Gone Cold - [BNHA]

-NINETEEN-

SHOTO

Shoto decided to go home. A month had passed and he hadn't talked to anyone in his family, besides sending his mother letters like he always did. By now, he hadn't seen his dad in person for about three months. The only real times he ever saw Endeavor was when he tracked down Shoto's teachers to check on his 'progress' or to threaten All Might.

    He walked through the front door, taking his shoes off and putting them aside. He went to his old room and set his bag down. He wasn't staying for long, but it was nice to see where he used to spend most of his time. He went over to the desk and picked up a stack of dusty photos he kept.

    The picture on top was of him and Natsuo and Fuyumi, smiling as Natsuo's arm extended in front of them to take the picture. The second was of Iida, Uraraka, and Tsuyu, all three of them sitting on a picnic blanket. Iida had dragged them as well as Shoto and Midoriya to a park on a sunny afternoon. Shoto was fond of that memory. The third was taken on the same day, but it was just Shoto and Midoriya. Shoto thought this was the only picture of him smiling ever taken.

    There were a few more, even one with his mom that a nurse took for him, but the last one really caught his attention. It was one of those mandatory family portraits that Shoto was well aware of them taking. He remembered finding this particular one on the floor of his father's room after one of his rages. Before he just thought it was a half-burnt photo that cut off half of Natsuo and his mother, but from a small ridge next to Natsuo, he could see that there was someone sitting next to him, completely cut off. Shoto felt stupid for never noticing that before. Honestly, he was just focused on how little he looked himself, face clear of any scarring.

    "Shoto?" Endeavor called from the other room. "Is that you?"

    Shoto stuffed the pictures, including the one with Toya, into his pocket and went into the kitchen, where his father was standing behind the table, looking down at him.

    "You haven't been home for a while," he said.

    "I haven't," Shoto said blankly. "Are Fuyumi and Natsuo home?"

    He shook his head. "Natsuo's in a class and Fuyumi is working."

    "Right," Shoto felt even stupider. He wasn't here for Endeavor.

    "They forgive you," he offered.

    "Excuse me?"

    They stared at each other for a long minute.

    "They told me what happened. I'm not going to blame Eraser for not telling me or something, but I'm sorry you had to find out that way."

    "So you know where he is now?" Shoto asked.

    "I wish I knew," he sighed, turning away to look out a window. "I've always felt guilty for never trying to go out and find him. Who knows where he is now."

    So they had left out the part about Dabi. Shoto wondered if they thought that Endeavor would chase after him and hurt him. That seemed like something he'd do.

    "What do you mean they forgive me?" Shoto changed the subject, mainly not wanting to give up anything that his siblings didn't.

    "They said you got angry, but they knew you wouldn't stay like that for long. They're sorry as well."

    "How do you know?"

    "They didn't say, but I could tell. You guys have to stick together."

    "That's rich," Shoto scoffed, running his fingers over the edges of the photographs in his pocket.

    Endeavor took a breath. "I'll never forget myself for letting him go."

    "Good," Shoto turned to head back out. "Tell them to call me."

    "Shoto," Endeavor stopped him, putting a hand on his son's shoulder.

    "What?" He yelled.

    "I-" he retracted his hand. "I'm glad to see you Shoto. I know you aren't fond of the idea, but I really do want to be closer to you kids."

    Shoto slid his shoes back on. He wanted to yell at him some more. Since when?

    "Well, I'm also gay, so that's a start," he slammed the door behind him, breaking into the afternoon air and walking quickly. He was actually an idiot. Good luck coming home ever again. He could live with that, as long as Natsuo and Fuyumi called him and he could still write letters to his mother.

    In a way, he was relieved. He did it. The worst of it was over. In his head, he had made a list of people he needed to tell. Now it was just his mother and siblings, and although he was worried, it couldn't be worse than that. He had already told Iida, Uraraka, and Tsuyu. After hugging him, Iida told him he was bi and just thought everybody knew. Later that night, he and Kirishima added him to a group chat titled "Gays of 1-A." He was excited to not be alone.

    More of his friends just found out naturally. Like, Bakugou had been told by Kirishima.

    Although Midoriya hadn't responded to his confession, Shoto was having a hard time getting over it. Instead of trying to take it too personally, he just said to himself that Midoriya was focused on being a hero. Shoto could live with that. His friends helped, but he missed hanging out with Midoriya. They still hung out with the 'Dekusquad' as they were called, but it never consisted of Shoto and Midoriya directly having conversations. It was mainly Tsuyu talking with Midoriya, Uraraka with Shoto, and Iida floating between the two groups. Uraraka was another person that had grown distant from Midoriya. Shoto knew she liked him, so he thought it would be best to ask her if she was rejected as well. That was a hard thing to bring up, though.

    He pulled out the picture of him and Midoriya. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

    He crossed the street, walking further into a busy street, heading further into the city. Maybe he would go to that cafe and see if that boy was still here. Maybe he could try to get over Midoriya with someone else. He really had been quite charming.

    He turned the corner taking a shortcut between two buildings. He looked up to staring into the eyes of Dabi, the cigarette dropping from his lips as his gaze met Shoto's. It fell to the pavement.

    "Shoto?" He said breathlessly.

    "Toya."