji, I could feel your… chaotic energy from the front of the room.” Luna Ray suddenly appeared before the two men and they both jumped from the proximity. “Relax, allow the energy to flow through you… and allow your mind to process your emotions.” She stated, using delicate hands to reposition the two guest students. Hawks found his back to Enji’s chest with his left arm extended to the side held in the crook of Enji’s left elbow. He balanced on his left leg with his other ankle held in his hand to stretch his quads. It felt nice and it was easy to lean against the larger man, but he couldn’t hide the touch of embarrassment as the tie for his kimono was coming undone and Luna was encouraging Enji’s unoccupied hand to reach for the opening. “Allow your Shiva to assert themselves over you, feel their strength on your body.”

Hawks couldn’t help glancing around the room and noticing he and Enji were now the most conservatively dressed. He tried keeping his mouth shut, but in the end his curiosity won as he watched a couple on the other side of the room in a partner stretch that looked a lot more like reverse cowgirl.

“What, exactly, is tantra?” He asked, glancing over to find Rei with her legs wrapped around the stranger’s waist and leaning back in a dramatic dip. Luna nudged Keigo a bit more to get his back to arch against Enji’s chest.

“Simply put, it’s a technique or practice, but in this class we observe Neo-Tantra which relies heavily on sacred sexuality.” She explained, earning confused expressions from the two as Hawks looked up at the other man for clarification. Enji was at a loss for words and quickly started to wonder if he should’ve heeded Touya’s warning when he had the chance. “Our bodies are doorways that lead to our spirituality, and through blocks in our chakras, many overlook the need for their baser desires.”

Keigo and Enji stared blankly, realizing they were both way out of their element. Sure, Hawks knew he was a Capricorn and he was nosy enough to read tabloid horoscopes, but anything beyond that was out of his comfort zone. Rumi tried reading his fortune with tarot cards once and that was the extent of his experience with spirituality.

“I’ve never been so in-tune with myself.” Rei confessed from where she was now lying on the floor. She was on her back with her feet up, like in Happy Baby (or Dead Bug); or it would be if her partner wasn’t looming over her like they were in missionary. Keigo’s steroid induced doppelganger was holding Rei’s ankles, pressing her thighs into her abdomen, and Hawks really didn’t like the ominous aura he could feel radiating off Enji. “In fact, I’d never experienced an org*sm before being in this class!”

Hawks winced as the grip on his arm and waist tightened from Enji tensing up. He wished he could scrub his brain of that information, and when he finally plucked up the courage to glance over his shoulder, he couldn’t tell if the other man wanted to yell or hit something.

Probably both.

Hawks sucked in his cheeks and pursed his lips, vaguely wondering how much longer they had to endure this session.

~0~

By the end of the hour, Hawks and Enji couldn’t make eye contact. They both managed to survive the class despite how awkward it got at some points, and now that they were in their street clothes they just wanted to go home. Kurumada eventually drove up to the curb to pick up the three and Enji was on autopilot to open the passenger door for Rei. She practically floated into the car, having already told the men this was the largest breakthrough she’d experienced in her therapeutic journey and how thankful she was they could both be there for her. In the end, Enji was glad he could finally do some good in her life, but the day left him emotionally drained.

He shut the door and moved to open the next as an invitation for Keigo. However, when he finally caught the other’s eye he was holding up his phone opened to the Uber app.

“I think I’m going to need a bit of space after this.” He stated quietly, his eyes expressing his apology. Enji held back from letting out a dismal sigh and nodded, understanding his reluctance. He stuck his head in the door and told Kurumada to take Rei home, that he and Hawks would be finding their own rides.

His driver was as stoic as ever and didn’t offer much in a comforting expression, but promised to get the former Mrs. Todoroki home safe before departing. It wasn’t long before Keigo’s Uber was picking him up as well and Enji was left standing alone in the ornate garden of the parking lot. The sun was still out, the air was chilly, and he briefly considered looking up how long it would take him to walk home. Of course, he could only imagine the headlines when someone caught a picture of Endeavor marching alone along the rural highways.

He pulled out his phone and decided to get his own Uber, but just as he opened the app he got a text message from an unknown number.

bring me a snack and something to drink -touya

Enji’s eye twitched from the added stress. He’d told Shoto to get his eldest brother another new phone since Touya managed to destroy his a few weeks ago.

Again. What was this, his seventh phone? He’d had to ship out half a dozen over the last ten months, and the little punk hardly ever responded to texts, let alone picked up a call.

He let out a deep breath and put in a request for an Uber, opting for the most upscale option in hopes the driver was unimpressed with high-profile clients.

What kind do you want? Enji texted back and proceeded to spend the next hour fuming when he wasn’t given a message back.

Chapter 49: Stipulations

Chapter Text

Enji snarled as the Uber turned down his street revealing a mess of reporters so thick he had to be dropped off outside of the gates to his estate. His driver offered him a pair of sunglasses for a hefty price of 20k yen and Enji accepted with a bitter scowl, adding it to the man’s tip on the app.

When he stepped out he was immediately bombarded with questions while he avoided eye contact and nonchalantly held the little plastic convenience bag with whatever he picked from the store.

“Is it true Touya Todoroki is staying here avoiding arrest??”

“How do you comment on the accusations of your family partaking in Touya's escape from the law??”

“Is the Hero Commission unwilling to make Dabi answer for his crimes??”

That last comment irked Enji to his core, but instead of answering it, he turned to address the crowd after brushing through them.

“If I find a single reporter on my property I will have all of you arrested for trespassing.” He announced before typing in a code and pressing his hand onto the scanner by the gate. He’d had to upgrade his security a few times since he came home from India, but it was nothing new considering he spent years as the number two hero making enemies of low-lifes. The gate rolled open enough for him to step through and he paused a moment to glance over his shoulder. “And you’re wasting your time; Touya doesn’t reside here.”

With that he turned and strolled away, ignoring their demands for comment as the gate rolled shut and the reporters obediently stayed on the other side of the iron bars.

When he entered his home he let out a hefty sigh from what he saw on the couch not even twenty feet from the front door. Touya was seated next to his mother in deep concentration with his glasses adorned on his face and a delicate brush balanced in his fingertips. It looked like he was painting Rei’s nails black while Fuyumi sat on the floor near their feet coaching him through it.

“Just like that! Press the brush down in the middle and let it fan out, then carefully do the outline.”

Enji felt the stress and pressure of the day literally melt from his shoulders at the sight of his family bonding after years of separation and torment, and he decided to discard any sort of irritation he felt in favor of appreciating the moment. Toma was underneath one of those baby mats with toys suspended above him occupying his attention. He walked in after removing his shoes and approached the four, reaching into the plastic bag and setting the items he picked out on the end table beside Touya, trying not to interrupt his eldest’s concentration.

Touya finished a delicate brushstroke and decided to take a break, allowing his mom to admire his work after Fuyumi insisted he should actually learn how to paint nails. He capped the little jar and turned to see what his father brought him, and scoffed.

Enji’s eyebrow twitched.

“Bang Rainbow Unicorn? Seriously?” He asked with an amused sneer pointed at the energy drink can. “And a Choco Pie?”

Enji felt his ears burning from irritation. “If you’d responded to my text you could’ve gotten what you actually wanted.” He stated through clenched teeth, balling up the plastic bag and tossing it onto the coffee table. When he did he noticed there was a teapot accompanying a teacup and a small plate with only crumbs remaining, along with a bottle of Ramune and a melon flavored sweet bun in the shape of a plump cartoon rabbit.

“Hei.” Touya called out, not paying his father any attention. Enji watched as Heiyu slowly sat up from where they were laying on the ground, looking like they were going to throw up any second. The sight startled him and he glanced around at the others, but they didn’t seem to be concerned. He then realized Touya’s spouse was sitting beneath a rolling white board from one of his conference rooms and had a dry erase marker in hand. The board had a spreadsheet drawn on it with the first column labeled as “Fuyumi, Rei” and four empty spots below, while the first row was labeled as “Thoughtfulness, Creativity, Price, Convenience, Presentation”.

“First column for Endeavor gets a two.” He ordered as they sloppily wrote Endeavor in the third spot on the first column and then a 2 for thoughtfulness.

“The hell is this?” Enji asked indignantly, noticing Heiyu’s penmanship was waning as bad as their constitution.

“I sent everyone the same text. Was curious what you’d bring back.” Touya replied, taking Rei’s hand in his again to continue painting her nails. “Every column has a chance to win ten points for a total of fifty, plus the order in which you arrived.

Enji rolled his eyes hard.

“I got twenty three points, plus six for being the first.” Fuyumi bragged, but it looked like she’d just whipped something up at home so her price and convenience scores were lacking. Touya rattled off a few numbers and in the end Fuyumi scored twenty nine points, Rei scored fifteen points, and Enji wound up with eleven points.

Enji considered the repercussions for smacking his eldest upside the head and in the end decided it wasn’t worth the drama. Instead, he dropped into a sofa across the room and rubbed his temples hoping to quell his stabbing headache.

“You people are like vultures! Touya isn’t even here, so leave us alone already!!”

Natsu’s voice could be heard from the other side of the door before he even opened it. He then slammed it shut for emphasis before kicking off his shoes and walking into the living room with a paper bag.

“Touya-nii, I got pork buns and milk tea with boba, I hope that’s ok.” Natsu said, pulling out a delectable tray skillfully garnished with sauce and toppings, along with a large plastic cup and a bright straw. Touya perked up at the sight and Enji stewed a little harder as the gift put his convenience store selection to shame. Natsu paused as he was about to set the snacks and drink on the coffee table. “Bang energy? Who the hell drinks that?”

Enji closed his eyes and tried to imagine he was anywhere else. Truthfully, he hadn’t known what to get and ended up asking for recommendations from the surly teenager behind the counter.

“And a Choco Pie? Seriously?”

“Okay, we get it, I did a sh*t job.” Enji groused, giving his middle son a testy glare. Natsu hid a smile from his father as he offered his older brother the tray of pork buns. Touya plucked one, then swatted his younger brother’s hand away as he also tried to take one.

“Who says I’m sharing?” Touya demanded, yanking the tray from his hand and setting it on the end table beside him. Natsu glared at the other but decided not to throw a fit.

Enji wanted to reprimand his eldest for being an obstinate little tyrant and pitting his family members against each other. Touya rattled off more numbers and Heiyu faithfully wrote them on the board, clutching their stomach as a line of sweat dripped from their forehead. In the end, Natsu was awarded thirty points and he smuggly rubbed the one point victory in Fuyumi’s face. Enji considered his parenting techniques and decided to bite his tongue on the subject, figuring if anyone was going to get bent out of shape it was Fuyumi, but she looked to be having a great time judging by the way she was laughing and smiling at the exchange. He didn’t understand it, but then again he couldn’t remember a time he was anything other than a grumpy old man. In his time at UA he rejected most friendships and camaraderie, instead insisting he was better off alone. It made him a miserable son-of-a-bitch and he decided he still had a few things to learn in his old age.

The front door opened and Enji looked up to find Keigo walking in with a small pastry box wrapped in an elegant bow, along with some sort of iced beverage. One of the reporters shouted from where they must all still be congregated outside and it sounded a lot like demands for Touya’s whereabouts.

“Sorry, I don’t know anything! But in my opinion this would be the last place he’d hide out.” Hawks replied, his voice sweet and innocent before shutting the door and entering the living room. “Sorry I’m late, can you believe there was traffic in the sky?” He asked with a laugh, handing the box over to Touya who’d given up trying to paint his mother’s nails at this point. He co*cked an eyebrow at the offered beverage before hesitantly accepting it.

“You know the doctor won’t let me have caffeine.” He murmured, inspecting the label printed and stuck to the side.

“That’s why I got decaf. Iced almond milk tea latte with one pump hazelnut.” Hawks explained in a showy tone. Touya took a hesitant sip before an honest grin quirked up the corners of his mouth and he took another.

“Ten points for thoughtfulness.” Touya stated, earning a groan of disappointment from his two siblings. Hawks blinked at the reaction, glancing between the two until he watched Heiyu struggle to write on the whiteboard. In the end, he was awarded forty-three points and wasn’t quite sure what that meant.

“Seems like Keigo loves me more than my own family does.” Touya observed impishly, opening the carefully wrapped box and admiring the wagyu donburi inside. “Are those matsutake mushrooms?” He asked, smelling the dish.

“Uhh…” Hawks glanced around, finding a lackluster assortment of basic snacks and drinks and realizing he’d gone a little overboard. “I, uhh… Rumi was doing a girls’ day and let me tag along, this was from the restaurant I was at.” He explained, trying to suppress the pink he felt lighting up his cheeks.

Touya hummed. “You brought me your leftovers?” He asked, looking at the container skeptically. “But, then again, you did interrupt girls’ night for me. How sweet.”

Hawks gave the man a flat frown and folded his arms over his chest.

Commotion erupted from outside the front door before it opened and Shoto stepped through with his middle finger raised and covering his face.

“He doesn’t live here, quit bothering us.” Shoto called over his shoulder to the reporters. His tone was projected compared to how he normally spoke, but it probably wasn’t loud enough for any of them to actually hear. He shut the door and pulled off his shoes before walking into the living room.

“Shoto!” Fuyumi groused, fixing him with a stern eye. “Don’t flip off the paparazzi! It’s bad for your image.”

For a second Shoto looked a touch guilty, but likely only because he upset his sister. “Sorry, sis.” He muttered, opening his shoulder bag and digging through it. “We’d learned in school that reporters have to blur out profanity. I just didn’t want them printing pictures of my face.” He explained, finally finding what he was looking for and handing the items to Touya.

“Smart move.” Natsu complimented before he could see what Shoto brought their eldest sibling and snorted a laugh.

Touya hesitantly accepted the offering, staring at the half-drank bottle of water and open bag of chips with immense confusion.

Enji stared, as flabbergasted as everyone else and wondering how it was possible to do a worse job at this errand than he did.

“Uhh, no thanks.” Touya stated, handing the stuff back to his brother in favor of finishing his expensive donburi. Shoto didn’t bother accepting them as he dug through his bag again.

“Sorry, I completely forgot to get something after my meeting with the Safety Commission President.” He explained, pulling out a thick folder and leafing through a few pages.

“You met with Mera?” Hawks asked, genuinely curious. Shoto nodded.

“Normally the Provisional Licensing Exam is only held twice a year, but I got him to make a special exception as long as some criteria was met.” He spoke, handing a packet of paper to Touya. The eldest Todoroki son accepted it without a word, almost believing it wasn’t real. He adjusted his glasses, but there was no mistaking the title at the top for the application.

“There needs to be a psychological exam with each of the siblings and then the parents before you’re allowed to sit for the exam.” He continued, offering his eldest brother a gentle smile. Touya couldn’t even begin to think of what to say and decided to just blurt it out.

“Shoto wins.” He announced softly, unable to hide the crafty smirk lighting up his eyes. His youngest brother then sifted through a few more sheets before removing a small folded stack of dot matrix paper that looked like an invoice. He then walked over to his father and held it out.

“I tried handing this into accounting, but she told me she didn’t want to be the one to explain these expenditures to you.” Shoto informed the man. Enji didn’t like the sound of that; normally the agency was very generous when it came to approving purchases from his children. Sometimes too generous. He realized he didn’t have his glasses and had to squint at the paper and felt his heart skip a beat.

“Since it’s a private exam, we’d have to oversee the entire budget for the test.” Shoto stated, speaking as simply as if he were telling time. Enji read that number again and thought he was going to have an aneurism. He didn’t need to look in a mirror to know his face was as red as his hair and when he flicked his infuriated gaze up at his youngest, all he could think about was reprimanding the boy with every foul word in his vocabulary. He opened his mouth to shout and belittle him until he was hoarse, but glanced over just in time to be reminded of Touya’s grinning face as he read through the first page of the application.

Every cruel word and deplorable insult died on his tongue as he let out a powerful sigh and deflated into the couch, leaning his head against the backrest. “Fine.” He muttered, letting the invoice sit on his lap.

Shoto, Natsu, and Fuyumi exchanged a glance, their hearts racing in their chests when they thought they were going to get a visit from the old Endeavor. They then gave each other an encouraging smile, happy to know they’d all do anything to help their oldest brother succeed.

“And it has to be held after the results of your trial are divulged next week, so long as the ruling is in your favor.” Shoto finished, glad everything seemed to be coming together.

Touya suddenly experienced what it was like to feel as if he was floating through the clouds, then instantly come crashing back to Earth. His gaze shot up from the packet to his youngest brother, then immediately sought out his father. Enji was back to rubbing circles into his temples wondering why this argument had to happen now of all times.

“My trial??” Touya demanded, too angry to elaborate on the thought. Enji let out a deep growl and decided it was for the best to be as direct as possible.

“Yes, Touya. You’re still a federal prisoner. It was officially scheduled for November fifth, but you were out of the country and my legal team was able to postpone it two months because of your role in obtaining information on the League.” Enji explained, hating the pure rage he could see in his son’s eyes. “Now that you’re back, you’ll be expected to make an appearance without deferral, or the courts will consider you an escaped convict from the moment you returned to Japanese soil.”

Suddenly, Touya lost his appetite. He jabbed his chopsticks into the donburi and set it on the end table, folding his arms and scowling at his father.

Hawks had been wondering if the trial was still going to happen, or if the courts would try skipping over it in favor of locking up the former villain for good. Touya was certainly lucky to be part of a family financially capable of throwing money at all their problems.

Well, it was also about perspective.

The day was like an emotional rollercoaster for the Todorokis, but Hawks was also concerned for Touya’s spouse as they continued to lay miserably on the ground. “Is Heiyu alright?” Keigo asked, wondering if he’d missed the explanation but also happy to change the subject.

“Dunno.” Touya answered, sounding way too flippant. “This morning they pissed themself and have been having stomach pains ever since.”

Fuyumi and Rei’s eyes instantly lit up with alarm, causing Enji to jump from his chair and run to his child-in-law’s side. They didn’t even bother fighting against his embrace as he hoisted them into his arms.

“I’ll call the doctor, take them to the spare room at the end of the hall!” Fuyumi directed, dialing a number and holding her phone to her ear. Enji did as he was told, but not before resituating Heiyu into one arm so he could reach out with his free hand and grab Touya by his ear.

“Ow, what the f*ck?!” Touya demanded, grabbing the man’s wrist as he dragged him through the house.

“Ever thought they might be giving birth??” Enji yelled, fixing his eldest with an equally lethal glare.

“How the hell should I know?? They never say anything!!”

“They’re your spouse!!”

~0~

The Todorokis’ doctor came quicker than any ambulance could ever hope to. He’d been on the former hero’s payroll for quite some time and lived practically next door for reasons exactly like this. Enji had eventually shoved Touya into the room to be there for the birth of his first child and was, apparently, immediately slugged in the gut by his spouse.

“How the hell was I supposed to know??” He shouted before the doctor yelled at him to shut up and be a supportive husband.

Everyone else sat outside the door and not even fifteen minutes later the crying of a newborn could be heard. They all celebrated on their own terms as the doctor ran some tests with the limited equipment at his disposal and presented the new parents with an official birth certificate. The family was eventually allowed in and crowded around Touya as he held his sleeping newborn daughter.

Coos and aww’s rippled through his family members and Touya desperately wished they’d all leave him the f*ck alone. He crinkled his nose at his daughter, then glanced over at Fuyumi holding her son, his expression unmistakably uncomfortable.

“What’s the matter, Touya-nii?” Fuyumi asked, concerned the doctor had told him something serious in private.

Touya glanced down at his daughter, making a face like he was displeased.

“Why are newborns so ugly?”

Everyone was at a loss for words, but Heiyu was the first to punch him in the thigh.

“Ow!! What was that for??” He demanded, stepping away from their reach. Rei was all too happy to scoop up her granddaughter and introduce herself.

“What’s her name?” Natsu asked, looking over the baby with a glimmering smile. She eventually began fussing, lightly squirming in Rei’s arms until she opened her brilliant blue eyes to compliment her full head of jet black hair.

“Fumi.” Touya answered, receiving about three seconds before he was tackled with a hug from his sister.

Chapter 50: Transitions

Chapter Text

Shoto let out a heavy breath and slumped in his chair. He and Touya had been in his room practically since he returned with the news of his brother’s prospective testing date. He’d been looking forward to graduation for quite some time, and he was able to relax for a few days after exams, but now he sat at his desk conducting a crash course on Hero Law to help Touya prepare for the Provisional Licensing Exam.

Of course, this was all dependent on whether he went back to prison full time or not. So, it might be an absolute waste after the results of his trial next week. But, then again, what was one week of non-stop studying? Not like that’d been his life for the past two months.

“Wake up, Shoto.” Touya demanded, snapping his fingers. Shoto flicked him a testy glare as another text message buzzed his phone sitting on his desk. Touya had gotten his supplementary high school diploma in generic studies, and while Hero Law was a part of sociology classes, it wasn’t nearly in depth enough to pass whatever the Hero Commission was going to throw at him if he got to take the test.

His phone buzzed again and his grumpy frown soured a touch. He knew it was Inasa… They’d had plans tonight for the first time since they both started studying for their respective finals, and Shoto was getting desperate for an excuse to leave. On one hand, he wanted to help his brother… but on the other hand, they’d been at this for hours and it was late. Fuyumi even brought their dinners to his room.

“I need to take a leak.” Shoto blurted out, springing from his seat. Touya’s forehead crinkled from annoyance before he waved a hand dismissively. Afterall, his younger brother had just gone to the bathroom half an hour ago.

“You want me to hold it for you or something?” He asked testily, turning back to his textbook. Shoto tried to act as unsuspecting as possible, gingerly plucking his phone from the desk and turning on his heel out the door. “And make it quick.”

~0~

After Fumi was born and Heiyu was cleared by the doctor for bedrest, Enji had cornered Keigo down another hallway and practically collapsed in the smaller man’s arms.

“Please stay.”

He’d sounded so worn out and desperate, the blond hero couldn’t possibly say no. He stayed through the afternoon, for dinner, dessert, and now they were snuggled up in the evening on a cozy piece of patio furniture overlooking the koi pond. When Fuyumi had purchased the set, Enji did his best to shut his mouth since the style clashed with his traditional Japanese aesthetic. In the end, it was especially comfy and under pain of death he might even admit he liked it.

The main piece in the set was a round loveseat with an exorbitant amount of throw pillows. He and Keigo lounged comfortably and shared a bottle of sake, enjoying the peace of the waterfall a short distance away.

Enji was a delightful addition to the lounge since he himself was especially comfy and always radiating heat. Hawks found himself having a hard time keeping his eyes open until a twinge in his feathers alerted him to someone cutting through the backyard. He perked up as the person dashed by and they both watched Shoto pause, caught off guard by what he found.

The three stared, unsure what to say until Shoto spoke up.

“If Touya asks, you didn’t see me.” He warned before sneaking off.

The two in the lounge chair blinked, then shared a look and shrugged. Enji filled their cups once again and they clinked the little saucers together before taking a sip.

Not even ten minutes later Hawks felt another presence and guessed it was Touya before seeing the other. The eldest Todoroki son stormed through the backyard with a handful of paperwork, obviously angered by something and paused when he found the other two on the back patio.

“Have you two seen Shoto?” He demanded. Enji and Keigo shared a side-eye, then shook their heads. Touya snarled, his shoulders bristling as he continued his search for his youngest brother.

Enji surprised everyone by speaking up. “Are you two still studying?” He asked, knowing Shoto had already done his due-diligence in his exams and should be celebrating his own graduation achievements. Touya paused and gave the other an incredulous look, almost like he was going to insult him for such an idiotic question. “Give Shoto a break, I could go over some questions with you.”

Touya looked like he wanted to complain as he gave his father a doubtful expression. Hawks understood they’d both been drinking and this may not be the best idea, but another part of his brain didn’t exactly agree.

“We both have pro hero experience, we could help you out.” Hawks offered, realizing it probably wasn’t necessary to mention their current and previous ranks.

“No sh*t, Twinkie.” Touya deadpanned, coming up onto the porch and taking a seat in a cushy chair regardless.

Enji grumbled something under his breath. “Would it kill you to express an ounce of respect?” He asked, not liking his son’s attitude. It was one thing for his eldest to direct his anger at his father, but he was getting tired of his negativity towards everyone else as well.

Keigo surprised him by lightly jabbing an elbow in his side. “Hey, it’s fine. No hard feelings.” The blond insisted. “I’m actually surprised you’re taking this so well.” He pointed out, directing his statement to Touya.

The former villain glanced up from the worksheets in his hand, his face a tumultuous mix of disbelief and resentment.

“Taking what so well? You sleeping with Endeavor?”

They both tensed at the question and Hawks realized he opened a messy can of worms.

“You can try being my step-daddy all you want, but the real reason I’m ‘taking this so well’,” he used his fingers to mime quotation marks, “is because I, also, f*cked your dad.”

Silence so thick it nearly suffocated the two in the lounge chair washed over the patio.

“What? It’s fine when you do it, but not me?” Touya asked, collecting his papers again and tapping them against the armrest of his chair to straighten them out. “You think I just let the man go after giving me two black eyes and a minor concussion? You were right to suspect my ulterior motives.”

They both watched as Touya stood and gave them a smug smirk. “Maybe I’ll look up your mom again, ask her if she’ll join me for some Tantric sex yoga.”

With that, Touya left the two wide-eyed and jaws slack with disbelief. He strolled into the garden and past the koi pond, continuing his search for Shoto.

~0~

The next morning was brutal. Enji wasn’t sure how Keigo was able to get up and report for patrol when he himself was struggling through a massive hangover. He wondered where any of the house staff was as someone pounded on the front door for the fifth time, before trying to think how this unexpected visitor even made it past the front gates. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Tsukauchi there. The man gave him a neutral expression until his detective skills put some clues together and his eyes glinted slightly with hilarity.

“What can I do for you?” Enji asked, wishing he’d stopped at the kitchen first to see if there was any coffee left.

“Apologies for the lack of notice, but I’m here to detain Touya Todoroki until his trial date.”

Enji frowned cantankerously, wishing anyone else in the world had been sent.

“I wasn’t made aware of an official arrest put in place.” He observed, not budging or bothering to invite the man in.

“No official request, but the Safety Commission has asked me to oversee a voluntary detainment.” He replied, his tone as uninterested as his willingness to demand entry. Enji felt his nose crinkle as a reflex.

“Sorry to waste your time, but Touya isn’t here.” He stated monotonously, ready to close the door and go back to a darkened room since this morning light wasn’t helping his headache. Tsukauchi raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, glancing away as he let out a sigh.

“I was afraid you’d say that.” He commented lightly, tutting under his breath. “If that’s the case, then the Safety Commission feels they have no choice but to issue an official order of arrest.”

Enji felt a vein throb in his forehead, and it wasn’t from the hangover. His grip on the door tightened with irritation, but before he could say anything that might have him arrested for his poor attitude, he glanced up to see a car pulling into his driveway.

Tsukauchi glanced over his shoulder with surprise.

