Bruised And Broken

Stress

Dedicated to song1bird123, yes I'm okay, thank you! Enjoy :)

Aizawa got to his feet with a heavy sigh. Returning the chair to its original position, he wheeled a wheelchair to the side of Dabi's bed.

"I can walk," growled Dabi. He didn't like being looked down or or being seen as weak.

"I'm oldest here; you'll do as I say." Aizawa retorted with a smirk.

"Old man." Dabi muttered angrily. He shifted from the bed to the wheelchair with a supressed groan of pain. Azure eyes winced, but Aizawa could feel the determination radiating off the younger man. The pair began their journey to the youngest Todoroki's room.

"Do you reckon he'll recognise me?" Dabi's voice was soft and small.

"He might not be awake," warned Aizawa.

"But if he is... I haven't seen him in nine years."

"I'm pretty sure Shoto has had a few theories of his own." Aizawa chuckled. Shoto's theories were well-known throughout 1-A.

"Hm." Dabi smiled fondly.

~

"W-why is he here?!" Hizashi exclaimed, jumping to his feet as Dabi was wheeled in by Aizawa.

"He told me everything in exchange for a visit to his little brother." Aizawa explained briefly. Hizashi's wide emerald eyes returned to their normal size and he slumped back down into his seat.

"So you were right..." The blonde muttered softly. Aizawa gave him a curt nod and the couple silently agreed Aizawa would recount the conversation to Hizashi later. "He's still asleep." Hizashi told Dabi, wearily gesturing towards the bed.

As Aizawa sat next to his spouse, Dabi wheeled himself closer his brother. With a gentle, faltering hand, he cupped Shoto's pale face tenderly. Each cut and bruise made the elder Todoroki wince. His second scarred hand came to entangle itself with Shoto's bandaged one.

"I'm sorry, little brother." Dabi murmured. Hizashi and Aizawa glanced each other before bowing their heads respectfully. "I'm sorry I left you."

Dabi heaved a sigh, slowly withdrawing his own hands from Shoto's poor face and hand. As he did so, Shoto's forehead creased as if he was having a bad dream. The teen whimpered and twisted in his bed, beads of sweat shining on his brow.

"Touya-niisan." His weak voice stuttered out. "Touya-niisan, please c-come home."

And suddenly Dabi was reverted back into a time 9 years ago, with pleading mismatched eyes looking up at him.

~

"Don't go..." a young voice pleaded.

"I have to."

"Please, take me with you!" Small hands grab the sleeve of his hoodie. Touya's sensitive to touch. He instinctively attempts to strike whoever has a hold of him. They duck, used to blows being thrown at them now. And suddenly, it's not just another person looking up at him. Touya realises it's his brother, his baby brother, who he tried to hit.

Touya's losing it, he knows that. Whether he's drunk or high or traumatized, he doesn't know. But he does know he's a dangerous monster, he knows Shoto is better off without him, he knows he knows he knows-

Touya dies that night. And the villain Dabi is born.

~

"Dabi! Dabi, snap out of it." Aizawa was in front of him, he was in the corridor.

"What happened?" Dabi asked blearily.

"You had a panic attack." Aizawa explained. His soft, dark eyes held a deep empathy.

"Oh." Dabi was disgusted at himself, how could he be so weak in front of a hero of all people?! "Shoto... what about Shoto?!"

"He's having a nightmare. Hizashi's trying to calm him down." Dabi could hear the stress in Aizawa's voice, and found himself intensely happy that Shoto had people who cared so much about him. He also distantly wondered if Shoto was having a nightmare about... that night.

"Let me help, I can help!" Dabi begged. The panic attack seemed to tear away his facade of being a cold, merciless killer. Right now, he felt as useless as 15-year-old Touya, hiding in the closet because his father was drunk, patching up his 6-year-old brother who he failed to protect, staring into the mirror and seeing how horribly much he looked like him.

"No, it'd do neither of you any good." Aizawa replied.

"But I'm his brother! Please, PLEASE!" Dabi felt his world fade away. Aizawa watched with guilt ebbing away him, as a nurse stuck a sedative into the villain's arm. Aizawa had gestured for the nurse, who had fortunately been walking down the corridor as Dabi had begun working himself up into another panic attack.

"I'll take him back to his room." The pro hero told the nurse and carefully began wheeling Dabi away.

~

"Shoto! Shoto, wake up!"

Shoto jolted awake, immediately registering the sticky feeling of sweat and tears. His wounds throbbed angrily and he let out an involuntary gasp. The man hovering above him, who Shoto vaguely registered was Hizashi, let out a sigh of relief.

"You're okay." The blonde reassured as he pulled Shoto to his chest. The teenager remained rigid in his hold, shining eyes staring off through the door window, into the corridor.

"Touya-niisan." He whispered. Hizashi's heart clenched painfully.

~

Aizawa stood in the doorway of Dabi's room. The dim corridor light outlined his silhouette as the ravenette inhaled deeply. Telling Shoto about this was going to be one of the hardest trials in his life so far. It only seemed fair to tell Shoto as soon as possible, but he couldn't risk Shoto panicking with all his injuries. He should be able to rest, stress-free, while he heals.

Had Shoto ever been devoid of stress?

That was a question Aizawa wasn't sure if he wanted answered or not.