Chapter 1: Prologue - Cherry Blossom
Chapter Text
Cherry Blossom: Transience of Life
This is a story that takes place in Hakata, year 1482. It's a story full of love and passion and I'm here to tell you all about it.
But to do that, I'll first need to bore you with some brief historical details.
In this day and age, Hakata is known as a seaside district within the city of Fukuoka, but back then, during the Muromachi era, Fukuoka did not exist yet, and Hakata was a somewhat big village. At least for the standards of the time. As it was the custom of that age, Hakata, just like many other Japanese villages, was not part of a bigger city or state. It was instead completely independent from outside influence and all the decisions were taken by the village chie f. But we'll get a lot of chances to talk about him later .
Another important thing that I must state before I start narrating this story to you, is that quirks already existed back then. They were extremely rare, but since people didn't have the scientifical knowledge we have in modern days, they couldn't understand them. And when humans don't understand something, it scares them.
Quirk users were often killed, alienated and discriminated against. People who were born with a quirk could consider themselves lucky if they managed to live long enough to reach adulthood without being murdered or left alone to die of starvation. Most of them had started leaving cities and villages, turning to a life of wandering, forming small groups with strong bonds. It was said that quirk users (who were referred to as 'Curse Bearers') brought bad luck to anyone who dared to approach them and that they were nothing but demon children sent to the mortal realm to kill and destroy anyone and anything they came in contact with.
As you can imagine, it wasn't an easy period for quirk users to live in. With that in mind, let's focus back on Hakata and our story.
As mentioned, Hakata was a small village in which every decision was taken by a chief. At the time of our story, the chief was a very strict man, with an imposing figure, bright red hair and severe turquoise eyes. His name was Todoroki Enji.
Even if he was known for his austere nature (he wasn’t the one to dispense smile and pleasantries, he preferred going straight to the point whenever possible), he was well-liked by every single person in the village because of the righteous way he led the community, helping everyone who was in need and being always unbiased whenever there was a dispute between villagers. It was under his guidance that Hakata managed to overcome all the hardships that came its way through the years.
When a particularly harsh winter rendered the soil of most of their fields sterile, with the consequential rise of the prices of almost every type of food, Enji took it upon himself to travel across the country to go and buy basic necessities for everyone in need, taking every single coin out of his own pockets.
Whenever one of their many annual festivities approached, Enji took it upon himself to help everyone with the organization of the event, starting from the priestesses of the Tocho-ji Temple to the merchants who needed help setting up the stands where to display and sell their goods.
Enji was a wise and well-liked man. And since he was so loved by everyone, the people of Hakata couldn’t help but be over the moon for him and his wife Rei when they announced the birth of their first child, a beautiful baby boy with his father’s red hair and blue eyes and his mother's gentle traits and fair skin.
They had called him Touya, hoping for him to become a lighting guide for the village once he had grown enough to be his father’s successor. Not too long after, they had another child, a girl, and they called her Fuyumi, winter beauty, a name that fitted beautifully the little girl born on a cold December day. As the years went by, Touya and Fuyumi grew up, looking more and more like their mother as they got older, and in the meantime, the Todorokis welcomed to this world two other boys, Natsuo and Shouto.
From the outside, they were the perfect family. But there was something terrible happening behind closed doors.
Little Touya manifested a quirk. He was one of those Cursed children with strange powers they often heard about from outsiders and merchants who periodically visited Hakata. One day, when he was barely five years old, Touya got mad while playing with his sister, and as he stomped his little feet to the ground, flames erupted from the sole of his foot, creating a burned patch of grass in the small field behind their home.
Enji was appalled, Rei was heartbroken, Touya was terrified.
Of course, the two adults decided to keep the accident a secret, to save the family’s reputation and to keep their son safe. After all, concealing Touya’s curse couldn’t be that difficult, right? He just needed to not use his fire.
Unfortunately, as the boy grew older, the stronger and more unpredictable his flames got. His curse seemed to be heavily linked to his emotions, and being Touya as short tempered as his father, it wasn’t that unusual for him to have outbursts.
Calming him down was usually pretty easy. A few soothing words, a gentle hand ruffling his hair, or a grounding hug from his mother or younger siblings would make the flames retract inside the boy’s body and his temperature lower until it was normal again. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but Rei was sure they could make it work.
On the other hand, Enji couldn’t look his son in the eyes. The more Touya’s hair faded to white, the more burn scars clung to his arms and torso, and his powers got out of control, the more the head of the Todoroki family struggled to see the son he once loved so dearly in the kid in front of him.
He kept interacting with the other kids in a somewhat normal way, even if he was a little colder than before. He wouldn't dare to say this out loud, but the truth is he was scared that they could start shooting fire like their older brother had at any moment. This was especially obvious with the youngest of the bunch, Shouto: with his evenly split hair, half red and half white, and mismatched eyes, one blue like his dad’s and one dark grey like his mother’s, he seemed ready to follow on his older brother’s footsteps and manifest a curse of his own.
But still, Enji held his three youngest, hugged them, talked to them, laughed at their jokes. Whenever Fuyumi showed him one of her drawings, he took it and complimented her skills with a smile. Whenever Natsuo asked him to go fishing, he woke up extra early to go to the beach with him and fish together. Whenever little Shouto handed him one of his wooden toys, asking him to keep them company while he was otherwise occupied, he cooed softly and held the toys until his younger son asked them back.
But not with Touya.
Touya was almost an afterthought to him. Whenever the boy asked his father to spend time together or just talk, Enji replied that he was too busy with work matters (“It’s better if you talk to him instead, Rei. You know that he could have another outburst and you’re better at dealing with that than I am.”). Whenever he asked if he could join his father and walk around the village to meet other people, Enji refused (“What if someone sees the burns? They’ll start gossiping and we don’t want that kind of attention on him.”). Whenever Touya spent time with his younger siblings, Enji kept sending him wary glances, as if he was afraid he could hurt them ("Remember what happened the first time with Fuyumi? What if he had burned her? What if he burns Natsuo, or Shouto? We can't leave him alone with them, he's dangerous."). And things only got worse when Enji started teaching Natsuo how to be the head of the village (“Touya could never be the Village Chief, Rei. Have you seen him? He’ll get mad and burn something with that fire of his and everyone will find out that he’s cursed. No, it’ll be safer to make Natsu my successor. We'll tell everyone that Touya is not cut for it.”).
Knowing that his own father was leaving him behind, disgusted by what he had become, made Touya even more upset and frustrated and, as a result, more prone to fire accidents.
And one day, one of them ended up being way more destructive than the others.
—
The white haired boy has made a habit of spending most of his waking hours in the forest right outside the village (spending time with his siblings is pretty painful, especially if their father is around), where he can let himself cry and be miserable without his family being there to acknowledge it.
Today in particular he isn't just sad. He feels actual rage stir in his chest.
Why am I not normal? Why was I born with this stupid curse? Why does Father hate me so much for it? Mother seems to accept it, even if she seems sad every time I accidentally use my fire. But Father resents me deeply for it…
“It’s not like it’s my fault…” he lets out a shaky breath, angry tears running down his cheeks. “I never asked to be born like this.”
He can feel the air shift around him as his body temperature rises dangerously, but he can't bring himself to care. Not when he feels so utterly defeated.
“It’s okay, angel. You’re okay. I’m with you and I love you.” The sweet words of his mother echo through his mind, the same words she always tells him whenever he gets worked up, but today he feels too upset to find any solace in them. Her love is not enough. Not when his father despises him.
Suddenly his eyes and cheeks start hurting and it is the most painful thing Touya has ever felt in his life. As he screams in pain and surprise, he instinctively lifts his hands to touch his face, but now they are hurting too, as blue fire engulfs them. He is crying fire. That's why it hurts.
“No! No, stop! Stop!” he screams as he gets up, frantically shaking his arms in a desperate attempt to stop the fire from engulfing his body. He screams in pain, flames burning more and more skin, the pain so intense it’s unbearable.
I don’t wanna die… I don’t wanna die! he keeps thinking, stumbling towards the small pond he knows is a few meters away from him, deeper in the forest. With every step he takes, the fire that's eating up his body is starting new smaller fires in his wake, making the greenery around him burn and rendering it almost impossible for the boy to find his way towards the pond, especially in his panicked state.
After what feels like an eternity, Touya can finally see the pond in front of him, the clear water tinted in a blue color, reflecting the same shade of the flames that are burning the world around him. With one last strain, the boy lets himself fall into the water, flames hissing around him, finally extinguished. He clenches his eyes shut, the pain too much to bear as he lifts his head to take a shaky breath and let his exhausted and aching body rest on the lakeside.
The boy wheezes for a few seconds, the adrenaline fading away as it takes the last few drops of energy left in his body with it.
I… can’t faint… if I faint I’ll die… what will Mother say then? Father won’t care, but… Fuyumi, Natsuo and little Shouto… they still need me… right? If I die… they’ll be sad… I can’t… die…
The thoughts are slow and blurry and Touya feels his consciousness rapidly slip away. He can hear voices from afar, people screaming and then rapid steps approaching. He forces his eyes to open, even just a little, just in time to see a massive black figure standing over him. He tries to open his mouth, to say something. But he can't, as pain and tiredness prevail, making him pass out.
—
He wakes up a few months after the incident, in one of the spare rooms of his family’s mansion, his mother sitting next to him with a worried expression. His voice feels hoarse and it is difficult to speak, but still, he manages to ask what had happened.
Apparently, he had set fire to the forest near the village and his father had found him before someone else could see him. He was brought home in secret and Rei had treated his burns.
“How did Father explain what happened to the people of the village? I’m sure they wouldn’t believe that the wildfire started on its own…” he whispers.
The woman averts her gaze, uneasiness clear in her expression.
“He said that the fire was started by a Curse Bearer.” she says slowly. “Of course, he didn’t say it was you… he only told them that he saw a man hiding in the shadows, surrounded by blue fire.”
“Oh…” Touya just says, slowly getting up in a sitting position. He feels the skin of his torso and back pull uncomfortably, making him wince in pain.
“B-Be careful…” Rei whispers, gently taking his hands in hers. “I managed to clean the burns so they could heal, but your skin is very sensitive and prone to infections now… it’s better if you take it easy, so you don't risk hurting yourself further, okay?”
Touya nods slowly, trying to ignore the unpleasant pulling sensation in his back.
“When will I be able to leave the house again?” he asks, turning slowly to face her. Rei lowers her head, caressing her son’s hands with gentle care.
“Touya… you won’t be able to leave the house ever again.” she admits. The boy gapes, air getting stuck in his throat as his mouth hangs open in shock. The skin of his cheeks stings just like his back did just a few seconds ago, but he ignores it.
“W-What..?”
“Your skin… it will never heal fully. It could be too dangerous for you to go outside again… so it’s better for you to just… stay here.” she explains.
This feels so wrong. Has Mother gone crazy while he was asleep?
