Please, Help Me

I'm Scared

Touya was scared. Touya was terrified. He wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep forever. Endeavor was home and he was pissed. Shouto had gone with Rei, Fuyumi, and Natsuo to the park. Touya had been invited, but one look into his mother's terrified eyes had him refusing.

"Touya! Where's Shouto?" Endeavor's voice bellowed across the room. Touya didn't reply. He knew that if he did Rei and Shouto would get in trouble.

"I asked you a question, boy, and I expect you to give me an answer." Endeavor grabbed Touya roughly, pressing on the healing burns and bruises littering Touya's arms.

Touya let out an involuntary cry of pain. Endeavor only pressed harder. Touya was torn between wishing his mother would come home soon or wishing that they would stay out long enough for Endeavor to calm down.

The sooner they got home, the sooner Endeavor would forget about Touya's existence; but that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

"Fine, if you won't tell me where Shouto is, you can take his place. You've been slacking on your training anyways, haven't you boy?" Endeavor dragged Touya to the training room.

Touya was more than scared now. He was petrified. Touya didn't like using his quirk. It hurt so much more than anyone would ever know. It felt like hell. Like someone was blowtorching Touya, making sure he burnt to the point where his skin turned black and it felt like his flesh would fall off of his bones with the slightest touch.

Touya also knew though, it was better him than Shouto. He would never wish such a fate upon his 6-year-old brother. Hell, he wouldn't wish it upon his worst enemies.

Finally, after the longest yet shortest minute of Touya's life, they reached the training room.

Endeavor made Touya spar with him for 3 hours, yelling about how weak and pathetic Touya was the whole time, before Rei came running into the room.

Touya was on the floor, covered in blood and burns, Endeavor towering over him, fire surrounding the two of them.

"Mom," Touya had managed to croak out, reaching out to his mother.

Rei hugged Touya close to her. "Enji, this has gone on for long enough! Look at what you did to Touya! You're practically killing him!" (Thank you to everyone who pointed out that it said Enjoy. I didn't notice it got autocorrected.)

Endeavor didn't say anything, just walked away.

Touya was glad. As much as he hated his father, he hated the fights more.

As Rei tried to help Touya up, Fuyumi and Natsuo ran into the room. As soon as they saw Touya, terrified looks crossed their faces.

"Hey, kiddos, what are you guys up to? Where's Shouto?" Touya tried to make his voice as lighthearted as possible.

"We were all looking for you but Shouto got tired so we sent him to bed." Fuyumi held on to Natsuo who was sniffling.

"Hey, why are you guys crying?" Touya wrapped an arm around each sibling.

"You're hurt," Natsuo said as he wrapped his arms around Touya's middle. Touya hid a wince when Natsuo squeezed a little too tight and pushed against his bruised ribs.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it kiddo," Touya ruffled Natsuo and Fuyumi's hair.

They both had tears in their eyes and Touya's heart hurt for the two of them. He put a big smile on his face. "Hey, do you think you two can do me a favour?"

They nodded their heads. "What is it Touya-nii?" Natsuo asked.

"You think the both of you can go check on Shouto for Mom and me?"

They nodded again and ran out of the room.

Once they left Rei helped Touya to his room. Touya had to bite his lip to keep from screaming in pain when the movement aggravated his wounds.

Finally, they reached his room and Rei helped Touya lie down, tears streaming down her face the whole time.

"Now why are you crying, Mom?" Touya said while trying to sit up. The pain was excruciating but he hated seeing his mother cry. He was sick and tired of it. He wiped the tears off of her cheeks.

"It's all my fault that you're hurt," Rei sobbed. She used her hands to cover her face, sobs continuing to rack her body.

Touya sighed. "It's not your fault Mom." If anything it was his.

"I know you like to believe I don't know what's going on in that head of yours but I do." Rei looked Touya in the eyes. "I know you didn't come with us because of me."

Touya looked down at his legs. "It's not your fault Mom." Touya knew he was avoiding the topic but he didn't want to talk about it.

"Touya-" Rei started.

"If I was stronger, better, we'd all be okay. It's because I'm not that you and Shouto have to go through hell every day." He looked at his mother for a brief second before tears started to well up in his eyes. He blinked rapidly to get them to go away. "This is my punishment." He whispered.

Rei looked at him briefly before going to get the first aid kit. When she returned, kit in hand, she set it on his table, grabbed a cotton ball and some antiseptic and set to work on cleaning his wounds.

Once Rei finished cleaning and bandaging Touya's wounds she held his hand and looked him right in the eyes.

"You know that isn't true, don't you Touya?"

Touya knew she wasn't just talking about the punishment thing. He wanted to believe his mother loved him, he really did, but the way she'd screamed at him two days before, as though he was his father, was still fresh in his mind.

So Touya's response was just a small, fake smile. Tears welled up in Rei's eyes again and she hugged her eldest child close to her.

Hesitantly, Touya returned the hug, wrapping his arms around his mother.

They stayed like that for a while, Rei holding Touya like a lifeline, Touya awkwardly yet happily returning the hug, before Rei cleared her throat and got up.

"You need to rest Touya. I'm going to check on your siblings." She helped Touya to lie down again before patting his knee once, brushing his hair away and giving him a kiss on the forehead and leaving.

'I'm happy that Mom helped me but...' Touya thought, staring at the plain gray ceiling. 'She'll go back to being scared of me because I look like him.' Touya sighed. He turned on to his side, wincing the whole time.

"I should have been stronger."