Gone Cold - [BNHA]

-END-

TOYA TODOROKI

Dabi stumbled out from the back of a dark alley. He lit a cigarette and took a drag from it, pretending that he wasn't just being sucked off by the number two hero.

    The number two hero emerged a second later, pulling out his sunglasses from his pocket.

    "Thanks for that, emo boy," he said, now fixing his hair, ironically using a dirty puddle as a mirror.

    "Whatever," Dabi rolled his eyes.

    Hawks stretched, spreading his wings and folding them back up. "Wanna come to my apartment later? I'm done at eleven tonight."

    "Don't you have to do something for Crusty tomorrow morning?"

    "Well yeah," he shrugged. Crusty was their nickname for Shigaraki and it was anything but friendly. "I was hoping that would be you."

    "What?"

    "If we're, y'know, hanging out, he'll think we're doing something for him, right?"

    "I guess," Dabi exhaled a puff of smoke.

    Hawks came closer, sliding his thumbs into the loops of Dabi's jeans. "Good," he kissed Dabi, which was a little unusual for them.

    "You don't think he'll catch on?" Dabi lowered his voice, both in pitch and in volume, only doing the first part of that because he knew Hawks liked it.

    "I think he's an idiot," their lips met again.

    "Yeah," Dabi smirked.

    "You've got a cute smile, even if it's just when you're being an asshole," Hawks said, pulling away and taking a few steps away from him. He smacked Dabi's ass before getting a running start and taking off into the sky. "See ya!" He called over his shoulder.

    Dabi scoffed, running a hand through his gross hair. What a loser.

    He sucked on his cigarette, stuffing his hands in his pockets and shuffling out of the alley, which was becoming wider.

    He turned the corner, shuffling on his cheap leather boots.

    Looking up, he caught eye contact with the last person he expected to see. The cigarette he was smoking fell to the pavement.

    "Shoto?"

    "Toya," Shoto said.

    He looked good. That was good. Dabi expected him to grow up to look like him, hair dyed, edgy cheap clothing, some of which found in a dumpster, but he wore an expensive Patagonia sweater, black jeans, and white shoes that looked like they had never been worn outside before. Compared to his little brother, Dabi looked like a rat.

    "So, it worked?"

    "What?"

    "The thing-" Dabi nodded. "The Nomu thing. I wasn't sure if it would actually work."

    "You said that I finally knew the truth, before you left."

    "Hopeful thinking," he shrugged. "Thankfully it did."

    "It did a whole lot more than that," Shoto shook his head, kicking a crack in the sidewalk. "Why did you think I had to know?"

    Dabi sighed, snuffing the cigarette out under his boot. "Well, I've always wanted you to know, just because I think you deserve to. I know that dad was an asshole to you, even years after I left. I felt- I feel bad," he cleared his throat. He thought this was the only time in his life he had talked about how he felt. "Plus, we had to test out that technology and you presented the perfect opportunity."

    "Did you have anything to do with the first attack? The one at the beach?"

    Dabi shook his head, honestly. That was all Crusty.

    "I don't recommend using that," Shoto muttered, just loud enough for Dabi to hear, despite them standing across the alley. "It wasn't very accurate, I just think you got lucky."

    "Sounds like it's good for getting someone depressed."

    Shoto shrugged, his face still annoyingly neutral, but Toya did the same, since it was a result of Endeavor and not wanting to show true feelings.

    "So you just thought I should know?"

    "I guess I wanted to get to know you," he shook his head. "You know, if this whole hero thing doesn't work out..."

    "I'm okay," said Shoto. "I've got friends, did you know?"

    "I didn't," he felt himself give the tiniest of smiles. That was very unusual for a Todoroki. Smiling and friends.

    "Yeah," Shoto smiled himself. "I've got friends and I talk to them and everything."

    "What about dad?" Toya asked, he had to know.

    "I just came back from seeing him," a shadow crossed his face. "He knows that I know. He says he wants to be closer to us."

    "Please tell me you weren't okay with it."

    "I wanted to make him mad, so I yelled at him that I was gay and left."

    Against all better judgement, Toya started to laugh. It was raspy and a little manic, since he hadn't laughed in the longest time, but it felt great. Shoto smiled wider, blushing. Toya had to take a second.

    "You really are something, Shoto."

    Shoto's smile turned melancholy. "I'm on my way to tell mom. You should see her at some point."

    "Yeah," Toya looked away. "I just-"

    "She won't be angry with you," Shoto walked closer, digging something out of his pocket. He pulled out a half-burned photograph and held it out.

    It was his family. Their family. Shoto was so little. Toya, himself, was burned out of the picture, almost completely, just a small outline of his shoulder was pictured beside Natsuo. Toya took the picture, running his thumb over the images of his siblings.

    "Think about it," Shoto said. With a shaky breath, he turned slowly and left, leaving him alone with the distant busy sounds of the city.

    Toya Todoroki lowered himself to the ground, sitting like a child. He stared at the photograph and wondered what would've happened if he had come home.