“Mother, I… I can’t stay here forever. Everyone will wonder what happened to me and… and I need to take Father’s place as Village Chief someday… how can I do that if I stay here?” he asks with a slight hint of desperation in his voice, begging his mother to come to her senses.
“They won’t… no one will question your absence, Touya… your father told everyone that you died in the fire.” she admits, lifting her hand to caress the boy’s cheek, but stopping mid gesture and placing her palm on his head instead.
“He what??” Touya raises his voice, panic and sorrow growing in his chest. He can already sense his body temperature rise, making his body ache in a way it never did before. His injured skin is probably still too sensitive to the heat. He can smell smoke and burned skin. It makes his stomach churn in disgust.
“Touya, please… your fire…” Rei tries to soothe him, alarmed by the way the boy is getting riled up so rapidly. The white haired boy gets up from the bed, ignoring the pain that he feels through his whole body because of the movement, and starts slowly pacing back and forth in the small room.
“Why would he do something so terrible, Mother? I can’t pretend to be dead for the rest of my…” Touya stops mid sentence as he lifts a hand to touch his face in an exasperated gesture. And what he feels under his fingertips is rough skin and a cold feeling of metal. “What in the..?” he mumbled, stumbling towards the sliding door that leads to the backyard and opening it.
“Touya, no! Stop!” Rei yelps weakly as she gets up to try and stop him from exiting the room. “Someone might see you…”
Touya ignores her, still walking towards the small fountain placed a few steps ahead of him. The numbness in his legs is a godsend, it stops him from feeling pain in his limbs, but makes his movements uncoordinated and clumsy. He squirms out of his mother’s touch and places his hands on the stony surface of the fountain and, with a shaky breath, lowers his gaze so he can take a look at his reflection.
And what he sees is nothing short of disturbing.
The skin of his jaw and undereye is red and purple, completely burned and scarred, attached to the rest of his face with the use of some sort of metallic rings.
“W-What…” he mutters, noticing only now that the same rings are keeping together the skin of his wrists as well. With trembling hands, he slowly touches his chest, feeling the outline of the rough stapled skin through the fabric of his haori. Is his whole body covered in… this?
“Oh, Touya…” Rei whispers softly as he approaches her son and carefully wraps her arms around him. “It’s okay, my sweet angel… you’re fine… it's okay...” she adds as she starts cradling him close to her chest. Touya closes his eyes, listening to the steady heartbeat of his mother to try and calm himself down.
“It’s not… I am a monster… a disgusting monster…” he wheezes and starts hugging her back, tightening his grip around the fabric of her kimono. The staples on his wrists are pulling painfully because of the strain, but he can't bring himself to care.
“You’re not a monster, Touya… you’re as beautiful as ever to me, angel…” she says, her hand gently carding through his hair.
The boy doesn't answer, desperately trying to find comfort in her words, but the memory of his reflection is vivid in his mind. He can see why his father preferred to tell everyone that he was dead instead of having him show that hideous face to the people of Hakata. They would be disgusted… anyone would be.
He closes his eyes as he feels the urge to cry grow stronger and decides to just let himself go. As the first tears start running down his cheeks, Touya winces in pain, bringing his hand to his face.
“What’s wrong, angel?” Rei asks, sensing the boy in her arms tense.
“I… I don’t know… it hurts…” he responds, taking a step back and opening his eyes again. What he sees, makes him feel a new wave of terror and nausea. His mother's light blue kimono, right where his face was resting just a second ago, is stained red.
He lowers his gaze to look at the hand that he previously used to touch his face and sucks in a sharp breath. His fingertips are tinted in red as well.
It's blood. He is crying tears of blood.
Chapter 2: Chapter 1 - Aster
Notes:
tuesday is here and so is a new chapter. the prologue was a short introduction to the setting and the todoroki family, but this is the official beginning of the story, so i hope you'll like this.
before i forget, last week my mind was all over the place, so i forgot to say this, but i MUST thank my wonderful friend edy supercanaries for beta reading this fic. english is not my first language and wprf is my first big fic in english, so having someone helping me out really means a lot. ily edy <3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Aster: Remembrance
Someone is screaming. Why is someone screaming? And why is he feeling so hot? Touya lets out a sigh and opens his eyes, regretting doing so immediately. He is in the old storage room where he spends most of his days. He is lying on his futon, and everything around him would look boringly normal… if it wasn’t for the blue flames burning and destroying everything.
What the fuck… did I do that while I was sleeping?
He hurriedly gets up, trying to control the flames, but it’s no use. The more he tries to turn off the heat, the bigger and angrier the fire seems to get, turning everything in its wake to dust.
He hears the screams again. It’s the voice of a woman. A voice he knows and loves more than anything in the world. Panic and dread fill his chest as he bolts out of the room, shielding his face from the flames with his arm and runs through the fire. As he does that, he can feel the product of his own curse lash at him, making his body throb in pain. His nose detects the by now familiar smell of burning flesh, but he doesn’t stop. He can’t.
Not when his mother is the one screaming in pain somewhere in the mansion.
“Mother!” he yells, rushing down the hallway, opening every door in a desperate attempt to spot her. But no matter how much he runs, wandering around the mansion, her screams always seem so far away.
Touya coughs, smoke filling his lungs and making his throat ache. He needs to find his mother and take her out of there quickly. Even if she is miraculously uninjured by the fire, Touya is well aware of the fact that smoke could be just as deadly.
“Mother…” he calls out again, but a weak coughing sound coming from behind him catches his attention.
Thank gods, she’s here… he thinks as he turns around to take a look at her, to make sure she’s fine. But to his surprise, that’s not his mother.
“T-Touya…” his youngest brother Shouto is standing a few steps away from him, and everything about him is screaming pain and uneasiness. He looks like he’s struggling to stand on his feet, his shoulder slouched and his face contorted in a suffering grimace. The white of his hair has now turned grayish, probably due to the smoke and dust in the air, and his right hand is firmly pressed on the left side of his face.
“Sho!” Touya yelps and runs up to him, taking his face between his hands. “L-Let me see, Sho… is your face hurt? Let me see, it’s okay.” he says with a trembling voice, trying not to sound too panicked. Shouto is hurt, probably scared as well, and seeing his older brother freak out would only worsen the situation.
He takes Shouto’s wrist with as much tenderness as he can muster in a situation like this one and moves his hand away from his face to better inspect his brother’s skin. And the sight makes his stomach drop to his feet.
The left side of Shouto’s face is completely covered by a painful looking burn, the redness of the skin in stark contrast with the turquoise color of his left eye.
“Shit…” Touya can’t help but grit his teeth. “I’ll take you out of here now, Sho.” he whispers, taking his brother’s hand in his own. “There’s a lot of smoke in here, press your sleeve on your mouth and nose.” he adds as he starts dragging Shouto down the hallway, towards the exit.
He needs to be quick if he wants to take Shouto to a safe place and come back inside to find his mother. Gods, he hopes Fuyumi and Natsuo managed to get out on their own already. And his father… Shit, if he got hurt Touya would hate himself so much. Maybe he should make sure they’re not in the house. But Shouto is with him, he can’t stall too much. It’s probably safer to take Shouto outside first…
Suddenly the kid stops running, making Touya halt in his tracks and turn to face him.
“Sho, are you okay? Are you feeling sick, you want me to carry you?” he asks frantically, placing his hands on his brother’s shoulders. Carrying his (almost taller than him) fifteen year old brother is probably not the smartest idea, considering the damage that would do to his stapled body, especially if he’s planning to bolt back inside the house the moment he’s sure Shouto is okay, but he can only hope the adrenaline in his body will help him endure the pain. After all, he usually can’t even roll out of his futon without feeling the uncomfortable pull of the staples, let alone run around the house. But now he’s doing it just fine.
Shouto slowly lifts his head, looking at him with teary eyes.
“Why would you do this to us, Touya?” he whispers with a quivering tone. If Touya doesn’t feel pain in his body, he sure as hell feels it in his heart at those words. The fire burning around them is blue, undeniably the product of Touya’s curse. There is no doubt he's the culprit for this, even if he doesn't know how it happened.
The white haired man vehemently shakes his head, trying to refocus on the most urgent matter.
“We don’t have time for this, Sho.” he says. “I need you to get out of here as fast as possible, so I can make sure the others are fine.”
Shouto’s face twists bitterly, as he takes a step back so he can free himself from Touya’s loose grip.
“It’s too late.” he snarls angrily, fists clenched tightly in what seems to be a painful grip.
“What do you mean ‘It’s too late’? If we hurry, maybe I can…” he whispers, trying to reason with him, but a big hand firmly grips his forearm, yanking him away from his brother. Touya yelps in pain and surprise, turning around and finding himself face to face with his father.
“There’s no use. They’re dead. You killed them, Touya. You killed them all.” Enji hisses spitefully, his turquoise eyes shooting daggers at Touya, who gapes at him, shocked.
“W-What? No, they’re not! They can’t be, I… I heard Mother…” he tries to say, ignoring the way Enji’s hold is sending pain through his whole arm.
“There’s nothing you can do. You’re nothing but a curse to this family. A monster.” the man insists, tightening his grip on Touya’s arm, making him hiss in pain. “Where did I go wrong with you? Why were you born cursed? Why would you do this to me? Answer!” he starts yelling as the flames around them get hotter and hotter, making it impossible for Touya to keep his eyes open.
He wants to scream too, wants to say that he never wanted for any of this to happen, that it’s not his fault that he was born this way, that he doesn’t even know how he started the fire in his sleep. But his throat feels tight and words don’t come out, no matter how hard he tries.
“Touya!” Enji screams even louder, pulling his arm painfully. “Touya!”
“Touya?”
The white haired man is crying, desperately trying to talk, to defend himself. A strangled whimper makes it past his lips as he feels flames engulf him completely, the pain so intense just like the one he felt all those years ago. His mother is still screaming, but now that the fire has swallowed him up completely there’s nothing he can do. He can’t save her…
“Touya? Touya!” cold hands are gently pressing against his shoulders, shaking him awake. Touya opens his eyes and bolts up in a sitting position, his heart beating so fast in his chest it feels like it’s about to explode. Shouto jumps back in surprise, staring at him with different colored eyes full of worry and surprise.
“Sho…” he whispers breathlessly, staring at his younger brother. The scar on his face is gone, just like the ash in his hair and his burned clothes. He’s fine…
Touya slowly turns his head to inspect the room. Everything looks normal. The futon he’s sitting on is the same as always, the pile of books next to it is exactly how he left it the night before, and the same goes for the short legged table on the other side of the small room and the flower pots placed on every available surface. The wooden walls, the sliding door and the white curtains are intact as well. Was it all just a dream?
Well, fuck… what a lovely fucking way to start your day. he thinks and runs a hand through his white hair.