“You didn’t close the gate behind you?” Enji asked between clenched teeth, wondering who had the audacity. However, when he realized it was some cheap little sedan from forty years ago with a faded paint job and dent in the back bumper, his guard began lowering. When it parked, some young guy emerged and went to his trunk, opening it and stacking a drink tray with four enormous paper coffee cups on top of a similar cardboard drink tray also holding four enormous coffee cups. He balanced them precariously, nearly dropping them all for a moment, before making his way to the front door. Enji glanced at the car once again and noticed an UberEats sticker in the corner of the windshield.

“Order for Natsuo?” The guy announced, making his way up the entry path. Enji wanted to roll his eyes until someone gently nudged him aside and when he glanced down he felt as if the blood in his veins froze.

The white, spiky hair was familiar despite the scarf wrapped around his nose and mouth, along with the mirror reflective aviators adorned on his nose. The young man was also wearing a smart-looking suit jacket and matching slacks covered in chalk lines and sewing pins. Both the sleeves and the legs of the ensemble were way too long, but there was no way Touya could be mistaken for Natsuo since the elder of the two was nearly half the size of his younger brother. However, Touya seemed to think he was clever enough to fool Japan’s greatest police detective as he accepted the eight oversized drinks in his half-assed disguise.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in a fitting appointment, Natsuo??” Enji seethed between his teeth, fixing his son with an enraged glare for emphasis. Touya, thankfully, didn’t say a word, staring at his father a moment before jerking his head towards the drinks as an offer to take one. Enji begrudgingly did and read the label, wondering if his son really had ordered eight extra large almond milk decaf tea lattes with one pump of hazelnut.

With nothing else to say, Touya turned and left. Enji frowned bitterly, asking himself how he was going to possibly explain this when he faced Tsukauchi and found the man grinning with amusem*nt.

“I can see your family is busy preparing for the trial, but unfortunately I’ll have to go through the proper channels to file formal arrest charges.” He stated with a forlorn sigh. Enji decided to stay quiet and hear the man out. “You know how obnoxious bureaucracy can be. Filling out paperwork, requesting warrants, it’s all so tiresome. Who knows, it might even take more than a week to finally get everything in order. Maybe even a month.”

Enji’s expression softened into one of silent intrigue.

“Well, guess I’ll see you all at the trial.” Tsukauchi stated, turning on his heel and giving a half-hearted salute. Enji watched him go, making sure the man shut the gate behind him before letting out a heavy breath and remembering he had a tea latte in his hand. He took a sip and thought it wasn’t half bad… but what he needed was caffeine.

Enji went to the kitchen to trade his paper cup for a ceramic one, opening the cabinet and nudging the “World’s Greatest Dad” one aside in favor of a plain white mug. In a few minutes the Keurig had dispensed a piping hot cup of coffee and Enji decided to see what the tailor he hired could possibly be doing that allowed Touya to wander around in the middle of a fitting.

He found the room his sons were using and decided he’d forgive the man since all three looked unbelievably precious standing on their own little podiums looking dapper and uncomfortable at the same time.

“What the hell are you smiling about?” Natsu demanded scornfully. Enji couldn’t stop his grin as he took a seat in one of the leather armchairs. The ibuprofen he took as his coffee was dispensing was starting to dull the headache and he didn’t feel quite so grouchy.

Especially seeing all his boys grown up and together.

Touya was doing a fantastic job ignoring him as the tailor tweaked some things on Shoto’s suit. His eldest son nonchalantly sipped his drink, then absentmindedly scratched at some of the scarring on his jaw. He meant to ask Touya how the scars had gotten worse, but decided to save that for another time.

“Is this your favorite drink?” Enji asked, noticing everyone had a cup. The cardboard drink carriers were empty on the floor and he wondered if Touya had thoughtfully ordered enough for all the staff at his house today. That might explain why nobody was there to answer the door.

Touya tested his range of motion by slowly rolling his shoulders, grunting with affirmation. Enji wanted to chastise him for not engaging in polite conversation before remembering none of his boys had the best role model for that.

“What makes it your favorite?”

It felt like pulling teeth to have this conversation, but he reminded himself change was hard, even if it was needed. Touya looked like he wanted to tell his father to shut up and leave him alone, but was also battling internally with his therapist’s goals.

“Touga introduced me to it.”

Ah… his time with the League. Enji managed to hide the discomfort he felt as he rubbed his thumb into the handle of his mug. The silence was awkward and he wasn’t sure how to recover until Touya spoke again.

“Of course, she’d probably get eight pumps of hazelnut in hers.”

Touya looked at the cup fondly, like the memory was a good one if not a little painful. He hadn’t gotten to see her since before the war until they met again at the Todoroki estate, and now they were sadly on the opposite sides of justice.

“Too sweet?” Enji asked, admiring his black, dark roast coffee.

“Yeah.” Touya replied, relinquishing his cup as the tailor came over to fuss with him some more. “Everything had to be overly sweet with her. It was nauseating.”

Enji hummed in acknowledgement, silently admitting this might not be the best topic of conversation at the moment. He didn’t know what to think of the company his son kept. Of course, he wanted him to keep dignified, good natured folks in his life, but the point was moot if he’d had to fend for himself ever since he was sixteen. In a way, he was thankful there was at least someone there for him. He wasn’t alone in a world that kept failing him, but if he could go back, he’d like it if Touya could’ve spent his time in school like a normal teen.

He’d make himself go to Setoko Peak.

He’d treat his children like living, breathing, feeling human beings instead of dolls.

But he can’t. All he can do now is try to learn from his mistakes and be a better person. He thought about what Shoto said; about sitting through a psychological exam with Touya. Was he ready to hear about his life? He was certainly curious at a surface level, but attaching any sort of emotional connection to the son he convinced himself he’d killed years ago was daunting.

“How did you meet Heiyu?” He asked, deciding to save another conversation for yet another time. Not to mention his granddaughter had just been born and he knew next to nothing about the person Touya married.

“They found me nearly dead.”

Enji choked on his coffee and waited for any sort of elaboration as he tried to catch his breath. He looked at Shoto and Natsuo, and they seemed equally startled.

“H-How…?” He tried to find the right words and was thankful when Touya didn’t make him work for it.

“When I left the hospital I went straight for the League. I’d heard about a hideout in a north district of Beijing, but their defenses were stronger than I anticipated.” He explained, leaving off on a cliffhanger that was starting to irritate Enji.

“Then what happened?” Shoto asked. Both his brothers were staring at him and Touya tried to ignore their demanding looks.

“You should know, you’re the one I reported it to.” Touya replied brusquely, scratching the other side of his jaw. The scarring became itchy when it got too dry. Shoto’s eyes went wide.

“That was the Great Wall raid??” He asked incredulously. Touya gave him an odd look.

“That’s what they’re calling it?” He sounded confused at the information. “I wasn’t even that close to it. Whatever. I thought Shigaraki might be there but it turned out to be their base location and he was elsewhere. I tore the place apart and couldn’t find him.”

Enji was watching his features and couldn’t help thinking Touya looked… sad? Disappointed he couldn’t bring Tomura Shigaraki to justice?

Or something else?

“There was a guy with a quirk that gave him the ability to change the electrical charges of things. He’s supposedly harmless and usually just creates static electricity. But, if you leave him alone long enough, he can manipulate charges in the atmosphere.”

Natsu ventured to speak up when he didn’t connect the dots. “What does that mean? He creates lightning or something?”

Touya nodded as he was handed his tea latte again and the tailor went on to work with Natsu some more.

“Like Chargebolt?” Shoto asked, thinking of his peer that also manipulated electricity.

“Your dopey classmate with the stupid face?”

Shoto nodded and Touya scoffed.

“Not even close. Think a thousand times more powerful and immensely more skilled. I think I was struck by lighting a hundred times that day.”

All the Todoroki men balked at that revelation and Touya glanced between the three in disbelief.

“What? You think a little fire gave me these damn scars??” He demanded, offended they thought he was so fragile.

“H-How’d you survive??” Shoto asked, remembering Kaminari was keenly aware of how deadly his quirk could be.

“Well, I thought I was a goner right before I was struck with the first one.” He mused, taking a sip of his drink as he reminisced. “But then I got to thinking, is fire really so different from lightning?”

Enji felt his jaw drop open. There’s no way… Right?? Fire was combustion, an exothermic reaction. Lighting and electricity were the release of charged particles. Lighting could cause fires, but when a person is born with a quirk that manipulates electricity in some way, their bodies just have a better handle on becoming a conductor or an insulator.

“There was no time like the present to find out, and for a moment I thought I was a dead man. But when they all saw I was still standing I think a few of them pissed their pants.” He said with a laugh. Enji and Shoto exchanged a look, awestruck with what they were being told. Touya had not only survived being struck by lighting, but he was able to redirect it to dissipate into the ground. And then he did it again about ninety nine more times.

“Why did they keep hitting you if they knew it wasn’t working?” Natsu asked, earning a crafty sneer from his brother.

“They didn’t. At some point the lightning man realized he’d created an unfair advantage for me by saturating the atmosphere with charged particles. All I had to do was detect the currents and ignite them, then use myself as a bridge.” He replied, pointing his first and middle finger like a gun and pretending to shoot it.

“How did you detect them?” Shoto asked. Touya smirked and pointed to his scalp.

“Your hair stands on and when you get struck by lightning.”

Enji couldn’t believe it, first Touya could master more powerful flames than he ever dared to attempt, and now he was controlling lightning?? Is this what the Meta Liberation Army meant when they talked about quirk awakening?

“What’s the matter, you look surprised.” Touya pointed out, his voice condescending. Enji snapped himself out of his thoughts.

“I never imagined.” Enji stated, his tone airy. “When I was given details about that day, I was told everyone detained showed signs of being electrocuted. We thought you were working with someone, or there was some kind of miracle power surge.” Enji shook his head in disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Touya clenched his jaw and considered the question. He’d thought about divulging his secret, but even he wasn’t sure whether it was a one time deal or not. He broke his serious expression and shrugged.

“I was busy trying not to be arrested. After that I wandered into some foothills for a little introspection. I tried working with the charges in the atmosphere but I wasn’t quite at that level, then I started getting sick and eventually Heiyu found me right before my body completely rejected Natsu’s kidney.”

Again. Touya was left to fend for himself and nearly died alone again. Natsu asked how they met, but Enji felt like he was going underwater. He’d told himself he’d done all he could; ensuring he had a plentiful supply of medication, money, and an expensive legal team to get him back home. Then again, if it wasn’t for the Great Wall raid, Touya may never have had an opportunity to be part of the hero task force. Because he was able to dismantle their largest command center and detain hundreds of villains, the Safety Commission had decided to give him a chance. Just last month they had their tenth raid on a League facility and they were getting substantial funding from other countries to see this operation through to the end.

“They said they were on a hike but I think they were trying to commit suicide.” Touya answered, breaking through his father’s thoughts. “They’re the child of some rich bastard CEO, one of maybe twenty kids, and were scheduled to be married off in some political arrangement.”

Natsu whistled. “Man, that’s dark. So you whisked them away in some fairy tale ending?” He teased with a sly smirk.

“Technically I kidnapped them. There’s a warrant for my arrest and a substantial bounty on my head in China and Mongolia.”

Both Shoto and Natsu snorted, then began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Touya asked, carefully removing the suit jacket after the tailor asked him to. The dress shirt beneath it could stand to be a little more fitted, but the guy promised he’d be back with the finished garments the day before the trial.

“I never thought of you as some sort of romantic western cowboy.” Natsu confessed as he also changed into his normal clothes. “You were in Russia for a while, did you cross the desert on horseback in ten gallon hats?”

Touya gave his brother a bitter glower. “Everyone knows you ride camels in the desert, dumbass. And this isn’t the American Wild West, we wore whatever hat the locals gave us.”

“Wait!” Natsu’s face lit up, “Please tell me it was the little round one with the ornament on top!” He then pulled out his phone and started scrolling through search results. “This one!”

Natsu held up his phone to a picture of a toortsog, a traditional brimless Mongolian hat with a beaded decoration sewn to the top. Touya didn’t deny it, he might’ve even had an embarrassed tinge to his cheeks as Natsu begged to see pictures.

Enji felt like a wallflower as he watched his sons interact. He was beginning to think he’d never be fortunate to be a part of something so mundane, yet so wholesome. A toxic voice in the back of his head wanted to yell at the three to be quiet and show some manners. Children were meant to be seen, not heard. But they were young men each starting their own journeys into the real world. Natsu was going into his fourth year of college, Shoto was getting ready to job shadow at the Endeavor agency, and Touya was working towards his Provisional License. They were all extremely capable individuals despite their hardships growing up and Enji wanted to squash the voice in his head that felt the need to dictate their lives.

Chapter 51: Good Boy

Chapter Text

Enji blinked rapidly, realizing he’d drifted off into another scatter-brained dissociative episode instead of sleeping. He turned to his nightstand and silently lifted his phone, reading the time as three in the morning and let out a heavy breath. There was no reason to be quiet, Keigo was spending the night in his own apartment (much to his chagrin) and would be meeting the Todoroki family at the courthouse later this morning.

Afterall, today was finally the day; and in his opinion, it couldn’t come fast enough. On one hand, he was admittedly terrified what the justice system would rule in favor of. Whether it was a lifetime of imprisonment, solitary confinement, or even the death penalty for his son, all weighed heavily on his thoughts which made it hopeless to get any sleep. On the other hand, Touya was causing it to be downright impossible to sympathize with him these last few days. Enji knew it was stress pushing the young man to act out, but did he really need to be so inventive?

He decided to get up and make a pot of coffee; there was no use lying in bed dreading the day to come. As he swung his legs over the edge and stood, one leg went flying out and sent him toppling back onto the mattress. Enji cursed under his breath as a skateboard went skittering across the floor and crashed into the distant wall, no doubt leaving a mark.

When the hell had they ever owned a skateboard??

Enji snarled under his breath before ordering his voice assistant to turn on the light and looked around to find an assortment of Lego’s, Jacks, and other unpleasant things to step on in the dark. He carefully made his way through the room of cliche practical joke paraphernalia and walked into the hallway.

He did his best to ignore the silly string coating the walls, along with the streamers tacked randomly to the ceiling and the spray paint marking the floors. Balloons were blown up and scattered around, tissue paper flowers were stuck to the walls, and strings of beads were hung up over most of the doorways. A lot of this was the result of Fuyumi trying to help her brother cope with his anxiety when, instead, it blossomed spectacularly into destructive avoidance since there usually wasn’t someone awake in the middle of the night to monitor him. He had a feeling his eldest had gotten, maybe, eight hours of sleep over the past week.

Enji felt his eye twitch as he walked past a collection of life-sized cardboard cutouts of All Might in his muscle form posing in various bodybuilding stretches. He finally made it to the kitchen, admiring the destruction with repugnance as he looked around. He could already hear his housekeeping staff cursing his name into oblivion and decided it was a problem for another time. He walked over to his coffee station and used a hand towel to brush whatever collection of Panko breadcrumbs and flour was scattered about into a pile an arm’s length away. He then lifted the lid and pulled out the filter basket, gingerly set a paper filter in it, then grabbed his grinder and bag of coffee beans. However, when he tried pouring the coffee beans into the grinder, colorful little jelly beans came out instead.

Enji scrunched the bag in his hand and took a deep inhale as the beans squished in his grasp and a few fell to the floor. At least he still had the Keurig.

Of course, there was no water in the Keurig, but that was easy enough. Unfortunately, though, when he opened the drawer where they kept the K-Cups, everything had been swapped out for decaf.

Enji slammed the drawer and stormed out of the room before he could rip it from the cabinet and launch it across the kitchen. He decided to step out for some fresh air, walking onto the porch to hopefully absorb some zen vibes before sunrise. However, when he strolled down the steps into the garden, he stepped on a rake that swung up and smacked him in the nose.

Enji’s face went beet-red as he grabbed the pole and snapped it in two over his knee. Before he could lob the broken garden tool across the koi pond, though, a light in a distant room caught his eye. His brain took a moment to compute until he caught himself wondering if it was coming from his training room.

There was likely only one other person awake at this hour and Enji rolled his eyes before setting out. There was a door that led from the garden into the training room and as he approached he could see blue flames shooting out then disappearing along the windows. He approached carefully, knowing Touya was only letting off steam but perfectly aware his eldest was capable of burning even him. He stepped into the dojo and found the young man slamming his fists into the punching bag as remnants of blue fire scattered along the fireproof fabric. The sight was familiar; he wasn’t necessarily trying to summon his flames, but his awful mood was certainly letting them explode with each strike.

Enji took in the destruction. Scorch marks were gouged into the walls, training equipment was thrown around haphazardly, and there were a few holes in the ceiling. Touya looked like he was ready to murder someone and likely wasn’t happy with the company he now had to endure. One more strike blasted a huge burst of fire and sent the punching bag flying into a wall with an enormous sound. He heaved deep breaths, attempting to come down from his adrenaline high.

“What?” Touya ground out, swiping the back of his hand across his forehead. His knuckles were unwrapped and red with some of the skin split open and bleeding.

Enji stood silently, unsure where to start. Touya was on a self-destructive rampage resulting in his own personal injury and damage to surrounding property. He was obstinate, bull-headed, quick to temper, condescending, and insulting. If he wasn’t ignoring his parents and siblings, he was trying to find ways to get on their nerves. He’d hidden untold numbers of fake insects around the estate to scare Fuyumi, switched Natsu’s body soap with Nair, and gone through an incredible amount of cling wrap by putting it on doorways, bottle openings, and even toilets. Touya slowly grew more uncomfortable in the silence, but before he could lash out again, Enji stepped forward.

Born prematurely, he’d always been a small kid and wasn’t blessed with his father’s height. Enji tried to cool his thoughts, reminding himself he’d dealt with significantly more obnoxious civilians in the midst of danger. His family deserved the same grace, if not more, he was able to extend to strangers.

Enji moved slowly, reaching out to take Touya’s hand in his to examine the damage. “Did you forget how to wrap your knuckles?”

Touya jolted his hand from the man’s grasp and gave him an ice cold glare. “Don’t patronize me.” He warned, stepping back to get some distance. Enji didn’t even know where to begin. Years of feeling betrayed weren’t going to be fixed with the wave of a magic wand and it certainly wasn’t going to be done in the next six hours before his trial.

He decided to keep a neutral expression as he went to the wall where the first-aid kit was. He dug through for antiseptic wipes along with bandages and returned to the same unyielding resistance.

“Please.” He asked gently, holding out a hand. Touya flicked his eyes from the offer to his father’s gaze and eventually relented. Enji used the bench press as a table, setting the supplies on it as he ripped open one of the disinfectant wipes and dabbed at Touya’s damaged knuckles.

“Does it hurt?” Enji asked, knowing the answer but unsure how else to make small-talk.

Touya scoffed. “No.” He answered bitterly, positively enervated for having to stand there and be complacent. Enji cleaned the area as best he could before strategically sticking on some oddly shaped knuckle bandages.

“You’ll thank yourself in the future for taking precautions. I know I wish I’d been more careful.” He continued, cleaning up his other hand and sticking more bandages on. Touya flexed his hands, feeling the pull of the adhesive and watching as his father returned with knuckle tape. He offered his hand once again, asking for Touya’s compliance and he eventually relented.

“Start with the wrist on the back of your hand, not the palm.” He instructed softly, hooking the loop over Touya’s thumb and demonstrating. “Not too tight either.”

“I know how to wrap my f*cking hands.” Touya insisted tartly, trying to pull away only for Enji to tighten his grip.

“Please.” This time it almost sounded like begging. Touya stared at the man incredulously for a moment before giving up and relaxing his arm. Enji cleared his throat. “Three times around the wrist, then three times around the hand.”

The knuckle tape covered the bandages as Enji continued criss-crossing between his fingers, wrapping his hand until the tape ran out and secured it at his wrist. He then silently requested the other hand and Touya obliged, holding it out as he tested the fit on his wrapped hand.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said. About controlling lightning.” Enji mused as he worked.

“What? Don’t believe me or something?” Touya asked defensively, his expression turning dark.

“That’s not what I meant.” Enji returned calmly, his voice soft and soothing. “Most people who work with electricity only control the charge. But if you’re able to manipulate fire and electricity, there may be other things you can do.”

Touya perked up at that, legitimately curious. “Really?” He asked, watching as the tape was finished and attached to his wrist. Enji nodded.

“Depending on whether you’re restricted by the excitement of electrons, you might only be able to use them as such.”

Touya tested the fit of both his hand wraps, opening and closing his fingers before throwing a few punches into the air.

“However, if you’re able to go so far as to manipulate electrons in atoms entirely, you could do a great deal with magnetism and adhesion.”

Touya’s eyes went wide, then looked at his palms in wonderment.

“Holy sh*t.” He murmured, a grin turning up an end of his mouth. Enji enjoyed the sight of his son not being tormented by his anxiety as he used an arm to nudge him playfully. Touya’s expression flattened, almost as if he didn’t want to be caught grinning and Enji held up his fists like they were going to box. Touya gave the man a thoughtful look.

“Not gonna wrap your hands?” He asked mockingly.

“You have court tomorrow. I’ll give you a proper ass-kicking after that.”

Touya actually snorted a laugh. He held up his hands as well and the two stared one another down, waiting for the other to move. Enji decided to throw the first hit, slapping his hand against Touya’s fist which prompted him to throw a one-two combo. Enji blocked and diverted the strikes, earning an uppercut and a cross punch. Touya ducked and weaved, as agile and easy to miss as his wiry frame would suggest. His fighting style from what was observed in the League made it seem like he only excelled in long-distance combat, but Enji was glad to know his son hadn’t forsaken what he’d been taught as a child.

He was impressed as he started taking steps back, having to block and duck more, rather than strike while Touya sent blow after blow at his father. He stopped a roundhouse kick in one direction, then the other direction, and again as Touya stood his ground to deliver a kick to his chest, another to his gut, and finally Enji missed as Touya kicked him in the jaw. He stumbled back, completely caught off guard. He wasn’t going easy on the other, he just didn’t want to give him a black eye.

The kick to his face felt a little too personal and Enji had to battle with the overly competitive voice in his head telling him to slug his boy in the teeth.

Touya didn’t squander his opportunity and continued going on the offensive until Enji finally had enough and threw his fist into the younger’s stomach. There was a brief moment of clarity in his eyes until Enji understood he’d made a terrible mistake. A co*cktail of sleep deprivation, debilitating anxiety, heavy psychotic medication, and mental instability came together to send Touya off the rails.

Enji had to duck and block like his life depended on it. Because it did. Blue flames started accompanying his attacks, and regardless of the knuckle tape being made from fire retardant material, he could still smell it burning.

“Touya!” He tried, almost missing a punch to his temple. His son didn’t respond as his attacks grew more and more aggressive.

“Touya, stop!” Enji ordered, trying to break through to his subconscious. The harrowing smile of Dabi carved up the corners of his mouth, grinning with such ferocity it caused Enji to miss a step and sink to his knee. Touya lunged like a panther, hand raised and ready to incinerate whatever he could touch. Enji watched his life flash before his eyes until he was reminded of the war when his eldest was just about to reduce him to ash.

At the absolute last moment, Touya managed to snap himself back to reality, crashing into his father and sending them both toppling to the ground. Enji groaned, his head throbbing from smacking into the padded floor until heat on his arm shocked him back to reality. He stifled a scream as his nerves all caught up to the damage at the same time and he looked down to see Touya had scorched him from fingertip to elbow.

Strained gasping occupied his attention next and he realized Touya was probably having a panic attack splayed over his chest. Enji tried to use shushing noises to calm him down as he sat up and cringed at the pain in his arm. Touya was shaking so hard he couldn’t speak as tears scrolled down his cheeks and he tried to understand what happened.

“It’s okay.” Enji attempted to reassure him, situating his eldest so he hopefully wouldn’t see his arm.

“I-I…” Touya began, still gasping for breath and shaking like a leaf.

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” Enji tried again, holding him tighter. That seemed to make it worse as Touya’s face scrunched up and tears poured faster from his eyes.

“I-I burned you…” He lamented as a sob escaped his throat.

“It’s okay, I know you didn’t mean to.” He insisted, wincing from the pain but determined to play it down. “Deep breaths, it’s okay.”

Touya did his best to deepen his shallow breathing, choking out a cough and closing his eyes. Enji was thankful it seemed to be ramping down as he held the young man to his chest and felt the shaking gradually dissipate. The bonding moment came to an end, however, when Touya began shoving against him.

“Your fault…” He whispered between breaths. Enji froze, his expression shattering into one of disbelief and guilt. “It’s all your fault!!”

He couldn’t argue with that, not since he’d tried to play God with his own family from day one. In all honesty, it should be his life in the hands of the court deciding if his actions warranted the death penalty.

If he could take his son’s place, he would.

“It’s all your fault…!” Touya continued, a sob ripping through his words as he still struggled to breathe. Enji teared up, guiding Touya to lean into his shoulder as he nudged a cheek against his hair.

“I know.” Enji replied, certain beyond a shadow of a doubt. There’s no way it couldn’t be his fault, and now everyone else had to suffer from his actions. How many people has he trampled over the years, all for someone stupid title?

“I just…” Touya’s voice cracked as he sucked in a heavy breath, “I just wanted to be good!!” He cried, shaking harder as his emotions spilled out endlessly. Tears streamed from Enji’s eyes as he pulled his son closer.

“You are good, Touya.” He insisted. “You’ve done so many good things!”

Touya gave up trying to fight his way out of the man’s grasp and instead wrapped his arms over his shoulders. Enji was startled for a moment until he leaned into the affection.

“You don’t need to be a hero to be a good person.” Enji stated, threading his fingers into the other’s white hair. “And being a hero doesn’t make a person good.”

Touya took a deep breath. The shaking had stopped, but the tears were still flowing.

“You’ll get through this, I’m not letting you go that easily.” Enji insisted. “I can’t lose you again, not when I owe you so much.”

Angry, resentful tears scrolled down Touya’s cheeks. All these years… all this pain, and all this suffering… and all he had to do was come home.

Why didn’t he just come home?

Touya squeezed his fists, gripping the back of his father’s t-shirt like he was trying to reduce it to shreds.

“Hood.” Touya whispered, his voice strained. Enji gave him a puzzled look, not sure what that was supposed to mean. “The high end Nomu. In f*ckuoka.”

Ah… that’s right. Right after the billboard, the one that gave him the scar down his face.

“It’s in the past.” Enji insisted, not sure why he was bringing it up. Touya shook his head as his arms tightened.

“When I told Hawks to pick a hero as a demonstration piece, I didn’t think he’d pick you.” He confessed, his shoulders trembling once again. “It had heightened senses… it could tell when he’d picked someone out, but it could only act under my orders.”

Enji had a feeling he knew where this was going and used a hand to rub Touya’s shoulder. It really was in the past, he didn’t even associate the action with his son. But it seemed to be something weighing heavily on Touya’s mind.

“When I found out who it was fighting, it was almost too late. And if it had won…” Enji gave his eldest a perplexed look as his mood shifted from remorse to hatred in an instant. “I would’ve ripped the wings right off that bird.”

