Chapter Text
Shoto trudged his feet back to his bedroom, clutching his sides due to nausea from training. His mother had taught him a pressure point to help ease it, but at the moment he couldn't remember.
"Jeez, rough day?" A raspy voice teased as Shoto pulled his door open, and the split-haired boy turned his gaze to his bed where the person was sitting. "Not easy being the masterpiece I guess," the white-haired boy mused further.
Shoto stared at him with wide eyes, his nausea forgotten. Silence filled the room as the two stared at each other. The older boy's blue eyes matched Shoto's left, his skin was scarred under his eyes and around his jawline and arms.
"Cat got your tongue Sho?" He asked, his voice rougher than the younger boy remembered.
"Touya..?" Shoto muttered, frozen by the door as he quietly closed it.
"In the fle--" Touya's words were cut off by small arms being wrapped tightly around his torso, and he looked down to see Shoto firmly hugging him. "Uh, good to see you too..?" He said hesitantly, carefully resting his hand on the top of the younger boy's head.
The two stayed frozen for a moment before, with a heavy sigh, Touya caved and hugged Shoto back, pulling him into his lap to hold the younger boy.
"...Missed me?" He asked quietly.
He felt Shoto nod in response. "We all do," he muttered.
Touya only hummed in response, and Shoto could tell the older boy was silently contemplating...something, though he wasn't sure what. Whatever it was, he was mostly just glad that he could hug his older brother again.
After a long pause, Shoto heard Touya sigh and mutter something under his breath. The younger boy looked up at his brother. "Are you okay..?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, fine..." the white-haired boy responded unconvincingly.
Shoto raised an eyebrow in confusion, to which the older boy sighed again.
"C'mon, get off of me," Touya ushered, slightly pushing on Shoto's shoulders. When the younger boy had climbed out of his lap, Touya stared at him for a moment. "Okay...So, I was planning on leaving--"
His explanation was cut off by Shoto interjecting, "But you just got back!"
"Sho..."
"Please," Shoto pleaded. "Think of how happy everyone would be! It's been so...different...with you and mom gone..."
"Has it?" Touya rasped, his brows furrowing.
Shoto's face scrunched in confusion. "What do you mean..?"
"Look around Shoto, this place is just as miserable as before," Touya motioned around the room with his arm as he spoke, before using it to prop himself up as he leaned back. "There's no fixin' this place, even if I do stay." He moved his head to the side, looking away from Shoto.
"...You could still at least try."
With a scoff Touya turned back to the younger boy, only to find him glaring at him. "You really think things will change?"
"They won't if you don't do something about it!" Shoto grabbed at Touya's shirt, pulling on it slightly as he pleaded, "At least visit! Please, I can't take another day of being alone!"
Touya's eyes widened, as much as they could anyway, as he stared at Shoto.
"...On one condition," he said quietly. When Shoto tilted his head to the side in confusion, Touya continued, "You can't tell anyone I'm...well, alive, I guess. Touya Todoroki is dead."
The younger boy looked distraught. "But- But you're not!? What's the point of not telling them anyway?"
"I mean, you can try tellin' them, but it won't go well Sho, trust me," Touya explained with a shrug. Noticing Shoto still looked unconvinced, he smiled lightly. "How about this, next training session with good ol' dad, you tell him."
"...Okay, I will."
--
"You need to work on that technique more, shift your foot to the right, lift your hand higher next time," Endeavor scolded as Shoto sat on the floor, clutching his arm. "What's got you so distracted today, Shoto? This lackluster performance is not what I expect of you!"
"...Because...I," the young boy hesitated.
"Well?" Endeavor prompted.
"I'm just tired. Touya and I stayed up late last night and..." his voice trailed off as he looked up at his father, whose eyes burned in a way he couldn't decipher.
"Touya..?" the red-haired man asked. When Shoto nodded, Endeavor simply sighed. "Of all people, I expected this sort of thing from you the least."
Thing? What sort of thing? Does he not believe me?
"Stand up, we're moving on," Endeavor ordered, to which Shoto obliged, but he was confused.
"Do you...not believe me? About Touya..?" he asked quietly, and the older man bristled.
"Shoto, Touya is dead. He has been for--"
"No, he's not! He came to my room last night, I saw him! We talked!" Shoto butted in, a glare growing on his face.
"Enough with this nonsense, Shoto!" Endeavor tried to quiet the boy, to Shoto's further annoyance.
"But you're not listening to me! He--"
"I SAID ENOUGH, SHOTO!"
The split-haired boy quickly quieted himself, staring in dismay at his father.
"You mustn't be wasting your time on these-- these delusions!" He ordered, looming over Shoto with a furious gaze. "Touya is gone. The sooner you get that through your head, the better."
Hesitantly, Shoto nodded, staying silent.
"Good. Now then, let's get on with your training."
--
"So, how'd it go?" Touya greeted as Shoto once more trudged into his room. A few bandages peppered the younger boy's face and arms.
With a sigh, Shoto sat on his bed, curling his knees up to his chin and resting his face on the tops of them. "He didn't believe me..."
"Yeah?" the white-haired boy asked as he sat on the floor in front of his brother.
Shoto nodded. "He said I was 'wasting my time on delusions'..." he muttered, sounding defeated.
"Told you so."
"I know..."
Silence filled the room for several moments, with both boys thinking silently to themselves.
"Alright," Touya started, finally breaking the silence. "I guess I'll...stay."
Shoto immediately perked up, staring at his brother with hopeful eyes. "Really?"
"Don't get too excited, I'm probably gonna have to stay in here," Touya warned, a playful smile threatening his lips.
"That's fine! We'll just...be having a sleepover," Shoto reasoned, to which Touya had to hold in a laugh.
"Yeah, sure. Sounds great Sho."