Little Stars

Chapter 6

The days that Shoto spent at this house, (he stopped calling it home, it was never home to him. Just a cold empty house, filled with many bad memories and nights, many silent cries and blood ) they weren't the best days, As soon as he had returned to that house and had dinner with Fuyumi and Endeavour (just the three of them, Natsu always refused to have any meal with their father, their mother was still in the hospital and Touya — well, Touya wasn't there anymore.) Sometimes during these meals, Shoto imagines his two brothers and mother sitting with him and Fuyumi — away from Endeavor— but he knew that would never happen. His brother is gone and he didn't know when their mother would return home , and even if Fuyumi's food was the best it stopped tasting like a home-cooked meal and more like rubber and sand, most of the time he pushes the food around his plate with a posh fork just to fill in the silence, it never played well for him, those days. Training on an empty stomach is exhausting.

The training after dinner wasn't brutal like it used to when was younger, that's because Endeavor had told them that he will change and be a better father– Touya's death took hold of their usual patterns, and after all— Endeavor was a hero, he wasn't heartless of course he is Guilty, or whatever crap his sister tried to fed him, Fuyumi was ecstatic after she heard that, a better father, means a better family! , but Natsu wasn't showing the same enthusiasm, he wasn't on the same page with here, he seethed, saying that Endeavor would never change, it never ended well on those nights— arguments, and insults even if it wasn't intended, and Shoto never wanted to be part of this anymore, it left him exhausted and emotionally drained all the time.

"We could be a family again," Fuyumi tried to justify why she felt happy with that decision, why it made her relieved— because finally after many years, they could be the family that she wanted, that she needed, and maybe Mother would get back to us, maybe it will all be okay again.

We have never been a family, Fuyumi, we have never been okay, never will. — Shoto wanted to say this to her, he had never felt they were family before, not even when Touya was around, not on those small blessing moments where he felt he maybe had his brother, good and healthy and unburdened.

"A family? Really, Fuyumi?" Natsu had said incredulously, even with a sarcastic scowl his tone was dead cold. "A family after he had driven mom mad," he spat. "Or after T– Touya was burned alive?"

Shoto listened behind the bathroom door, he kind of agreed with him, but he couldn't say anything as he watched silently as Fuyumi's tears began to fill her eyes and spill down her face slowly, she felt defeated. Resigned

"Sorry, Fuyumi, but your idea of a family had been shattered a long time ago."

Even though the training wasn't brutal, it still left burns and bruises all over his body, and Endeavor trying to act like a real father toward him never worked, he still pushed, he still demanded things out of Shoto's abilities, Shoto had counted every minute until he returned back to the dorms. He just couldn't stay in this house –cold, ugly house– for just a few days. It's not like he didn't want to see Fuyumi or Natsu, in fact, both of them communicate with him through his phone when he is in the dorms, trying to be close to him and always asking about him but Natsu was more closer to Shoto than Fuyumi— 'I feel guilty for leaving you, Shoto. Could we be more closer?' Natsu had asked him hopefully. 'I know I am not going to be the same as Tou– but I will try.' So, Natsu became closer to him over the years. He even met Midoriya on a rare occasion, he had finally let Midoriya's enthusiasm crack him into going out for the mall —

"I approve of him," Natsu had whispered in a teasing tone which made Shoto glare at him, confused(and maybe to hide his little blush a little bit.)