“Are you okay?” his younger brother asks, removing his hands from Touya’s shoulders and placing them on his own knees. “You were moving around a lot and you were not waking up, no matter how many times I called your name…”
“I’m fine. It was just a nightmare.” he replies, letting out a shaky breath. He feels like he could still hear his mother screaming.
“Aren’t you having a lot of them, lately?” the boy asks, tilting his head to the side with a confused expression. Touya can’t help but crack a little smile. Sometimes Shouto looks like a kitten.
“I am, indeed, isn’t that nice, uh?” he simply says, lifting a hand and placing it on the kid’s head, ruffling his hair. The red and the white strands get all mixed together, making Touya stifle a laugh. Shouto pouts and shakes his head, trying to fix his hair.
“Uh, not really… nightmares aren’t exactly lovely. Well, at least I don’t find them particularly enjoyable.” the boy whispers seriously, a ponderous frown clear on his face. Touya chuckles silently and shakes his head, poking Shouto’s forehead with his index finger.
“I was being sarcastic, silly.” he whispers with no malice. The kid’s frown gets even more prominent at that and Touya swears he can see his lips pucker in a slight pout. Cute.
“Ah… I missed it.” he mumbles. “I’m not very good at sarcasm.”
Touya gets up, carefully stretching his limbs in a way it doesn’t make his scarred skin ache and turns to face his brother.
“It’s okay, Sho. You’ll get the hang of it.” he assures with a smile. His little brother is smart, maybe smarter than everyone in their family, but he has a habit of taking everything at face value. “Anyways, what brings you here? I thought Father didn’t want you three around me too much.” he asks, removing the sleeveless white vest he uses to sleep and putting on his dark gray haori instead.
Shouto lifts a wooden tray that was sitting on the floor next to him and shows it to Touya with a content smile.
“I brought you some breakfast!”
Touya’s eyes scan through the plates and bowls, lifting one eyebrow.
“ Some breakfast? That looks like a lot of breakfast, Sho… especially for only one person.” He deadpans.
“Well yeah, because I’m eating here with you today.” the kid replies without skipping a beat. “Now let’s get the table ready, shall we?”
The white haired man lets out a sigh, lifting the small wooden table placed near the window and putting it in the middle of the room.
Lately Shouto has been spending time with him more and more often. This is not the first time he decides to eat with his brother and, as much as Touya can’t exactly complain, since he appreciates the kid’s company, he can’t help but worry about what their father thinks about the situation.
“Is Father okay with this?” he asks, watching as Shouto takes the tray and approaches the table, laying all the plates, bowls and cutlery on it.
“He isn’t particularly happy about it, but it’s not like he can force me to eat with them. I keep telling him that I’m old enough to choose for myself.” the kid murmurs with a serious expression, setting aside the now empty tray. “And I choose to spend time with my older brother if I feel like it.” he adds, turning to face Touya. “Now come, the food is getting cold.”
Touya blinks a few times, before shaking his head and getting down on his knees in front of the table. They both clasp their hands, thanking for the food, before going back to their previous conversation.
“You should listen to him, you know. He just wants to protect you. It’s not safe to spend time with me…” Touya admits, taking the chopsticks Shouto is offering him and the bowl of rice that is sitting in front of him. Shouto scoffs, gulping down a mouthful of rice and taking a piece of cucumber from the shared bowl.
“Oh, please…” he sighs with a roll of his eyes. “Father is paranoid. And you’re a fool for listening to him. You are not dangerous, Touya. You’ve never hurt any of us. And no, the time that you accidentally burned Fuyumi’s favorite doll doesn’t count.” he adds before Touya can stop him. The man closes his mouth, opting for taking a piece of cucumber and eating it instead. “Besides, I don’t even remember the last time I saw you actually use your fire, besides those times you use it to light up a candle or warm up your food.”
Touya doesn’t say anything. He knows that Shouto is right. He stopped having his fire outbursts years ago, after reaching adulthood. Since his curse is heavily linked to his emotions, now that he has left behind the tumultuous mood swings of when he was a child and is old enough to have the self control of a grown-up, he has gained complete control over the flames. He feels confident enough to say that he’d be able to pass for a normal human being.
If it wasn’t for his looks. Obviously. The mere thought makes his jaw ache, a taunting reminder of what his fire did. Of what he did.
Before he can stop himself, Touya throws a glance at Shouto. Memories of last night’s dream come back and he can almost see the red scar on the left side of his brother’s face. It makes him feel sick.
“I appreciate the fact that you cherish my company, Sho…” he finally whispers, forcing those dark thoughts aside and letting himself enjoy the company. It doesn’t happen too often, after all.
He really does like spending time with Shouto. He’s probably the person that relates the most to Touya’s feeling of rejection.
Touya remembers the day Sho was born. He remembers the tension and the dread painted on his parents’ faces the moment they saw their youngest kid. Different colored eyes, one dark gray like Rei’s, the other one turquoise like Enji’s, hair evenly split, red on the left side and white on the right. To the two adults, these were all red flags that made them fear that he was gonna grow up to be cursed. Just like Touya.
So it was to no one’s surprise (well, at least not Touya’s) that Enji started ignoring Shouto as well. And he kept doing so until the kid was around seven or eight years old. In other words, when he was certain that Shouto wasn’t cursed.
And even if he was very young when all of this went down, Shouto isn't stupid. He has never been. Even if now he’s only fifteen, he’s very aware of things most adults tend to overlook. But most importantly, even if now his relationship with their father is somewhat normal, he still understands that what happened to him as a child was messed up.
“I mean, I’d rather stay with you than with any of them. All they do is talk about the village’s politics, or Natsu’s boring friends. I swear, they make me lose my appetite.” Shouto confesses, taking some rice with his chopsticks and bringing it to his mouth.
“Really? They make you lose your appetite and I don’t?” Touya deadpans, lifting his eyebrow. Shouto mirrors the gesture, his chopsticks still in his mouth.
“Uh? Why would you make me lose my appetite?” he asks, his expression showing just how clueless he really is. Like he doesn’t see any issues with Touya’s appearance at all.
“Well, you know…” Touya just murmurs, pointing towards his face with his own chopsticks, before taking a piece of dried seaweed and eating it with some rice.
“There is nothing wrong with your face, Touya. You should seriously stop believing whatever foolish nonsense Father likes to push into your head.” the kid says with a reprimanding tone.
Touya lets out a nervous laugh at that, ignoring the sting of pain those words make him feel in his chest.
“Foolish nonsense? When did you start talking fancy, uh?” he tilts his head to the side. But Shouto doesn’t look particularly impressed by his weak attempt to jest.
“I’m not kidding, Touya…” he whispers. “Seriously, Mother spent years telling you that you look just fine and you never believed her, but the moment our father calls you names you instantly believe him?” he asks, placing his now empty bowl on the table.
“I suppose that insults are easier to believe than compliments…” the man shrugs with a sigh, grimacing in distaste when he notices the bowl of dried fish Shouto had placed in front of him, taking a piece of sweet radish and munching on it instead.
“If only you could hear that from someone who is not part of the family, I’m sure…”
“And how could I possibly do that, Sho? Everyone thinks I died ten years ago.”
“I’m not talking about the people from the village, Touya!” Shouto insists. “If we just go to one of the bigger cities, then you could start a new life there. We could say that you were the victim of the attack of a Curse Bearer and…”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Touya stops him with a serious look. “We? I’m not going anywhere, especially not in a big city. And even if I was, I’d go alone. If you think I’d let you run away from home, you’re out of your mind, kiddo.”
“But if you…”
“I’m serious, Sho. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but leaving is not possible. Not for me.” he interrupts him again. “Let’s just… change the subject, yeah?” he whispers, this time with a softer tone. Shouto lets out a sigh, his shoulders slouching just slightly in a defeated stance.
“Fine…” he takes one of the small fishes from the plate Touya had previously spotted and takes a bite from it. Silence falls upon them and Touya can physically feel his heart ache for spoiling his brother’s mood.
He wishes he knew how to do small talk, but he had always been more on the introverted side, so he never cared too much about learning how to exchange pleasantries.
“You’re taking really good care of them.” Shouto comments after a while, almost startling his older brother, who lifts his head to look at him with a confused expression on his face. The kid cracks a small smile, probably amused by Touya’s wide open eyes and slightly parted mouth. “The flowers. They’re in really good shape.” he compliments, nodding his head towards the rest of the room behind Touya’s back. The white haired man turns to look at all the small flower pots scattered around the room.
“Well, I mean, there’s only so much I can do in here. It makes me feel less…” Touya murmurs, stopping himself from saying more. Alone , he wants to say. “Nervous.” he blurts out instead, shrugging. It’s only half a lie. When their mother first introduced him to the art of taking care of and arranging flowers, she did it because it was a known activity for soothing nerves and helping find inner peace. She thought it could help Touya handle his curse better. It didn’t work too well, given what happened to him, but at least she gave him a hobby.
Nostalgia fills his chest at the memory of all the hours spent with his mother, planting this or that flower, carefully choosing what kind of seeds to buy, trimming dead leaves and watering the soil (“ It’s really tiring and time consuming… right, angel? But it feels so good when you’re done. Looking at the flowers you planted, that you helped grow, that you made bloom... isn’t that the most beautiful feeling in the world? I wouldn’t exchange it for anything in the world. ”).
“I think… she would’ve liked them a lot.” Shouto admits, slightly tilting his head to the side with an uncertain smile.
Touya lets out a sigh, averting his gaze from the white pot containing an iris flower. Sometimes he envies the way Shouto seems to be able to talk about their mother without wavering. Touya knows for a fact that he could never do such a thing. The mere mention of her makes him feel like he has a lump stuck in his throat and painful red tears pool in the corner of his eyes.
Rei had died way too soon for Touya’s liking. He had always childishly hoped that she would live forever. Instead, she was killed seven years ago by a bad fever she contracted a few days after hurting herself with a rusty knife. But even in sickness, she was the most beautiful person Touya had ever seen in his life. Her eyes were just as gentle, her voice just as soothing, her smile just as reassuring. She spent every waking moment in her bed with an eight year old Shouto and an eleven year old Natsuo sitting on the floor right by her side, telling stories to distract them. Fuyumi would sometimes join them, sitting near the door and doing her best to hide her tears from her younger siblings.
Father had forbidden Touya from joining them, afraid that, in his distraught state of mind, he could've had an outburst. So the white-haired boy was forced to listen through the wall of his room, his ear pressed on the wooden surface so he didn’t miss any of his mother’s words. But whenever night fell and every oil lamp in the house was turned off, Touya would sneak out of his room and go visit his mother, kneeling next to her futon and gently holding her delicate hand in his scarred one.
The night before her death, Touya had found her awake, as if she was waiting for him. And when he had sat next to her futon, they had talked for hours.
“ I’m afraid I won’t be alive for much longer, angel… ” she had whispered weakly, her eyes half lidded. “ And even if I had a beautiful life, I still have one regret that makes it difficult for me to leave this world in peace. ”
“ What is it, Mother? ” Touya had asked, barely managing to stop himself from choking on a sob.
