"Oh, and who is this?" The front desk receptionist croons as she peers over at my little brother. Shoto is twelve now, almost thirteen; he's only a foot shorter than me, which is terrifying . He called me in the middle of the night to tell me that he was finally ready to see Mom. Of course, that meant I started filling out the new guest paperwork at the crack of dawn so I could get him in there as soon as possible. Our mother had been waiting for this moment for four years. For four years, she'd only ever seen me. I was her only visitor. Her stupid book club "friends" never visited, and my other siblings were forbidden from doing so. However, I wasn't going to take no for an answer from our father. As such, I broke into the house and got Sho out of there. It was pretty simple; I always knew the best times to sneak around the house so Dad wouldn't find out. I basically pulled him out of his bedroom window and then floored it all the way to the hospital.
"My name is Shoto Todoroki, and I'm here to see my mom. Please," Shoto says calmly to the secretary. Over the years, I'd warmed up to the old hag, though it helped that Keigo was still paying them off.
"She should be finished with breakfast and in her room now. I know your big brother knows the way," She gives Shoto a fake smile, and I roll my eyes as I take my little brother by the hand and pull him down the hallway like a lost child. Shoto has little to no spatial or emotional awareness, but, to be fair, it's not entirely his fault. He was raised to eat, sleep, and fight. There wasn't any room for friends or feelings. Not with Endeavor's training. Shoto's eyes widen as he stares at every room we pass down the long, retirement-home-meets-hospital-meets-weird-motel hallway. The flooring was patched between hardwood and tile, and the walls were painted a weird shade of yellow. I stop in front of room 601 and let go of Shoto's hand. He looks up at me with a confused stare.
"Mom's in...there?" He mutters, and I nod. He glances up at the plaque with her name and her "diagnoses", and I quickly move to stand in front of the extensive list.
"Yeah, don't worry about what all that says, okay? It's Mom. She's...she's felt terrible ever since she was put in here. She...she really loves you, Shoto. She loves our family. She just...She never meant to hurt you , Sho. She regrets it every single day," I explain calmly as Shoto blankly stares up at the wooden door. I hadn't told her that he was coming because I hadn't had the chance to. It was all so sudden. I just hope she doesn't have a heart attack. I fish into the pants of my Hero Suit and pull out the key to Mom's room. I was the only other person that had a key besides the staff.
"Just...be patient with her. Alright? She should be patient with you. I don't... I don't want this to be a bad experience for either of you. You're growing up. You'll be applying to UA soon, though, to be honest, you'll just get in on recommendations. The point is...," I sigh, "Be yourself, Shoto. And...she...she may not be exactly how you remember her." I take a deep breath and softly knock on the door as I slip the key into the lock. I feel Shoto freeze beside me, and I look down at him with a hesitant smile.
"It's gonna be okay," I whisper before I slowly start to turn the knob. "Mom? Can I come in?" Suddenly, I feel my little brother poking me aggressively in the back, and I look over my shoulder to see him shaking.
"Sho. It's okay. I'm gonna go in with you," I reassure him, and he gulps nervously before nodding.
"Toya? Is that you?" Rei Todoroki's voice sings sweetly through the door.
"Yeah, Mom," I reply as I slowly push open the door and pop my head in, hiding Shoto from her view. She's sitting at her desk with a small tray of watercolor paint and a canvas of muddled colors as she stares out the dirty window.
"Um...I...I brought someone with me," I slowly confess as I push the door open wider and step inside. She still has her back turned to us.
"OH! Did you finally bring Keigo by?! I've been wanting to meet him so badly!" She giddily exclaims before turning around to see me standing alone in front of the doorway. Slowly, Shoto walks into the room to stand beside me, and time seems to stop.
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PHOENIX: A Pro Hero Toya Todoroki AU
FanfictionFor most of his life, Toya Todoroki was a loner. He was a scrawny, broody kid only known for getting in an explosive fight that led to him being held back. That is...until he met Keigo Takami. Navigating love, his own demons, and the road to becomin...
