The Hellish Todorokis

Chapter 7

"Touyaaa!" Small hands shake him out of a deep sleep. He groans as Shouto jumps up and down on the bed. "Touya! Wake up! We're gonna be late!"

"Five more minutes," he mumbles, rolling over and burying his head in the pillow, trying to ignore the little hellion.

"No! Get. Up. Get. Up." Shouto starts chanting, slapping him lightly on the back in time to the words. "Get. Up. Get. Up."

Touya swipes his arm out and grabs him, Shouto squealing in an attempt to get away, and pulls him close to his chest. "You're a brat, you know that?" He starts tickling his sides, Shouto giggling uncontrollably. He smiles as the boy squirms in his grip before letting him go and sitting up. He stretches and wipes the sleep from his eyes. When he looks at the clock, he frowns. "Shouto. I know you didn't just wake me up 15 minutes before my alarm." He looks at his brother accusingly.

The boy just crosses his arms and gives him a serious look. "I was bored." As he walks out the bedroom door, he calls over his shoulder, "Now hurry up!"

Touya chuckles, shaking his head in amusement. "Yes, sir."

He's not sure when Shouto became the sassy little gremlin he is now. Sometime over the last few months, his brother has turned into an unstoppable, headache-inducing force of nature. Gone were the days of timid stares and blank looks, of hiding behind him and using him as a shield against the world. Nowadays, no one could tell him anything, no one could make him do anything he didn't want to do, and he was stubborn as a mule. It was like he was staring into the eyes of a nine-year-old Touya. He was half convinced that raising Shouto was his karma for being such a little shit in his younger years. It was all catching up to him.

Touya stretches before slipping on some pants and his work shirt, trudging to the bathroom to try and tame his hair, put his contacts in and brush his teeth. He frowns at the sliver of white near his scalp. I need to grab more dye .

He studies his face in the mirror, copper eyes staring back at him. The color still looked strange compared to his vibrant blue, but it was slowly growing on him. Three studs decorate the right side of his nose and three helix piercings adorn his ears. A new hoop was pierced through his eyebrow, still slightly red as it heals.

Body modifications have become a sort of therapy for him. He had been walking by a tattoo & piercing shop on the way home from work one day when someone walked out, piercings adorning their face. He was instantly captivated, stopping in his tracks. He entered the shop without thinking and left with his first piercing. He hadn't looked back since.

The industrial-style jewelry made him feel just a little more normal as it drew attention away from his scars. Like the heaviness he'd been carrying was steadily being lifted from its place on top of his chest. Little by little, he could breathe easier. People still stared, of course, but at least he could tell himself they were staring at the metal and not his mutilated body. They were seeing the beauty and not his failure. He rolls his tongue, the familiar weight of the metal ball clicking against his teeth and grounding him to reality, before turning away from his reflection.

Leaving the apartment, Shouto jogs ahead, taking the stairs two at a time. "Oi, you're gonna hurt yourself!" Touya warns.

"I'm fine!" Shouto whines, although he slows down and takes the stairs properly, waiting for him at the bottom. "Hurry up!"

"We have plenty of time, punk. They won't leave without you, I promise." He sticks his hand out to ruffle his hair, but Shouto swats him away and goes to push him. Touya dodges at the last second, laughing at the attempt.

There's still a slight chill in the air, the cold temperatures holding on for dear life against the change of the seasons. People are out walking their dogs and kids brave the playground, tired of being cooped up all winter. It's a beautiful day, the sun warm against Touya's face, small tufts of clouds dotting the sky. As they continue walking, apartment buildings are replaced by single family homes with manicured lawns.