“ I was never able to convince you that you’re beautiful… ” she had replied, her shiny eyes betraying her own need to cry. “ But I can still hope… because I’ve been praying to the gods, angel… I asked them to send someone as precious as you are to you, someone who can finally make you see yourself through their eyes and make you understand how wonderful you truly are. ”
Touya had not replied, softly kissing the back of her hand instead. He didn’t want to remind her that her wish was impossible to achieve. How could he meet someone like that if he could barely leave his room, let alone leave the house?
So they just sat there in silence for the remainder of the night… and when the sun started poking out from behind the horizon, Rei was dead.
Watching her wither and die had felt wrong to him. On the days right after her departure, Touya used to spend most of his days asleep, just to prevent himself from setting something on fire due to his despair.
Maybe he just feels like he could never recover because, unlike his siblings, he feels like his mother was the only good thing he had in his life. While they could look for solace somewhere else, Touya couldn’t. Touya could only stay in his room and try to drown his sorrow in his books and his flowers. The same flowers Rei had entrusted to him when the illness first started to keep her from leaving her bed.
“Yeah, she would…” he finally agrees with a hint of a smile on his face. Shouto is a good brother. He’s probably the closest thing to the person their mother had hoped for Touya to find. “C’mon, I’ll help you clean up the table.” he slowly gets up and puts the empty dishes and bowls back on the tray.
“Ah, thanks Touya. We should eat together more often. It was fun.” Shouto admits with a smile, taking the dirty plates on his side of the table and piling them up to save space.
Touya lifts his head to look at him. Maybe he can allow himself to have a small guilty pleasure. Shouto is already fifteen years old, after all. Soon, he will find a girl his age, get married and eventually leave the house. At that point, they won’t have many chances to see each other. So would spending time with his younger brother really be that bad? Especially since Shouto seems to be as eager as him at the idea of hanging out.
Touya shakes his head, shutting up that small part of his brain trying to remind him of the scarred Shouto from his nightmare.
I won’t hurt him. I will never let my curse ruin his life as well.
“Sure, Sho. Whenever you want.” he agrees, placing the last plate on the tray.
That’s when they hear a commotion coming from outside the mansion. The two boys turn to gape at each other, bewilderment clear in their expressions.
“What’s going on?” Touya asks, approaching the window and carefully taking a look outside.
The Todoroki mansion shares with the Tocho-ji, the temple of the Goddess of Mercy, the feature of being the only two stories tall buildings in the whole village, so it’s easy for him to just peek outside his window and get a look at what goes on in Hakata. He only needs to make sure no one sees him, but he has gotten pretty good at that. He’s pretty sure someone spotted him once or twice through the years, but no one ever said anything, so he doesn’t care too much.
“I don’t know. Maybe some kind of celebration?” Shouto wonders, approaching him and taking a look outside the window as well.
Touya hums in agreement, even if he’s not particularly convinced. It’ll take at least a week for the preparations for the spring festival to start, and two weeks for the actual festival to be held, and it’s definitely too early for any kind of Hanami celebration… and judging by the way people are assembling in small groups, mumbling to each other and cautiously looking around, they seem to be more nervous than in the mood for celebrations.
“They’re usually this nervous when outsiders arrive at the town walls. Maybe it’s just a bunch of merchants.” Touya guesses.
“Merchants? Such a buzz over the arrival of merchants? They come to Hakata all the time, it’s not even remotely unusual…” Shouto argues with furrowed brows.
“It is unusual at this time of the year, Sho. The usual merchants that come here, normally come much later.… maybe these ones are different ones.” Touya shrugs.
“That would explain the people's restlessness.” Shouto agrees. They observe the village folks for a few more minutes, both of them intrigued by the peculiar situation.
“Hey, isn’t that a friend of yours?” Touya points his chin towards a boy running down the main street, green curls bouncing on his head. Shouto follows him with his gaze.
“Yes, that's Midoriya. I wonder why he’s running like that…” he hums, perplexed. At that moment, Midoriya approaches one of the small groups of villagers and starts talking, waving his hands in the air, visibly agitated. More people come closer, listening to the young boy with eyes wide open.
“Maybe he knows what’s happening. You should go and ask him.” Touya suggests, turning his head to look at his younger brother.
“You’re right… I’ll be right back and let you know.” the kid promises and turns towards the table to take the food tray.
“Leave that. I’ll take care of it.”
Shouto stops in his tracks, sending him a worried glance.
“Are you sure about that? I don’t want Father to get mad at you…” he murmurs.
Neither do I, Sho…
“I’ll just bring the tray to Fuyumi and come back here. Father won’t even notice.” he promises. “Now go, before your friend leaves.” he adds with a smile. Shouto nods curtly and leaves the room. With a sigh, Touya throws one last glance at the villagers outside his window, before taking the tray and leaving the room as well, walking down the stairs towards the small house kitchen.
But before he can make it to the room, he hears the front door opening and then an annoyingly familiar voice greet his father.
Shit.
He tenses slightly, quickly opening the door of his old bedroom and hiding inside, his hands clenching around the tray’s handles so hard his knuckles start getting whiter.
“I apologize for the disturbance, Sir.” the Captain of the military forces of the village says with his over-zealous tone. Touya can easily picture him bowing to his father like the pompous lackey he is.
“What brings you here, Chisaki?” Enji asks curtly.
Touya knows Enji admires Chisaki’s military skills and somehow appreciates his company, but at the same time he doesn’t exactly trust his exaggerated kindness, never did and probably never will.
“There’s a matter that needs your help to be solved, at the main entrance of the village.” the Captain replies, his voice so hushed it makes it difficult for Touya to hear properly. “It’s quite urgent.”
“Lead the way, then.” Enji orders. Touya can hear a shuffling sound and supposes that his father is putting his sandals on. “You can tell me everything on the way there.” he adds, walking out and closing the door behind him.
Silence falls in the mansion with their departure and Touya lets out a sigh of relief. His eyes land on the small shrine placed near the window, among all the furniture still placed in his room as if he never left it. The portrait of his younger self staring sadly at him makes him feel sick to his stomach.
Or maybe it’s just the smell of incense. he thinks, sending a glance at the half burned stick of incense placed in a small plate next to the shrine. How ironic that his family prays here, lighting up incense in his honor as if he truly died in that fire, ten years ago. Maybe they do feel like he actually did.
Touya lets out a sigh, and then he resumes his walk towards the kitchen. Now he really is eager to know what’s going on and can’t wait for Shouto to come back to tell him all about it.
Whoever came to Hakata, had managed to irritate that fucker Chisaki Kai and probably his father as well. And because of that, Touya can’t help but feel a little bit of sympathy for them.
Notes:
if you made it this far, thank you! i know that this start might look a little slow, but i swear it's important to set the whole story in place, i promise it'll be worth it.
thank you again for reading and i'll see you next week with a new chapter! <3
Chapter 3: Chapter 2 – Wisteria
Notes:
ohhh so many new people get introduced in this chapter! I hope you guys will like it! also, we already surpassed 500 hits! I'm gonna cry thank you everyone SO MUCH!!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wisteria: Welcome
When Shouto finally sets foot on the main road, he starts looking around in search of a familiar freckled face and dark green curls. Midoriya is not where he saw him through Touya’s window, so he had probably already left.
Maybe he went home… should I go and look for him there?
“Todoroki?” the familiar voice coming from behind him makes him turn around with a gentle smile forming on his face before he could even realize.
“Ah, Midoriya… good morning.” he says, slightly bowing his head out of habit and politeness. The shorter boy bows back with a sheepish smile.
“Good morning to you.” he straightens his back, a big, genuine grin still painted on his face.
Shouto has never been a sociable person. He knows how to interact with people politely, his father had taught him as much because it was an essential skill for the son of the Village Chief. But Shouto has never been natural at it. Not as good as Natsuo and Fuyumi, anyway. Natsuo is the most sociable person Shouto knows, always surrounded by the other young men of the village. Meanwhile, Fuyumi is more on the shy side, but at least she is good at pretending. Not Shouto, though… he’s not even that good at pretending, much to his father’s dismay. But despite all of that, Shouto always finds it extremely easy to talk with Midoriya. The boy is too gentle and easygoing for his own good, and he knows how to make Shouto feel at ease. Shouto likes that.
“Were you looking for your father? Because I just saw him walk towards the village’s main entrance with Captain Chisaki.” the green haired boy says, pointing with his thumb the road behind his back, as if absent-mindedly directing Shouto in the right direction.
Shouto mentally notes that the situation is so severe and unprecedented that it requires both his father and Chisaki to go and check on the issue. Interesting.
“Actually I was looking for you… I saw you talking with a bunch of people a few minutes ago, and I thought that maybe you would know the reason why there’s such a fuss around here… did something happen?” he does his best to sound as nonchalant as possible. He doesn’t wanna give the impression of being someone looking for gossip.
Even though he technically is.
“Ah! Yes, I know everything! I saw them, Todoroki! I talked to one of them too!” Midoriya’s eyes go comically wide as he speaks, the boy momentarily forgetting good etiquette as he grabs Shouto’s arm and shakes it. “There’s like… a dozen of them! And some of them are so… strange looking!”
Shouto can’t possibly be more confused.
“Who is? Who did you talk to?” he takes Midoriya’s hand with his free one to stop his frantic movement.
“Curse Bearers!” he whisper-screams.
“What..?” Shouto murmurs, shocked. His eyes involuntarily move to send a glance towards his house. More specifically, Touya’s window.
“I was in the meadow outside the village, collecting some flowers so I could use them to decorate my family’s shop… then suddenly a man wearing black clothes approached me and he asked if there was a village nearby. At first, I thought he was just a traveler of some sort, so I told him the truth and he… he said he would come back in a few minutes with his wagon so I could lead his way and when he did… there were other people on that thing and they were Curse Bearers!” he squeaks, agitated. Shouto hums silently, pondering over what Midoriya just told him.
A bunch of Curse Bearers coming to Hakata… he wonders how Touya will react to the news…
“Where are they now? Did you take them here?” Shouto asks curiously, looking around as if he’s expecting to see a Curse Bearer casually strolling down the main street.
“I had to! What if I told them no and they killed me for it?” Midoriya cries out, his big green eyes filled with tears.
“Why would they do that?” Shouto furrows his eyebrows, confused by the statement.
“They’re Curse Bearers! They’re unpredictable and evil.” the boy uses his sleeve to wipe his tears. Shouto lets out a sigh.
Right, everyone here thinks that all Curse Bearers are bad people, as if being born with a curse makes them automatically evil. If only they could meet Touya and see how nice he is, how careful he is with Shouto himself, his flowers, his books… who would ever think that someone like him could be anything but a wonderful person?
“I wanna go see them from up close. Do you want to come with me?” he asks, deciding that changing the topic would save him time. Trying to change Midoriya’s mind could only make him suspicious about why Shouto would defend Curse Bearers in the first place.