Enji stared. He thought Dabi had been mocking him after that battle and wished once again he could’ve read the signs. He squeezed Touya a little tighter before relaxing his grip entirely. Instead of using the opportunity to get away, though, Touya continued to lean against his shoulder as he worked on steadying his breaths.

They sat in silence for many minutes as Enji tried to think of something meaningful to say until he heard a soft snore and felt Touya go limp against his chest. He stared at the spectacle in awe, figuring it was some crazy dream until Touya snored again.

Chapter 52: My Reason

Chapter Text

“Shoto.”

The youngest Todoroki son blinked awake from beneath the covers of his bed. It took him a moment to understand someone was standing over him and another moment to realize it was his father.

“Can I leave him with you?” Enji whispered. Shoto crinkled his nose, wondering what he was talking about until he sat up and realized his oldest brother was draped in the former hero’s arms fast asleep. He wanted to ask what for until he remembered Touya hardly slept over the last week and Endeavor probably didn’t want him dealing with Fumi stirring in the middle of the night. That, and Natsu snored.

He threw the covers from the corner as an invitation and Enji obliged.

“What happened to your arm?” Shoto whispered, almost too quiet to hear. After Enji gently set Touya down and pulled the covers back over them, he spoke.

“Training accident.” He replied simply, letting his hand linger on the crown of Touya’s head. “But if anyone else asks, it’s an allergic reaction to a plant in the garden.”

Shoto thinned his lips, realizing it must’ve been quite the brutal accident if he couldn’t even talk about it.

“Goodnight.” Enji whispered, leaving without another word.

~0~

Fuyumi was like a drill sergeant getting everyone up, dressed, and fed for the day to come. There wasn’t going to be a single thing that would deter her from making this event run as smoothly as possible to give the judge the best impression of her brother.

Not even the plastic co*ckroaches she kept finding in the pantry.

Her family was all seated around the informal dining area focused on their breakfasts and everyone was a varying degree of tired. Natsu looked to be the most awake, but that was likely because he’d gotten up early enough for his sister to draw his eyebrows back on. After Touya switched his body wash with Nair, the chemical hair remover had done an excellent job of removing every bit of facial and body hair. Touya’s reply to it was “at least I didn’t do it to your shampoo”.

Her father never seemed to divulge how tired he was, her mother wanted nothing to do with her children in favor of cooing over her grandchildren, Shoto was as stoic as ever, and Touya barely managed to miss his plate from where he was draped over the table sleeping.

“Can someone please wake him up so he can eat something?” Fuyumi groused as everyone just left him out cold. Shoto was brave enough to reach over and nudge his shoulder, causing him to stir until he raised his head to find out who had the audacity. His youngest brother gave him a sympathetic smile and was rewarded with a punch in his side.

Shoto immediately collapsed from the pain, hardly believing what just happened and gasping for air. Fuyumi was about to chew him out for being an ass when Heiyu showed their spouse the same lack of mercy by slugging him in the arm without remorse.

“What the f-!” Just as he was about to swear, Heiyu jammed a spoonful of omurice into his mouth. He looked ready to level the entire building, but as his spouse gave him the same unrelenting glare, he eventually submitted and ate his meal.

After breakfast, Fuyumi ran around trying to make sure everyone looked presentable, ties were tied, buttons were fastened, and the children were situated. She did her best to ignore Heiyu’s choice of attire being a little black dress that practically shoved their boobs into their chin, silently resentful that their quirk also allowed them to hide their baby weight. The hope was the judge and jury would be able to see a perfectly functioning, happy family along with a new father with his gorgeous spouse and newborn daughter. Whatever angle they could play this situation, the Todorokis were willing to try.

She marked off her checklist one by one as everything was coming together except for one little detail.

“Where is Touya??”

~0~

Touya could hear his family running around the estate tearing everything apart looking for him. He was told they’d be leaving in about twenty minutes and by God he wanted to savor every single second of his remaining peace.

“The dojo! Did anyone check the dojo??”

Footsteps started running down the hall, presumably to the dojo, and Touya pursed his lips. He’d decided to hide in the one room nobody would think to check; his father’s room. That, and he was trying his hardest to remember how to tie a tie. He stood in front of the man’s enormous full length mirror, wrapping the stupid accessory one way and then the other with no luck. He eventually got so frustrated he balled it up and threw it into the walk-in closet.

He stared at himself in the mirror; way out of his element and looking like some middle schooler trying to impress his first crush. His hair was messy, the scars under his eyes were more sickly than usual, his shirt was untucked, and his pants were probably situated too low on his waist but he didn’t care. What did it matter? All these people would see is a mass murderer meant to be locked up for a century with the keys thrown away. He killed dozens of people, caused an untold amount of property damage, and threatened the security of the entire planet. He practically turned into a supernova and his only reason was because of his f*cked up daddy issues.

It felt like a waste to even show up in court. Just condemn me, or allow me to finish what I started.

He thought about Shigaraki, how defeated he appeared after the war. No one came out looking better, but he might’ve had the worst of it. Being controlled by All For One, killing his entire family by accident as a child, being raised with the intent of becoming the world’s deadliest villain… it could put a lot of pressure on a guy. It was no wonder he looked like he was on death’s door. He’d never tried to have a relationship beyond mutual interest with him, he really was much more gross in person. He didn’t want to associate with any of those lunatics in public, but after everything they’d all been through, there was unspoken respect between them.

A person doesn’t deserve death just because they go against society’s approval. If all of them had seen just a bit of kindness, would they still have tried to dismantle the establishment? His therapist’s inquiry of ‘What Comes Next’ gnawed at his brain, reminding him he’d never really thought that kind of stuff through. It didn’t matter at the time, all he could see was a corrupt society that preyed on the weak and disadvantaged the feeble. Seven years on the street was enough to see the same patterns over and over. The well-established trampled over the easily-manipulated and the cycle repeated itself again and again. Someone scrapes their way out of poverty and suddenly everyone’s pointing fingers at the lower ninety-nine percent asking what their excuse is.

He didn’t have enough of an inflated ego to think of himself as Robin Hood or some other voice of the people, he honestly just enjoyed destroying a bully’s self-esteem. In the beginning he had morals, he still clung to whatever he learned about treating others with kindness and not stealing. It often sent him to bed in homeless camps with an empty stomach and a sense of defeat. There were programs for runaway kids, but they usually tried to do their research to reunite families and Touya couldn’t stomach the idea of facing his after running away and not making something of himself. He tried several times to orchestrate his own debut, and it always resulted in heroes tracking him down for things like ‘Criminal Damage to Property’ and ‘Operating Without a Hero License’. Sure, he accomplished some heroic-like tasks and happened to save a few lives, but what did he have to show for it other than a hearing to decide how he’d spend the rest of his life to serve his country against his will?

Shigaraki and Toga had been on his mind over the last ten months and despite all his efforts, he hadn’t been able to track them down. They’d been dragging themselves and clawing towards their goals, still trying to fight the good fight to achieve even a shred of purpose while Touya had completely lost his. He knew they weren’t well, and it wasn’t any of his business, but he knew what it felt like to stand against the world, and to have the world spit in his face. It’s not anything he wished for anyone, and after everything with his trial he silently pleaded he’d still be in a position to track them down. They didn’t deserve to be apprehended by any of these so-called heroes, they earned better treatment than that. It was the only reason he was trying so hard, using whatever resources he could get ahold of, because who else was going to save them from dying alone and unaccomplished?

Touya glanced around his father’s room, seeing the results of his temper tantrums over the past week. This home had never seen an ounce of disrepair before he returned from his absence. Toys, decorations, artistic additions… they were things that didn’t exist in the Todoroki home previously and now there were piles of Amazon and Etsy boxes stacked in a few living spaces. As much as he resented it, and as much as it made him feel like an ornery child, his family kept choosing to meet him with patience and understanding through it all. Toga and Tomura didn’t have the same luxury, and it tugged at that childish wish he felt to be a hero.

Touya wandered into the closet, admiring the gargantuan suits his father had custom made. How much money had been wasted on these stupid things? How many times had he gone without food because he couldn’t afford it?

He snooped around and pulled open a drawer, finding a collection of ties and grabbed one that had flames with the Endeavor oranges and blue. He wrapped it over his shoulders and held it out, realizing it was longer than the one he’d been given, likely because the two of them had such a height difference. He tried again, wrapping the accessory around and around until he was frustrated enough to tie a simple knot.

“Need some help?”

Touya grimaced at the company, figuring he’d probably show up at some point since it was his room. He turned to see his father standing outside the closet with his arms folded and an unreadable expression. The eldest Todoroki son approached the man with a displeased frown and stopped before him, refusing to make eye contact.

Enji took the silence as confirmation and reached out, undoing the crude knot and flipping up his collar.

“First, you want to button all the buttons.” He explained in a gentle voice, fastening the last two at his neck. Touya looked like he was growing more uncomfortable by the minute. “Normally, you’d want to choose an appropriately sized tie.” He murmured, trying his best not to show his amusem*nt at what his eldest had picked out. Touya flicked a touchy glare at the man, but Enji interrupted him before he could make a rude quip.

“However, with a Windsor knot, you’ll want a longer tie.”

Touya settled down rather quickly, his momentum deflated. Enji did his best to explain, having to readjust his thinking since he normally didn’t do this for someone else. Eventually, Touya was left with a crisp looking tie and Enji folded down his collar.

“Tuck in your shirt.” He stated as he turned his attention to his son’s suit jacket and began picking at imaginary pieces of lint. Touya did as he was told without starting a fight.

“When you’re called to the stand, you’ll address the judge and prosecuting lawyer as sir or ma’am.”

Touya’s grimace soured deeply.

“When they ask you a question, answer only that question, and do it as simply as possible.”

Touya felt suffocated beneath the monkey suit and started wishing he’d plucked up the courage to run away.

Or would that be more cowardly? His family certainly thought he was being courageous. If only they knew.

“Be honest, and be truthful. Listen to our legal team and let them help you.”

Touya felt like he was going to be sick. All of this was too much to handle and it was only the beginning. Enji suddenly clutched his shoulders and Touya felt his hackles rise.

“Whatever happens,” he began, and Touya made the mistake of making eye contact, “no matter what happens, we’re here for you. We’ve got a good case, a lot of positive numbers, and some really good evidence.”

Touya choked out a strangled noise as he was brought into his father’s embrace. His joints locked almost painfully and he could feel himself shaking.

“I’m so proud of you.” Enji whispered in his ear, and Touya wished he hadn’t felt the teardrops on his neck. He struggled to move even an inch until he could almost force his arms to mimic the embrace while tears also began streaming from his eyes.

“Thank you.” He whispered in return, thinking back to ten years ago when he found his father paying respects to his shrine and wished this could’ve been the outcome instead.

Chapter 53: Provisional License Exam

Chapter Text

The crack of the gavel brought Touya back to reality and he tried to pay attention to the verdict; however, he was so overwhelmed with this whole day he felt like he was drowning. They’d been in this courtroom for hours and his stomach was too volatile to eat much of anything for lunch while his brain barely registered whenever they were on recess. Of course, this whole procession could’ve dragged on for days or weeks or months, he’d been warned, and he needed to be careful with what he juggled between freedoms and restrictions. In the end, his service towards national security, childhood mental duress, and villainous transgressions all seemed to meld together in a way that allowed everyone to come to a mutual consensus.

Something about needing a new benefactor and a set probation officer was declared, something about working closely with the Japanese police force to dismantle the League and other extremist groups. Something about needing to pass his Provisional Licensing Exam. Something about reporting to prison on weekends. Something about community service. But the real dawning moment that squeezed his chest was the life sentence without parole.

It might not ever get any better than this, but it certainly could get worse. It sounded like the justice system was ready to do whatever it took to strangle the usefulness right out of him at his own expense.

Touya glanced up and found Heiyu standing beside him with Fumi napping in their arms. They were giving him a strong, solemn, unrelenting expression that he was thankful for. He made it, he was alive and significantly more free than most villains after they were caught. From here on out his ass was owned by the government, but it was enough to start.

Natsu came up beside his spouse with a brilliant smile and extended a hand. Touya reluctantly accepted it and found himself being yanked into his younger brother’s arms, happy for the affection but repulsed by the touch. He allowed it to continue as Fuyumi and Shoto got in on the embrace and felt as a thousand pounds of stress rolled off his shoulders.

He made it; he was alive and he was thankful, but now the real work began.

~0~

Mera flipped through Touya’s written assessment with a bored expression. “Considering he spent all day in court yesterday, it’s no wonder his score is so low.” He observed without much interest. “However, I’m thrilled to announce he’s passed.”

His depressing tone could’ve fooled anyone, and after he spoke, the Safety Commission president gave a heavy yawn. The room of Touya’s supporters lit up with excitement at the news, though. Some cheered, some jumped for joy, and everyone was smiling.

Enji gave a breath of relief, Natsu and Fuyumi hugged, Hawks clapped enthusiastically along with Rei, Shoto was tackled with an embrace from Izuku and Inasa, Bakugou looked deceptively impressed, Mina, Uraraka, Jiro, and Yaoyorozu cheered, and Mineta, Iida, Kirishima, and Sero celebrated as well. After everyone slowly settled down, they began remembering what they were all doing at the observation deck of the Provisional Licensing Exam arena.

Uraraka looked worried. “Was he really allowed to invite ten people of his choosing to his practical exam?” She asked, glancing out the large windows at the terrain below.

“Yeah.” Shoto replied simply as he walked up to join her.

“And we’re sure he only ended up inviting that guy to work alongside him?” Mineta clarified skeptically.

“Are you trying to join those two?” Sero retorted, raising an eyebrow.

“No chance in hell!” Mineta shot back, waving his hands emphatically. “I know the guy’s thing is being cute and goofy, but there’s a reason Wash is the number two hero in all of Japan. I just think it’s unfair Touya-san is facing off against him with only that guy as his partner.”

Silence swept over the group as the doors to the field below were opened and they watched Touya march in, followed shortly by Kaminari. The two were quite a distance away, but they could all still make out the trepidation on the young blond hero’s features.

~0~

Kaminari dashed ahead when he realized Shoto’s oldest brother was leaving him behind. The former League of Villain’s most powerful leading officer, eldest son of the previous number one hero of Japan, and all around scary dude, had asked him and him alone to accompany him for his exam. Why? Denki Kaminari hadn’t the faintest clue.

“Uhh, Todo…” Kaminari was cut off with a single piercing glare before he could finish calling him Todoroki-senpai again. “I mean, Touya-senpai…” The bitter grimace was a bit less intimidating, but he wasn’t brave enough to just call him Touya. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to be strong; “are you sure? About your plan, I mean.”

The UA graduate stood beside Touya Todoroki, staring once again at the Provisional Licensing arena. He couldn’t believe he passed the first time, and now he was expected to do it once more? Sure, the first go around he was working against every other person taking the test, and now he was going into it with a ton more experience, but it was only him and one other guy squared up against an unknown pro. They were given a brief description of the scenario; a villain was running rampant across the city, causing mayhem and destruction which put roughly one hundred of the HUC actors in jeopardy. There were fires, there were electrical shortages, there was precarious debris… and there were nearly fifty participants on the villain team. Even if Touya had stacked his side with all ten heroes he was allowed to invite, it was still daunting odds. Not only that, but he had been allowed to request anyone… ANYONE, to help him. Sidekicks, pro-heroes, former heroes, the Safety Commission President himself… you name it. He wasn’t restricted to sifting through a list of hero interns like Kaminari, so why the hell had he chosen him??

“Got a problem with it?” Touya asked. He was trying to be calm, really, he was. But right now he needed to concentrate and it was hard to do with Zappy McBuzzkill over here shaking in his boots.

“No!!” Kaminari squeaked, not wanting to think about how mad this guy was going to be when they inevitably failed. Touya nodded with approval and Kaminari pursed his lips thin.

Seriously… why was this guy so scary??

A siren wailed across the field and Kaminari felt a pit drop in his stomach as the ‘villains’ started entering from the door opposite of them.

“WWAAAAASSSH!” Wash bellowed through the expanse before cackling with his best recreated attempt of a villain’s laugh. Kaminari flew into hysterics about being pitted against the number two hero and Touya felt his eye involuntarily twitch.

Objectively, the number two hero wasn’t the most scary opponent to face off against. He didn’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of the masses and his ranking came mainly from his humanitarian accomplishments and popularity. He was quick, meticulous, and surprisingly shrewd for a washing machine. He was also rated as one of the best employers across the Eastern seaboard for benefits and pay. His contributions to the Japanese war between heroes and villains came through with a lot of positive light since he was responsible for much of the rescue and suppression aspects. Not to mention him and Best Jeanist were to thank for detergent sales skyrocketing worldwide in the cleaning industry as well.

However, he was also a bad match-up for Touya since the main part of his quirk involved water, and Touya’s was fire. He’d been briefed with the basic constraints without knowing the identity of his adversary from the moment his father paid the hefty bill and had accepted without a second thought. After all, he had a feeling the Commission was going to pull something like this. Why would they make it easy for a villain to become a hero?

Wash’s entourage ascended the rubble as the HUC actors began calling for help while Mera announced the commencement of the exam. Wash then attempted to monologue, but he also didn’t have the most comprehensive vocabulary.

“On three, you’re going to hit me with your quirk at full power.” Touya instructed, plucking one of the blond’s charge concentrators from his hip and sticking it between his shoulder blades. Kaminari blanched.

“A-Are you totally sure about that??” He asked, not willing to be given another death-glare as he tried to explain how lethal and excruciating his electrical attacks could be.

“One.”

Kaminari eeped and held out his hand like he was preparing to go through with this suicide plan. Not only was Shoto’s big brother going to be fried, but his brain was going to be switched to idiot-mode.

“Two.”

Touya began walking towards Wash as his adversary shot off a few spouts of water. Soapy bubbles started rising from the wet ground, quickly filling the air with the surprisingly strong, yet buoyant, spheres.

Of course, Wash knew he was weak against those who could control electricity, but this also wasn’t his first time facing someone with that type of quirk. He’d coated the area surrounding him to win his favor, then climbed aboard one of his bubbles to avoid the watery surface. All he had to do was stay away from being tagged with Charebolt’s support item and he’d be fine. Touya then launched into a full sprint straight for his opponent.

“Three!”

Touya leapt into the air with a blast of fire and a sinister smile, one he’d tried to soften with the help of Shoto letting him know when he crossed into the territory of ‘creepy beyond all reason’, but figured he didn’t have to hide a terrifying expression from someone he was trying to defeat. Electricity struck the target it was meant to and Touya relished in the familiar tingling sensation. He felt the excited particles surge through him as he used his body to direct the electricity for his adversary, and watched with glee as Wash and a few of his goons were electrocuted into submission.

That was the easy part, but not the whole test. Another reason the odds were stacked against his favor was because Wash’s rank also came from the support of his agency. He prided himself on how cohesively everyone worked together to accomplish their goals, and each subordinate was going to be exceptionally difficult to take down.

Unless you knew how to do it all at once.

Before he even hit the ground, Touya snapped his fingers and watched as the entire arena lit up with blue flames. Nothing crazy enough to set the whole place ablaze, but invasive enough to spontaneously combust in each villain’s face.

The HUC actors all shrank away and covered their faces as their attackers suddenly had a puff of blue flame halt them in their tracks. Each person abruptly stopped their advances and dropped to their knees, coughing and gasping like they’d just been pulled from a house fire.

Kaminari watched the spectacle in awe, his jaw gaping in absolute shock. Touya stood in the middle of the soapy puddle admiring his overwhelming victory with a smug smile. He then carefully made his way over to the nearest HUC actor and got down on one knee, gently offering his hand for assistance. Touya did his best to remember how to smile like a respectable member of society and was given a stupefied expression in return.

“There’s no need to fear, sir. The support heroes are on their way. Are you injured?”

The HUC actor stared speechlessly as Dabi loomed above with a positively glowing smile. He looked almost angelic with the sun twinkling behind him and the actor suddenly realized they needed to reply.

“I-I’m a woman.” She quivered, gingerly accepting his hand.

“My apologies, ma’am. May I remove this rubble from you?”

The woman practically swooned as Touya carefully lifted the concrete with one hand and swept her into his other. Kaminari thought his chin was going to hit the floor as the lady-actor’s eyes turned into hearts draped in the arms of the former villain.

“B-But…” He tried, wondering how he was going to phrase this. Touya strolled up to his exam partner with a look of annoyance.

“I thought I told you to hit me with everything you had.” Touya pointed out irritably, passing by Kaminari to set the HUC actor on a yellow tarp. The blond jolted at the observation, sputtering wildly as he thought wasn’t that enough??

“H-How…” He tried again, not entirely sure he wanted an explanation at this point. The guy nearly blew up the world with a giant explosion and now he was impervious to electricity?? What was in the Todoroki bloodline??

“Oh.” Touya replied simply. “When I snapped, I had a bunch of fire appear in those guys’ faces. The sudden heat shocked the air out of their lungs.” He explained. Kaminari’s eyes went wide. He knew Shoto’s big brother had a better handle on his fire than the Half-Cold Half-Hot hero, but he didn’t think it was that good!!

Touya turned to look at the spectator booth before projecting his voice at the occupants.

“Do I have to save all the victims? Or just subdue the evil appliance and his lackeys?” He asked, forgetting the parameters of the assignment since his brain was still fried from stress and exhaustion.

Everyone in the observation booth was rendered speechless. The Todoroki family and Hawks knew about Touya’s secret weapon, but seeing it in person was something else. His grasp on the arcing electrical charge was unparalleled, even though he was still new to the ability. Not only that, but being in an open space and able to see all his opponents had worked tremendously in his favor. Mera had reined in his initial surprise quicker than anyone else as he counted the collapsed and gasping members of the Wash Agency.

“We’ll send in the support heroes now, and you’ll be in charge of triage and first aid tarps.” Mera replied into a microphone as his voice was projected across the field. Touya nodded and directed Kaminari to start tagging victims with red, yellow, and green tape. All the high school graduates in the booth realized that was their cue to leap into action as they dashed out to play their part. When they got to the field, each one checked in with Touya who gave them all organized and specific tasks. In no time at all, the HUC actors were safely collected from the wreckage while the villains were apprehended.

“I had my doubts, but he’s certainly impressive.” Mera announced with a tired sigh. Rei, Natsu, and Fuyumi all exchanged delighted smiles, happy to hear that about Touya. Enji and Hawks, however, could sense there was underlying meaning to his words. Mera turned to Enji and gave him a serious expression. “I’d love to think he’s changed his ways for good in the name of justice and peace, but we both know he’s far too smart for that.”

Enji grunted as a response and Fuyumi found herself prickling with indignation.

“What’s that supposed to mean??” She demanded. “When is it enough?? When will you people finally be satisfied and accept that he’s changed??”

Enji set a hand on his daughter’s shoulder and shook his head. Fuyumi wanted to snap at him too, but Mera waved a hand as if to say she had a point.

“He’s certainly changed, there’s no doubt of that.” The Commission President stated. “And we’re clearly taking advantage of the outcomes suiting us. But, until Tomura Shigaraki and Toga Himiko are in custody, who’s to say he doesn’t have ulterior motives.”

Fuyumi glanced down at her older brother offering another member of HUC a pleasant smile. She’d been robbed of that sight for far too many years and couldn’t help thinking it wasn’t all that bad if he was willing to do so many good things.

Chapter 54: Psychological Evaluation

Chapter Text

Going home after the trial had been a struggle. All the mess through the estate was tidied, the graffiti stripped and polished away, and the destruction repaired. It was like he’d never been there in the first place. Some things had stayed through the cleaning and maintenance, while others were neatly tucked away in a far off room to be accessed later. Touya didn’t have the energy to fight about it though and had fallen asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. He came to find out later each of his siblings and his spouse had also taken turns watching over him to make sure he stayed asleep.

The next morning was reminiscent of waking up from his coma. He was stiff, he was groggy, and he felt like he’d slept a lifetime. Natsu had to help guide him through morning rituals while Shoto quizzed him one last time on hero studies. Just as they were about to leave, however, Shoto had a revelation.

Touya didn’t have a costume. Or a superhero name. It seemed like such a simple thing, how could they have neglected it? Unfortunately, it was too late for such things and he’d been whisked away to the Safety Commission without.

He honestly didn’t think he was going to pass the written assessment the first time and was pleasantly surprised. He’d been docked points off his practical for not choosing all ten hero assistants, along with having an infamous criminal background, but skirted right over the passing mark for that exam too. Apparently he was quite popular among the HUC actors as he led the evacuation efforts.

Two assessments passed, one to go.

Originally he was scheduled for next week to have his psychological evaluation completed, but since he finished the practical so quickly he’d opted to get it over with. Afterall, at this point he just felt emotionally numb.

The original stipulations were that he had to divulge his history starting with his disappearance from Setoko Peak all the way up until he joined the League of Villains. He had to do so under the direction of an accredited therapist and in the presence of the President of the Safety Commission, the Chief of the Police Force, his parents, and his siblings.

He decided to forgo the lawyers since he didn’t want to sit there listening to them argue with Mera over what he should and should not say. They could deal with hearing it on a recording.

Ultimately, Rei was excused from the event because she was still restricted from psychologically thrilling events that might jeopardize her health by her doctor and the therapist on call agreed this was such a time. Fuyumi and Natsuo were also excused by the therapist as well when he cited that they weren’t his legal guardians, or part of a relevant government entity, and this was personal and sensitive patient information. When they tried to argue, Touya insisted they didn’t want to hear what he had to say.

In the end, he was stuck with Mera, Endeavor, Shoto, and Tsuragamae. The Chief of police agreed to the change in schedule and arrived at the HPSC as quickly as he could.

It was quite the collection of important uppity-up people and Touya had a hard time lifting his eyes from where he was twiddling his thumbs. The Dog-cop guy congratulated him on passing his two assessments and he vaguely remembered thanking him.

The second part of the stipulations was he had to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth with every detail and facet he could possibly recall. His only saving grace was his sentencing had already been handed to him, so if he let something slip on record, they legally weren’t able to go after him. In his opinion, though, there wasn’t a lot of new information to be dredged up. He was already on record for killing dozens of people.

The beginning was easy; he invited his father to Setoko Peak when he was thirteen to watch a new trick he learned and the man never came. His unregulated emotions then proceeded to burn down the mountain and he almost died.

Yawn. Overplayed, overreacted. Next.

Three years later he awoke from his coma in a nursery, apparently taken in by Edge-Lord All For One himself as spare meat for his protege program. He was still proud of himself for burning down that travesty of an operation and getting the heck outta there. He then wandered up to the Todoroki estate like a long lost family puppy only to find out they thought he was dead and promptly moved on. Endeavor was still abusing his family and focusing all his energy on his little half and half perfect creation, and Touya was just some picture on an altar. His tormented mind convinced him his only option was to flee and that’s where Dabi’s life begins.

He certainly left the estate angry, but one’s emotional composure could only remain that jaded for so long. At some point, hunger starts to win the battle.

Going from a spoiled rich kid to a street rat was a lot more romantic in movies than in real life. In reality it was miserable, debilitating, and humiliating. His first time eating from the garbage was quite the low point.

