Everything was perfect (Until it wasn't)

A monster

" How do you like your soba Shoto?"

Shoto swallowed some of the cold noodles before responding. " They're good, thank you for fixing them for me."

Fuyumi smiled, " Do you think you'll be able to go to school on Monday?"

" I think so." Shoto responded simply, slurping some more of his noodles.

Shoto and Fuyumi were currently sitting in the dining room, both eating Soba, Fuyumi's was hot and Shoto's was cold, just how he liked it.

" Shoto I'm really sorry that I keep bringing this up but," Fuyumi sighed, " I really think you had a seizure."

Shoto didn't say anything, because he was beginning to think so too.

" I did some research as I made you Soba, and... I think you had a non-epileptic seizure."

Shoto tilted his head slightly and blinked with confusion. " What's that?"

" Well, they're like seizures but they don't have to do with abnormal activity in the brain, when you have non-epileptic seizures, they usually have to do with... trauma." Fuyumi paused to watch him for a reaction, but Shoto's face was blank even though his mind was going crazy with questions. " And, you're being abused Shoto so, I don't think it would be wrong to assume you have trauma. And the way you acted when you woke up matched perfectly with how people act after having a non-epileptic seizure." Fuyumi took a breath, then looked at Shoto, waiting for him to say something.

Shoto only stared at her, mouth slightly gaped. " I- I don't have trauma, Fuyumi." He choked out. He hadn't expected her to say that. He hadn't expected her to say...

He was abused.

No one ever said that out loud.

He could feel tears brick out the corner of his eyes.

Why was he about to cry? He had no reason to cry right now. Shoto desperately tried to blink the tears away, but that only made it worse. His vision blurred with tears and he internally cursed himself for being such a crybaby. Father would be livid if he saw him crying like this.

Such a worthless crybaby, I knew I shouldn't have let you be around your mother so much! I bet you got this from her! He could practically hear his father yell.

He shuddered at the thought of his father seeing him like this.

The tears fell one after another, as his sister's words played on loop in his head.

You're being abused Shoto

You're being abused Shoto

You're being abused Shoto

He subconsciously knew this. He knew that fathers don't normally beat their sons until they lose consciousness. He knew they weren't supposed to insult, hurt and humiliate their children until the child broke down, alone, without comfort. He knew that wasn't normal. But, nothing in his life is really normal, is it?

Shoto had seen how other parents treat their children on multiple occasions. On parents day, in the store and at the park. Shoto couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy and sadness whenever he would see fathers hugging and encouraging their children. Or when mothers would show affection towards their children, like his mother would try to do for him, but was always beat down for it.

A heart broken sob escaped Shoto's lips, as he dropped his chopsticks on the ground.

His eyes were wide with sadness, as tears flowed full force down his cheeks. He didn't try to stop them. He knew there was no point. They would just keep coming. Shoto could feel cool, comforting hands rubbing circles on his back.