“Isn’t that… dangerous?” the boy mutters, his green eyes wide open in fear.
“My father and Captain Chisaki will be there. They would never let anything bad happen to us.” Shouto reassures his friend, shrugging. Well, he isn’t so sure about Father, considering the hell he put and keeps putting Touya through, but Chisaki is a diligent man who loves his reputation a bit too much to let a bunch of Curse Bearers hurt two kids, especially if one of them is the son of the Village Chief.
“I guess you’re right.” Midoriya nods slowly, visibly still a little nervous about the whole ordeal. Before he can change his mind, Shouto starts walking towards Hakata’s outer walls.
He isn’t sure why he feels so eager to see these people. Maybe the idea of seeing someone similar to Touya is just too tempting. Will they be able to create fire like him? Maybe not… he faintly remembers a merchant that visited Hakata the year before saying that he met a Curse Bearer who was able to predict someone’s future just by touching them. There must be a big variety of curses…
Shouto doesn’t know if he should feel scared. Those Curse Bearers are strangers after all. And sure, it is wrong to assume they are dangerous people just because of their curses. But at the same time, wouldn’t it be reckless to assume they are good people just because Touya is a good person and he himself has a curse?
“Todoroki? Are you okay?” Midoriya’s concerned tone distracts him from his train of thoughts and Shouto turns to face him. “You look… distracted. We don’t have to go if you’re scared.” he tilts his head to try and look Shouto in the eyes. His green curls bounce slightly at the motion, falling on his forehead.
Shouto shakes his head, sending a reassuring smile to the boy next to him.
“Don’t worry, I’m not scared…” he promises. “Are you scared?” he asks back, feeling a little remorseful. He doesn’t want Midoriya to feel forced to accompany him if he’s too scared to do so. The green haired boy winces in surprise for being put on the spot like that and starts shaking his head, cheeks as red as cherries.
“Ah, I’m not! I-I mean… yes, I am, but just a little! As you said, Chief Todoroki and Captain Chisaki will be there, so we’ll be safe…” he stutters, visibly flustered. Shouto decides to spare him and drops the topic with an amused smile on his face.
“Okay, I believe you…” he whispers, resuming his advance towards the entrance of the city.
—
“Ugh, what is taking Shota so long? I’m tired! And hungry!” the pink haired girl whines as she rests her head against the wooden flank of their old and shabby wagon. Her yellow eyes with black sclera are half closed and her lips are curled in a childish pout. The light-blue haired man sitting next to her turns his head to the side, eyeing her with half lidded blue eyes, and lifts a hand to ruffle her pink curls.
“Be patient, Mina. I’m sure he’ll be back soon.” he says calmly. Their group has been traveling for a while now and everyone is starting to feel the weight of exhaustion on their shoulders. Oboro can’t really blame Mina for her impatience. He too can’t wait to have a proper meal and sleep on a real futon, even if it’s just in some cheap inn.
With a sigh, he turns towards the other two people inside the wagon, as if to make sure Mina’s malcontent is not shared by them as well. Luckily, both Ochako and Chiyo seem unbothered, the young girl napping in what seems to be a pretty uncomfortable position against a barrel full of drinking water, and the old lady slowly sipping a cup of water with mint leaves inside. Thankfully, Mina’s small tantrum aside, everything is calm and under control.
The sound of small explosions cracking outside the wagon makes Oboro turn towards the worn gray cloth that keeps the entrance to the wagon covered. Ochako lets out a small hum, cracking her eyes open and looking around the wagon with a dazed expression, startled by the sudden noise, Mina lets out a surprised yelp and Chiyo stops sipping her drink with a sigh, as if knowing that the moment of peace is going to be interrupted soon.
Before any of the people inside can ask what’s going on, a hand moves the cloth to the side and a pile of spiky blond hair appears in front of them. Right under the hair, there’s the grumpy face of Katsuki, staring at Mina with red eyes full of murderous intents.
“How can you even say you’re tired when you’ve been sitting on your ass for the last few days inside this stupid thing?!” he asks angrily. “You wanna come out here and walk like the rest of us, uh?” he goes on, lifting his right hand and creating a small explosion on his palm.
“I can be tired even if I didn’t walk as much as you and the others!” Mina protests, pouting even harder. “It’s not like sitting here is the most comfortable thing in the world.”
Oboro lets out a sigh at those words, seeing the way they make a vein protrude from Katsuki’s temple.
“You little-” the boy groans, the intensity of his explosions growing just enough to make Ochako tense slightly, now that she’s fully awake and aware of the situation at hand.
“Katsuki, stop doing that.” Chiyo mumbles, pointing her walking stick towards the boy. “You’ll end up setting the wagon on fire again.”
“It was an accident and it happened literally just one time !” he shouts.
“Yeah, one too many times.” Oboro reprimands him. Normally he would try to defuse the argument in a more peaceful way, but hey, he’s tired as well and he doesn’t have the strength to deal with Katsuki’s temper, nor with a fight amongst tired kids. The blond boy mutters something under his breath and leaves the wagon, the sound of explosions moving farther and farther away.
Well, looks like things are only getting better… he thinks sarcastically.
If Katsuki keeps walking around in his fit of rage, he’ll end up getting lost. And that will only make them lose more precious time they could spend resting. With a heavy sigh, Oboro gets up and walks out of the wagon, looking around.
“Kei? Can you keep an eye on Katsuki, before he…” the man stops mid sentence, looking for the familiar mass of golden hair and red wings. “Kei?” he asks again, slightly raising his voice.
“He’s not here!” the cheerful female voice catches his attention, so he turns around to look at Himiko smiling at him from the roof of the wagon where she’s sitting with Jin.
“What do you mean he’s not here? Where did he go?” the blue haired man asks with a baffled look on his face.
“Said he needed to stretch his wings.” Jin replies, his smile just as big as the one of the young girl sitting next to him. “And that he’ll come back soon. He’s gone forever! ” he mumbles under his breath.
Oboro lets out his hundredth sigh for the day, raising his gaze to stare at the sky. It’s a sunny day, with only a bunch of white clouds decorating the sky, so it should be relatively easy to spot the red dot in the midst of the blue.
But of course, Keigo is nowhere to be seen. He wonders if it’s really worth it to go and look for the young man himself, but that would mean leaving the wagon and the kids unattended. And Shota told him to never leave the wagon out of his sight. Since he doesn’t feel like getting nagged by his best friend, Oboro decides to just wait for Keigo to be back.
“How can he be so energetic all the time?” he mutters to himself, still scanning the sky with his gaze. A rustle of wind makes his pastel blue hair stir on his head, tickling his back and neck and suddenly there’s a chin resting on his shoulder.
“Who is?” Keigo’s familiar voice makes him roll his eyes and turn to send him a fake annoyed glance. The blond man is smiling, but not his signature half grin that makes both women and men melt on the spot. No, that’s his genuine smile that he reserves for his family only, a smile that makes his yellow eyes shimmer in the sunlight as if they are drops of gold. The kind of smile that makes both Oboro and Chiyo weak to their knees.
With a deep breath, Oboro squares his shoulders and embraces the role of the strict parent, trying at the best of his capabilities to imitate Shota’s stern scowl.
“You are.” he sighs, flicking the young man on the forehead with a finger and making him whine under his breath. “How many times do we have to tell you not to wander around like that? Shota will be here any minute now.” he lectures him as Keigo rubs the palm of his hand against the reddened spot on his forehead.
“I just went and checked on Shota from afar. Saw him talking to some kid and now he’s coming back here.” the blond man explains with a pout. Mina’s head comes out from the wagon with an excited smile plastered on her face.
“He’s coming back? Does it mean the kid told him where the nearest village is?” she asks, her excitement clear in her tone and in the way her eyes sparkle.
“I’m not sure, couldn’t hear them over the sound of the wind. But I did see a village not too far away from here. It's pretty small, but nice. There's a forest too.” Keigo replies, pointing his thumb in the general direction behind his back. "I’d say around ten minutes away.” he explains. Everyone standing within earshot lets out satisfied hums and sounds of contentment at those words. They can’t wait to rest properly for the first time in forever.
“Well, we better be prepared for when Shota arrives, then.” Oboro says loud enough for everyone to hear as he smiles cheerfully, clapping his hands to accentuate what he just said, before turning around, in search of white hair and tanned skin. “Rumi? Can you go and get Katsuki, please? He shouldn’t be too far away… just follow the sound of explosions.” he says, waiting for the woman to acknowledge his words.
Rumi’s white bunny ears twitch just slightly at the mention of her name and she turns to flash a big grin at Oboro.
“Yes sir! I’ll get that lil troublemaker and drag ‘im by the ear in no time!” she exclaims with her thumb up, before walking away with long strides of her strong legs.
“W-Wait Rumi! You don’t have to drag– and she’s already gone…” the man whispers with a dejected tone. With a sigh, he turns towards the black haired boy resting with his back against the wagon’s flank. “Eijiro? Can you go with her and make sure they don’t kill each other, please?” he asks. Eijiro looks a little surprised by the request, his big red eyes blinking a few times, before nodding and standing straight.
“Sure Oboro! I’ll keep an eye on them!” he assures, before jogging away so he could easily join Rumi and walk alongside her.
“Can I go with them?” Keigo asks with a smile and a slight hint of puppy eyes.
“You cannot.” the blue haired man replies, not at all charmed by the cute expression. A surprised gasp leaves Keigo’s mouth and his eyes widen in surprise.
“What?! Why not?” the blond man whines.
“Because I know you and you’ll do anything in your power to stop Ei from pulling Remi and Katsuki apart.” he replies with an amused grin as he looks at the outraged pout of the younger one, walking towards the wagon. Keigo lets out a groan and follows him, flapping his red wings petulantly.
“Oww, c’mon! That’s not true!”
“You would totally do that…” Himiko hums happily from the roof of the wagon. She’s sitting with her legs crossed as she lets Jin play with her long blond hair, adjusting it into two buns, one for each side of her head.
“Agreed, you would definitely enjoy watching those two rip each other’s limbs apart.” Jin intervenes without taking his eyes off the complicated hairstyle he’s working on. “ Nah, Keigo is a good guy, he would never… ” he then protests with furrowed brows.
Keigo lets out another whine, rolling his eyes, when suddenly the feathers of his wings twitch. The blond man turns around, a smile clear on his face when he starts waving at Shota from afar.
The black haired man approaches them with a bored look on his face and absent-mindedly ruffles Keigo’s hair, making him yelp in protest. The moment he stands within arm’s reach from Oboro, the blue haired man seizes his chance to wrap his left arm around his best friend’s shoulder, pulling him close. Shota lets him manhandle him, like always.
“Where’s everyone?” Shota asks Oboro, rapidly looking around, as he notices the absence of a few members of their weird little crew.
