Chapter Text
There was a time, when Shouto used to believe in people.
When he was little, he used to believe in his mother. Believed that she loved him, and would never hurt him. And though he doesn’t remember them, he knows that he once believed in his siblings, too; once upon a time, he knows that they loved him. He’s not sure how he knows, but- he does.
And when he was very little, he used to believe in his father.
Shouto doesn’t remember when he stopped believing in people, really. Maybe it was the first time that he saw his father hit his mother. Maybe it was the first time that his father hit him. Maybe it was when his siblings left, when his mother burned him, when the first (and only) friend that he ever made was a cat.
He doesn’t remember. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter.
Believing in people, being close to them, has never done anything for him anyways, except to get him hurt. It’s easier not to believe; easier to trust that people can, and will hurt you, even if they say they won’t.
His mother and siblings loved him; he knows that, believes that. But they still hurt him.
It’s what people do. They hurt you, and maybe they don’t mean to, but they hurt you and then you’re left alone to pick up your own broken pieces.
Or, to be more specific- people hurt him. And leave him alone- the only person who’s never left him is Endeavor, and he... doubts that the old bastard counts. It's not as though Endeavor really cares about him; only his quirk.
He’s not proud of these beliefs; knows that it isn’t something that most people would feel, towards others, but he can’t help himself. It’s one of his life’s lessons, that didn’t just come from his father, but everyone else who's ever been around him.
(Not that there really is anyone else, these days.)
Still, though, he wants to be a hero.
Because while he doesn’t believe in people, he still wants to be able to help them; to believe for them. Wants to make it so that the things that have happened to him, the things that have made him how he is, don’t happen to anyone else.
He doesn’t know what this makes him. Doesn’t know if this makes him good, or bad. He just is.
And either way, heroes aren’t always good. He knows this very well. But as his father proves; even if one is bad, selfish, cruel, one can still be a hero to someone. His father simply is the type of hero who hurts; who chooses to fight villains and beat them harshly, as a way of helping people.
Shouto doesn’t want to be anything like that.
But today is the first step to proving that he can be a hero, regardless of what he is. The U.A. Sports Festival.
He’s going to use today to help prove his father wrong, to show that he’s nothing like the old bastard, and take another step forward on his path to being a hero.
The kind of hero who could have helped his mother; who his mother could have stood to look at. The kind of hero that would have been enough for his siblings; enough to help them from whatever Endeavor did, and keep them from leaving. The kind of hero who can save people, instead of only hurting them.
Make it stop make it stop make it-
And fire is only pain, and it hurts; he’s going to be the best that he can be, without it.
Around him, in the locker room that they've been given to prepare in, his classmates are chattering excitedly amongst themselves. They’re all pumped up, though there’s an underlying hint of nervousness in the air. Everyone is talking to someone; everyone is getting ready to do their best; everyone wants to win.
He’s got to beat them all, though.
He zeroes his eyes in on his main target of the day. Midoriya Izuku.
Over the past weeks, since overhearing Iida and Uraraka, he’s concluded that quirk-wise, and in terms of basic hand-to-hand combat, Midoriya isn’t much of a match for him. It is true, though, that the other’s frame does pack some muscle. But status-wise... the green-haired boy most definitely has All Might’s ear. Meaning, that the other is a legitimate rival. Taking down the protégé of the number-one hero is good proof that Shouto’s strong enough.
So, stealing his nerves, he marches over to Midoriya, and presents the other boy with his declaration of war, as the rest of their class quiets and watches on.
It’s time for the games to begin.
______________________________
Touya would like it to be known that he is not nervous.
He’s just excited. Very excited, because today, after nine fucking years, he’s finally going to get to see his baby brother again.
(And maybe even his mother- because if Shouto is here competing in the Festival, then possibly, Mother has come too, to watch? But- no doubt Endeavor is here as well, and-
At any rate, he knows that Shouto is here. And seeing the kid is his number-one priority.)
