Bruised And Broken

Hawks

"Shoto!"

The named boy's head snapped up at the blithe voice. Pro Hero Hawks had burst through the door, flashing Shoto an immaculate grin. Shoto felt the whole atmosphere pick up with the bubbly energy Hawks radiated.

"Hawks." The teen bowed his head respectfully. He was sitting upright on the messy bed. A laptop, several books and a bowl of strawberries were positioned at various points on the soft woollen blankets. Morning light filtered through the gauzy curtains. Aizawa and Hizashi were working. Hawks' crimson wings cast a shadow over the room, but it was not an unwelcome one.

Shoto remembered Hawks. He remembered Touya bringing him around when Shoto was just 4, announcing the blonde boy was his best friend. Endeavor only permitted this social interaction due to Hawks- Keigo at the time- already being involved with the Heroes Commission. Keigo and Touya had doted on the youngest Todoroki, always ready to play hide and seek or patch up his training wounds.

Keigo remembered Shoto. He remembered the smiles, the laughs and the games. But he also remembered the burns, Touya's whispered confessions in the shade of the big oak tree and the dark tales of a kettle, a tragic scar and an even more tragic disappearance. Guilt clawed at the hero's heart. Ha, such a hero he was. Keeping his silence for years out of fear of the commission, Keigo had only spilled his witness testimony at the court case all those weeks ago.

"How you holding up?" Keigo tried to grin, but could feel the telltale urge to rub the back of his neck- his nerves were acting up. Shoto's captivating sapphire eye seemed to hold an academic, even artistic intelligence- but his steely grey one seemed to hold a different type of intelligence; the omniscient type that seems to penetrate your very thoughts and intentions.

"I- I'm fine." Shoto seemed just as unnerved by the encounter as Keigo. "You?"

"I'm great!" Keigo said brightly, before sincerity washed over his tone. "I needed to talk to you about Da- your brother."

Shoto simply nodded.

"Well first I must confess something. I've known Dabi's true identity for years now." Keigo began cautiously. "He found me just 4 months after his disappearance- and told me, but begged for me to pretend I knew nothing to you or your family. I- I saw how distraught you and your siblings were and I wanted to tell you, believe me, but he was- he is my best friend and I could never betray him like that. And I need to apologize- because I knew what was happening and I let it continue. I never said a word because I was too afraid. Some hero, huh?" He'd descended into a rambling mess. "I let you suffer on, until you got too badly hurt to deny, and now you're hurt again and I am so sorry-"

"It's ok." Two words, and Keigo's pent up guilt spilled out of him like Niagara Falls.

"Shoto, I-"

"No, it's- I understand." Shoto insisted. Nothing but honesty coated his soft tone.

"Thanks Sho," Keigo smiled gently. "I came here with Touya's number. He wanted me to give it to you."

Shoto's wide eyes would seem comical, if the situation wasn't a massive turmoil. "I-"

"Say no more, Sho. I have to get back to the commission." Keigo began towards the door. "But here you are."

A note with a messy number scrawled on it was the only vestige of Keigo's visit.

~

Keigo shook the flashbacks from his mind. In a daze, he flashed his signature grin at fans he passed in the street. He left behind the bruises, the scars, the cries of terror and pain.

Japan didn't need a broken teenager, they needed the new number one hero.

That day, Keigo was forgotten at the hospital. Hawks walked away to fill the immense responsibility forced upon his shoulders.

He just wished Touya's face would stop haunting him.

A/N: hola! I'm now on summer holiday so hopefully chapters will be more frequent. I think this story may be drawing to a close. I hope you enjoyed Keigo's part :)). Have a great day/evening/night!