Forever Yours |TodoBakuDeku AU|

In This Moment.

Touya Todoroki

The little shit thinks he's slick.
And honestly, he is, but you get used to it over time, and once you're used to it, you notice every little thing.

Temperature shifts. How he puts down his bag. Involuntary movements. Flinching, no matter how minor. Med-kit symptoms. Slight wincing, or hints at emotion.

But Shoto is a really self-conscious person. So self-conscious he usually realizes his tells before anyone else. Almost everything about the kid is so meticulously controlled and regulated that you could genuinely mistake him for a robot.

And you can tell it's this controlled nature that he hates most about himself.
Besides the trauma scar that is.

And it makes my stomach roil. Knowing that I hated him for so long, just because he took all of Enji's attention. Back when I wanted nothing more than that bastard's approval, I genuinely wanted Shoto to die.

But he forgave me. The boy who likely only remembers the worst of me. Nonetheless, he forgave me.

But I'll never forgive myself.

Being gone for 10 years, leaving my siblings to be traumatized by that poor excuse of a man, leaving them time to rot and potentially follow my unhealthy example.

And from what I've heard, once I left, Yuums and Natsu were completely neglected if they stayed out of the way while all of Enji's desire, and focus was dedicated to the kid.

His childhood was so dominated by Enji's fists that he doesn't remember very much.

Only about 3 core memories, 2 of those being trauma.

So now, as I watch him stiffen under Fuyumi's light touch, I want to scream at him.

He went back. Why did he go back?

Instead, I took in a deep breath and slightly heated a cup of tea with my quirk.

"Come have a cup of tea. Your favorite," I murmured, smiling slightly as he practically leaped for it.

He snatched up the cup and gulped down the earl grey tea like the monster he is. And I pretended not to notice the gigantic fading bruise peeking out from under his shirt.

"Can I have another?" he asked, looking towards the kitchen.

"Sure thing, Sho-sho!" Natsuo called, jumping at the opportunity to step away from his term paper. "I'll just heat the water for you-"

"I'll do it. Mori told me that I should try doing it myself when i'm feeling brave." he said, striding into the kitchen. "Now where do you guys hide the tea kettle?"

"Did Mori really say that?" I asked, watching the kid carefully. Because it felt wrong.

"During our last session, Mori asked me if I was ready to revisit my list of fears and choose the one I was most ready to face. This is the one I chose."

"Have you been going to Dr. Nakahara's every week like she asked?"

"I- I haven't seen Mori in a month." He said quietly, knowing how Fuyumi would react.

"Ok," she sighed, wringing her hands like she did when she was upset. Shoto grabbed the empty kettle from the green box underneath the sink before carefully setting it on the stove.

I watched as he stood there, steeling his nerves before picking it up and filling it with water.

He quickly placed the kettle on top of the stove and turned on the flame before backing away. From where I stood, I could see him shaking as he watched the kettle.

Natsu saw it too, and being who he was reached for Shoto, but I caught him around the waist. shaking my head adamantly.

This is something that the kid had to do.

I slacked my grip and Natsuo slid over to me, using my shoulder as an arm rest. He flashed me a huge shit-eating grin, knowing that I hated it when he did this. Just I attempted to cremate Natsuo with just my eyes, the kettle started to scream.

We both snapped our heads towards Shoto who looked like he was about to be violently sick all over the kitchen floor.

"Shoto?" I called, attempting to snap him out of his memories. "Hey! Lil' masterpiece! Snap out of it!"

The kid gave a start before turning to see Natsu and I behind him. With a twitch of the lips, he nodded before facing the kettle again.

As he stepped forward, the kettle gave an unfortunate screech that sounded a little too much like a child screaming.

He automatically jerked his face away, but stood in place. After a few seconds, he forced his eyes open and turned the stove off. The screaming stopped 10 beats after.

My body relaxed before I realized I had been on edge. I watched as he poured the water over a tea bag in his favorite mug.

I felt Natsu sag against me, and I knew he had been. I couldn't help but be proud of the masterpiece, a smile spreading on my face as Fuyumi appeared to my left.

"I think he's ok," Natsuo sighed, a smile of his own creeping up his face.

"Now. In this moment, at least." I amended, speaking softly. "I just wish he'd stop lying to us."