Simultaneously, though, he’s also feeling fucking furious- and that's an emotion that he's not been able to shake, ever since he first saw Shouto on the television, after the USJ attack.
Because something happened to put that scar on Shouto’s face, and he’s got one good guess as to who did it. And if Shouto looks like that, what must Mother look like, right now? What has Endeavor done to them?
You left them you left them alone-
He knows that something isn’t right, in the Todoroki house.
It’s possible, true, that Shouto and Mother didn’t want to see him, Natsuo, and Fuyumi, when they called the house after Natsuo’s birthday, when they tried to visit the estate. He hasn’t forgotten that his mother and baby brother might- hate him, and the very thought aches, but-
He’s had plenty of time since that unfortunate visit to think it over further, and- to never even catch a glimpse of them? To have heard nothing in the media, for over nine years?
Endeavor is a private bastard, but this level of secrecy goes beyond acceptable for a pro, and into the extreme. Something isn’t right. And he knows that it must have to do with Endeavor, and it makes him furious.
The scar on Shouto's face, the lack of any sort of news- Touya knows.
This combination of excitement and anger is causing him to shake and shiver; but really, it’s not nerves.
But today, it ends; he’s going to find out once and for all, what’s going on. If Shouto really doesn’t want to talk to him, Fuyumi, and Natsuo, well- he’ll cross that bridge when he gets there. But first, he’s got to properly find out what’s going on, without strange maids or his father getting in the way.
Standing next to him on the sidewalk outside U.A., Keigo squeezes his hand, reassuringly. A bright red wing snakes its way around him, as his lover hums. “You okay?”
Touya sighs, and presses his face into his boyfriend’s neck. “I’m fine, pretty bird.”
“Mm.” It’s a lie, and they both know it. But Keigo is kind enough not to call him out on it. His boyfriend nuzzles him closer; he breathes in the familiar scent of musk and air-before-a-storm, and tries to calm himself down.
Just- breathe, a bit.
The sound of his name forces him to look up again. Natsuo and Fuyumi have arrived, each of them waving cheerfully at him and looking excited, too. But, he can see the way that Fuyumi is nervously fidgeting with her jacket; the way that Natsuo can’t seem to stand completely still.
They’re both feeling what he is, he knows; excitement, anger, anticipation.
So, he beckons them closer, leans a little bit more into Keigo as they exchange greetings. And then as one, the four of them turn to face the giant stadium behind them, where the U.A. Sports Festival is being held; as one, they walk inside to find their seats.
Over nine long years, and Touya’s finally here.
Shouto is here.
______________________________
Keigo clutches Touya’s hand firmly, trying to provide comfort.
His boyfriend claims to not be nervous, but Keigo has known Touya for years. He knows all the little tells, the things that make Touya tick; and after having blissfully lived together for the past year, he considers himself a bit of an expert.
Simply put, Touya is nervous, and trying too damn hard to pretend otherwise.
Not that Keigo blames his boyfriend; after all, he knows that Touya, as well as Fuyumi and Natsuo, have been looking forward to this for a very long time.
He himself has never met Todoroki Shouto; he has no idea what their youngest sibling is like. But from the precious stories that Touya has told him, he wants to find out.
It’s as he told Touya, all those years ago when his boyfriend first confessed the Yukimuras' past. If there’s any way that he can help the Yukimuras get their mother out from Endeavor, get their baby brother out, then he’ll do it.
Their family is his family; that’s what Touya has always told him. It doesn't matter that he's never met Shouto; the kid is family.
So, as the games begin, he peers closely into the stadium, watching as the student classes emerge from the depths of the stadium, to loud cheering. And with his raptor vision, it doesn’t take long for him to spot that distinctive head of red-and-white hair among the children.
He points the boy out to Touya, whose grip on his fingers tightens even more.
Shouto looks much the same as when they saw the kid after the USJ attack; except this time, it’s more than a passing glimpse. Still, though, the boy’s posture is set; with a blank face, and Shouto’s marching with a determined gait. Shouto doesn’t look around at the crowd, though, facing forward, so the kid hasn’t spotted the four of them yet, but-
Well, Keigo made sure to groom his wings this morning to their fullest glory, so that they’d stand out, a sure beacon, even amidst the wild colors of the crowd.