“Chiyo, Ochako and Mina are in the wagon, Himiko and Jin are on the roof, Katsuki wandered off somewhere, so Rumi and Ei went to fetch him.” the man replies. “I swear these kids will be the death of me.” he lets out an overly dramatic sigh, shaking his head. Shota can’t help but lift just slightly the corners of his mouth, endeared by his friend’s fake desolate tone.
“Yeah, they can be a lot… thankfully, Rumi, Jin and I are here to help you two, right?” Keigo butts in, his wings flapping slowly behind his back.
“You literally act as childishly as them, Kei. You’re basically one of the kids.” Shota mumbles, making the winged man gasp in offense. But before Keigo can open his mouth to protest, the familiar sound of Katsuki’s explosions makes the three men turn at the same time toward the source of the roaring noise.
Rumi is carrying Katsuki on her shoulder, with one arm wrapped around his waist to keep him from escaping, meanwhile the boy’s legs, arms and head are dangling helplessly.
“Let me go! Let me go, you old hag, I’ll murder you!” Katsuki is screaming, the numerous explosions coming from his palms loud enough to almost cover the profanities coming from his mouth. Almost .
“Stop squirming, you little shrimp, or else I’ll end up snapping one of those frail bones by accident.” Rumi replies with a calm smile on her face.
“Who did you call frail, carrot muncher?! Do you wanna die?” he yells.
Oboro can’t see his face, since the upper part of his body is currently dangling behind Rumi’s back, but he’s pretty sure there’s a vein ready to pop on his forehead. It takes a fair amount of self control to stop himself from bursting out laughing at the display.
Eijiro follows them silently, his cheeks a little reddened in shame as he walks up to the two adults (and Keigo) who are witnessing the scene with eyes wide open.
“I, uh… tried to stop them… it didn’t really work.” he mutters apologetically.
—
“Tell me more about this matter so urgent that it requires my intervention, Chisaki.” Todoroki Enji says curtly, turning his head so he could look at the brown haired man next to him.
“Young Midoriya Izuku left the village early this morning, like he often does, and when he came back, he was leading a group of Curse Bearers to the village. They’re asking for permission to enter.” the Captain rushes to explain.
Enji never considered Chisaki Kai someone close to him. Sure, the Captain asked for his daughter’s hand a while ago, and neither Enji nor Fuyumi were completely opposed to the idea, but at the same time she said she didn’t feel ready for marriage, and Enji accepted it. After that, things went back to being strictly professional between him and Chisaki, even if a little more tense than before, but Enji must give credits where it is due. Chisaki might be an overachiever, maybe a person a little too set on his own ideas, but he knows how to be concise and never loses his cool. And Enji can’t help but appreciate this about his character. Especially in a situation like the one they find themselves in.
“What?” he asks incredulously, almost stopping in his steps for the surprise.
A group of Curse Bearers in Hakata? That can’t be good. He knows what the popular beliefs about them are. He also knows most of them to be false, given the fact that he has one of them living in one of the storage rooms in his house. But the people of Hakata don’t know that. And sure, even if Touya has been somewhat docile in the last few years, that doesn’t mean that the people asking to enter their village are as well.
“There’s eleven of them of different ages. Six men and five women.” Chisaki adds as he keeps walking with steady steps. “But don’t you worry, Sir. We’ll send them off kindly and discreetly. We won’t let those kinds of people bring misfortune to our village.”
“That won’t be necessary, Chisaki. I’ll listen to their reasoning and consider their request.” Enji replies, a slight hint of coldness in his tone. The younger man stops in his tracks, surprised.
“Sir, are you seriously considering letting a group of Curse Bearers set foot in Hakata? That seems… dangerous.” the soldier murmurs, confusion and uneasiness clear in his tone. Enji can’t blame him.
“Hakata takes pride in its hospitality, Captain. We won’t let that change today, will we?” he asks rhetorically, evidently upsetting the younger man more.
“I understand that, Sir…” he replies with a nod, his tone still formal and composed. “But I’m sure no one would ever blame you if you decided to deny them access to the village. On the contrary, I think everyone would feel more at ease and safe, knowing those people are being kept away from Hakata.”
Not everyone. Enji thinks to himself, the mental image of Shouto’s severe frown popping into his mind before he can knowingly formulate the thought.
Shouto has always been very sensitive when it came to that topic. Maybe it’s because of his excessive attachment to Touya (one that Enji has always tried to discourage throughout the years to no avail), that makes him more prone to defend Curse Bearers, childishly believing that they all must be inherently good, just like his brother is to him. Maybe it’s because of the treatment he had to face firsthand as a kid, when his peculiar appearance made everyone in Hakata, Enji included, believe that there could be a curse in him, waiting to manifest itself. Shouto knows, more than anyone, even more than Touya himself, what it’s like to see distrust and disdain in other people’s eyes.
“I would blame myself.” Enji simply says instead, in a tone indicating that this was the end of the discussion. “I will talk to these people. If they look trustworthy, I’ll try to accommodate their requests as best as I can.”
After that, silence falls between them as they keep walking until they approach the guards standing in front of the main entrance, the three men bowing respectfully to the Village Chief and their Captain.
“Where are they?” Enji asks, looking around.
“They’re right outside, Sir. We told them to wait for you to come and talk to them, but we can send them off if you wish.” Iida Tensei replies, his posture as straight as always.
“There is no need, Iida. Open the gate.” Enji replies, shaking his head and lifting his hand so he can point at the wooden log locking the closed doors. “I’ll talk to them.”
The guards exchange puzzled looks, but end up complying. When the doors open, Enji can finally take a first look at the Curse Bearers.
True to Chisaki’s words, eleven people are standing a few steps away from the entrance, most of them leaning against an old wagon. They can almost pass for normal people, if it isn’t for a few of them showing clear inhumane features. A young girl, probably around Shouto’s age, stares at him curiously, her skin an unnatural pink color, small curved horns on her head and yellow eyes surrounded by an unsettling black sclera. Not too far from her, there’s a short, yet muscular woman with tanned skin, arms crossed against her chest and a pair of long, white rabbit ears coming out from the two sides of her head, matching her long white hair. And right next to her…
Enji almost does a double take. His eyes, at first captured by the big red wings slowly moving in the wind right next to the rabbit woman’s shoulder, are now fixed on a face that could only be described as pretty. Pretty eyes, sharp and evasive, the same color as the sun, adorned with black marks that almost look like the makeup women put on their faces on celebration days. Pretty grin that exudes confidence. Pretty blond hair, unruly and ruffled.
It only takes Enji a couple seconds to finally focus back on the obnoxiously big wings, as red as blood, coming out of the young man’s back and making him look like some kind of yokai. He seems to notice Enji’s staring, because when their eyes meet, he rapidly lifts his eyebrows a couple of times, his smile getting more playful and irreverent. Enji stiffens almost imperceptibly and turns to face the man that had just taken a step ahead, clearly with the intent to talk to him.
“I suppose you’re the chief of the village the guards told us about.” he says with a low and calm tone, stopping a couple of steps away from Enji and bowing. He is shorter than him (not really surprising, Enji has never met someone taller than him), with jet black hair that falls messily on his shoulder, half lidded eyes the same color as his hair, a few days old beard and mustaches and dark clothes patched up in different spots.
“My name is Todoroki Enji. I suppose you’re the leader of your group.” Enji bows back, out of politeness. He can hear a low snicker coming from the small group, but being focused on the man he can’t figure out who laughed at him. He can’t help but wonder if he said something funny or disrespectful.
“More than a leader, I’m a spokesperson. There are no leaders among us. You can call me Shota.” the man, Shota, replies. Enji must admit he’s a little thrown off by that. Sure, they’re Curse Bearers, he shouldn’t be surprised by their weird ways. But why would this man introduce himself with only his first name and expect Enji to use it as if they were friends or family? “I apologize for making you come all the way here to talk to us. I can only assume that, given your role, you must be a busy man.” he adds, after a few moments of silence that Enji didn’t know how to fill.
“No need to apologize. It’s my duty to meet newcomers and make sure they mean no harm. It doesn’t happen often for new faces to show up around here, but when it does happen, I don’t want to leave anything to chance. I hope you can understand that.” he says, polite, but with a hidden threat in his words. As if saying I won’t take shit from any of you , curse or not .
Besides, it’s not like he doesn’t have a Curse Bearer on his side as well. One that could easily burn them all to death in case they reveal themselves to be dangerous.
And sure, that would expose Touya’s secret and potentially put him in danger, but at least Hakata would still be safe.
“Ah, I understand. Your village is like a family to you. And you want to protect your family. It’s a sentiment I can’t help but share.” Shota says calmly, turning just enough to send a quick glance at the people standing behind him. “We’re not so different, you and I, after all.” for the first time since the beginning of their conversation, his lips turn slightly upwards as he tilts his torso to the side so he can look at something over Enji’s shoulder. Before he can stop himself, Enji turns around, curious to see what just caught the man’s attention and a familiar pair of mismatched eyes stared back at him. Shouto is standing next to Midoriya Izuku, just a step behind Iida Tensei, who’s keeping both his arms slightly raised, resting against the kids’ chests to make sure they don’t walk too close to Enji and the Curse Bearers. His son is staring at him with an unreadable frown on his face. Midoriya is looking at him as well, visibly intimidated, his emotions way easier to grasp.
“Yeah, I guess we aren’t.” he finally admits, nodding his head curtly and turning again to face the black haired man. “With that being said, may I ask you what brought you here?”
“As trivial as it may sound, we need a place to rest for a short while and buy food supplies. We travel a lot and the last time we stopped somewhere, it was in the southern area of the Miyazaki region, many weeks ago. We have kids with us, and an elderly woman, you know... They could really use a bit of rest on real beds.” Shota explains, his voice firm, but polite. He is not trying to make Enji pity them, he’s simply stating how things are and Enji can’t help but feel a little bit of respect for him at that.
But speaking of his request, though…
Enji lets out a long sigh, deep in thought.
“I see where you come from. I have kids as well, and they are roughly the same age as yours. I understand you want them to rest properly. I’d like to help you out. We have an inn. Luckily we don’t have many visitors this time of the year. I can talk to the owner… pull some strings. I can probably convince him to take the women and the kids in for a few nights. But you and the other three men will have to find another solution.” he explains. Shota’s expression visibly shifts at the explanation, but Enji can’t really understand what goes on behind those jet black eyes.
He turns to look at his bunch again, his eyes meeting the gaze of a man with light blue hair and blue eyes. Rabbit woman’s ears are twitching, making her look upset. The blond winged man has his eyes fixed on Shota, his wings looking bigger than before, just like the ones of those birds that fluff up their feathers to look more intimidating. It would be almost endearing if it wasn't for the fact that he is a man with bird-like features and there's definitely nothing endearing about that.
“We thank you for your kind offer, Todoroki Enji-” Shota starts saying the moment his gaze meets Enji’s again.