If only he knew how far down he’d go.

It didn’t take long for him to be picked up by a couple while he was scouring the streets for scraps. They weren’t the lovey-dovey type of people, they fought so hard within twenty minutes of inviting him to their home he honestly thought they hated each other. Their house was small, run-down, and in disrepair. The roof was leaking, the walls were stained and covered in holes, there was hardly any furniture, and the kitchen was disgusting. At the time, he didn’t even know what meth was. They’d showed him how to cook it and the smell was awful enough for him to not want to try it. The boyfriend would take some with him for a few hours to sell, then come back home to smoke it with his girlfriend.

Honestly, certain aspects seemed more stable than his own childhood.

Dabi started going with him at some point to act as a lookout since they were feeding him and he figured he owed them for their kindness. He met all kinds of sketchy people, but he usually stayed in the car since he was a minor and looked younger than his age of sixteen.

An explosion had caused the fire that engulfed their home. Poor ventilation from the windows being boarded didn’t help, along with their lack of knowledge in house fire protocol and the fact that they didn’t own a single extinguisher.

After he’d dragged them both to safety, an ambulance took them away and the firefighters finished putting out the smoldering building. The crowd’s disgust and cruel words towards the people that got him off the street enraged him and he was once again left to fend for himself.

What did you do?

Where did you go?

Moved on. Kept going. Kept watching. The news, magazines, newspapers. Anywhere he could get information on heroes, especially Endeavor. Anything that could help him find a way to destroy the man and everything he accomplished.

All Might did this, Endeavor said that, some guy named Best Jeanist wears an absurd amount of denim… At some point everything was starting to blur together. He was malnourished, mentally unstable, and starting to wonder if he was developing pneumonia. He slept in alleys and behind dumpsters because if he stayed in a homeless camp too long, authorities started asking questions about the skinny kid with white hair.

That’s when he met Sai.

Was Sai a villain?

No, Sai was self-employed. The best way to categorize Sai’s profession was multi-level marketing, or to just simply call it a pyramid scheme. At first, Sai had been repulsed by Dabi’s scars and had almost been scorched after he voiced his negative opinions. However, when he saw how the kid fought while juggling his fragile sanity, he decided to rescind his unpleasant words. He invited Dabi to his ranch out in the countryside if he promised to work. Dabi’s one and only requirement was the place needed internet.

It had internet and cable.

The ranch sat on a farm where they grew their own crops, harvested their own food, made their own clothes, shipped their own supplies to their own factories to manufacture their own sellable goods. There was no need to leave the farm, everyone who came was treated like family, and Sai was the leader, the mayor, and even the pastor. That’s right, they even practiced their own religion.

But it wasn’t a cult. Dabi was assured it wasn’t a cult.

Ultimately, he didn’t care. Sai’s room was the only one on the property that had access to the outside world and Dabi was the only one allowed in there besides Sai’s wife, Karen.

Sai was originally born in India, and Karen was from the United States. They met while she was traveling abroad, fell in love, and started this business together. They shared cultural aspects between one another, but Sai was ultimately the one to introduce Touya to Neo Tantra. It’d been awkward, slow, and uncomfortable at first, but Sai assured him it was centered around spiritual release. Him and Karen had been having these sessions for years and saw a lot of benefits from the practice. He was told it’d take time, but he’d grow to enjoy it, as both Sai and Karen guided him through the journey.

Did he have sexual relations with you as a minor?

Touya blinked, suddenly ripped from his memory.

“What?”

He’d heard the man, but his brain couldn’t compute what he was asked. He’d gone a long part of his life denying any sort of abuse outside of his early childhood. He could handle getting the sh*t kicked out of him and the emotional neglect, but the word rape was a bitter one he didn’t like to entertain, especially when he truly had consented. His therapist cleared his throat and tried again.

“Did Sai have sexual relations with you as a minor?”

Touya let that question hang in the air as he lifted his head from where it was resting on the back of his chair. He was slumped in his seat, attempting to look relaxed, and glanced across the other occupants of the room. Mera was as stoic and uninterested as ever, not that he knew the guy. The man had some sort of paternal inclination towards Keigo, but it didn’t go far beyond that. Next was Tsurugamae and he knew even less about him. He was aware the dog-faced man was the police chief, so he’d probably seen his fair share of f*cked up sh*t. This, likely, wasn’t anything remarkable. Next was his therapist, some middle aged man appointed by the Safety Commission. After that was his father and his brother. He could barely stomach looking Endeavor in the eye as tears brimmed at his lashes and his knuckles were white from his grip on the chair’s arms. Shoto was also trying to be strong, but he had a feeling the younger would be crashing quickly. Touya resumed looking at his knees.

“Yeah.” He confessed, and a deep inhale came from his father.

“Mr. Todoroki, if the events are too painful, you are able to excuse yourself.” The therapist softly pointed out. Enji shook his head, snorting a breath through his nose to try and calm down.

“No, I’ll stay.”

Touya thinned his lips and drummed his fingers on the arms of his chair. He wished the thing swiveled.

“What was that experience like for you?”

Touya raised an eyebrow, flicking a questioning gaze at the therapist, then Endeavor and Shoto, and back at the therapist.

“I think most everyone here has taken or given it up the ass to make a guess.”

The man’s professional appearance was finally stressed, just a smidge. He was going to have to try a lot harder if he wanted to give the impression he was made out of stone. He cleared his throat and rephrased his inquiry.

“It couldn’t have been easy as a minor to have your trust taken advantage of like that.”

Taken advantage of? He wasn’t some fragile flower. He provided Sai and Karen with protection and logistics for almost a year. He’d started getting interested in their exports and business models, where and how they listed their products, how they ran the farm, who they met with, how they grew their business… The only thing that made him feel cheated was when he found out it was all a front for some sex cult and trafficking business.

Was it Sai?

No way, Sai was an idiot. He just wanted to flirt with age of consent laws, buy whatever he wanted, and smoke opium. Karen was the mastermind. Karen sold her soul to some Yakuza affiliation that dished out loads of cash at the expense of their so-called product. Dabi might’ve been dreaming about patricide, but he wasn’t ready to condemn exports full of people to a life of cruelty when it was so easy to disrupt the flow of commerce. He’d set the farm on fire that night without a shred of remorse, then hopped on a train and headed north to their main factory in an industrial district.

During the ride he thought about what Karen had told him regarding their migrant workers and unwillingness to pay them cost of living wages. Suddenly displacing all these people wasn’t going to fix their lives, but at least it’d piss off the bastards trying to run this show.

When he arrived, the early morning shift was just starting and Dabi figured it’d look better as arson instead of an accident, so he pulled the fire alarm to get everyone out. When he did, children ran past him for the exits and something twisted in his heart he thought he’d misplaced years ago. Kids younger than him, maybe even a decade younger, ran from the factory and Dabi knew he needed to see this place reduced to ashes by sunrise.

I remember the factory that burned with blue flames, and the children that were linked to missing persons cases. Some of those families had been looking for years.

What did you do next? Were you confronted by the Yakuza?

No. It was all wrong. The sight didn’t cause peace, it just fueled anxiety.

A voice nagged in the back of his head, this isn’t the work of a hero, this is the work of a villain.

But isn’t that what he wanted?

Isn’t that what you wanted?

It’s what I wanted

“Shut up, Twice.”

Touya clicked his jaw shut and silence filled the room. The therapist cleared his throat and Touya remembered he’d been asked a question.

“I drank.”

A pen scribbled in a notebook.

“It was the first time I’d stolen something, but I didn’t have any money and I didn’t know where to get opium.”

“What’d you steal?”

Touya thought back, wondering why he chose what he did when his father always drank traditional Japanese alcohol. Maybe that was the reason he did it.

It was whiskey. Burning, nasty, awful whiskey. People had insisted over the years whiskey could be good, but the stuff that was easy to steal was not enjoyable. Getting drunk was dumb on a good day, getting drunk and picking fights with lowlifes while his name was still hot on the black market was idiotic. He won his fights, he was proud to say, but the longer they went, the harder it got, and over the next few months he started getting three or four or five guys trying to kick his ass at once.

Or more.

Seven guys trying to jump him prompted Dabi to venture all the way north until he slipped aboard a ferry bound for Hokkaido. During fire season.

Because of his quirks, he never had to worry about being cold, and when he was able to steal enough whiskey and food, he decided to have himself a nice little camping trip in the forest. No parents, no rules, just alcohol and training. It was the third day when the fire started.

He wasn’t sure of the details, but by the time he woke up from his drunken nap, he was surrounded.

It was caused by glass.

What?

“What?” Touya looked up at his father, trying his best to ignore the man’s reddened eyes.

“Some visitors left glass bottles behind which magnified the sun’s beams and started the fire along the dry brush.” Enji stated, his voice calm. He wished Touya had just done this psychological assessment next week like it was scheduled. Then again, that didn’t necessarily mean he’d be able to hold it together.

“Oh.”

Oh.

The temperature wasn’t unbearable as a fire user, but he’d likely only just become surrounded by flames. He’d taken to the sky to survey the situation and realized he was correct, but also noticed there were people caught in the fire.

No worries, just get them to the lake.

sh*t, more people were in the fire. Gotta take them to the lake… just to go back and pick up more people!!

Why are they all out here?? Can’t they see the fire?? Thanks to the nap he was halfway sober, but it was still hard to focus. It sounded like they were thanking him so he made sure to tell them to shut up and not be so stupid next time.

The entire lake was surrounded by fire, but the real problem was the trees on one side. The grasses would be burned out in no time, but the trees would keep spreading, sending embers into the sky and prolonging everything unless they had nothing to burn.

So, he decided to fight fire with fire. He flew out (hey, that’s neat, when did I start doing that??) just past the fire line to work on control burns. It was tricky because the fire had to be hot enough to practically vaporize what it touched, then choke itself out, without contributing to the inferno. As he finally encircled the blaze and got it contained, he realized how tired, overheated, and dehydrated he was. Voices caught his attention and he looked up from where he collapsed to see pro heroes running up to him.

His heart had leapt into his throat with excitement. There were days when he’d think about giving up his anger and going home to apologize to his family. He missed his parents, missed his siblings, and missed his home. It was hard being on your own with no one to rely on. No education, no proof of citizenship, no one to vouch for him… so when he dreamed of one day debuting as a hero, he scorned himself for even considering the possibility, but here was his chance. He smiled for what felt like the first time in years until someone shouted the words “Apprehend him! He’s the arsonist!”

To say it was soul-crushing was an understatement. He’d been so shocked by the outburst he really did end up getting apprehended. “Look at these burns! Seems you couldn’t escape your own destruction!”

No… I just…

Wanted to help. I wanted to do good!

He couldn’t remember if he’d actually said that or not, but blasting his captors with fire didn’t make him look less guilty. Thankfully, he could disappear into the flames and when he finally found himself far enough away from the forest with another stolen bottle of alcohol in one hand and a pack of cigarettes in the other, he looked into the public bathroom mirror and was horrified by how bad the scars had gotten. He smashed the mirror, trashed the bathroom, razed the gas station and vowed to quit drinking.

He couldn’t enact revenge if all he did was sit around and mope. He decided to stay on the northern island and train, sneaking his way into the little town with his face covered if he couldn’t catch enough to eat that day. It was his third time in town stealing rice when he was finally caught, but the reaction surprised him. It was one of the people he saved from the fire.

“How delightful!”

Everyone turned and looked at Tsurugamae. The man didn’t seem to be bashful at the attention though.

“I remember that fire, and I always had a feeling it hadn’t put itself out.” He observed, offering Touya a kind smile. Touya didn’t respond and instead folded his knees to his chest, resting his hands against his ankles.

“I’d tried dying my hair before but I could never keep up with it. One of the girls in town had a quirk that could change the colors of things and I had her turn my hair black. I probably lived there doing odd jobs and training for six months.”

Nothing interesting happened in that time. Some of the old croons tried picking at his personal life but they never got far.

“It wasn’t until one of the little girls in the town went missing that I decided to leave and pick a fight with whatever gang was responsible.”

How’d you know it was gang related?

A hunch.

I’d like to remind you that you agreed to tell the whole truth and every detail.

I remember what I agreed to, and I’m telling you it was a hunch.

He went back to the main island and started his research turning up clues and putting together cases. He followed trails, beat up lackeys, accidentally saved a few sorry sods, all in a day’s work. He spent over a year on this project and a little after his nineteenth birthday he finally got his chance to take down the big boss. He infiltrated the guy’s house, beat up his staff, took down his goons, and right as he was about to lecture the guy for selling kids and working with sex cults, he was interrupted.

Touya pulled his legs a little closer to his chest. This part was slightly uncomfortable because he’d never actually told anyone all the details and wondered how his father was going to act.

“Who interrupted you?” Mera asked, dying to know despite his inability to emote.

Touya frowned crossly. “Yoroi Musha.”

Touya briefly wondered if he had a needle or a toothpick on him so he could test whether or not he could hear it hit the ground in this suffocating silence.

Enji’s mouth felt dry. “Is that true?” He asked quietly, tears cresting in his eyes again.

“It’s the whole truth.”

During the last billboard with All Might, he’d been the number nine hero in the charts. He was an old man in traditional Japanese armor, not one of the flashy heroes, and Enji always found himself skeptical over his rank.

“Apparently he caught wind of someone trying to take down this organization and had originally wanted to join forces before finding out it wasn’t a pro hero working to make the bust.” Touya explained, debating whether he felt more betrayed after the Hokkaido fire or this. “After I did all the work and subdued the boss, he stepped in and claimed victory for himself. The tabloids depicted him as a genius strategist for undoing such a large organization. I barely managed to avoid getting arrested.”

He wondered what would’ve happened if he had been caught. The long lost son of Endeavor found working as a vigilante dismantling crime syndicates. Or would he have been painted as one of its members?

“I…” Touya raised his hands to his eyes. “I got away. But I lost control. I wound up in a bad part of town and some guy tried robbing me. Next thing I know my hand is gripping his face and his flesh is charred to his skull.”

More scribbling in a notebook. A few of them shifted in their chairs. Strange that murder didn’t seem to set them off like some of his other stories.

That was the first time he killed someone. And it only got worse since his buddies saw it happen and tried to intervene. By the time Dabi was conscious of his actions again, there were six corpses surrounding him.

His knees had given up, breath rushed in and out of his lungs, his heart felt like it was going to explode from his chest. His resolve never truly felt real until that moment; it’s when he knew it was too late to go back.

He wandered through backstreets like he was in a fog, scaring away any would-be criminals with his harrowing features. Eventually he was snapped from his thoughts when an officer was telling him he had to move on from this street corner. Somehow he ended up in a decent part of the city and decided to get a drink for old times sake.

He sat at a bar with a glass of whiskey, staring at it like he expected it to talk while the news played on the TV. An hour or two passed without him moving before the bartender asked him to buy another or get out. He hardly listened to the guy, though, as a segment about six burnt corpses being found was played. Their identities were revealed; six delinquents know for robbery, murder, and sexual assault. A few other people in the bar agreed they had what was coming to them. Touya gave the man a tip and told him to give his drink away before he left.

Maybe it wasn’t a lost cause, maybe he still had a chance. He could still be a hero, have his big debut, win the hearts of the masses, and finally go home. What were his siblings even doing? Were they still alive and living in that house? He made a mental note to check as his stomach let out a heavy growl and reminded him he hadn’t had a decent meal in days. He counted his money and swore; even though it was only one drink and a tip, he spent too much in the bar. He’d have to steal.

He scouted out a small grocery store. He hated stealing from places like this where it wasn’t some corporation that could eat the loss, but he was so hungry it was painful. He was going to get in, grab something quick, and get out.

Or so he thought.

He was tackled without mercy by the clerk who was rather small and old, which was embarrassing to admit. He accused the teen of stealing. I wasn’t going to steal anything! His quirk gave him the ability to see someone’s intentions even though, for the most part, he was blind.

So he was small, old, AND blind… and still kicked his ass.

His quirk allowed him to see the general outline of a person in varying shades of color despite his degenerative eye disease. The color denoted someone’s thoughts almost like he was reading their mind, and Touya had walked in like a beacon of thievery.

He told him to call the cops. He told him to call the heroes. Lock him up for a thousand lifetimes, he was just a filthy street rat. But, instead, the old man offered him a deal. He could work for the store without pay morning, noon, and night. He’d be given food and a place to sleep, but he had to act as security because there were still people out there getting away with ripping the old man off. Touya figured he’d already lost the rest of his dignity, and having somewhere to sleep with guaranteed meals was a luxury he’d gone without too long.

He came to find out the man had a son who was injured by a hero while they were saving the city. His son was paralyzed from the waist down and when he’d tried to reach out for aid or compensation, he was barely given crumbs.

The old man didn’t believe in the justice system because it had never worked for him, or most of the people in his life. There were many other people he knew suffering from the negligence of heroes, so much so that there were support groups for individuals to meet and lament their unfortunate situations.

Which hero caused the injury? What was happening?

A villain was going wild, destroying the city, threatening lives. The heroes stationed there were no match and they had to call in someone better suited. However, that hero came in hot tempered, egotistical, and wasn’t nearly as careful as he should’ve been. That hero was Endeavor, and his legal team did a great job shutting down any sort of ramifications.

Enji barely even reacted to the news, he just gave his son a forlorn look like he expected to hear his name in this part of the story.

You don’t get to the number two spot by being publicly evil and careless. Of course, he’d always viewed it as laziness. He was swift and precise because he didn’t want to be seen as sloppy, but it sounded like this was the tail end of one of his foul mood episodes. For the most part he left his emotions behind when he went on jobs, but sometimes his own shortcomings pissed him off, sometimes Shoto’s rebelliousness made him lose focus, and sometimes he couldn’t hold back from being his authentic awful self.

This had apparently been one of those times and Enji felt ashamed. Touya was surprised how much he enjoyed the sight, wondering if it was almost time to take his medication as he continued speaking.

“I asked them if they considered getting a personal injury lawyer to sue, and when they said no, I offered to guide them through the process.”

Enji wrinkled his nose.

“Please don’t tell me this is what I think it is.” He said, remembering back to the advertisem*nts and billboards no hero could escape. Touya couldn’t help his smile.

“It is.” He confirmed, earning an eye roll from his father and a surprisingly displeased frown from Mera. “I got in touch with Injury Ichiro, gave him the story, told him how to contact your legal team, and coached them through the lawsuit process so they could get the most amount possible.”

Mera let out a withering sign. For the most part, he knew the rest of the story. Heroes had been in hot water for a while with their rescue techniques causing unnecessary damage and injuries, but there had never been enough public uproar to do much about it. However, someone, apparently Touya Freaking Todoroki, was somehow able to gather together a team of personal injury lawyers spearheaded by Injury Ichiro (who was known for being a sleazy guy) and ram right into the hero legal system. It started with a dozen cases against Endeavor, even a few against All Might, then other heroes started getting flak to the point where many of them had to go into retirement. Endeavor had the excuse of his rescue rates outweighing his collateral, and All Might was always willing to pay for damages, but a lot of heroes weren’t as fortunate. The movement put forth enormous pressure on the HPSC and Touya figured that was the reason Mera looked a tad upset.

“I probably got half the neighborhood in contact with Injury Ichiro, and he offered me a job, but I never took it. I spent years at that grocery store stocking shelves, training, and acting as security before government dogs started snooping around.”

Mera sighed and scratched his head. “There was a rumor Injury Ichiro had an inside guy, and that guy was living discreetly. We just wanted to know how the injury lawsuits got so out of hand.” He explained simply.

“Whatever.” Touya murmured. “I still had my reasons for living, and it was no longer safe. I left in the middle of the night and went back to the streets, that’s when I saw the broadcast about Stain and went to work for the League.”

The therapist asked some more clarifying questions and Touya answered, then it was opened up to anyone else to ask their own. Mera started.

Do you know where Tomura Shigaraki and Toga Himiko are? Are you willing to arrest them if you’re put in the position? Are you still willing to work with the police force once they’re captured? Will you work alongside other heroes with the interest of the public in mind? Do you want to be a hero?

No. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Next was Tsuragamae.

Would you still be selling drugs if you continued living with that couple? Did you destroy Sai and Karen’s business to help their undervalued workers? Did you work to contain the forest fire to save neighboring towns? Did you dismantle illegal gang activity to curb crime rates? Did you feel a sense of accomplishment for helping those people navigate the legal system?

Touya had to think a little harder on these ones.

No. I guess? Maybe subconsciously. I did return that little girl to her family. Yes.

Enji and Shoto declined asking further questions and both looked equally disturbed from what they were told. Not like it was his first time shocking them into silence.

By the time they got out it was dark and all three were hungry. They were told they’d hear back about the results sometime next week after reviewing the tape with the Endeavor legal team and a few other government officials. Tsuragamae clapped a hand on Touya’s shoulder and offered him a thumb’s up, like that would really pacify his turbulent mind.

They waited at the passenger pick up for Kurumada and when he arrived Enji took the front while Shoto and Touya took the back. Just as the elder brother was going to fasten his seatbelt though, Shoto reached out and snapped him up in his arms. Touya was startled by the action and let out a grunt, but froze before he jabbed the other in the gut.

“I’m so glad you’re safe, Touya-nii.” He said through a broken voice, pulling him in tighter. Touya forced his eyes shut and tried not to think too hard about it, especially considering tomorrow he’d be going back to prison for the weekend.

Chapter 55: Home Sweet Home

Chapter Text

Here we go again. Touya thought dismally as they led him through the highest security villain prison the tax payers of Japan could afford. It had state of the art defenses to contain the country’s most dangerous criminals, elaborate architectural design concepts, and was a constant reminder that this was forever. Getting checked in was still a degrading occurrence since they hadn’t done away with the strip and cavity searches, not to mention the guy conducting them didn’t appreciate Touya’s sense of humor.

What a drag.

He arrived Saturday morning and was to stay there until he was checked out bright and early Monday like a library book. He mostly stayed in his cell, recreation time wasn’t a smart idea with the caliber of people housed here, especially since Touya was the snitch putting many of them away.

Not like he cared, he didn’t owe any of these people anything. He’d always lived by his own principles and right now his goals happened to be aligning with the heroes. Every moment sitting on his thumbs in this gloomy place was a wasted one, though.

For the most part, people left him alone, but that didn’t stop some of the guards from giving him dirty looks. Sure, he helped track down most of the people who broke out of Tartarus and other prisons, but he was still part of the reason they escaped in the first place. The meals were nothing to write home about, but they were edible, and now the entire prison was getting ready for lights out. And all he needed before he could go nighty-night was his pills.

Touya stared at the stainless steel tray handed to him holding three little paper cups filled to the brim with unfamiliar drugs.

“What the hell is this?” He asked, flicking an unamused expression at the burly guard offering him the medication.

“Doctor’s orders.” Was all he replied as he stood like a statue. Touya barely managed to stop himself from knocking the tray onto the ground.

“I’m not taking that sh*t. I know clear instructions were submitted for what I take, try again.” He ground out between his teeth, stepping back as an attempt to withhold his anger. The guard didn’t appreciate it though and took one long stride forward to get back in Touya’s space.

“Doctor’s. Orders.” He warned, thrusting the tray into the former villain’s chest. Touya scrunched his nose at the demand, not appreciating his tone of voice.

“Tell your f*cking doctor to get bent.” He responded, low and menacing. He wasn’t about to swallow a bunch of random meds, especially after they spent so long getting the co*cktail just right. Unfortunately, the defiance didn’t land well with the guard and it wasn’t long before Touya was struggling in the arms of half a dozen orderlies before a needle was shoved in his neck.

Home sweet home.

~0~

Shoto slammed his palm against the passenger window of his father’s GR Supra, watching Inasa’s expression behind him in the dark tint of the glass. His boyfriend was staying for dinner, but the two had snuck off to get a little alone time. They were in the oversized garage and had been making-out, but one thing led to another and now Shoto was begging the other teenager to go harder… Don’t stop… f*ck me harder!!

His cheek knocked into the glass at the request and it took all his willpower not to cry out in ecstasy. After his growth spurt, he and Inasa were nearly the same size in every way, but he couldn’t get over the tenacity of the Shiketsu graduate. When he was on top he tried matching the pace, but he was always outdone by his partner and he had a feeling Inasa really enjoyed making him scream.

Inasa dug his fingers into Shoto’s two-toned hair and yanked until his spine was arching, earning a gasp of pleasure.

“You fit so perfectly around my co*ck.” He whispered in Shoto’s ear while he pounded his ass mercilessly. Shoto let a whine escape on accident and it encouraged Inasa to go faster… At some point, the pleasure was too great for him to handle and he didn’t hear the shattering of glass as Inasa spilled his load in his boyfriend and felt Shoto’s co*ck pulsing in his hand.

They tried catching their breaths raggedly and Shoto realized his chest was laying against the side of the car while something warm dripped down his hand. Inasa did his best to stand from where he was shoving the other teenager into the vehicle and swallowed hard.

“Uhh…” Inasa stated, gently removing himself from Shoto and blushing at the sensation. He helped his boyfriend stand as well, reaching for his left arm and finding blood. He recoiled from the touch when it was too hot and that’s when it clicked. Inasa blushed even harder.

Shoto stared, baffled at the sight of blood, until he, also, pieced the information together. Apparently, he’d org*smed so hard he lost control of his quirk, and the heat of his fire shattered the window of his father’s very expensive car.

“Uh oh.” Shoto whispered, noticing the mess all down the side as well.

~0~

Fuyumi wandered into her father’s liquor pantry. The man didn’t drink often, if at all, but they still had quite the stock for events and special occasions. She was feeling a little adventurous with dinner and wanted to try something Italian inspired. The recipe called for red wine and she spotted some just out of her reach on a shelf above her head. She tried her best to stretch, but it just wasn’t possible for her. She glanced around for a step stool, or a chair, or something, but found nothing.

She considered going out and looking for one, but her ingredients were already sizzling in the pan and she needed it now. She rubbed her hands together and took a big breath, convincing herself she could do this one simple trick as she widened her stance and bent her knees. She was going to summon a touch of ice beneath her to give a little boost to her height in order to reach a bottle of wine.

Well… that was the intention. Instead, she created an enormous shard of ice that barely missed impaling her and shot right into the tall shelves lined with alcohol. Three quarters of the bottles landed on the floor with a thunderous crash and just in the nick of time she was able to catch one before it shattered on the ground.

She glanced at the wreckage and swallowed hard before reminding herself dinner was on the stove and she had what she needed.

Fuyumi tiptoed the hell out of there and swore she’d be back to clean it up.

~0~

Natsuo was still angry from the prank Touya pulled that left him without any eyebrows and was spending his Saturday wondering how he was going to get back at the other. Sure, Touya was going through a plethora of emotional turmoil the likes of which he could never imagine, but he was still his older brother and that’s what younger siblings do. He figured he’d start out with something small and juvenile, just to poke a little fun at the other.

He decided to hang something on the outside of his brother’s window to hopefully give him a little scare when he got back Monday. He printed some images and cut them out, having picked some ghoulish creepy smiling thing to hang up. Now all he needed was a ladder. The only one he was able to find, however, was a three story extension ladder tucked away on the side of the shed.

