Hope Found in Ice and Flames

Chapter 26

Gentle love

Izuku sat one the floor in his room looking over one of his hero analysis notebooks, leaning against his bed when there was a quiet knock at the door. He stood up and opened it, finding his brother looking nervous and seemingly stuck on something. "Sho? What's up?" He asked, letting him come in and shutting the door quietly as it was past curfew.

"Uhm... We need to talk. Its about the training camp villains." He said, his eyes wandering around the LED lit room, "Well, moreover its about one of them. The black haired guy. With the scars?" Izuku nodded, sitting on his bed as Shouto sat at his desk.

The two sat in tense silence for a bit before Shouto spoke up. "The man... His hair looked a lot like Touya's right?" Izuku gaped slightly, his breath hitching. Why would Shouto bring this up? Why now?

"Shouto... his hair was black, Touya's was red." Shouto nodded, looking up, a weird bit of determination doused in his eyes.

"I know but- his eyes- I got a good look into them- They looked just like Touya's." Shouto stood and Izuku clenched his fist. "His voice was even familiar! And did you see his fire, it was exactly the same! What if-"

"What if what?! Our brother faked his death and sided with villains?? You're delusional Shouto, he's gone."

"No- No, what if he was forced! Or- what if he was kidnapped and brainwashed, Izuku we could save him! We could get Touya back, I know it!" He finished, holding onto his brothers hands in excitement. Unbeknownst to him, his assumptions were quite accurate, but Izuku wasn't having it.

"Shouto we watched him die. What are you trying to prove?!" Izuku snatched his hands away, standing up. Shouto stumbled back a bit, getting frustrated.

"You saw that one villain, his quirk makes replicas of people, that could've been it!" He said, furrowing his brows. His theory was accurate, neither teen knew that though. Izuku got angrier.

"Yeah well what if it's not! What if you go in there to rescue a villain and end up dead huh? He's not Touya, accept it! Shouto Touya's gone!" Izuku argued, shoving his brother back slightly. He was well aware of Shouto acting off since the camp incident but this, this was too much. He was going too far.

"What do you know?! You didn't see him up close, I did!" Shouto yelled back, crossing his arms.

Izuku growled angrily, "I know my brother! I know he's gone! I watched it happen, I heard it happen, YOU heard it happen!"

"What do you mean you know him?! He's not even your real brother!" Shouto yelled, his frustration had reached it's breaking point. He snapped. He didn't mean to, but he said the sentence any adopted child dreads hearing. "He was my brother before we even thought of you! I know him! I know it's him I-"

Shouto didn't even realize what he'd said until he looked up to face his younger brother. The terrified look in his green eyes, the way his lip quivered with every breath he took, his tears. "I- Izuku I-" Shouto stuttered over his words, feeling Izuku push him out of the room.

The door slammed in front of Shouto, he was mortified with himself. What did he do? Turning around, he flinched back, seeing his classmates, except Katsuki who was asleep, standing with wide eyes.

"Todoroki..." Ochako mumbled, looking at the dual haired boy worriedly.

"I-I didn't mean it- I just... I just want my brother back." Shouto muttered out, tears falling from his eyes heavily. Tenya approached him and hugged him, rubbing his back. Ochako could only stare, as well as the other students in the hall.

She stpped forward to enter Izuku's room but was stopped by his brother, being told he probably just wanted to be alone. She nodded, the rest of the class retreated to their dorm rooms, Shouto going to Tenya's.