“But unfortunately we can’t agree to those terms.” the rabbit woman interrupts him and steps forward, gracefully walking towards them and stopping by Shota’s side. Enji looks at her, puzzled. It’s not something that you see often, a woman stepping in while two men are talking, especially without being addressed by either of them. Shota looks surprised too, but for reasons that seem to differ from Enji’s.
“Rumi…” the black haired man whispers to her, trying to put a hand on her shoulder, but the woman, Rumi, easily avoids the gesture and wraps her arms around Shota’s shoulders instead, almost protectively.
“You are very nice, sir.” she adds with a smile. “But just like Shota already told you, we’re family. And family sticks together.” she explains. “It would be wonderful if you could make all of us stay in that inn you were talking about. But if that isn’t possible, then we’d rather find another solution. Right guys?” She turns towards the rest of the Curse Bearers with a smile. A chorus of affirmative hums comes from the group, except for the men, who look at the others with uncertain expressions.
“Rumi, don’t be stubborn. You and the others deserve to rest properly…” Shota murmurs lowly, making eye contact with her.
“But so do you, Oboro, Jin and Kei. We have our tents, and the blankets. We can make a camp in the forest that Keigo spotted south from here and visit the market when we need to.” she replies.
Enji listens to her words in silence, wondering how in the world they know about the forest, since it’s impossible to see it from outside the village. His eyes land again on the winged boy. He’s probably Keigo, the person the woman is talking about.
“Very well…” Shota lets out a sigh. “Well, you heard her. Thank you for your offer, Todoroki Enji, but I guess we’ll all stay on the outskirt of the village, if that’s okay with you. I suppose that will make your people feel more at ease as well.”
Enji can almost feel Shouto’s eyes boring holes in his back.
“Yes, of course.” he agrees. “Thank you for being so understanding.”
“No need to thank us, you’re treating us better than most people do!” the tall man with light blue hair exclaims from behind with an unreadable smile. “They don’t even let us inside their villages most of the times. They only let me or Shota enter, buy some rice and vegetables and then they escort us outside.”
Enji can’t help but think about Touya, living comfortably in his room, with his warm meals and soft futon, as opposed to the life these people live every day. He bets his son doesn’t even realize how lucky and privileged he actually is.
“It must be tough for you.” he just says.
“We manage.” Shota replies, his eyes landing on the man who previously spoke, the hint of a smile on his lips. “At least we’re together… that’s what matters for us.”
A comfortable silence falls between them and Enji almost feels like he’s out of place. He clears his throat turning his back on Shota and the rest of the Curse Bearers.
“Well, I take you know where the forest is, so I’ll leave you all to it.” he starts walking towards Shouto and Midoriya, the two boys still standing next to Iida. “Ah, one last thing.” he adds, stopping in his tracks. He can sense both Shota and the blue haired man tense just slightly behind him. “If you’re gonna light a fire, be careful.” he murmurs, his tone coming out slightly more bitter than intended. “The forest burns very easily.”
Notes:
this chapter is a little bit longer than the previous ones, i hope you don't mind. and i also hope you don't mind the fact that the group of curse bearers is formed by a bunch of characters that never interacted in canon. but i guess that's the beauty of fan fiction, right? breaking some rules, making characters interact and stuff.
fun fact, in the first draft of this fic, midnight was gonna be part of the group instead of oboro, she was like a mother figure for the younger ones. but the more i kept writing, the more i realized that i couldn't really picture her as shota's platonic soulmate, so i thought that oboro would fit the role much better. and, now that the whole fic is done and ready in my drafts, i must admit that he does fit quite nicely with their little group, and i hope you guys will agree with me on this :)
as i said in the notes at the beginning of the chapters, i hope you liked this chapter and, if you want to check on my next projects, talk to me or anything, you can find me on my other socials! thank you for reading this (not so) little note and i'll see you next week!
Chapter 4: Chapter 3 - Bluebell
Notes:
ao3 is being extra slow and extra glitchy today, so i don't even know if i'll manage to post this chapter without an issue tonight but anyway here we are with chapter 3! right now the fic has almost 800 his so skfkfd thanks for that, everyone!
usual reminder: my socials | playlist
enjoy, i'll see you in the authot's notes at the end of the chapter!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Bluebell: Gratitude
Setting up the camp ends up taking several hours.
While most of the tents are built relatively easily, Mina, Ochako and Himiko are still inexperienced when it comes to taking care of their own tents, so every time said tents seem ready to stand safely and steadily, they flop down, the failure followed by a displeased grunt coming from the three girls. In the end, Oboro takes pity on them and decides to give a helping hand, showing them how to build a strong support for the tent, so it doesn’t fall down at the slightest movement.
Keigo observes in silence, letting out a small chuckle at the way the three look helplessly at Oboro’s hands, now busy planting the wooden pickets and explaining how they’re essential to keep the tent stuck on the ground even when there’s a strong wind. After taking his sweet time to build his own tent (slightly bigger to better accommodate his wings) and Chiyo’s (“Kei, you seem to have some spare time in your hands, why don’t you start working on Chiyo’s tent instead of sitting there looking pretty?” Shota had told him), now he’s once again sitting in front of his tent, with a content smile plastered on his face.
He always loves looking at his family. He loves the way everyone moves as one, everyone has their place all the time, everyone is there to help. When Katsuki starts grunting because he can’t seem to find a hammer, Eijiro is already by his side, offering one. When Rumi breaks one of the pickets of her tent by accidentally hammering too hard on it, Jin is ready to hand her a new one. When Oboro says they need to find some small rocks so they can put them around the campfire, Ochako is ready to go and look for them, returning just a few minutes later with a bunch of medium sized gray rocks floating behind her, to be arranged wherever the blue haired man deems is the best place to set the campfire. It’s like watching a group of dancers, everyone moving around each other in perfect harmony, following a tempo only they seem to know.
Keigo remembers when he was just a kid, even younger than Mina and the others, and Shota and Oboro, barely adults themselves, found him. He remembers feeling at ease for the first time in his life the moment Shota offered him his hand. Shota, with his strong big hand, a huge contrast with Keigo’s dirty and scrawny one, had promised him so much. With that simple gesture, Shota and Oboro had promised him a better life. A shoulder to cry on. Friends to rely on.
No, not friends. A family.
He remembers when, two years after that, one day Oboro had left to buy food for their next travel and when he came back, he had brought Katsuki with him, a small kid with burned clothes, a bruised body and a bad attitude. Keigo’s visceral fear of being left behind made him dislike Katsuki from the get go. And the fact that the little brat would grab Keigo’s feathers and destroy them with his explosions whenever the older boy made them float around certainly didn't help.
But in the end, they found a way to make it work. They always did, always will. And when Chiyo, Jin, Ochako and Himiko, Eijiro, Mina and, just recently, Rumi, joined them, they still managed to make things work, their family getting bigger and the bonds between them getting stronger.
Now Keigo is not scared of being alone anymore. He knows that his family would go through hell and back for him and he knows he’d do the same for any of them. And sure, they fight sometimes, but their quarrels never go too far: when two or more people find themself butting heads, there’s always someone else (usually Shota, Oboro or Chiyo) ready to intervene to fix the issue. Every time there’s that small sentence left unsaid, the silent agreement that helps them settle every fight: the world already hates us, let’s not hate each other .
Jin was actually the first one who said that, in one of his rare moments of wiseness, when Himiko and Rumi had a big fight regarding Himiko’s wish to drink blood once in a while.
Himiko’s quirk allows her to turn into whoever she wants by drinking their blood. She doesn’t use her quirk very often, but since she was a kid, she had always associated drinking someone’s blood with affection. So even now that she’s older, she still likes to get a taste once in a while.
When Rumi found out about this, she thought it was wrong and unnatural, especially since Himiko didn’t actually need the blood to survive. And she couldn’t understand why any of them would give in to Himiko’s requests.
Being the newest addition to their group, Rumi was still new to their ‘complete acceptance' way of living, still shackled by the bias of the quirkless society. She didn’t bother hiding the way Himiko’s carefree relationship with blood weirded her out and when Keigo saw all of this unfold, he knew they were gonna clash at some point.
And they did.
Himiko was upset because she felt judged. Rumi was upset because she felt like her concerns were being ignored. And then Jin came between them with a speech that felt like something none of his multiple personalities could ever come up with. In all honesty, it was uncanny. Almost scary. But, weirdly enough, it worked. Rumi still didn’t like the mention of blood and Himiko still wanted to love however she pleased. But at least now they were being more careful around each other, and that felt like the best way they could’ve resolved their fight.
“Hey, why are you being so silent? Not that I care or anything !” Jin sat next to him on the mat in front of his tent, his head slightly tilted forward to take a proper glance at Keigo’s face. Well, speaking of the devil, uh?
“Ah, nothing important… I was just thinking.” he admits with a smile.
“About what?”
“Remember when Himiko and Rumi fought and you managed to talk it through with them?” he asks, waiting for a confirmation that came right after in the form of a hum. “I was thinking about that.”
Jin doesn’t say anything for a few moments, just staring at the way Ochako and Himiko are busying themselves with a few blankets that need to be placed in their now set up tent.
“That fight scared the shit out of you, right?” the older man whispers with a serious tone, almost startling Keigo. It’s very rare for Jin to take out his more serious side, multiple personalities momentarily shutting the fuck up and allowing the man to have a heart to heart conversation with his family without being interrupted by contradicting thoughts being blurted out without him wanting to.
“Rumi was threatening to leave. Everything would’ve changed if she left. And you know I don’t like it when things change.” he whispers back, lifting his knees so he can rest his chin on them just like he did when he was a kid.
“Nah, you just don’t like the idea of being left behind. You didn’t want her to leave you behind.” Jin fires back, nudging him slightly with his elbow. “You’re doing okay now, but Shota told me you used to get very anxious every time one of us joined the family because you were afraid Shota and Oboro would stop caring about you. When I first joined you and the others, you glared at me for days.”
To be fair, that is true, but not exactly for the reason Jin is thinking of. Keigo did spend a week or two staring at Jin with skepticism when he joined their group. But that was because he thought the older man was completely nuts.
“It’s just… I guess I never really thanked you for how you handled things back then. I know Rumi has been with us for just a year, but… she’s my best friend now. It wouldn’t be the same without her. I’m glad you made her stay.” he admits with a small smile. The older man sends him a wary glance.
“Tell me the truth, Kei… do you have a crush on her?” Jin leans towards him, invading his personal space and Keigo can feel the mirth in his voice. The surprise almost makes him choke on his own spit and he coughs a couple of times, holding his chest with a hand.
“What?! Rumi? Oh gods, no! I… no!” he half yells, flustered and surprised by the question. “I mean, she’s wonderful and… and really pretty, but… no.” he adds, this time with more composure. “Besides, I doubt she would ever spare me a second glance.”
“Are you sure? Because given the way you two met each other…” Jin teases, his grin getting bigger. Keigo can feel his cheeks get embarrassingly red as he shoves the man away, making him lose his balance and fall to the side.