No worries, nothing a little lifting couldn’t fix.

When he tried, though, it was surprisingly heavy. He briefly lamented skipping out on too many gym days, but pressed on nevertheless. When he hefted it into his shoulder he swayed this way and then that until he struggled up to the house trying to remember which window was Touya’s. He debated between two, waddling one way and then the other, until he decided to pick one and let go of the ladder a little too quickly. He realized his mistake instantly though, but when he tried to correct it before it could shatter the window, the ladder tipped away from the house until it collapsed across the garden and smashed into the waterfall of the koi pond.

Natsu winced, waiting for something to break, but when nothing did he let out a breath of relief.

Until he realized the water level was going down.

Natsu flew into full panic mode and ran up to the pond, desperately trying to figure out how to fix this as quickly as possible. He tried pushing buttons and turning knobs in the pump house, but nothing worked. The koi were starting to become a lot more visible and Natsu dashed inside. He came back with a bucket and rolled up his pant legs before tromping into the pond and scooping up a big orange one. He then ran inside to the largest bathtub they had and turned on the spouts to start filling it with cold water. He dumped the first fish into the tub, apologizing to the thing as it flopped around helplessly before running out to get the rest.

~0~

Rei was staying for dinner as well, having become accustomed to being out of the hospital a lot more often and was exceptionally tolerant of her ex-husband. She enjoyed being able to co-parent their grown children and spend time with the grandchildren in what has become a pleasantly neutral environment.

Of course, there were still moments she was reminded of the abuse she endured and times like those made her question her own sanity. Of course, her most infamous moment was when she’d poured boiling water over her youngest son’s eye and for that she wondered if anything else she did was really so bad.

Rei hummed a little tune with a pair of sewing scissors in her hand while she snipped another button from one of Enji’s suits. She examined the little piece of zinc-plated metal and picked off the threads, scattering them on the ground before putting it in her pocket. Next she snipped the button off a pair of pants and admired the brown marbling pattern, then tucked that one away as well.

Rapid footsteps outside the door forced her out of her daze and she blinked, suddenly realizing what she was doing and hurriedly stuffed the scissors into the pocket of her cardigan. She peeked her head outside the door of Enji’s room and watched Natsu sprint back down the hall with a bucket in hand, following a set of muddy footprints. She wondered what the heck the young man was up to and decided to check it out. Rei walked into the largest bathroom in the house to find the tub filler running and a plump koi fish struggling to swim in the shallow water.

~0~

As Kurumada pulled into the garage, Enji had to do a double-take when he noticed his seldom used fancy sports car had a broken window. He hadn’t noticed it when they left, but then again he probably wasn’t paying attention. The sight angered him, but he’d get to the bottom of it eventually and had a nagging feeling it might’ve happened when Touya was going through his toxic anxiety debacle.

Fortunately, all of the fluids had been wiped away without his knowledge.

When he entered his home, a piercing smell caught his nose so he followed it to his liquor pantry and felt his eyes nearly burst from his skull. A vein was now protruding from his forehead and he was ready to punch something until the obnoxious voice of his doctor mentally chided him for thinking such a thought. Anymore of this and he’d have to start taking something to lower his blood pressure the rest of his life.

Enji eventually managed to calm down and decided to jump in the shower before dinner. When he entered the bathroom, he was somehow both surprised and unsurprised at the same time to see all his koi had migrated into his oversized jacuzzi bathtub like they were taking a vacation.

It could wait. Everything could wait. First and foremost, he needed to eat something before he took his anger out on his family. After his shower, and taking a second to appreciate the soothing sight of the koi in his bathroom, Enji went to get dressed only to find out none of his clothes had buttons.

Enji tore the fabric to shreds in his bare hands before scorching the ruin pieces. He heaved heavy breaths, his shoulders raising and falling from his extreme anger as he stormed back to his room to hopefully find something, anything, to put on.

He wasn’t a fan of wearing sweatpants for any reason other than sleeping, but they’d have to do. He stormed down the hall into the living room, finding his entire family there along with Heiyu and Inasa. He stood rigid, his features an impressive mix of delirious rage and incredulity. Everyone stared, waiting for him to say something, and almost everyone there knew they were in trouble. Heiyu just wondered if their father-in-law had to take a sh*t.

Just as he was about to say something, though, Enji’s phone began ringing. He worked through deep breaths as he tried to calm down and reached into his pocket to see what it could possibly be now. When he saw the screen, he finally remembered he’d set an alarm for thirty minutes before lights out at the prison. It was part of the negotiations his lawyers were able to wiggle into the prison agreement, he was able to call his eldest at the end of the day to ensure he was doing alright. Touya had been obstinate about the request, feeling like a toddler in daycare, but Enji wouldn’t hear of it. He decided to put a pin in his repugnant emotional state and dialed the number to the prison.

However, when he asked to speak to Touya, he was declined the ability.

Enji blinked, feeling as all that unexpressed rage bubbled up once again.

“What do you mean he’s not available??” He demanded loudly. Several occupants in the room flinched and Enji quickly exited to hold this conversation elsewhere. Shoto and Natsu shared a look of surprise before bolting after the man.

“Put me through to your supervisor this instant!”

Shoto and Natsu’s eyes widened, but they still followed the man out onto the porch. Natsu had put the ladder back and cleaned up the mud, but right now Enji wasn’t paying any attention to the damaged pond.

“Don’t give me you f*cking excuses, if you don’t let me speak to my son this instant I’m going to come down there and…!”

Enji blinked, then pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the screen before chucking it clear across the garden. Shoto and Natsu did their best not to laugh.

Their father turned to them and they both schooled their expressions until Enji snarled at his youngest. “Put your shoes on, we’re going.”

Shoto let the man stomp past him before sharing one last look with Natsu and following after.

~0~

There was an impressive amount of yelling that happened at the main gate of Japan’s most secure villain prison, courtesy of Enji Todoroki and three of his personal lawyers. He’d called each of them as he was speeding to their respective houses before picking them up with an extreme sense of urgency. It was such short notice none of them had a chance to get dressed up and Shoto tried to take the sight of his father and three middle-aged, well-renowned attorneys arguing their rights and lawsuit cases in pajamas seriously. When they were finally granted access, Enji drove through the gate with his son in the passenger seat and his three lawyers crammed into the back.

They’d been met outside by several high-profile security personnel and in no time at all they were getting to the bottom of what happened.

Touya had refused to take his medication.

Why? He never skipped a dose, he took the stuff without fail even in the middle of the Siberian tundra. Not only did he have pills to help his psyche, but also to keep his body from rejecting his organ transplant, along with other complications from years of constant incineration to his body. So what made him do it?

Under penalty of breaching their lawsuit terms which would tip the scales heavily against the entire Japanese Correctional System, they admitted the truth.

They changed his prescriptions.

Against doctors’ orders and months of documented progress. Enji couldn’t believe it.

Shoto felt so incredibly small as he watched all the grown-ups arguing like their lives depended on it. He was a grown-up too, technically, but by the looks of it he had a long way to go. It felt like he was watching full grown grizzly bears attempting to tear each other limb from limb and the visual was disturbing.

Finally, they agreed to release Touya for the rest of the weekend and revisit where he was being held. Shoto expected his brother to come strolling from the back with a spring in his step due to the early release, but to watch him get wheeled out in a chair looking like a sickly patient in his white prison uniform was startling.

The attendant guiding the wheelchair stopped beside Shoto while Enji and his lawyers were in the middle of a heated discussion with the prison supervisors. Shoto reached out a hand and took his brother’s in his, squeezing gently.

“Touya-nii.” He stated soothingly. Touya slowly glanced up with a glassy look in his eye, almost like he didn’t recognize his youngest brother. “We’re taking you home, ok?”

Suddenly, animation illuminated his irises like he’d woken up from a dream. Without hesitation he pushed off from the chair only to be immediately restrained by both Shoto and the attendant before he could topple over. They both coaxed him back into his seat and Shoto took over the handles, keeping one hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“You can stay in the chair.” He insisted gently. Touya’s head flopped backwards to look at him.

“Really?” He slurred, blinking unevenly with a wonky smile.

“Yeah.” Shoto replied, thinking it was kinda funny to see him so loopy. Of course, the reason was because they’d doped him up needlessly, but now he was safe again.

He couldn’t help thinking of the cruel irony from what he’d said after the psychological assessment about Touya’s safety. Maybe after this they’d be able to keep him indefinitely. Enji cleared his throat and Shoto looked up to see his father jerk his head for them to leave. He jogged to keep up, wheeling his brother towards the exit.

Shoto offered to fly home but it turned out the lawyers arranged for Ubers to pick them up, they just needed to do so in a civilian approved loading zone. When they got to the car, Enji didn’t hesitate to scoop up his eldest and set him in the passenger seat.

“Whoa…” Touya exclaimed as he was set on his seat. “Yer so strong.” He murmured while Enji situated his hands to rest in his lap.

“You’re pretty strong yourself, kiddo.” Enji replied softly, taking the opportunity to scruffle his hair before fastening his seatbelt. Touya snorted a giggle and Enji wondered what, exactly, they gave him. He drove for about a mile before they found three Ubers waiting and switched vehicles with Shoto climbing into the back after keeping up with the car.

“Aren’t we supposed to have a police escort?” He asked quietly, remembering they’d never gone without one when transporting Touya. Enji raised an eyebrow in the rearview mirror, then glanced at his eldest. Touya was staring at his hands and flexing his fingers like he’d never seen them before.

“I think we can handle it.” He replied, then sped off.

When they got home, Enji was so unbelievably tired and over this day. Over these events. Done with these infernal parameters. He marched into his house with Touya draped in his arms, passing through his living room to get to the bedrooms but stopped when he noticed two new bodies on his couch.

Keigo and Rumi were playing with Fumi and Toma, making silly faces and goofy baby noises. The exhausted look in his eye seemed to say everything and Keigo gave him a glowing grin.

“Yumi called and I figured someone should hold down the fort while you’re gone.” He stated, handing Toma back to his mother. Enji grunted in acknowledgement and Touya flung his head to the side in an attempt to look behind himself.

“Issat Keigo??” He demanded, searching and not finding the blond. He eventually gave up and threw an arm over Enji’s shoulder, using his other hand to press his first finger into the man’s nose. “You c’n keep ‘im!”

“Let’s get you to bed.” Enji grumbled, attempting to lean away but Touya’s finger kept following him pressed to his nose. When Touya realized what the other said, though, he flubbed a raspberry and gave the man a consternated frown.

“What are you, my father?” He asked bitterly, dropping his head into the man’s shoulder and quirking his gaze up at him. Enji stared into those big brilliant blue eyes and realized how much he missed him in their short time apart.

Even though he was an insufferable punk and tested his patience endlessly.

“Yes. You’re being more annoying than usual.” He muttered. Touya stuck out his lower lip in a pout and Enji wasn’t entirely sure he had the strength to keep telling him no.

“Where’s mom?” He suddenly asked and the entire room seemed to be in shock at the exclamation. Enji and Rei shared a surprised look.

“Over here.” She announced softly.

Touya kicked a foot up and pressed his first finger into Enji’s cheek, giving him a goofy smile. “Can we sit next to mom?”

Enji floundered for words, then shared another startled look with Rei. In the end they both seemed to be okay with it and Enji took a seat beside his ex-wife. Touya flopped his head back to look at his mom and snickered.

“You guys’re so awkward.”

Rei blinked in surprise before her expression softened and she ran her fingers through his white hair. Touya closed his eyes, enjoying the touch.

“You know, this is a lot like when we brought you home from the hospital.” She mused, tracing shapes along his scalp. “Even then your father looked like he was scared to hold you.”

Enji blew an exasperated puff of air from his nostrils and the other siblings couldn’t help laughing. Natsu took a seat beside his mom while Fuyumi and Shoto sat on the floor.

The sight was heartwarming, Keigo knew it was, but it was also hard to watch the man he’d fallen for fit so perfectly in a family scene that clearly didn’t involve him. He has no interest in trying to play some stepfather role when his partner’s kids were either slightly older or slightly younger than himself. However, when Enji insisted he wasn’t ready to be official, but cozied up to his ex-wife so easily, it made him think the man didn’t truly want to move on.

Rumi nudged an elbow into his, catching his attention. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and she jerked her head as an indication to follow.

Chapter 56: Can’t Please Everyone

Chapter Text

“Talk.” Rumi ordered as she collapsed onto the patio furniture and dragged Hawks down with her. He tried keeping his balance, and a smidge of his dignity, but he still ended up with his face smushed into her cleavage, entirely draped over her and the lounge chair.

“You’re suffocating me with your tit*.” He grumbled, trying to pull away. He didn’t go far, however, and opted to lean against his friend a little more conservatively. He felt sh*tty, but that didn’t mean he wanted to discuss it.

“You’ve been an emotional travesty the last two weeks. Talk and get it out of your system before you drop all your feathers.” She ordered, wrapping an arm over his shoulder and running her fingers over the top of his wing, finding one that was too easy to dislodge. Hawks puffed out his cheeks defiantly and finally relented.

“I don’t know, Rumi. I should be happy; I have been happy, but…” Hawks slowly closed his mouth, refusing to admit what he was thinking.

“But Touya came back and now you’re competing for Daddy’s attention.” Rumi finished, pushing a lock of blond hair out of the hero’s face. “Oh my sweet baby bird; if you have to pine for attention from some man, he isn’t worth your time.”

Hawks felt tears of frustration gathering in the corners of his eyes. He knew she was right, it was the reason he’d been single for so long. There wasn’t a person in this world that could keep up with him and so he chose to remain without a partner. However, there was something about Enji Todoroki, his childhood idol, that made him want to go out of his way to accommodate the man. For the most part, he was a high priority on the former hero’s list. Enji wasn’t complicated; he worked, he ate, he slept, and he did what he could to atone for the way he treated his family. Rei and Natsuo were only able to stomach so much time with the man, and Fuyumi was exceptionally self sufficient, so the Todorokis were healing at snail’s pace. His sidekicks practically ran his agency themselves, and now that the man wasn’t on patrol he had a surprising amount of time for things like lunch dates and sleep overs.

Hawks knew this relationship wasn’t going to be simple and he was willing to accept that, but he also wanted credit where credit was due.

He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life as a dirty little secret.

Hawks gave a defeated sigh and blinked the tears away. “I know, Buns, but I’m not trying to jump to any conclusions. I’m just trying to come to terms with things.”

Rumi crinkled her nose and let out a frustrated breath, then used the hand draped over him to pat his head with only a touch of condescension. “You know my opinion, but feel free to get jerked around, little pigeon.” She declared before tugging him into a tighter embrace, forcing the other hero into her cleavage again as she wrapped him up in both arms.

“Thanks, Rumi.” He muttered into her chest. Regardless if he was being strangled by boobs, it was still nice to have the physical reassurance. That, and he found it endlessly amusing she could be so bold with friends she had no romantic inclination towards, but was an absolute mess around anyone she found appealing.

“You’re hot and you’re young, you could throw a pebble into a crowd and hit ten people that have a crush on you. And they’d be grateful for the privilege.”

Hawks raised an eyebrow. “I dunno if I’d go that far, Rume.”

“Trust me.” She insisted, “There’s entire cult-followings dedicated to hero worship. You wouldn’t believe how many people fantasize about me stepping on them.”

Hawks snorted a laugh and Rumi was glad to see some life animating the other. “But seriously, it doesn’t matter if they’re my family, best friend, or a complete stranger. No one deserves suffering through a partner that can’t appreciate them. Regardless of what's going on in Endeavor’s life, he needs to recognize your importance.”

Hawks deflated in Rumi’s arms and gingerly returned the embrace, sighing heavily. “Why do you have to be so insightful, oh wise rabbit?” He mused.

“Call it my womanly intuition, or some sh*t.”

They cuddled in silence a while longer and Rumi eventually realized the reason it was so quiet is because the waterfall for the koi pond wasn’t running. She briefly wondered what happened as she squinted in the dark until the sound of the patio door opening caught her attention.

~0~

Touya didn’t last very long after his mother started caressing his hair and was out like a light in no time. Enji brought his eldest to his room and tucked him in with his spouse before wandering back downstairs. When he walked into the living room it looked like most everyone had dispersed. It sounded like Rei and Fuyumi were in the kitchen with Toma cleaning up, Shoto and Inasa were nowhere to be found, and Natsuo was brushing past Enji with his eyes glued to his phone. The living room was empty and Enji caught himself wishing the moment on the couch had lasted a touch longer. Not only that, but with how pristine his housekeepers kept his home, it was like no one had been there to begin with. There wasn’t so much as a pillow out of place and Enji started second guessing his taste in interior decoration.

He walked over to the couch and placed a hand on one of the cushions. The thing probably cost two million yen with its elegant design and signature label, but he couldn’t help thinking it looked better disassembled or covered in confetti. He slowly picked up the back cushion and tipped it around in his hands, inspecting the flawless dark fabric with a critical eye.

“Fuyumi.” Enji called out, loud enough for her to hear over the kitchen faucet. The water shut off politely before her footsteps could be heard trotting down the hall.

“Yeah dad?” She asked, stepping into the living room with a hand towel in her grasp.

Enji set the cushion back. “Can you order a new couch? Pick whatever you like.”

Fuyumi blinked at the request, wondering if there was something wrong with this one.

“Sure. I’ll start shopping around tomorrow.” She offered, trying to read what was going on with her father. Enji stopped before he could turn away and looked into his daughter’s eyes.

“Pick what you want.” He clarified.

Fuyumi’s eyebrows shot up with surprise, waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, however, a brilliant smile lit up her face. She wasn’t able to contain a squeal of excitement as she dashed into the living room and opened a shallow drawer in one of the side tables.

“There’s this really cute furniture place I've been looking at, y’know? It has these gorgeous fabrics and the reviews say they’re really well constructed. They have a showroom I’ve been dying to see…” She rambled as she pulled out an iPad and opened a search tab. “I’ll have to take measurements and look at swatches. We’ll need new throw pillows and, oh!” She spun around before she could leave the room. “Can we get new end tables??”

Enji glanced down at them, not feeling a shred of attachment. “We can.”

Fuyumi squealed again.

“Something with a touch of color, not too much, I promise, and no patterns. I know how much you…”

“Fuyumi.” Enji gently interrupted her rambling. She looked up from her iPad expectantly. “Whatever you want.”

Fuyumi couldn’t stop herself from shrieking with excitement. Enji did his best to repress the flinch and watched with amusem*nt as she jumped up and down.

“There’s this one collection I’m in love with! It’s just the sweetest style! And there’s this one fabric I just can’t get over!! It’ll look so good in this space, I swear! It’d even be perfect if these floors were a touch lighter…!” Fuyumi took a deep inhale like she hadn’t breathed since she stepped into the living room. “Can we get new floors??”

Enji grimaced. “One thing at a time, Yumi.” He grumbled before turning and heading for the patio door.

She knew redoing the floors was a bit too much to request, but… had her father just called her Yumi?

~0~

Enji stepped outside onto the patio and found a familiar set of red wings and bunny ears draped in one of the lounge chairs. Rumi glanced up immediately, but Keigo seemed disinterested in his arrival. He’d wondered where the two had gone and wished there’d been some sort of delight in his presence instead of an ominous quiet.

What happened to the waterfall?

“Is something the matter?” Enji asked, realizing the two were snuggled up practically inseparably. He knew it was platonic, but that didn’t stop the ugly jealousy he felt in his chest.

Keigo bristled at the question before slowly turning to look over his shoulder at the man.

“Why would anything be wrong?” He asked in a tone that was a smidge too bitter for nothing to not be wrong.

“Whatever it is, I’m sorry.” Enji apologized. At this point his philosophy accounted for his ability to destroy any emotional relationship, no matter how obscure his actions were.

That seemed to be the wrong answer though.

Keigo rolled over to give the man his full attention. “You can’t even figure out what’s wrong?” He asked angrily, his eyebrows furrowed into a glare he’d never pointed at Enji before.

“So there is something wrong.”

If the former number one hero had the power to pluck his words directly from the air and stuff then back into his mouth before anyone heard them, he would. Rumi slapped a palm onto her forehead and Enji swallowed hard.

Keigo stood, his fists clenched at his sides. “Is there something wrong??” He demanded, more as a way to emphasize the absurdity of the question. “Why don’t you go ask your ex wife if there’s something wrong!”

Ouch, that stung.

Enji snarled at the cruel remark. “What in the hell are you going on about?? I get one small chance to show my support for my family and you create some wild idea that I'm trying to rekindle my marriage with Rei?!”

Rumi wondered if now was a good time to bring up her therapy fee.

“There it is!! You refuse to take me seriously! You refuse to think of me as anything other than a romp in the sheets, and no matter how much energy I pour into our relationship, I’ll never be anything to you but a good f*ck!!”

Tears cascaded down Keigo’s cheeks and Enji was shocked by the emotions he felt carving into his heart. His rage melted into the floor through the soles of his feet as he also felt tears gathering in his eyes.

“Keigo, I…”

Wow, what a shock to the system. Enji felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He recalled the times when Keigo struck up the idea of making their relationship public, all the times he’d secretly nudged a sliver of PDA where no one would see, all the times he’d bemoaned his inability to post anything incriminating about them on social media. Keigo was proud to stand by Enji’s side and introduce him as his partner to a room full of strangers.

Why couldn’t he?

“That’s not… I didn’t mean…” Enji couldn’t find the words to describe how much the other meant to him, but he just wasn’t ready to face public scrutiny.

And didn’t that just lay out all his issues in a neat little row? Enji couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid.

Hawks flapped his wings to push off the ground. “I’m going home, I need some time to cool off.”

Without a second glance, Hawks was gone. Enji felt a tear scroll down his cheek but didn’t bother to wipe it away.

“He’s right, you know.” Rumi commented softly, still relaxed in the lounge chair.

“I know.” Enji replied, wondering when he was finally going to stop f*cking everything up.

“Give him some time before you attempt to fix this.” She warned, her tone lighthearted instead of threatening like he half expected.

Enji heaved a deep breath before approaching the patio furniture and dropping into one of the chairs, bracing his elbows to his knees and holding his head in his hands.

Chapter 57: Eggs

Chapter Text

The next morning Enji finally threw the covers off himself, giving up on sleep and heading to the kitchen. A million things fluttered around his mind; his family, his relationship, his hero agency, and whatever else he felt the need to experience anxiety over. It was unpleasant and he had to remind himself these things took time and he needed to remain levelheaded. When he stepped into the kitchen and found his youngest cupping a raw egg in his right hand, though, his mind blanked on any attempt at reeling in his sour mood.

“What the hell are you doing?” Enji asked, tired in more ways than just his lack of sleep. Shoto stared at the gooey egg with intense concentration.

“Quirk training.” He mumbled, his tone a petulant kind of irritated. Enji paused to observe and wondered why the hell he was quirk training with a raw egg in the hand that produced ice.

“Touya-nii was teaching me about fine-motor control with my fire. He said most quirks rely heavily on the nervous system to function and my body was likely split to do half cold and half hot.” He explained, not taking his eyes off the yolk. “The dominant quirks on either side are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system while the non-dominant quirks are controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system. And if I work on strengthening that, then I should be able to grow dual quirk usage on both sides.”

Enji blinked, impressed with the explanation and a little embarrassed he hadn’t thought of something like that before. “And Touya came up with all that?” He asked, surprised the surly young man had absorbed that much info studying for his supplementary degree.

“Well, he didn’t exactly phrase it like that, but I knew what he was talking about.”

Enji grunted, thinking that sounded a lot more believable. He continued to observe the unorthodox training with a critical eye until they both started to hear sizzling.

Shoto’s face lit up into a rare display of delight as he glanced from the egg to his father. “Do you hear that??” He asked, holding out the egg as it sizzled a little louder. Before Enji could commend him on the display though, the smell of burnt breakfast permeated the air as they both watched it burn in the teenager’s hand.

“Did you spray your hand with cooking grease?” Enji asked, trying to deflect from the situation. Shoto pursed his lips like he didn’t want to admit he hadn’t.

Enji chuckled. Then he laughed. Shoto gave him a dirty look and Enji waved his hand dismissively. “It was a commendable effort, Shoto. Truly, it was. I’m proud of you both.” He explained, walking over to tug his youngest into a side-hug. “Keep practicing, you’ll get it in no time.”

Shoto tried to remain stubbornly upset, but Enji could see the gratitude in his eyes. They both looked up when they heard someone enter and found Heiyu walking in with Fumi in their arms. They remained stoically quiet as they went straight to the fridge and Enji couldn’t help wondering where his eldest was.

“Is Touya still asleep?” Enji asked, recognizing it was best to hold short conversations with his son’s spouse. Heiyu glanced around the fridge door, then placed the tip of their middle finger on their forehead with the other digits splayed out, and stuck out their tongue with a grimacing look.

Touya was sick. Made sense as he recalled the last time his son had gone without his medication. Enji decided to check on him and left the kitchen. He returned moments later, poured a glass of water from the tap, and left again.

Retching eventually alerted him to which bathroom Touya was occupying. He gently knocked against the door and pushed it open a crack to peer inside. Touya was slumped over the toilet bowl, facing away from the door, while heaving deep breaths.

“What?” He demanded, spitting into the toilet. Enji pushed the rest of the way into the room, walking around his son and silently offering the glass. At first, Touya had been irritated by the company until he saw the water and accepted it gratefully.

“How are you feeling?” Enji asked, taking a seat on the rim of the bathtub. Touya swished water in his mouth before spitting it out.

“My head is f*cking killing me.” He grumbled, draping himself over the toilet once again and closing his eyes. Enji hummed at the response. His eldest was slowly turning green around the gills and it wasn’t long before he went back to dry heaving what was left of his stomach acid. When he calmed a bit, he rinsed his mouth again and took a tiny sip of water.

“Do you remember anything about last night?” Enji asked quietly. Touya shook his head.

“Why? Did I do something stupid?”

Enji thought about the little giggle he made when he ruffled his hair in the car, then how he’d asked his parents to sit together like he was in elementary school again.

“No. Just curious.” Enji replied, standing and going to the medicine cabinet. He found a bottle of ibuprofen and pocketed it. “C’mon, let’s get something in your stomach.” He stated, pulling the hand towel from the towel ring and wetting it under the sink. Touya slowly sat up and accepted the damp cloth to wipe off his face.

~0~

Fuyumi was surprised to be greeted by the smell of breakfast, and as she entered the kitchen, she had to do a double take. Touya was sitting crumpled at the bar counter with a half-eaten plate of eggs and an empty mixing bowl to the side. Natsu was standing with a spatula in his hand, Heiyu was seated with Fumi at the chabudai low table, her father was standing beside Natsu with a carton of eggs in hand, and Shoto was laying shirtless across the kitchen counter.

Just then, Natsu picked up a can of cooking grease and sprayed it over his brother’s chest.

“What in the world is going on?” Fuyumi asked, wondering if this was some sort of weird dream. The men of her family all turned to look at her.