Anything that he can do, to help all four of these siblings find each other again.
(Plus, it helps their visibility that they're sitting in a spectator booth; they're surrounded by the crowd, but not a part of it.)
As he continues to watch below, next to him Touya makes a slightly choked, strangled sound, that might be a gasp. He eyes his boyfriend; but Touya's head merely shakes in response, wild red strands flying everywhere. “I’m fine, pretty bird.”
Keigo hums, but tucks his wing around Touya tighter anyways. “I know you are.”
He peers over at Natsuo and Fuyumi on Touya's other side. Both look just as emotional as Touya; Keigo double-checks his pocket, and makes sure that he’s got tissues ready and waiting in case any of them need it.
Their family is his family. And Keigo protects his family.
So, he pulls Touya nearer to him, and scoots them both closer to Natsuo and Fuyumi. And resolves, privately, to keep a very close eye on Shouto for the rest of these games, and monitor the kid's well-being.
He looks around then, and locates Endeavor too; so, he'll have watch to see what the man does as well, if any drama looks like it may start. But... he unfortunately can't find Todoroki Rei anywhere; it looks as though she hasn't come.
(Damn. Well, he and the Yukimuras knew it was possible that she wouldn't be here; but, it's still a bit of a disappointment.)
Down in the arena, some blond kid does a horrible opening speech. Midnight captivates the crowd with her over-the-top persona, as she starts to announce the events. And eventually, the first whistle is blown.
The games have begun.
______________________________
Touya watches with wide eyes as Shouto takes second place in the first event. For the whole duration, though, it’s a struggle for him not to cry.
Shouto’s here. And the kid’s all grown up, and-
But, even despite Touya’s tears, his joy, he can’t shake the ever-growing feeling of wrong.
He’s spotted his flaming fucking father in the stands, which is bad, but expected; though, it does take a fair amount of restraint to prevent himself from screaming. Or burning something. He just- ugh.
There’s no sign of his mother, though, which drops a pit in his stomach; he knew that she might not come, but it still increases his bad feelings. Unfortunately, though; neither his father's presence nor his mother's lack of presence, are the main issue that's screaming wrong.
The entire time, even while racing past robots and sliding over thin ropes, Shouto doesn't use the fire half of the kid's quirk; it's all ice, ice, everywhere.
(A truly impressive display of control over the ice- but still.)
Touya had been hoping, vainly, that the strange costume that Shouto had worn during the USJ incident was just a weird fashion sense, and he's tried to put it out of his mind in the face of all the other concerns, that he's had.
But seeing Shouto now, actually in action, a deeper part of him knows that it wasn’t just a strange costume design. For some reason, Shouto isn’t using flames, at all, and Touya knows that there’s no fucking way that their father has approved of such a thing.
So either Shouto can't use the left side, which is highly unlikely, or- the kid is just refusing to. For whatever reason.
He dreads to know what the reason is; but this is his chance to find out, and he's going to take it, regardless of his dread. It’s what he’s wanted for years, after all. To be able to help his mother, and especially his little brother; save the sibling that he couldn’t save, before, if it turned out that Shouto still needed saving.
Which, looks increasingly more likely.
So, as the first event of the Sports Festival ends, and the second one begins, he takes a deep breath, and leans a little bit farther forward in his seat, watching carefully.
If he can just find a way to get close to Shouto, that will be a good start. He’s talked it over with Keigo and his siblings; if they can’t get close to Shouto now, then they’ll certainly extend the offer of an internship, and see what happens. And from that point on, well- no matter what happens, he’s not giving up.
(Even if he's got to creepily stand outside U.A. after school ends, one day, and try to talk to Shouto then- although, hopefully it doesn't come to that.)
But he’s not powerless, anymore. He’s not bound by their father, anymore.
Whatever it takes, he’s going to save his baby brother.