Hiddin In The Evergreen

Chapter 4

(Warning: Mentions of abuse. If you're easily triggered please skip to the next chapter.)

The buzz of the Todoroki family had died down after a month. Katsuki did what he could to figure out but everything about the family was a mystery. It made him angry that he couldn't find anything good or bad on them. After the search seem to lead to nothing but dead ends he decided to force answers out of the source. Icyhot!

Katsuki trudged through the forest to the spot he had always seen Shoto go too. He had to get to the bottom of why someone who would now just buy the manor. The manor of all places, it was considered a forbidden place to go. When Katsuki found Shoto he was now more enraged than ever. "You!" He shouted. Shoto shrieked as he turned around seeing him. His heart pounded making his chest ache "M-me?" Katsuki pinned him to the ground "What is your family doing here!?!" Shoto looked up at him in terror as he scrambled to get away. Katsuki was strong, shoto was sadly not.

"You're hurting me!" He cried out. "ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Shoto fell silent, he didn't know how to answer it. He managed to push Katsuki off of him before making a run for it. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" he called out as he began to run home in hopes Katsuki would leave. Katsuki refused to let him leave. He quickly followed him. Shoto was fast but Katsuki was faster. He got him cornered before shouting again "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Shoto cried out "My dad wanted a change of scenery to work on his business. He decided to buy the manor and live here because he was going to build up trade routes. That's all I know!" "BULLSHIT!" "IT IS THE TRUTH IT IS NOT BULLSHIT!" Shoto cried desperately.

Bang-!

Both Shoto and Katsuki froze as the sound of a gunshot went off. Enji stood towering over both Katsuki and Shoto with a gun in hand. Katsuki quickly stepped back, his eyes glaring straight into Enji's eyes. "Shoto. Get in the house" "b-but-" "I SAID GET IN THE HOUSE" he shouted. Shoto looked at Katsuki terrified before running back to the manor. Enji looked beyond angry, but oddly not at Katsuki. "My boy wander onto your property again?" He growled. "It's fine-" "No it isn't, my boy knows respect of property I'll be sure to not let it happen again. Good day." Enji turned walking away back to his manor. Katsuki watched enji and shoto. Something felt off about him.

As he walked back to his cabin shoto's terrified look haunted him. Something felt wrong. He knew better than to ask or even speak to Enji. The following days he went back to the spot but Shoto never came, soon a week had gone by and there wasnt a trace of anything from shoto not even in his own yard. Katsuki worried for him, he still needed him for answers. Early that morning he snuck onto Enji's property. When he saw Enji and the limo leave he quickly ran towards the manor. His mother told stories of the manor, he hated being around it. It was a horrible place.

Shoto was locked in his room working on his studies. He didn't notice the blonde had crawled in through his window. Katsuki looked at him, his gaze darkened. He's bruised. Did he get beat? At least he's alive. Something about that dude is hella fuckin sketchy. He cleared his throat to gain Shoto's attention making Shoto leap from his bed.

"I didn't come in here to hurt you so chill. Your dad is gone" he sighed. Shoto looked at him. He curled up on the floor and sighed "You shouldn't be here" "I know.." "Then why are you here?" Katsuki was silent before he answered "I don't know." "I think you do" Shoto whispered before crawling back to finish his studies. "You should go" he spoke harshly. Katsuki leaned against the wall "Oh? And if I don't." He looked at him "I'll call the police" "You're an hour outside the town they won't come in time" katsuki stated. "Oh well- then I'll shoot your foot" "How am I supposed to leave if you shoot me in my goddamn foot?" Katsuki smirked. Shoto looked at him quite annoyed "Just go."

"Did he hurt you?" "Doesn't matter" "It does matter, he had a gun icyhot." Katsuki growled. Shoto looked at him surprised. He...cares about me? He looked away "So...you came here to see if I'm alright?" "I suppose so?" Katsuki went over sitting on the bed beside him. "So, did he hurt you?" He looked at him now analyzing everything about Shoto. He's thin, definitely starved or at least too anxious to eat, he was beaten, who is this guy and why is he harpen on his kid? Shoto looked at him "You should go before my dad gets home". "I'm not leaving without answers" Shoto pouted before looking away. He was silent for a long time before huffing "He got mad is all". "It's not just mad icyhot, parents shouldn't leave bruises like this" He stated.

Shoto turned away before changing the subject "Why did you want to know what my family was doing here?" "None of your business." He scoffed. "Oh come on you asked me a personal question, give me the tea" Shoto nudged him. Katsuki chuckled "Fine, the manor has been considered forbidden for a long time. The last people who came here died 10 years ago." He looked away sad "So, I just wanted to figure out why you guys moved to town with a population less than 300." "What is it haunted? Why is it forbidden?" Shoto looked at him.

"My mom told me a story a long time ago. Of this family that used to live here. They had two kids, a dog, and a butler. They were kind people at least according to the story. Back then the town of Evergreene was famous on the map, people far and wide came to trade spices, to hunt, and see the mountains. One night the family was killed and everyone suspected it was the butler. But the butler had never been caught. After that trade stops, people started leaving over the years, it began falling apart. The town believed this house was cursed. My mom used to say that secrets were held in it. That someday the family that was killed would return. But I don't believe in legends" Katsuki sighed. Shoto looked at him in awe "Ooo it sounds like a ghost story".

Katsuki chuckled "Yeah, just a little. My mom used to tell me about it when I was kid so I'm not surprised if it was" He stood. Shoto got up "Want a tour of the haunted Manor?" "I don't know, shouldn't I go" He smirked. "Oh shut up!" He scoffed before dragging Katsuki out. It was that moment, katsuki slowly began to realize how much shoto needed him. Who else would protect him from Enji's wrath?

As shoto showed him around they talked for hours. About nonsense and more. "I don't see how anyone could think this place is haunted." Shoto sighed before stopping near his father's wing. Katsuki stopped "This dude is like a psycho, why have the halls that dark?" "I don't know, there's no electrical wiring on this side of the house, my dad keeps saying he will fix it but never has time." shoto shrugged. Katsuki looked at him with an odd expression "What do you mean no wiring?" Shoto went over knocking on the walls "See hollow" he began flicking the lights showing they weren't lighting up. "Anyway this is forbidden so I'll show you the rest of the house."

"Icyhot, you don't understand. Why is not only your father's side of the house not wired but also forbidden?" He crossed his arms. "I..you...uh... hmm..I don't know. This is first house ever that an entire wing has been forbidden." Before katsuki could speak a car pulled into the driveway. Shoto and Katsuki scrambled to get back to his room. As katsuki slipped back out the window shoto thought more about Katsuki's question. Why was Enji's chambers forbidden? Something about it was unsettling. He rushed leaning out the window "Hey! Meet me in the groves at midnight. I'll try and figure out what's inside those walls" Shoto called out before returning to his studies.

Katsuki looked back, he smirked as he ran away. Midnight? What were they Nancy drew wannabes trying to solve a mystery? Katsuki replayed it in his mind, he had to know about the manor so it was worth it. After all...he lost his parents to that manor.