“Breakfast.” Natsu answered as he plucked an egg from the carton and smacked it against Shoto’s forehead. Her youngest brother gave a grunt of protest while Natsu cracked open the egg with one hand and deposited it onto the teenager’s chest. A sizzle accompanied its contact and her jaw dropped open.

Enji cleared his throat. “Shoto is learning to control his fire quirk with both sides of his body.” He offered, realizing he’d regrettably allowed himself to be roped along with this strange activity. Fuyumi raised an eyebrow skeptically, unsure how to respond.

“Good morning, everyone.” Rei greeted as she strolled into the kitchen. The odd cooking technique didn’t seem to bother her as she grabbed a plate from the cupboard and waited her turn at Natsu’s side. “Is there toast as well?”

Enji set the eggs aside and grabbed a slice of bread, buttered one side, and set it on Shoto’s stomach with a satisfying sizzle.

Fuyumi’s eye twitched.

Chapter 58: Staples

Chapter Text

Touya sat defeatedly slumped on the living room couch with a soup mug of miso in his grasp and a different mixing bowl beside him. The eggs hadn’t lasted long in his stomach and his sister pointed out it was better to keep him somewhere with low stimulus. She’d set him up with Toma’s white noise wireless speaker playing ocean waves mixed with whale sounds.

Another bellowing whale-call grated at his ears and he wished he had the strength to launch the speaker through a wall.

“Package for you.”

Touya flicked his eyes at his father offering him a small opened cardboard box.

“Isn’t it a federal offense to open another person’s mail?” Touya griped, gently accepting the box with one hand and pulling out the packing material. When he lifted the item, he cursed under his breath at the sight of a brand new ankle monitor.

Enji took the box back and began opening it, separating the monitor and charging cable from the instructions.

“Aren’t the cops supposed to do this kind of thing?” He asked bitterly, watching the man work.

“There’s an app.” Enji replied, holding out his phone. “Tsukauchi showed me how to set it up from the comfort of my own home.”

Touya frowned tartly. “Oh, goody.” He rolled his eyes with extra dramatics. Touya stewed angrily, subconsciously heating the miso soup until it was steaming again.

“If you boil it, it’ll ruin the taste.” Enji warned, kneeling to attach the monitor to his son’s ankle.

The two were interrupted as Fuyumi approached the living room, sounding like she was talking on the phone.

“Hang on a second.” She instructed, then placed her fingers to the receiver on her cell. “It’s Miss Yoko.” She announced, piquing both their interests. “Dr. Fischer is going to be landing a lot earlier and offered to take care of Touya-nii’s scar removal appointment this afternoon, would that work?”

Touya considered the offer, vaguely remembering he’d been told about the procedure. Apparently this was going to be the last one; he was supposed to get all the staples removed and have skin as smooth as a baby’s.

Enji shook his head. “Our doctor will be the one to remove the staples, but he isn’t available until tomorrow morning like was scheduled.” He replied, clicking the ankle monitor into place and turning it on.

“I could do it!” Fuyumi offered. Enji gave her a befuddled look as the app loaded onto his phone screen.

Touya shrugged. “Sure, whatever.”

Enji didn’t even get a chance to give his opinion as Fuyumi dashed out of the room and told Yoko tonight would work. Apparently it would grant the doctor an extra day for her week-long vacation, all expenses paid by the Todoroki family.

He didn’t think it was fair Rei had been the one to negotiate the doctor’s terms of contract.

When Fuyumi reappeared, Touya’s monitor was successfully online and she curled up beside him with a bowl, a pair of tweezers, disinfectant, swabs, and a pair of gloves on her hands.

“Let me know if it hurts.” She instructed before reaching for the first one.

“It won’t.”

Enji watched his daughter work. He’d certainly seen things more gruesome than this, but it still looked painful as she tugged at his skin.

“Ah! Sorry!” She whispered, dabbing a swab with disinfectant and wiping at the spot of blood that was pooling at his cheek. “Do you have more anywhere else? Or just on your cheeks?”

Touya let her know he’d needed a few more on his back, but that was all. She did her best not to disturb him as he sat and listened to the whale calls bellowing in the living room and gingerly sipped his miso soup. Enji took a seat on the other end of the couch and reached into the end table for an iPad and his reading glasses. This was nice, he thought. Sitting here with his oldest children, enjoying their passive company and the gentle sounds of waves.

“Do you ever miss the League?”

Enji’s eyebrows shot into his hairline when he heard his daughter ask that. He glanced between her and Touya, but neither seemed phased by the inquiry.

“They weren’t exactly my friends, Yumi.” Touya replied simply.

“I know! But you spent a lot of time with them, surely there must have been a moment or two where you got to know each other.”

Enji wasn’t certain he wanted to sit around and listen to this. It was hard enough during the psychological exam, and Mera has been pretty thorough with his questioning.

Touya thought about it and eventually relented, squeezing his fingers against the ceramic mug and glancing around the living room. He had access to central heat, clean surfaces, soft bedding, warm meals, and people who cared about him without relying on an agenda. How could he possibly relate any of this to the League?

“I did miss you guys.” Touya murmured softly. It hadn’t done him any good to bottle up his feelings, and he reminded himself of that fact as he felt incredibly uncomfortable. “Toga was probably the closest one to being a friend, but she had a knack for being close to anyone.”

Fuyumi smiled softly as she plucked another staple. “Kinda like a little sister?”

Touya hefted a sigh through his nose. “Yeah.”

She finished one side and came around to the other to continue her work. “Who gave you the staples?”

Enji frowned, wondering what got into her to start asking all these invasive questions. He knew the answer, he’d read it in Touya’s file and heard about it in great detail alongside Shoto.

“I overextended my quirk while fighting a forest fire, and I hid in a nearby town so the heroes couldn’t arrest me for illegal quirk usage. The residents were grateful for my help, and at first a few of them tried sewing my traumatized skin together with fishing line.”

Fuyumi paused before she could yank out another staple with more force than necessary. She glanced up and caught her father’s eye before he could look away. “Illegal quirk usage?” She asked menacingly. Enji sighed, unsure how to justify it. “He stopped a forest fire and he’s rewarded with being arrested??”

“Calm down, it’s in the past.” Touya took another sip of his soup, glad his stomach was finally cooperating. Fuyumi eventually gave in and went back to pulling out his staples. “The townsfolk never did a good job, and I never saw a real doctor. Usually I could ignore the infection, but sometimes the fevers were bad enough to make me delirious. I tried to keep them clean however I could, but the damage aggravated the trauma, and by the time I met Giran I was practically a walking corpse.”

Fuyumi dabbed at another spot of blood. “Giran?” She asked, not sure who that was.

“He’s a broker, somehow fell in with All For One, but that’s not why I knew him. I helped him and his personal injury lawyer win some money against a hero agency and he set me up under the table with a black market doctor.”

Fuyumi plucked another staple and tried to imagine her older brother when he was only a tad bit older than Shoto, forced to meet some seedy doctor in an illegal medical office.

“He patched me up with whatever he could, but without skin grafting it didn’t do much for my looks.”

Fuyumi plucked another staple and felt tears gathering in her eyes. If only she’d known.

“Quit it.” Touya stated tartly. “I’m alive, aren’t I?”

Fuyumi’s lower lip trembled. He was certainly alive, but he deserved more than just survival. They continued to talk; Fuyumi about high school, college, her work as a teacher, and the partners she dated. Touya talked about the cult he joined, the fights he won and lost, a few outrageous lawsuits he helped Injury Ichiro with, and some of his time with the League.

Their teenage years and early twenties couldn’t be any different and Enji couldn’t stop himself from feeling every ounce of guilt.

Chapter 59: Growth

Chapter Text

Dr. Fischer was quick with her visit and it was incredible to see Touya’s transformation. Without the marring and the burns, his dazzling blue eyes stood out more prominently than ever against his pale skin and white hair. He was like some pop star radiating beauty and elegance and Enji couldn’t help snapping a quick picture as Touya stared at himself with awe in a handheld mirror. Everyone in the room was guilty of showering him with abundant compliments and praise which he quickly tired of. They were also way too handsy and it wasn’t long before Touya managed to disappear somewhere in the estate.

Fortunately, he was easy to track down thanks to the ankle monitor.

When Enji had given up wandering aimlessly, he pulled out his phone and followed the little blip indicating his son, until he understood he was walking towards the training room. When he stepped inside, however, he was snagged by his arm and dragged behind some of the equipment.

“Shh!!”

Enji balked when he realized it was Natsu hiding behind the butterfly press. Before he could think of how to ask what was going on, Natsu tugged him to stand again and led him along the perimeter to the other side of the room. The lights were dimmed ominously and when his middle son offered no explanation, he finally spoke up.

“What’s happening?” Enji whispered and Natsu shoved a finger in his face as an indication to be quiet. Enji started to become worried something bad was seriously happening when Natsu finally spoke.

“It’s Touya-nii, he’s…”

Enji felt his stomach drop. Had the procedure caused him to snap back into his villain mindset?

“Is it Dabi?” He asked with trepidation. Natsu shook his head.

“It’s worse.”

Just then, the lights flicked on and Natsu leapt over a bench press to throw a trail of ice at something Enji couldn’t see. Before he could process anything, though, Touya dropped from the ceiling and danced around his brother, aiming attacks to disarm him before shoving him into the back wall. Enji watched the display with confusion as Natsu struggled to free himself like he was somehow glued in place. Before he could do anything, though, the crackling sound of crystalizing ice surrounded him and he realized he was frozen in place by the soles of his house slippers. Next, Touya appeared and used a leg to swipe his feet from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. Enji tried sitting up, but it was no use when it felt like the back of his shirt was affixed to the rubber mats on the floor.

Touya calmly stood over him, then lifted the blindfold from his eyes and removed the muffs covering his ears.

Touya whistled. “You three really could use some practice.”

Enji stared, uncomprehending.

“What? They offered to help me blow off some steam. Don’t blame me.”

Touya then waved his hand and both Natsu and himself were freed. Enji stood, confused by what happened until he suddenly recalled their conversation the night before his trial.

“Adhesion?” Enji asked, a smile of disbelief creeping across his lips. Touya nodded.

“Magnetism as well, but I’m still working on the weight capacity.”

Enji watched as Touya held out his hand and one of the spring clips used to hold weights on the bench press bars came flying into his grasp. “And I can’t create ice like Shoto, but I can still freeze things.” Touya waved his hand, causing the water particles in the air to turn into an icy mist.

Enji sprang to his feet and collected his eldest into his arms, remembering he was opposed to touching other people, but so overwhelmed with joy he couldn’t help it. He babbled about how incredible it was, how proud he was, and swiped a thumb under both eyes when he felt himself tearing up. Eventually he realized he was missing something and glanced around, finding Natsu standing alone. He’d spoken like both of his brothers were here, after all.

“Where’s Shoto?” He asked, finally releasing Touya. His eldest shoved him away and stumbled back, gasping when he was free. Enji mumbled an apology and waited for Touya to compose himself.

“Up here.”

Enji followed Natsu’s gaze until he was staring agape at his youngest attached to the ceiling. Shoto wiggled his fingers, but everything from the back of his hands to his shoulders, backside, and calves looked to be glued up there.

“I know, I know.” Shoto grumbled. “I need to be more prepared for an enemy attack.”

Enji clicked his teeth shut and shot his eldest an irritated look. Touya shrugged.

“His words, not mine.”

Enji pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know you’ve been going through a lot, Touya. But the confetti, the cling wrap, the mess of toys, the car window, the liquor cabinet, the koi pond, the buttons on my clothes… All of it is wearing my patience thin. So, if you attach your brother to the ceiling,” Enji took a deep breath through his nose, “please get him down.”

His tone was eerily calm, but Touya couldn’t help feeling offended.

“Woah, woah! Something breaks in this house you’re going to automatically blame me??” Touya turned, directing his incredulous look at his brothers. “The old man just pins it all on me and you let him think it’s true??”

Both Natsu and Shoto looked guilty and mumbled apologies.

“All you have to do is tell him I’m responsible for something bad happening, and he believes you??”

Enji realized his folie at assuming the culprit and desperately started thinking of ways to fix this. Surprisingly, Touya laughed. The three other Todoroki men exchanged looks, unsure how to handle that reaction until they decided to laugh along with him. It started as chuckles, then giggles, then the adhesion keeping Shoto attached to the ceiling gave out. He crashed to the floor with a yelp, silencing his father and brothers until he started laughing again and they all joined him. Enji clapped a hand on Touya’s shoulder, startling him a moment as he also gave it a squeeze.

“Don’t take your anger out on your brothers, you grumpy punk. Go get a snack or something.” Enji stated in a testy tone. Touya stuck out his lower lip in a pout, but his father didn’t relent.

“Fine.”

~0~

Touya went from the fridge to the pantry to the snack drawers and around and around again, each time wondering why he couldn’t make a decision. His stomach was telling him he was hungry, but his brain was telling him there was nothing of interest.

His younger self would be frustrated to see him now.

Just as he was debating eating some lightly salted rice cakes, there was a timid knock at the front door. He barely heard it and figured no one else was near, so he decided to check it out. For his own safety, his father insisted he stay out of sight if they ever had guests over or strangers at the door since he didn’t have the highest approval ratings amongst the public.

He didn’t give a f*ck about that, though.

Touya Todoroki didn’t bother peeking through the spy hole, briefly wondering how this person had gotten past his father’s security measures as he cracked open the door just enough to see outside.

Touya blinked in surprise. Children? Two little boys and a little girl; they looked like they were maybe nine years old.

“We’re here to see Five Weenies!” One of the boys declared. He had sharp teeth, blond hair, and was way too boisterous for his own good.

“Tamashiro,” The little girl whined, “his hero name is Shoto. At least call him that so people know who you’re talking about!”

Well, at least these kids weren’t completely lost if they were looking for Shoto. “Who’s asking for him?” Touya questioned, leaning against the doorjamb since this was probably going to take a while.

“We are, dummy!” Tamashiro insisted loudly, startling the other children. “Dabi’s in there and we’re here to talk some sense into him so he can send the guy back to prison!”

Touya blinked slowly and had to remind himself he’d just had a skin grafting procedure done. That, and they were only kids.

“It’s urgent we talk to him,” the other boy insisted, “Dabi’s mean and a really bad person. My parents say he’s probably tricking Endeavor and Five Weenies into letting him stay with them.”

Touya pursed his lips in an attempt to think before he spoke.

“What makes you think he’s staying here?” Touya asked, wondering how long he could keep up this game of strangers.

“Don’t you watch the news??” Tamashiro blurted out. “He’s supposed to be in prison, but there’s pictures of Endeavor driving him here!”

Ah, so that’s one of the reasons his father didn’t want to talk about last night.

“How do you know I’m not Dabi?” Touya asked, unsure why he was willing to humor these kids.

“Dabi has a bunch of gross scars.” The little girl pointed out. “And Dabi’s crazy too! He does all kinds of bad things.”

Touya expected to feel rage, he usually did when people made cruel remarks about his appearance. However, now he just felt sadness. He’d been told it was going to be a struggle for him to take on a heroic role, and he knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but he’d never really had to deal with public scrutiny before. Even with the HUC actors it felt staged.

Touya bristled when someone appeared beside him and opened the door wider to accommodate the two of them. Shoto stood there, holding the door open in one hand while his other arm was wrapped behind his brother’s back with his hand resting on his far shoulder. The touch was unwelcome at first, until he realized it was bringing him a bit of comfort.

“It’s not nice to call people ugly.” Shoto chided. The kids’ faces lit up regardless when they recognized him.

“Five Weenies!” They called out, jumping with excitement. Shoto let out a huff.

“Hey, I mean it. I need you to apologize.” He insisted, not willing to let this go.

“But-!” The little girl tried to interject.

“No buts. It doesn’t matter what a person looks like, it isn’t nice to make fun of them for it.” He explained. Touya felt unbelievably small being talked about behind his back in front of his face.

“But he’s a villain! He’s done a lot of bad things, and he…!” Tamashiro’s tough façade began to deteriorate and everyone was surprised to see him choke on a sob. “He hurt you, Shoto! He’s your brother and he hurt you!!”

Tamashiro brought his fists to his eyes and did his best to dry them. The other two placed a hand each on his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him, and Touya felt his brother’s hand tighten its grip reassuringly.

Shoto knelt to be more at the kids’ level and Touya was surprised by the kindness in his eyes.

“Yes, he did hurt me. In more ways than just physical pain.” Shoto began to explain, earning everyone’s undivided attention. “But he wasn’t well, there’s a lot of things news channels aren’t getting right, so sometimes it’s important to get your information straight from the source.”

Tamashiro lowered his hands and gave a heavy sniffle.

“Are… Are we safe? From Dabi, I mean.” The other boy asked, wringing his left wrist with his right hand. “I’ve got a little sister, and one day I want to be a hero to keep her and my parents safe.”

There was a pause of silence before Shoto held out his hand and gave the boy a confident smile.

“I promise. Dabi won’t hurt innocent people ever again.”

The boy regarded his hand skeptically before eventually taking it and shaking. They shook several times before a smile finally lit up his brown eyes. Shoto offered a handshake to the other kids as well and they each apologized for saying mean things.

“By the way, how did you get in here?” Shoto asked, realizing the home security system hadn’t alerted his phone until the front door was opened.

“Oh!” The one boy exclaimed. “I have a digging quirk, we went under the fence!”

He pointed to a large hole in the garden and Shoto raised an eyebrow at it.

“And I can jam electrical signals and make myself and others appear invisible to security systems!” The little girl announced. Shoto pursed his lips and stared at her hard. She was either going to be one hell of a national security asset or risk one day.

Shoto let them know they could leave through the front gate like normal people and that if they ever had questions they could send him a message on the Endeavor Agency website. He then bid them farewell and shut the door with a soft click.

Shoto glanced over his shoulder at his brother. “Are you okay?”

Touya wasn’t sure how to respond. No? Yes? Does it matter? He knew the answer to that last question, his family certainly wouldn’t let the response be negative. He hadn’t expected to be accosted with criticism on the front steps, but he also didn’t want to admit Endeavor was right to tell him to stay away from the door.

“Yeah.” Touya heaved a breath. “Not like I can do anything about it.”

He turned, ready to go back to the kitchen when he found Natsu standing several paces behind them, looking like he was dangerously close to tears. Before he could object, or escape, his younger brother was wrapping the former villain in his arms and burying his face in the crook of his neck.

Touya barely managed to convince himself not to slug his brother in the gut.

“Touya nii-sama…” He croaked out. Touya grunted unpleasantly in response. “When you were in the hospital,” a hiccup, “I was so happy to see you.”

f*cking hell…

“I missed you so much.”

Touya cursed his inclination to be a sympathetic crier and cursed those kids for trespassing. And, finally, he cursed Shoto for giving him such high expectations.

Chapter 60: New Beginnings

Chapter Text

It was early Monday morning and Shoto, Natsuo, and Enji were huddled together to come to a very important decision.

“Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!”

The three did the motion and in the end Natsu’s rock lost against the others’ paper. He was promptly handed his father’s cellphone which currently had someone on the other line patiently waiting on hold. Shoto and Enji then steered the middle Todoroki son in the direction of Touya’s room before taking a large step back and each offering him a thumbs up for encouragement.

“Both of you are cowards!” Natsu whispered. He then swallowed hard and gripped the door handle with a trembling hand. The Safety Commission was on the phone with the results of Touya’s Provisional License, and it was now his job to wake his brother up.

He crept into the room, glad the two in bed were covered and did his best not to wake the baby. He tiptoed to Touya’s side, then gently reached out a hand and braced himself for the possibility of being punched for disturbing his eldest sibling.

Touya groggily pried open his eyes and, thankfully, didn’t hit him. Natsu then explained who was on the phone before handing it over. He accepted it hazily, pressed the button to take the person off hold, and sleepily greeted them. A moment passed before he grunted in affirmation, then a longer moment passed, and he grunted again.

“Thank you.”

Touya then hung up the phone and offered it back to Natsu. The lack of emotions was concerning, and he hadn’t been able to hear the results, so he wasn’t sure what to say. He reached out to take it only to have his wrist caught as Touya used it to hoist himself up to drape his arms over his younger brother’s shoulders.

“I passed.”

It was so quiet, but it was also whispered right in his ear. Natsu lit up with excitement, barely managing to contain it when he remembered Fumi was sleeping in her bassinet. He happily returned the embrace, and it took him a moment to realize he was touching bare skin.

“Touya-nii?” Natsu whispered.

“Mhm?”

It was unmistakable with the morning light filtering through the blinds, but he had to ask. “Are you naked?”

Shame was absent from his response. “Mhm.”

~0~

They were supposed to leave a half hour ago and Enji was getting aggravated. What could be taking Shoto and Touya so long? Himself and his youngest were due to arrive at his agency to go over cases and management, while Touya needed to be dropped off at the police precinct to review villain documents. However, after receiving news of being granted his Provisional License, Touya refused to leave the house until he had some sort of costume.

Enji tapped his foot irately, wondering if he should go up there to drag them to the car himself. Before he could march back into his home and make an ass of himself, though, a text message dinged his phone. He pulled it out, saw it was from Fuyumi, and opened it to find a picture.

It was Touya dressed in Shoto’s freshman UA physical activity uniform. Enji couldn’t save the image fast enough as he briskly strolled inside. Afterall, they weren’t that late.

He found them in the living room, expecting to see his son wearing something else that squeezed his heart relentlessly with adoration. Instead, he was wearing the long ratty coat of Dabi.

“Absolutely not.” Enji deadpanned, folding his arms. His children all glanced up at the same time and Touya glared venomously.

“And why the hell not?” He demanded. Enji couldn’t get over how cute his son looked with his flawless complexion and sparkling blue eyes, a fact he refused to admit out loud. It took every ounce of strength he had to steel his resolve.

“You already have the reputation of a villain, why remind everyone with the same getup?” He reasoned, his voice much softer than he intended it to be. Touya continued to give him a petulant glare until he eventually relented and went storming off. The room was silent for a moment before Fuyumi beckoned her father over, indicating for him to look at her phone. When he did, he was shown a series of photos with Touya wearing some of his old Endeavor suit designs.

“Send those to me.” He whispered, then took a seat.

Touya eventually came back, and Enji had to remind himself it was a new generation, and if his family could accept his relationship with Hawks, he could accept something like this. Touya was wearing a UA school uniform for girls, mini-skirt and all.

“How practical is that really going to be?” Enji grumbled, picking his words carefully. Touya puffed out his cheeks and laced his fingers casually behind his head.

“I could always seduce the villains into cooperation.” He offered with an impish grin. Enji let out a bitter sigh.

“You’re married, Touya. Go put that back in your sister’s closet and pick something else.” Enji grumbled, annoyed he had to have this conversation.

“That’s not my uniform.” Fuyumi pointed out. Enji gave her an odd look, then glanced back at his eldest. “I had the knee-length skirt, never the mini skirt.”

Enji felt his heart skip a beat and gave Touya a look of dread.

“I got this little number from your closet.” Touya explained with an evil smile. Groans of horror erupted from the other Todoroki children and Enji did his best not to allow his anger to fly off the rails.

“Then put it back and go raid your sister’s closet!!”

Touya trotted off with a chuckle and Enji couldn’t bring himself to look his kids in the eye.

“How would he even fit in that thing?” Shoto whispered, not too quietly, to Natsu.

“It’s for Hawks you idiot!!”

“NEVER speak of this again.” Enji warned, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. They all agreed silently.

When Touya came back, he was wearing black leggings with black knee-high boots, a grey tunic with one of Shoto’s old utility belts, and a black leather jacket he knew Touya dug up from some old bin Enji tucked away with clothes he meant to dispose of.

“Great, let’s go.” Enji grumbled as he led the two prospective heroes to the garage so they could finally leave.

“Wait!” Touya insisted, holding them up once again. Enji felt his eyes nearly roll into the back of his head until he saw Fuyumi jogging after them with a bento in her hand. She handed it to her brother and wished him luck, to which he returned it with a thankful smile.

Enji couldn’t help feeling suspicious.

“The precinct should be in charge of feeding you.” The man pointed out, curious as to what was in the two boxes tied together with a handkerchief. He remembered informing Fuyumi of this as well when she asked whether or not she needed to make something for him.

“What if I don’t like it?” Touya countered, refusing to relinquish the boxed lunch so lovingly packed by his sister. Enji wasn’t fooled.

“What’s in it?” He asked as he climbed into the passenger seat of his car with Kurumada at the driver’s seat and his two boys piling into the back.

“Spicy grilled fish with broccoli and extra chili peppers, and then kimchi.”

Enji tried to think of what angle his son was trying to play, but it all sounded innocent enough.

“Wait… don’t you hate fish?” He pointed out, turning in his seat to give his eldest a critical stare.

“People change, Endeavor.” Touya retorted obnoxiously. Enji gave an annoyed frown before facing forward again.

Chapter 61: Pepper Spray

Chapter Text

Enji Todoroki was LIVID.

“What the HELL were you thinking, Touya??”

They were alone in his agency’s main office near the top floor of the building. Touya was seated in his big fancy swivel chair behind his desk, reclined back with a cool damp cloth over his eyes.

“I told you it wasn’t on purpose.” He countered, and it took all his strength to keep a neutral expression. Enji snarled and slammed a fist on his desk.

“Like hell! I’m not stupid, I know it was intentional. And you’re going to tell me why!”

Touya lifted a corner of the towel to point a glare at his father. His eyes still stung a bit, but the puffy redness had diminished greatly.

“How was I supposed to know when I pressed one-zero-zero on the microwave it was going to be for one hundred minutes instead of one?” He explained innocently. Enji slammed both hands open-palmed on the desk.

“By looking at a clock!! A watch! Your phone, basic instincts, anything!!” He had to take a step back and cover his face with his hands, letting out a heavy breath as he reminded himself to calm down. “But that isn’t the biggest problem, Touya.” Now it was Enji’s turn to glare at his son as his hands slid down and stretched the skin on his face. “Not only did microwaving the chili peppers cause the building to be flooded with what was essentially pepper spray…”

Touya barely managed to suppress an evil grin.

“But the smell of the fish, broccoli and kimchi was akin to setting off a stink bomb!”

Touya mentally commended himself on the effort. Afterall, it’d gone better than he could’ve ever imagined.

“I specifically remember watching one of those HR training videos that covered workplace harassment with negative comments on someone’s meal.”

Enji wanted to scream. In a moment of weakness, he picked up one of the chairs near him and lobbed it across his office, smashing it into a far wall.

“Is this some kind of joke??” Enji bellowed, rounding his desk and spinning the office chair to face him. Touya flinched as the towel fell from his eyes and his father leaned in close. “Do you want to go back to prison?? Because after this, I can't promise you won’t!!”

Touya sank further down the chair. He knew it was a risk, and he knew there was a chance somebody would start connecting some dots, but he also didn’t want to sit around wasting his time looking at boring case files. “I told you, it was an accident!”

Enji jostled the chair, squeezing the arm rests so hard they creaked. “This isn’t a game, Touya! They had to call the fire department and evacuate the building! And my agency is on the hook for the damages!!”

Touya searched his father’s eyes, hating that he couldn’t use any of his usual manipulation tactics. It was certainly easier to work with idiots, but with how deep in this sh*t he was, he couldn’t accomplish his goals alone. He needed the hero system and he needed just enough trust to get by.

“Am I really going back to prison?”

Enji was caught off guard with the vulnerability he saw in his son’s eyes. His brain felt like it was spinning in circles between trying to find the catch and wanting to give the young man the benefit of the doubt. A dozen thoughts sat on his tongue and he swallowed them all.

Enji let out a heavy breath through his nose and hung his head. “No.” He grumbled, then looked back up straight into Touya’s eyes. “But you’re not making it easy on me.”

Touya gave a pouty frown, wishing the man would get out of his personal space. He hadn’t even lasted two hours at the downtown police precinct he was supposed to spend the day at. He’d been reminded by the officers they were buying him lunch, but his excuse was he needed to constantly eat due to metabolism issues. They hadn’t even questioned the news or forced an escort to follow him through the building which allowed him to shove both bento boxes in the microwave and walk away.

“It won’t happen again.” Touya relented, wondering if he was going to be sent to his room for misbehaving. “Because I really do still hate fish.”

Enji felt a vein nearly burst from his temple right before the door opened. He was thankful for the distraction as he stood and smacked his pen holder onto the floor, then massaged his temples as he counted backwards from sixty.

Thirty didn’t seem like it’d be enough.

“Hey, boss! I have those case files and brainstorms me, Kido, and Onima have been working on!” Burnin announced as she strolled in with Shoto. They’d been asked to give the two some privacy, but she was eager to get back to work. They’d made a lot of progress on the new data, after all. She ignored Enji as he continued to count down under his breath when she realized her newest charge was available for introduction.

“Hiya, Touya! The name’s Burnin and I can’t tell you how excited I am to be your new benefactor!” She introduced herself, marching straight up to the desk and thrusting a hand across it. The woman was scarily intense and Touya hesitated, hoping she’d give up and put her hand down. When she didn’t, however, he delicately accepted it only for her to squeeze until one of his fingers popped, and shake it like she wanted to dislocate his shoulder. “I look forward to working with you!”

Touya wrenched his hand back and gave her an incredulous look, then noticed his father from the corner of his eye observing the scene with amusem*nt.

“Pleasure’s all mine.” He grumbled.

At Burnin’s request, they left the office in favor of going to the large conference room to meet up with Onima and Kido. When they arrived, there was also an assortment of appetizers to choose from at the beginning of the large table as well. Touya skipped past the spread in favor of taking a seat at the head of the table and propping his boots on the elegant wood surface.

“Get your feet off the table and come get some of this!” Burnin called out to him, respecting that the boss’ kids got special attention but not willing to put up with blatant rudeness. In response, Touya held a hand to his ear like he couldn’t hear her from all the way at the other side of the table. Before she could let him know what a piece of work he was being, however, Enji strolled over with two plates balanced in one hand. He then grabbed the back of the chair and yanked until Touya’s feet landed on the floor, shoved it forward until his belly was almost touching the edge, and dropped a plate of snacks under his nose. Enji then took a seat at his son’s right and nodded to Burnin.

“Feel free to start when you’re ready.”

Touya glared at the food, then propped his elbow on the table and set his chin in his hand. Shoto took a seat on Touya’s left while Kido and Onima sat beside Enji.

“Alright, after everything we’ve gathered with the hero task force, along with months of recon, we’re narrowing down on the faction of League members operating here in Japan. They’re working much more discreetly than past occurrences, but we have a list of hot locations.”

Touya yawned and stuck a finger in his ear, completely disinterested and wondering if it was too soon to shove a bunch of fish in the microwave for a hundred minutes again. She pointed out a few areas across a map of the country and before long everyone was staring at him. It took him a moment to realize they were trying to get his attention and Touya fixed everyone there with an odd look.

“What? I haven’t given you enough ideas already?” He asked boredly, flicking a bit of earwax on the ground.

“You’re the one with the most experience here. And if you want to be a hero, then you wouldn’t be flaunting your contributions like they’re an excuse not to work.” She reminded him. Touya really really missed Hawks being his benefactor. The former villain muttered a few choice words under his breath as he pushed his chair back and stood. He walked over to the computer Burnin was using for the large TV monitor and zoomed in on an urban district that wasn’t highlighted.

“The Meta Liberation Army, League of Villains, and any self proclaimed supporters of All For One are more of an idea than an actual group at this point.” He began, scrolling through the map like he was looking for something. “There will always be people out there fighting the status quo, assuming they’re personally under attack by the powers to be, and acting like victims. They’re going to have you running in circles unless you know who to talk to.” Touya zoomed in and stopped on a multi block stretch. “This is where you want to narrow down your info.”

Kido and Onima took notes like they were in a lecture hall, but Enji wasn’t convinced.

“Why wouldn’t any of the information point to this location?” He asked, trying not to make it sound like he was suspicious of his son. Touya practically rolled his eyes into the back of his head.

“This isn’t a guarantee, this is where a certain type of people come to do certain types of things; and if anyone’s going to have a better idea on League activities, it’s going to be someone here.”

Kido cleared his throat lightly. “You seem pretty confident, could you elaborate?” He requested, trying to be professional, and also torn between wanting to show the guy respect while also wanting to see him throw a tantrum and make Endeavor kick him out. Instead, Touya zoomed in on a certain building.

“I wanted to keep this discreet, because the woman that runs this soup kitchen doesn’t deserve having a bunch of hot-headed heroes kicking down her door demanding answers about war criminals.” Touya explained, making Kido eat his words. He thinned his lips and nodded lightly, agreeing that was the wrong approach to the situation. “Oba-san’s policy is she doesn’t talk to cops, government, or heroes. All she does is feed hungry people with nowhere to go.”

Enji realized this was another good natured person in Touya’s life that took care of him when he was scared and alone. He instantly wanted to meet her face to face and thank her from the depths of his soul.

“We’ll organize something under cover. No uniforms and a small operation consisting of Burnin, Shoto, myself, and Touya going to the soup kitchen. Kido and Onima will lead another team through the streets” Enji ordered, figuring that should take care of everything.

“Were you listening, old man??” Touya asked, his tone brazenly condescending. “If Endeavor shows up demanding entry while your goons are patrolling the streets, no one is going to talk!”

Kido and Onima shared a side glance, a little frightened at what the wrath of Endeavor might be for such a disrespectful comment.

Enji was silent, but his glare was piercing. He knew Touya was right, the only way this operation would be flawless is if Touya went alone. However, he wasn’t about to send his son without a team when he’d been publicly cooperating with authorities for over a year now.

That, and getting out of digging through police paperwork on his first day serving his newest prison sentence seemed to be a little too convenient.

“Fine. But you’ll still go with Shoto, Burnin, and Onima.” Enji declared, folding his arms for emphasis.

Kido shot Onima a mischievous smile while Onima returned it with a dirty look.

“Are you that dense?? Is there something you don’t understand??” Touya demanded, coming over to lean across the table and glare at his father. “You get one chance to get answers from this place and then that’s it. Oba-san’s quirk is facial memory, so once she sees you in person she’ll recognize you forever, even if you wear a disguise.”

Enji returned the stern look with one of his own and was barely able to keep a lock on his bubbling emotions.

“Besides,” Touya placed his hands flat on the table and leaned closer, “you signed the agency over to Shoto, Natsu, and Yumi. If they deem it so, then your input is no longer valid.”

Enji abruptly stood and matched his son’s stance, palms flat on the table as he leaned across and snarled at the statement. Even when Shoto was going through his most rebellious phases, he’d never experienced such unbelievable rage before.

“Alright, that’s enough.” Shoto spoke up, reaching out a hand and nudging Touya back. “I agree with Touya-nii. If there’s too many heroes, we’ll just scare everyone into silence.”

Touya gave his father a smug smile.

“But,” Shoto interjected, not wanting to give the wrong impression, “if we send you, nii-san, then myself and Burnin should also accompany you.”

Touya’s shoulders slumped dramatically, but this compromise seemed to win favor with Enji. He pulled his chair in and took a seat, nodding.

“Then it’s settled. And you’ll report back here as soon as your business is finished.”

Shoto nodded, then turned to his brother to see the other giving him a sour frown. Shoto offered him a sympathetic look, but there was no way around it. After all, he also wondered if the microwave fiasco really had been a simple accident.

Chapter 62: Oba-san

Chapter Text

Shoto, Burnin, and Touya stepped off the metro line when they reached their destination and both brothers were doing their best to remain polite.

“Criminals can be anywhere at any time, and they can look like anyone, but that doesn’t mean we can just assume someone has bad intentions.” Burnin pointed out, continuing her lecture she’d first started the moment they left the agency. Shoto kept an emotionless demeanor, but Touya couldn’t help the displeased glower as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.

“But! You always have to remain vigilant! Normally, when in our hero costumes, it can have one of two outcomes. Either a person with bad intentions is going to see it as a warning and stay inconspicuous, or it’ll provoke them into acting out!” She declared enthusiastically. Both her and Shoto were wearing simple disguises instead of their hero costumes; basic street clothes and beanies. Touya hadn’t been out publicly long enough to be recognized without his scars and ratty trenchcoat, so he’d been allowed to keep the leggings and leather jacket, but not the utility belt.

Touya muttered something cantankerously under his breath to which Burnin caught his tone and whipped around to face him. “Pay attention!” She ordered, pointing a finger straight at his nose. Touya felt the urge to snap it in two. “This is serious, and if you don’t treat it as such then you’ll never be a successful hero!”

Touya considered the warning and weighed his options. He could either be a deplorable little sh*t and cause nothing but chaos and mayhem while having the time of his life, or he could be some stuffy little do-gooder spending the rest of his days fretting over copious amounts of laws and regulations. The decision gnawed at his brain ceaselessly until something over Burnin’s shoulder caught his eye.

“So, correct me if I’m wrong, but then that makes the scrubby old homeless man over there a criminal?” Touya asked, nodding his chin in the direction of a guy in dirty clothes propped against a wall in an alley. Burnin bristled at the accusation and fixed Touya with a disapproving glare.

“That is not the point I was trying to make! Were you even listening?? It doesn’t matter what a person looks or dresses like, their appearance doesn’t automatically make them a criminal!”

Touya hummed thoughtfully, considering the idea. “Really?” He asked, enjoying how angry such a simple thing was making his new benefactor. “Because, if you watch closely, it looks like he’s jerking off under his giant coat.”

Burnin spun around with wide eyes and finally noticed the subtle movements. “Sir!!” She declared, marching up to the man. “That is indecent exposure and it is a crime!!”

The brothers watched as she stormed off and Shoto found himself responding to Touya’s offer for a fist bump. She chewed the man out a while longer before pulling out her phone to log a police report and Touya felt a shudder run down his spine like someone was spying on him.

~0~

Enji stared at his phone and found himself debating if it was worse to be left on read, or to not have his text opened at all. Keigo hadn’t so much as acknowledged him since their spat Saturday night and he was surprised how the lack of attention was affecting him. He thought about calling the other, but right now he was in the middle of something so it’d have to wait. The former number one hero of Japan was currently crouched behind a newspaper stand observing his two sons and sidekick.

He wasn’t nervous. Or worried. Or even concerned. He just wished he could be there for Touya’s first patrol. His eldest son had led the group on an impressive roundabout through the area, to the point where he wondered if Touya realized Enji was ten steps behind. They helped an elderly lady cross the street, returned a dropped wallet to a man passing by, caught a balloon after a child accidentally let it go, and apprehended a lost dog that had escaped its owner. Touya was always involved in each of these scenarios, whether he was the main contributor or supporting his teammates. It warmed his heart to see the three working together. However, when he glanced up after briefly looking at his phone, he realized Touya was missing.

“Ahem.”

Enji froze and immediately tried to think of an excuse. He glanced nervously over his shoulder and found his eldest son glaring daggers at him with a disapproving grimace. He realized there was little chance of saving this situation and slowly stood, dusting off the knees of his pants and sliding his hands into his pockets.

“So… how are you liking patrol?” He asked innocently, trying to play it off. Touya didn’t find it amusing.

“You can’t even trust me in the care of your most loyal dog and precious prodigy?” He accused, his voice laced with malice. Enji fumbled for words until a woman screamed and his instincts caused him to seek out where it was coming from. When he checked to see how his son would respond, however, Touya looked unbelievably inconvenienced.

The former villain let out a hefty sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Fine. Whatever.” He relented, then pointed an accusatory finger at his father. “But you’d better not do anything f*cking stupid.”

Enji wondered what that meant as Touya jogged towards where the scream came from.

Shoto was kneeling beside a distressed woman asking what happened with a comforting arm over her shoulder. She shakily explained someone shoved her and stole her purse just as Touya arrived before breaking down into tears.

“H-He had dark skin… and was wearing baggy clothes…” She explained between sniffles. Burnin figured this was an excellent opportunity to remind her charges that vague descriptions like this were excessively dangerous. It was enough to get innocent people harassed and even injured if the situation took the wrong turn.

The eldest Todoroki son then glanced around, finding (what looked like) the first man to fit the description and pointed him out.

“Stop! Thief!” Touya announced, leaping into action.

“Touya, NO!!” Burnin yelled, chasing after him.

The accused man perked up at the declaration and immediately bolted in the opposite direction with Touya, Burnin, and even Enji hot on his heels. The pursuit didn’t last long before Touya had him physically restrained against a brick wall with his father and benefactor chewing him out relentlessly. They were both talking over each other and Touya felt a seething rage bubbling in the pits of his soul as he eyed a pink leather strap peeking out from beneath the man’s winter coat. He then used a single finger to pluck it from where it was hidden, holding out a bejeweled handbag as proof he had a modicum of common sense. Burnin and Enji both snapped their mouths shut as Burnin carefully took the accessory.

Shoto arrived not long after, seeing his brother had caught the thief. “Wow, Touya-nii. That was amazing, how’d you know he did it?”

“C’mon, it won’t happen again!” The man pleaded with his cheek still shoved into the side of the building. Touya considered the guy a moment before a sinister smile carved across his lips.

“We’re very well acquainted.” He mused, his grip on the man loosening enough for him to turn. Even he seemed confused by the statement as he carefully peered over his shoulder at his captor before his expression lit up.

“Dabi-chan!” He announced, smiling wide as he was released and able to wrap the young man into his arms. The three from the Endeavor agency stared in shock as Touya didn’t so much as twitch from the physical affection, even when the man leaned in to smush a kiss onto his cheek. All three practically had their jaws hit the floor at the sight and Enji swore his son had even turned away to avoid getting smooched on the lips.

The man was only a few inches shorter than Enji and Shoto, looked to be about Enji’s age, and had characteristics that reminded him of his travels to India.

“How have you been?? What happened to your scars? I knew you’d be beautiful without them!”

Enji felt a well of rage at the rude comment, but even more so when he saw Touya smiling at the question. The guy’s hands were also becoming a bit too friendly while one was seated on his son’s hip and the other was wrapped around the small of his back.

“Who’s this?” The stranger asked, and Enji realized he wasn’t keeping his facial expressions in check. “Your new sugar daddy?”

Enji saw RED. He felt his brain practically shut off like the press of a button and experienced a rare moment of speechlessness.

“Sperm donor.” Touya corrected, not doing a thing to calm the man’s brewing rage. The stranger’s eyes went wide.

“Your father is Endeavor??” He asked wildly, glancing between parent and child. He then placed a finger beneath Touya’s chin, tipping his head up. “I suppose I should’ve been suspicious of those dazzling blue eyes.”

Enji crowded the two and slammed the side of his fist into the wall, startling the stranger enough for him to remove Touya from his grasp.

“Come on, Papa Bear. Lighten up.” The man tried to joke, his tone careless and flippant. He then offered his hand as a form of peace. “The name’s Sai; me and Dabi-chan go way back.”

Sai. The one from Touya’s story about drugs and human trafficking when he was only sixteen years old. Enji wondered if he’d ever experienced this level of delirious rage in his life. Before he could consider the consequences, he accepted the handshake and squeezed until Sai shrieked, then jerked him forward, collected the collar of his jacket in his free hand, and lifted him onto his tip toes.

“One more word from you and you’re dead.” Enji seethed between his teeth. He enjoyed the sight of the other man’s fear more than he’d ever like to admit, but when a zap of electricity literally shocked him back to reality, before angry blue flames shot past his eyesight, he took a step back to find Touya giving him a look of animosity.

“This would be considered f*cking stupid.” Touya pointed out, leading Sai away from his father. The man gladly hid behind the former villain and Enji clenched his teeth hard at the sight. “Why don’t you three scram and go interrogate Oba-san before she closes her soup kitchen?” Touya suggested, jabbing a thumb at the building across the street.

Shoto and Burnin exchanged a quick glance, both feeling excessively uncomfortable leaving Touya alone with this guy. Not only was he a creep, but it felt like Touya was trying to distract them with some needless task.

“Touya-nii, weren’t you going to speak with her?” Shoto asked, trying to get his brother to come with. Touya waved his hand dismissively.

“She’d call my bluff in an instant. I told you, her quirk is facial recognition.” He replied and all three cringed when Sai wrapped an arm around his midsection. They all exchanged reluctant glances, but came to a mutual consensus regardless.

When the heroes were finally across the street and behind the door, Sai immediately collected his long lost Dabi-chan into his arms like a day hadn’t gone by. He hoisted the younger man into his grasp and pressed him against the wall, standing between his legs and boldly going in for a proper kiss. Touya allowed it, draping his arms over the other man’s shoulders and playing along as Sai dipped his tongue into his mouth. They went at it for a while until Sai started grinding his stiffened co*ck into his groin. Touya nipped his tongue as a warning and Sai let out a deep chuckle before pressing kisses along his jaw.

“What happened to the good old times?” He whispered, attempting to sound seductive.

“Shut up, I know what you actually want.” Touya replied, reaching into the pocket of his jacket and pulling out his father’s wallet he’d stolen again while the man wasn’t looking. He waved it alluring and gave a mocking laugh when the man’s eyes went wide. “You never did kick that opium habit, did you?”

Sai growled low in his throat before stealing another heavy kiss. Touya pretended to be distracted by it until he felt Sai reaching for the wallet.

Touya pulled away. “Ah ah… information first.” He ordered, wiping a bit of slobber from his chin. “And take a shower sometime, you smell like sh*t.”

Sai grinned slyly, tracing a finger along Touya’s cheek then trailing it down his throat to tug at the v-neck collar of his tunic.

“Anything you want.” He offered, sinking his teeth into Touya’s collarbone and earning a hitched gasp.

“Tell me what you know about Shigaraki and the League.”

His voice was only a touch breathless and his request staunched any kind of arousal Sai was feeling. He tried to finagle a sense of lustfulness by squeezing Touya’s ass and lifting him higher to bite his chest, but he wasn’t successful as the younger grabbed his hair and wrenched him away.

“Talk, you horny f*ck.”

Sai pouted, an expression that usually convinced the younger man to let him have his way, but Touya didn’t relent.

“You were much more fun ten years ago. You let me get away with all kinds of things.” Sai complained, letting his hands wander closer to the cleft of Touya’s ass. “You can’t deny how good it feels either.” Sai added, grinding their co*cks through the thin leggings. Touya groaned as he tapped his head against the brick wall and closed his eyes. It did feel good, and it was nice to meet an old friend with benefits.

But he was working.

Touya bucked his hips and dropped from Sai’s grasp, spinning them and kicking his feet out from underneath him so the taller man was at his eye level and forced against the wall. He shoved the man none too gently into the bricks before leaning in and whispering in his ear.

“The only reason I was so eager to bounce on your dick is because I didn’t have standards.” Touya hissed, knocking his shoulders into the wall for emphasis. “The League, or whatever the f*ck they’re calling themselves. Answer me.”

Sai wasn’t a particularly sturdy man. If he felt backed into a corner he didn’t hesitate to start talking. It’s how Touya was able to get all the details about Karen and their whole operation. Sai must’ve just gotten out of prison if he never found out about Endeavor being his father, which meant Karen was likely still locked up. There was a certain amount of respect he held for the two since they helped him during a time of need. But it didn’t excuse the sh*t they thought they could get away with.

“The League is done. Shigaraki is just some puppet being used for his image. It gathers like-minded folk to the cause, but it’s as if he’s some lifeless doll.”

Touya felt his heart skip a beat. Sai was sh*t at lying, especially if he was experiencing even a prick of withdrawals, and he could tell the man was getting impatient.

“Names.” He demanded, tightening his grip on the man’s jacket.

“Money first.” Sai retorted. Touya fixed him with an annoyed glare but gave in, unfolding the wallet and removing all the cash it contained. Sai whistled, obviously grateful as he counted it with a smile.

“No one knows his name. He’s some Chinese guy, but he’s got the Russians, the Mongolians, the Yakuza, and whatever’s left of the Meta Liberation Army. He’s bad news, and you’re doing a great job of pissing him off.”

Touya didn’t like the sound of that. He enjoyed making people angry, but only if he knew what their next move was.

“Say,” Sai interjected, pocketing the wad of cash, “who’s staying in that big fancy house of yours?”

Touya felt the color drain from his face in an instant before taking his phone from his pocket and sprinting across the street.

~0~

Enji felt helpless as he tried to apologize again and again, but the old lady wouldn’t stop hitting him with her cane. It turns out she was an elderly, petite Russian lady by the name of Olga, but has graciously accepted the name Oba-san after she became the town grandma. Everyone stood up for her, which is why Enji wasn’t able to convince her to halt her attacks as he was stared down by a building full of ruffians and gang members.

“Ma’am, I’ve told you I’m sorry, so if you’d please…” Enji was cut off again as she made a noise of disapproval.

“Bad! You are bad man! Bad father, bad man!!”

Whack, whack, whack.

Thankfully, her strength matched her petite figure, but Enji really wished she’d stop hitting him.

Just then, the doors flew open and Touya came rushing inside. Enji was grateful, maybe he could talk some sense into this crazy old woman.

“I can’t get a hold of anyone at the house.” Touya stated. For a fleeting moment Enji was thankful there was a reason to leave until those words sunk in completely. The four went sprinting into the streets before launching into the sky.

~0~

Keigo stared at his phone on the front steps of the Todoroki estate. He hadn’t been asked to come here, and he was honestly a bit annoyed by that fact. Were these fire users really so arrogant they thought they could leave the house unguarded?

Of course, was it really unguarded considering Heiyu’s endless supply of weapons stashed in a pocket of space? Regardless, he’d feel better if there was someone else keeping an eye on things.

And it was about time he and Enji had a talk. He had enough opportunity to cool off and he was starting to miss the big guy.

Keigo grabbed the elegant handle and opened the door, staring in confusion as he was met with the inside of a dingy warehouse instead of the usual entryway.

Chapter 63: Tentacles

Chapter Text

Shoto, Touya, and Enji stood just inside the doorway of a large industrial warehouse. Burnin had opted to stay behind and coordinate help from the outside, but when the last of the Todoroki men stepped beyond the threshold, the connection between both places vanished.

The last one through was Touya. He wondered if the quirk was set to break the moment he passed through, or when the Todorokis were all accounted for. Either way, they were trapped wherever this was and Touya desperately wanted to set fire to this irritating door-quirk-man.

The place was a disaster. The entire building was constructed from concrete, steel beams, and sheet metal with water and oil stains everywhere. Chains hung eerily from the ceiling, rusted equipment lay broken around, most of the windows were shattered, and there was a healthy amount of plant debris scattered throughout. There was also an ungodly amount of spent weapons and shells littered everywhere.

And dead bodies.

Mangled, decapitated, some looking like they were shredded. Blood was pooled throughout, and the smell of gunpowder was strong. It looked like Heiyu had gone a little overboard with the defense, but considering they didn’t have much battle support, they’d done an impressive job of staying on top of the enemy.

A gentle breeze blew through the warehouse, kicking up a couple of red feathers as well.

Touya was the first to start looking around, climbing over corpses like the sight didn’t bother him at all as Enji grimaced at the carnage and Shoto looked like he was going to throw up. Touya began forcing open whatever doors he could find until he finally discovered what he was looking for.

“It’s just me.” Touya whispered, and when Enji approached he could see his child-in-law brandishing an assault rifle and laying crumpled in Fuyumi’s arms. Rei was huddled in a corner as well, and when they realized help had arrived, his daughter and ex-wife immediately burst into tears.

Touya knelt at Heiyu’s side, finding crude bandages soaked with sticky blood. One on their thigh, another on their shoulder, and a cloth being pressed into their side. They dropped the gun into their lap and deflated into Fuyumi’s arms, their face deathly pale and taking deep breaths.

“Where are the kids?” Touya asked, flicking his gaze between his sister and spouse. Fuyumi began crying harder.

“Th-they took them…” She tried to explain before dissolving into a fit of hyperventilation. Touya placed a hand reassuringly on her shoulder, but before he could say anything, Heiyu shot out a fist and yanked at the collar of his tunic. They fixed him with a heated threat in their eyes, the meaning immediately deciphered as he gently pried their fingers from his clothes.

“Natsuo, and Keigo too…” Rei added through quiet sobs. Touya excused himself to exit the utility closet as Enji took over and asked if they were injured. Only Heiyu seemed to be hurt, other than the debilitating shock the two women were experiencing. Touya was pissed, and when he caught sight of Shoto’s ghostly expression, he jabbed a finger into the center of his chest.

“Focus.” Touya ordered, gaining his attention before he could pass out. “The three of us need to split up.” He continued, glancing at his father as well. “Find everyone who’s missing and meet back here.”

Enji nodded and squeezed his daughter’s hand one last time before standing.

“We’ll be back. Stay quiet.” He instructed, then closing the door.

~0~

Hawks couldn’t believe his misfortune. Sure, he’d wandered into a dark part of the internet once or twice and watched some kinky videos, but this was ridiculous. Tentacles? A slimy, gooey, tentacle quirk? Really?? Hawks shut his eyes as a collection of tentacles slowly constricted themselves tighter around his mouth, chest and legs. It was just his luck to be matched with the creepy villain with no respect for personal boundaries. He wiggled and squirmed in their grasp, desperately looking for any spare feathers, but it seemed they were all trapped in some other room. Hawks yelped as he felt his ribs creaking beneath the pressure until he had enough and sunk his teeth into the tentacle suffocating him. A disembodied screech followed his attack, but before he could feel a sense of triumph, the door to this room opened.

Hawks glanced up and was surprised to see Touya staring speechlessly at him. He wasn’t the first person he’d been hoping to meet, but at this point he was happy to have any familiar face. Just as he was going to ask for help, though, Touya slammed the door. A moment of silence passed before Hawks realized he’d been ditched.

Touya!!

The former villain let out a deep breath after slamming the door, then shook his head.

“Too sexy.” He muttered under his breath before disappearing down the hall.

~0~

Shoto felt way in over his head with this mission. He might’ve fought through battles and even a war as a high school student, but it was still hard to look at human bodies butchered like scraggly pieces of meat. Especially when it was his own family in peril. He rounded a corner and stared in horror as he found Natsu laying unconscious behind the bars of an insubstantial cage.

“Natsu!” He called out, rushing forward. He briefly looked for a key, but when he didn’t find one he grabbed the lock and heated his hand to extreme temperatures until the metal snapped in his grasp, then threw open the door. “Natsu!!”

He collected his older brother in his arms as he slowly started coming to, groaning pathetically.

“Keep it down, my head is killing me.” The middle Todoroki son bemoaned, pushing out of his brother’s grasp.

“What happened?” Shoto asked, looking around and finding a vast amount of similar cages lining the walls. Natsu grumbled incoherently before clearing his throat.

“Villains broke in. One minute me and Hei are fighting them in the living room, next minute they’re pushing us through one of the doors and we end up here one after another.” He explained, stretching a particularly painful crick in his neck. “Hawks showed up somehow, but me and him got separated from the others. I got knocked out and ended up here.”

Shoto nodded at the explanation, then offered to help his brother stand.

“We didn’t find Hawks, but we found the other three. Fumi and Toma are still missing though.”

Natsu’s eyes went wide. “Why the hell are we standing around then?? Let’s go!”

They dashed into the warehouse with Natsu struggling to keep up until they entered a room and found three villains waiting to ambush them. They both immediately encased the woman on the left and the man on the right in ice, but the one in the center was holding a familiar bundle with pink hair.

“One more move and the kid is dead!” The man announced, holding a hand threateningly over Toma. The toddler didn’t like the volume of his voice and immediately began crying. “You all have gone on far too long not reaping the consequences of your actions! We’ve been waiting, biding our time, and now it’s our turn to rise up against the heroes and return to our plans. We’ve been waiting to…”

Shoto and Natsu shared a wary glance as the villain dipped into a heavily political monologue about oppressive heroes and some traumatic childhood event. They were both thinking of what the best plan could be to get their nephew back when a shape suddenly dropped from the ceiling and landed a few paces from the villain.

The two had their expressions light up when they realized it was Touya coming in for a surprise attack. They had all the faith in the world their older brother would be able to handle the situation, until they caught a glimpse of his expression. Shoto and Natsu froze at the terrifying look in his eyes right before he extended a kick into the side of the villain’s knee. The man had been cut off mid-sentence by the intrusion, but when the crunch of his joint and unnatural bend of his leg registered in his mind, he realized he was in deep trouble.

Both brothers couldn’t look away as Touya not only shattered the man’s knee, but slammed the ruined limb into the ground with his foot, then smashed the heel of his boot into the man’s ankle. Touya had collected his nephew before the villain could drop him, grabbed hold of the guy’s face with his other hand, and shoved his forehead into the ground. When the man tried to get away, however, it looked like Touya had used the adhesion power of his quirk to glue his face to the ground.

The man was left screaming in agony as his counterparts stared fearfully at his misfortune. Natsu and Shoto both felt a shiver of trepidation run down their spines, but the next moment Touya was offering his nephew a pleasant smile as he gently bounced the baby in his arms.

~0~

Enji felt desperate as he opened door after door attempting to find the people he was trying to save. Each room was like another portal of horrors, but when he opened the next he was not expecting to find a pile of disgusting tentacles. Enji stared repulsively at the sight, realizing there was some sort of pheromone wafting through the air before strangled grunting caught his attention.

Hawks was wrapped up tight in the clutches of whatever creature occupied this room and something visceral buried deep in Enji’s core caused him to slam the door shut.

Keigo was relieved to have someone return and tried his best to plead for assistance getting him the hell out of here, only for Enji to ALSO ditch him!! A rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins which allowed the hero to wiggle free enough to be able to shout “Enji Todoroki, you get back here this INSTANT!!”

Enji ignored all the warning bells going off in his head and opened the door again, hesitantly stepping inside and observing the squirming, gooey mess in front of him.

Was Keigo… naked…?

“Umm…” He tried, unsure what this odd sensation flooding his brain was.

“GET THESE THINGS OFF ME!!” Keigo shouted, knocking Enji from his thoughts as he held up his hands and simply started to burn the creature. Some awful, otherworldly screech filled the space until the tentacles started to recede into a back room. When the last slimy tendril disappeared into the darkened space, Enji carefully walked through the goop to find an unconscious man laying in his own slime. Enji didn’t want to think about it as he closed the door and was happy to see there was a key sticking out of the lock. When the door was closed and secured, he turned back to see Keigo wasn’t naked, but his clothes were somehow disintegrating.

“Are you alright?” He asked, still not sure how the younger man was doing after Saturday, but wanting to at least be able to comfort him now.

Keigo was breathing heavily, likely since he almost had the life strangled out of him. He coughed and hocked a glob of saliva. “I guess.” He muttered.

The room was beginning to feel stuffy and Enji cleared his throat. “What happened?”

Keigo groaned as he lifted an arm and watched a string of slime stretch with the movement. “It’s really gross.” He answered, still not willing to sit up. Enji felt a touch of annoyance as the blond avoided the question. He glanced around, finding an oversized three compartment sink that looked like it could be used as a bathtub.

“Come on,” Enji stated, removing his jacket as he prepared to pick up the slimy younger man. “Let’s at least get that stuff off you.”

Keigo curled up even tighter at the thought. “It’s not that simple. That guy, his quirk was…”

Enji waited for an answer and was starting to get frustrated until Keigo continued.

“He had some sort of… hentai quirk…”

Enji blinked, shocked at the news. He, unfortunately, had his own run-ins with internet nonsense over the years; but this was brand new territory.

“And I have a raging boner…” Keigo elaborated, shivering in the cold. “The slime also did that weird thing where it started dissolving my clothes.”

Enji heaved an exceptionally tired breath and collapsed his head into the palm of his hand. “I could soak you in cold water.” He offered, realizing now the smell in the air was triggering several pleasure receptors in his brain.

“I dunno if that’s going to work. And this stuff is very slippery, if you know what I mean.”

Enji’s face turned bright red. “Here??” He asked in a loud whisper, almost like he didn’t want to be heard. “You want me to f*ck you here??”

Keigo wined and finally looked up at his partner, no longer shielding his very prominent erection.

Enji couldn’t believe he was even considering this. He muttered several colorful curses as he removed his shirt and started undoing the belt of his pants.

“Holy sh*t, you’re really going to do it??” Keigo asked, surprise lighting up his eyes.

“No, you pervert.” Enji shot back, getting on his knees and tugging the man to lean his back against his chest. “I’m trying to not get any of that gunk on my own clothes.”

Keigo yelped as Enji closed a big meaty fist around his co*ck and began mercilessly thrusting up and down.

“W-Wait!” Keigo tried to beg, shifting against the man’s relentless strength. It didn’t take long before he was releasing onto the concrete floor with a moan of pleasure.

Enji swore under his breath and examined his sticky hand, realizing he’d made a mistake touching the goop with bare skin. He began picking at the remnants of the hero’s clothes and noticed his erection was still standing proud.

“Unbelievable.” Enji complained under his breath, rolling his eyes. He then shifted Keigo onto his hands and knees without any refusal.

“f*ck…” Keigo choked out as one finger was pressed into his ass with the next following in quick succession. Enji briefly regretted not getting completely naked before this as he was able to rip the last of his underwear from his thighs. After three fingers quickly spread open his partner, he slid his co*ck into the tight hole and didn’t waste any time before stroking in and out. They both grunted and moaned at the pleasure until Enji was pounding his ass and they were both org*sming hard and fast.

Keigo was breathless from the romp on the floor, disappointed when Enji pulled himself free. He was then thrown over the man’s shoulder before being deposited in the compartment sink like a muddy dog.

Enji turned on the water and Keigo immediately began throwing colorful insults at him for the temperature. Even though the hot water spigot was open, however, he had a feeling the boiler wasn’t working here. The water ran a dirty drown for a minute or two which earned him a few more curses, but as Keigo sat shivering, Enji began lathering him up with an old bottle of dish soap.

“Knock it off before I wash your mouth with soap.” Enji warned in a snippy tone.

“You could put something else in my mouth to shut me up.”

Enji immediately dunked his head beneath the faucet for the remark, earning several more creative phrases.

Chapter 64: Fumi

Chapter Text

Shoto stared at his pink-haired, grey-eyed, chubby-limbed baby nephew in his arms. Then looked out across the sea of Tomas crawling, rolling, giggling, and scooting along the dirty warehouse floor.

“Which one is the real Toma??” Natsu yelled, hardly able to hold the six duplicates in his arms. “Yumi’s going to kill us if he eats something weird!”

Just then, every single baby in the room started trying to put random objects in their mouths. The three brothers panicked at the sight and ran around trying to wrench the hazards from their grasps and even having to pry some objects from little gums. The attempt to keep him safe wasn’t appreciated though, and when one Toma started crying, all of them began crying.

“It’s an illusion!” Touya yelled over the deafening sound. “One guy has an illusion quirk and the other guy has a hormone quirk!”

The three began arguing, accusing each other of being the one to lose the baby and fighting over what to do next.

“Does one sound different? Maybe we can tell by the noises they make!” Shoto offered. The crying slowly switched into giggling and happy screeches as the babies continued their search for inedible items to chew on.

“Is he fireproof?? Maybe we could…” Touya wasn’t even able to finish the thought before his younger brothers were shouting “NO!!”

“Oh, I know!” Natsu declared. “He has a huge birthmark in the shape of a tomato on his right forearm!”

Shoto gave the other an odd look, not remembering such a thing to be true. But, as he looked out across the crowd of children, he could see each of them now had a matching birthmark in the shape of a tomato appear on their arms.

The next instant the entire warehouse lit up in blue flames. Shoto was speechless at the horrific sight, but it wasn’t long before the fire was extinguished and the three of them were standing in an empty room. The silence was eerie and no matter where they looked, there was no sign of their real nephew.

Not even five seconds later, Tomas started appearing one after another giggling and making baby noises as if he was mocking his uncles.

“If Toma isn’t here, and these are all illusions, where is he?” Natsu asked worriedly.

~0~

Enji and Keigo were hurrying through the building and the former number one hero had to hold the other man’s hand to keep it from… wandering.

“Just one more? Just a quickie?” Keigo pleaded in a soft tone. Enji didn’t dare look into his eyes for fear of being tempted by the blond little siren.

“Pay attention!!” Enji urged. He was wearing his original outfit, minus the underwear and his jacket. Keigo’s clothes had all been destroyed by the tentacle goo and he was only wearing Enji’s jacket with nothing underneath. And, thankfully, the thing went down to his knees.

It’d been simple enough for them to take a short break and knock out a quick shag once on their way through the warehouse, but even though the pleasure pheromones were still tickling a few of his brain cells, Enji wanted to focus on getting everyone out of here. Keigo whined pitifully and Enji felt it go straight to his dick.

Until he noticed a familiar tiny head of pink hair.

“Toma??” He asked incredulously. The little boy looked up to find his grandpa and giggled with joy as he started crawling for the man. Enji reached down and scooped him up, confused as to why he was wandering the halls all by himself.

Then he felt a familiar hand reaching for his belt buckle. Enji gave a tart grimace and snagged his partner’s wrist, shooting him an irritated look.

“Sorry.” Keigo apologized, laughing nervously. Enji let out a huff of indignation before marching on. He finally heard shouting coming from a room up ahead, and when he peered inside, everything got weirder.

Shoto, or what looked like his youngest considering the dual toned hair, appeared to be a fifty year old man, Touya had shrunk into a twelve year old boy, and Natsu (he assumed it was Natsu) was a girl.

He decided to keep it to himself that seeing Shoto at this age was like looking in a mirror.

They were also all carrying armloads of rusted tools and equipment, shouting at one another tirelessly. Enji glanced around, keeping Keigo and Toma away from the door as he inspected the space until he finally saw the two villains controlling his sons. They were obviously being subjected to some sort of hallucinogenic episode, so he decided to take his chances and shot a Flash Fire Fist at the enemies. Enji then rushed them, appearing as if he was emerging from the flames themselves, and decked one of the men hard enough to send him collapsing to the ground unresponsive. The other wasn’t so easy to subdue as he countered the former hero’s attacks, throwing several heavy punches himself until he was able to use some impressive acrobatic skills to get away.

Enji wiped the blood from a split lip and decided to pursue him later. First, he needed to attend to his sons. When he turned to see if they were alright, all three were blinking like they’d just woken up and were glancing around the space with confusion.

“You alright?” Enji asked, figuring he’d knocked out the illusion guy and the other one was responsible for the boys’ appearances.

“f*ck, what the hell happened?” Twelve year old Touya angrily demanded, dropping the stuff in his arms. “Where the f*ck is Toma?”

Hawks appeared in the oversized jacket he was borrowing from Enji with the little boy in his arms. Touya gave the hero a perplexed look and Enji grumbled at the expression.

“Whoah!”

Everyone looked up to see Natsu’s tit* had deflated and he was back to original appearance. He twisted around to admire his hips now that they were masculine again. “Thank God it didn’t last long.”

Another startled noise came from Shoto as he changed back into a teenager, then Touya as he also returned to his age.

“I suppose that accounts for everyone, now we just… need…” Enji trailed off when he realized someone was missing from the group. He counted the boys one by one and noticed Touya had disappeared in the blink of an eye. He spun around looking for the young man and found him as he picked up the villain by the collar of his shirt and held a fist like he was going to punch him awake.

Enji and Shoto were at his side in an instant, forcing him back. The man collapsed to the floor as Touya did his best to wrestle his way out of their grip. No amount of reasoning seemed to calm his anger though. The villain was beginning to come-to, groaning from the headache Enji knew he’d given the man. Red streaks zoomed past the three and they realized it was some of Keigo’s feathers. Enji turned to find he had a few in his grasp as he shrugged.

“Guess a bunch of them were here.”

Touya shoved out of his brother and father’s restraint, finally appearing to have calmed down enough.

Hawks stepped through the three and handed Toma to Touya, knowing the man wouldn’t do something stupid if he had his nephew in his hands.

“Who are you guys, and where the hell are we?” He demanded, throwing on his interrogation hat. He sent a few more feathers to affix his clothing to the stone ground and the guy gave a grunt of discomfort when one nicked his shoulder.

The villain let out an evil chuckle. “It’s over.” He stated ominously with a creepy smile. “The heroes have lost, and he will win.”

The room and everything around then began to shift as the man activated his illusion quirk. It seemed like whenever he was awake, he could use the power against anyone he focused on. The walls wobbled, the floor warped, and Touya realized the more people the man had to confuse, the less powerful he was. He closed his eyes, noting the majority of his quirk had to do with tricking his opponent’s vision and the other man must’ve been responsible for distorting their other senses. He held on tight to his nephew; thankful, Yumi wasn’t here to see this.

The Todoroki men and Hawks prepared for the worst. Ethereal serpents began emerging and plunging into walls, roaches and beetles scattered across the ground, mysterious ooze trickled from the abandoned machinery, and the villain was morphing into a nightmare-inducing beast. He cackled in a baritone voice that shook the room while his illusions of darkness worked to fill the space. Enji glanced around to make sure everyone was accounted for, and once again Touya was missing. He audibly cursed and the younger men looked to him with confusion until they followed his gaze to find the former villain holding an iron pipe in one hand like he was preparing to throw a javelin.

The villain also noticed one of his opponents was missing, but when he spotted the other it was too late.

All these years Touya thought his quirk had simply been a more powerful version of his father’s hellflame abilities. However, when his mother’s frost had manifested spontaneously after he’d lost his final battle with Shoto, and he’d finally had time to reflect on the event, he was left wondering what else he could awaken. Of course, he didn’t have much opportunity between prison and the quirk suppression injections, but it didn’t stop his imagination. When he’d first gone in pursuit of Shigaraki and ended up in their largest hideout in Beijing, quirk awakening hadn’t been in the forefront of his mind. Yet, when he was about to be struck down by lightning, a few of his chemistry lessons flitted through his mind. He couldn’t create ice like Shoto; his brother’s abilities seemed more suited to manipulating oxygen molecules, freezing moisture content in the air, and combining hydrogen with oxygen to produce massive ice drifts. He’d surprised himself when he was hit and didn’t get fried like a bug in a zapper, but manipulating atmospheric energy had been a lot easier than conjuring it from nothing. Endeavor had given him more ideas about magnetism and adhesion too, because at the end of the day every one of these powers revolved around electron interaction. Glue was a medium that bound materials together at a subatomic level using electrons, magnetism relied on polar electron fields, electricity had it in the name, and by changing electron excitement he could freeze, burn, and melt things.

Touya had never been interested in classic English lessons, but learning slang and swear words was always fun, no matter the language. Switching between each of his abilities reminded him a lot of what it felt like to speak another language. Different movements, different responses, and different muscles were needed for each, so when he used all his strength to throw the pipe straight and true, he used magnetism to keep it sailing like its destination was the iron scraps behind the man, whatever electricity he could summon from his fingertips to propel the weapon, and a smidge of fire to help it cut through the air at impossible speeds.

No one had the reflexes necessary to stop the pipe. As soon as Natsu blinked, the guy was skewered and being flung across the room. Shoto and Hawks shouted as they leapt into action while Enji stared at the grizzly scene, his heart feeling like it’d sunk into his guts with trepidation. The pipe and the villain crashed into the scrap heap, and as the two heroes approached, they felt a shred of relief when it was impaled in the man’s shoulder instead of puncturing his internal organs.

Enji turned back to his eldest, recoiling at the delirious hatred in his eyes and it took him a moment to realize Toma was wailing from the aftermath.

Natsu’s whole body was shaking, the villain was cursing the heroes trying to attend to him, and Touya’s expression slowly deflated into neutral observance. He let out a gentle shush as he embraced his nephew softly, but the murderous aura and jarring noises made Toma wiggle like he wanted to be anywhere other than his uncle’s arms.

Touya couldn’t blame him, he was too young to understand what was going on and it looked like he wasn’t the only one terrified by his choices. Natsu and Shoto had the unfortunate luck of witnessing the cruelty of his intrusive thoughts earlier, and his father was likely thinking of the time when he’d burned the bodies Fuyumi had involuntarily killed with her quirk.

“He should make it.” Hawks announced in a waverless tone. “So long as the pipe isn’t removed until emergency response is here.” He added, making eye contact with everyone until he met Touya’s gaze and gave the other a stern glare.

Touya didn’t respond, and instead made his way to Natsu. His younger brother couldn’t help recoiling at the approach until he realized he was being handed Toma.

“Here. He’s upset with me.” He grumbled, regretful about the way the baby was reacting, but not for stopping the villain. He knew his father was also staring at him like he’d killed the man… but he didn’t, and that had to count for something.

Right?

Enji suddenly reached out and grabbed his eldest by the open collar of his leather jacket and dragged him close. “Are you out of your mind??”

Touya grunted at the manhandling and did his best to not react like he initially wanted to since he still had a few bloodthirsty thoughts rolling around in his skull.

“This is completely unacceptable, what were you even thinking?!” He demanded. The man was undoubtedly angry, but the tears in his eyes made his tone more fearful than enraged. Enji then released his grip and engulfed the younger in his arms, threading one hand into his white hair and squeezing like he’d disappear any moment. Touya bristled at the affection and recalled something his father had said when he’d asked if he’d be going back to prison; “No, but you’re not making it easy on me.”

“Please don’t make us watch you go back to prison.” He whispered, his shoulders shaking as he begged. Touya felt an overwhelming slurry of emotions while he waged an internal war on how to react.

Hatred? Disgust? Gratitude? It was too early in his mental health journey to land on any decision with complete confidence. Thankfully, everyone was distracted when they noticed the other villain suddenly made an appearance.

“Touching, heroes! But this is where you’ll perish!” He called from the platform of a partially raised scissor lift. He was wearing a long black cape to go with his ensemble that was draped over his left side dramatically.

Enji released his stranglehold and everyone watched as an object collided against Shoto’s shoulder before a cloud of dark green smoke erupted from it. When it all finally settled, Shoto was reduced to a baby where he’d been kneeling. It seemed the villain’s quirk was able to manipulate how a person looks, and somehow also adjusted the clothes they were wearing to their size. Shoto was a pint-sized toddler in a onesie similar to his original clothes, and his outraged gargles didn’t help anyone take him seriously.

Plus, if Enji was correct, there was likely a time limit a person was subjected to this appearance.

It seemed Hawks was next, and before he could react properly, another smoke bomb flew through the air and collided with his chest. Pink smoke erupted and the villain cackled.

“The first one is a de-aging effect! It takes me longer to create the more years I have to go down, but good luck defending yourself as a helpless infant!”

More raucous laughing. As the pink smoke dissipated around Keigo, however, he looked no different as he tried rubbing debris from his eyes.

“The next one is a powerful love hormone!! It’ll make whoever’s afflicted sick with lustful, primal urges!”

Both Touya and Natsu shared a revolted look before quickly ducking behind their father’s back and using him as a shield from Hawks, but also from any other weird smoke bombs.

Enji wanted to protest, then realized he was the best candidate for this scenario as Keigo continued to rub at his watering eyes.

More crazed laughter erupted from the villain. “You’d sacrifice your own father?! This is rich!! Japan’s former top two heroes; forced into the throes of passion for one another!!”

Enji pursed his lips, more annoyed by the fact that Keigo had recently calmed down from the tentacle ordeal only for the man to fall victim to some other aphrodisiac.

What a day.

Slowly Keigo was finally able to lift his gaze when the last of the cloud settled, locking eyes with Enji. The younger man’s were red and irritated from the pink smoke and Enji swallowed hard as he wondered how Keigo was going to jump his bones now.

An uncomfortable moment of silence passed before Touya worked up a bit of courage to peer around his father’s hulking shoulder, then watched as the two stared at each other in uncertainty.

“That’s impossible!” The villain claimed. “You should be unable to resist Endeavor! Unless…” He pondered, the little cogs turning in his brain, “unless you’re already subduing irresistible sexual urges…” He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

Touya and Natsu each took a large step back, fixing their father with looks of repulsion. Enji returned the contempt with befuddlement, almost like he was saying it wasn’t his fault. Before he realized he shouldn’t turn his back on this villain, though, orange smoke consumed him. He coughed and waved it away, wondering what this new color did as he didn’t seem to change.

“Orange has the power to suppress a quirk, Endeavor.”

Enji snarled at what the man said when he was completely unable to make a single spark.

Touya rolled his eyes at the fact that Endeavor lost his flames, Shoto was a useless baby, and Keigo seemed to have misplaced most of his feathers. The heroes were turning out to be an incredible letdown so it looked like it was up to him and Natsu.

“Before you act, Dabi! Consider this!”

Touya gave the man a stupefied expression, complete intent on kicking his ass no matter what. However, when he threw back the cape and revealed a familiar bundle tucked in his arm, Touya felt as if time came to a standstill.

Enji lunged for his eldest, not needing to see the black hair and bright blue eyes to know it was his granddaughter in the villain’s grasp. He gripped the leather jacket with all his might, digging his fingers so forcefully into the fabric to grasp the tunic beneath it and maybe even leave some bruising. Enji was easily twice Touya’s size between his height and weight, but his eldest son was like a tank when his adrenaline took over.

“Touya, stop!!” Enji shouted desperately. Natsu had also taken hold of a part of the leather jacket, not wanting his older brother to go through with this either.

“Touya-nii, please! Snap out of it!!”

Keigo showed up on the other side, gripping Touya’s upper arm with both hands as the eldest Todoroki son began dragging his father and brother toward his kidnapped daughter.

The villain watched the scene with amusem*nt, not sure he actually had the resolve to kill a baby, but entertained with his threat being taken so seriously.

Touya whipped around, throwing Hawks across the warehouse floor and landing one hell of a punch in his father’s abdomen. Enji doubled over choking at the strike, and finally Touya shimmied out of the jacket to then kick Natsu’s feet from under him and drop him on his back. Toma cried from the rough handling and Natsu did his best to get up, but his brother had adhered him to the floor.

Everyone watched helplessly as Touya picked up a shard of scrap metal and launched it at the villain. The man didn’t even get a chance to breathe before the remnant, about the size and shape of a machete blade, lodged into his thigh. He screamed at the impact and involuntarily dropped Fumi, but Touya was already leaping for the scissor lift propelled by his flames. He caught his daughter effortlessly and Enji prayed that’d be the end of it, but Touya didn’t stop until he was also standing on the platform of the scissor lift.

A handful of red feathers shot through the air and each of them was disintegrated by a wall of blue flames. Enji crouched in front of Natsu and Toma to block them from the intensity, watching helplessly as Touya thrust out a hand, then sunk his fingers into the man’s face. Pure terror lit up his eyes in his final moments, not even given the chance to beg for mercy, before an explosion of blue flames incinerated everything in its path. The heat caused Enji to shield his eyes and he briefly looked over to see Keigo had collected Shoto and they were both ducking behind some of the rusted machinery.

Unnecessary seconds ticked by before the inferno was extinguished and Enji glanced up to see Touya’s demented smile was carved jaggedly into his expression ear to ear. His eyes were held open wide with adrenaline, his shoulders rose and fell with heavy breaths, and when the charred corpse dropped as dead weight, Touya’s visage had a concerning amount of glee.

Enji was speechless as he watched Touya giggle delightfully at the sight before blowing a ring of smoke from his mouth like a celebratory cigar. The room they were in had been engulfed in silence with the pathetic whimper of children being the only thing to disrupt the quiet.

Touya hopped over the railing of the lift, using his flames to slow his descent before strolling back over to his family like nothing happened. He rocked Fumi in his arms, giving gentle shushing noises and letting her know everything was going to be okay.

She was safe now.

When Touya stopped in front of Enji and Natsu, the former number one hero couldn’t decide what to say. He watched as his eldest swiped a thumb up and down the little girl’s cheek, a simple technique he himself had used when his own children were that small.

“Touya… you…” Enji began, his words immediately failing him. He shuddered as his eldest’s expression melted from kindness and patience into malice and disgust. Touya fixed the man with a horrific sneer that made him feel two feet tall.

“He threatened my daughter.” He pointed out, his voice a precarious mix between hatred and cruelty. “What would you have done?”

Enji swallowed and thought back to when Natsu was threatened by a villain and mere high school students had to be the ones to rescue him. Sure, they were capable young interns, but at the time he was the number one hero of Japan.

He would’ve choked. He would’ve caved to the villain’s demands and negotiated for Fumi’s safety. Enji felt as the blood drained from his face and had to take a step back to steady himself. Touya had accomplished what he was incapable of performing, and had done so without hesitation. The moment he knew Fumi was in danger, there was no other option than to put the offender out of commission permanently.

“Touya…” Enji tried again, this time soft and concerned. He felt his expression melt from shock to remorse before he continued. “This isn’t… what heroes do.”

Silence practically drowned the room’s occupants. Natsu was still stuck to the ground with Toma intermittently letting out a low coo of distress, Keigo was still tucked in the same spot he’d taken shelter with Shoto, and the remaining villain was doing his best not to be noticed. Touya glanced across the scene until his eyes landed on Fumi.

“Then maybe I’m not cut out to be a hero.” Touya replied, tracing his fingers across her forehead and down her cheek.