“We have an agreement we must never talk about that! Like… ever again!” he protests, jokingly pressing his foot on Jin's hip, not so hard to the point of hurting him, but just enough to make sure he doesn’t get up. The older man barks a laugh, trying to get away from Keigo’s attack.
“Okay, okay! I get it, I’ll stop mentioning it! I will never let you live it down! ” he screeches, finally breaking free and getting back to a sitting position. And here’s the old contradicting Jin that every single one of them knows and loves.
“Hey, you two! Instead of sitting on your asses, why don’t you start thinking about what we're gonna eat tonight? I’m starving!” Katsuki screams from the other side of the camp and well, Keigo can consider his little moment of peace officially over.
“Well, we have some rice left, but it’s not much… and also some radish and beans, so maybe we could make soup.” Ochako says, tapping her index finger against her chin, deep in thought.
“Soup? Again?” Himiko whines, resting her chin on the brown haired girl’s shoulder. “Don’t we have some meat left? I’m pretty sure we had some dried pork meat left…”
“Uhm… we already ate that… the last time you complained about not wanting to eat soup.” Eijiro mumbles, passing Katsuki a cup of water. The blond boy accepts it with a displeased grumble.
“Well, but there’s the market, right? We could go and buy something tasty to eat! We’re near the sea, I’m sure they must sell seafood in a place like this.” she pleads, turning towards Shota and bringing her hands together as if she’s praying.
The man turns to look at Oboro, as if silently asking for his opinion on the matter. The way they know how to talk to each other without uttering a word is a skill Keigo envies with his whole heart. He wishes he had that sort of chemistry with someone.
“Well, I don’t know, Himiko… I mean, we could, but we don’t have much money left and we need to save them to buy all the stuff we’ll need for our departure…” the black haired man replies with a sigh.
“We… could do a street performance tomorrow. You know, Himiko and I, with our shamisen.” Ochako intervenes, her tone a little shy. “We usually make a lot of money with those, right?” she asks. Himiko squeaks in delight, hugging the girl from behind.
“Now, that’s a good idea! Isn’t it a good idea, Shota? It’s a wonderful idea!” she yells in excitement, making Keigo squint, wings instinctively wrapping around his body at the loud and sudden noise.
“Can you shut the fuck up now? We get it, you want fresh food for dinner, tough luck.” Katsuki grunts, annoyed. Mina is suddenly behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders.
“Stop being a grumpy cat, Kats!” she hums with a mischievous grin. “You’re acting as if you’re not tired of eating rice and vegetables every day.”
Katsuki looks like he’s about to bite her hand off.
“The hell do you know about what I want, Pinkie? Get off of me, you wanna die or something?!” he snarls his right hand flexing enough to create a small explosion.
“Well, you did say that you would murder someone if you had to eat plain rice one more time…” Eijiro mumbles with a small grin, nudging the blond boy in the side with his index finger. The action only manages to make Katsuki even more worked up, the kid lifting his other hand ready to hit his best friend.
“Katsuki, careful.” Chiyo mumbles calmly from the cushion near the tent she’s sitting on. “Remember what Todoroki said about fires in this place? We don’t wanna cause any trouble.”
Katsuki scoffs, pushing Mina away and making her squeak in protest.
“Don’t even mention that fucking old rat, the mere thought of his dumb face is pissing me off. How could he make us sleep out here in a fucking forest when there’s plenty of room in that damn village of his?” he protests, hiding his hands in his pockets with a displeased scowl.
“Well, he did offer you and the others to sleep in an inn, didn’t he?” Keigo butts in with a shrug, taking off one of the long primary feathers of his right wing and using it to scratch that impossible to reach spot between his shoulder blades.
“Yeah, but what about you, Shota, Oboro and Jin?” Eijiro replies in Katsuki’s stead. “Accepting would’ve been… definitely not cool.” he says, earning a firm nod from Mina.
“We all knew this would be a possibility, guys.” Shota intervenes with a sigh. “Small villages are more likely to be filled with closed minded people who are afraid of us. We should be thankful they allowed us in in the first place.” he goes on. “Anyways, this is our situation now. So we better make the best out of it and leave as soon as possible. Okay?” he asks.
A chant of ‘yes sir’s comes from the kids, making Shota nod.
“Good. Now let’s worry about dinner. Himiko and Jin, you two go and buy something from the market. You choose whether you wanna buy meat or fish.” he says, turning towards the man sitting next to Keigo. Himiko jumps happily, hopping towards Shota with her hands stretched out to accept whatever money the man is entrusting to her. “Do not. Buy sweets.” he fixes the girl with a serious glance, putting a few silver coins in her palms.
Himiko pouts slightly.
“Ow. Fine…” she sighs, but her big smile doesn’t take long to be back, the girl moving hurriedly next to Keigo and Jin and taking the latter by the arm. “Let’s go, Jin! We’re gonna buy some dinner!” she pulls the man up with a happy grin.
“W-Whoa, okay!” Jin blurts out, startled by the strength of the young girl. “Didn’t think you’d be so strong, kiddo… I bet you couldn’t even lift a grain of rice !” he screeches. Keigo covers his ears with his hands, starting to regret ever thinking it was a good idea to stand this close to two of the loudest people in their bunch.
“Eijiro, Rumi. Can you two go and fetch some firewood? I’m pretty sure we’ll need plenty of it.” Shota adds, ignoring the chaotic duo’s antics in favor of getting the rest of the group going with their tasks.
“On it! Let’s go, little dude!” Rumi smiles brightly, patting Eijiro’s back so hard he almost loses his balance and falls face first on Katsuki’s crossed legs.
“Yes ma’am!” the black haired boy replies with just as much vigor, getting up and walking away with the woman.
“Ochako, Mina, you help Chiyo and Katsuki with the food. Just do whatever they tell you to, got it?” Shota turns to face the two girls, who nod seriously and approach the older woman. “Kei, can you go and look for some water? I’m pretty sure there must be a well around here, somewhere.”
The blond boy gets up, stretching his wings and arms with one lazy movement.
“ Yessir !” he agrees and he lets half of his feathers detach themselves from his wings and float away, each one moving in a different direction, sensing the area around them. “I’ll be right back.” he says as a goodbye, before taking off, lazily flapping what's left of his big wings.
He can’t fly very high when so many feathers are missing, but he can at least fly high enough to have a better view of the surrounding area.
As he does that, waiting for one of his feathers to sense the sound of water, he lets his mind wander, the beauty of this place giving him peace of mind. As someone who had always flown his whole life, he feels bad for everyone else. The thought of humans not being able to witness the beauty of a landscape seen from up high is such a shame he can’t help but sigh. Sometimes he had brought some of the others along with him for a little flight, the moment his wings had grown big enough to sustain the weight of another person. Himiko, for example, had found the experience pretty funny, and so did Eijiro and Mina. Rumi didn’t particularly hate it, but she had told him she preferred when her feet were safely on the ground. He had also offered Shota and even Katsuki, but they had been too scared to try and had gently refused. Guess flying is not for everyone, unfortunately. The only one who can more or less understand his love for the sky is Oboro, thanks to his quirk that allows him to create clouds he can use to float around, but still he can never fly as high or as fast as Keigo.
His train of thought is interrupted by the sound of gasps, and as he looks down to see what is going on, he notices that he accidentally flew too close to the village, the big stretch of green of the forest’s trees already behind him, replaced by yellowish streets and wooden rooftops.
The gasping sounds came from two boys who are currently staring at him from the ground and hey, he recognizes them. They’re the two kids that were standing behind Todoroki when he was talking to Shota. Keigo grins and lands on a roof, wings kept wide open to help him keep his balance on the tilted surface, and crouches down, well aware of the two boys still staring at him.
While the shorter one, a boy with dark green curls, looks almost frightened, the other one, way more peculiar looking, with different colored eyes and evenly split red and white hair, looks almost concentrated, as if he’s trying to study him. Well, that’s a first. He’s way more used to people being frightened by his appearance.
Suddenly, his wings start twitching, just enough for him to feel the vibration, but not enough for it to be visible to the two boys, and Keigo lets his eyelids shut down, trying to concentrate on the feeling of every single detached feather. He can sense the sound of water gently sloshing, the noise barely perceptible. Better go and check. He opens his eyes and sends a glance towards the kids, waving with a hand, before flying away, back towards the forest.
It doesn’t take him much to get to the spot where his feather is waiting for him, the blond man easily landing in front of what seems to be a small lake. Keigo lets out a disappointed sigh, crouching on the lakeside and dipping his hand in the water. He was really hoping to find a well. Even though the lake water looks clean enough, he knows from experience that you should never drink water if you’re not completely sure it’s clean. Maybe he can still mark the path so he can bring the others to this place first thing in the morning. He bets the kids would love to come and swim here.
He gets up, shaking the water off his hand, and he looks around, searching for something peculiar in the landscape that would help him find the lake again, when he sees a brown-ish spot on the lakeside, in stark contrast with the greenery surrounding the area.
He takes a few steps forward, curiously inspecting the spot. It’s irregularly shaped and it's made of dark and dry soil. It looks like the ground was burned so badly nothing could ever grow on it ever again.
That's weird. Now that he thinks about it, this whole area looks odd. As if it burned and grew back just recently. Most of the trees look small and young and the bigger ones seem damaged, some of them more than others. Compared to the area where they set their camp and the rest of the forest, this place definitely stands out like a sore thumb.
Maybe that’s why that Todoroki dude said that the forest burns easily.
Maybe it already happened.
—
Himiko and Jin had bought chicken meat. The moment Keigo arrives in the meadow where they set camp and sniffs the wonderful, familiar smell of chicken being cooked, he almost starts crying tears of joy and gratitude. He will definitely have to remember this moment next time Himiko comes to him asking for blood.
“When we were at the market, the guy who sold us the meat told us a scary story!” the girl says, linking her arm with Ochako’s the moment the brown haired girl sits next to her with her bowl of stew in hand.
“Uh? What story?” Mina asks, taking her bowl from Oboro’s hands and muttering a cheerful ‘thanks’.
“Well, I’d say it’s more of a sad story than scary. It’s definitely the funniest story ever !” Jin exclaims, his mouth already full of chicken, vegetables and broth.
“He told us that ten years ago a quirk user who could create blue flames sneaked into this very forest and set it on fire. But Todoroki’s eldest son was trapped by the flames and died in the fire.” Himiko says with a gloomy tone, her stew precariously balanced on her knees, threatening to spill at the slightest movement.
Keigo’s mind goes back to the lake and the burned patch of grass that he not too long ago had examined. He wonders if that’s where the quirk user was standing when he set everything on fire, taking away the life of a kid in his act of madness.
“I must agree with Jin, this is not a scary story. It's sad. And gruesome.” he mumbles slowly, playing with the food in his bowl. Suddenly he doesn't feel so hungry anymore.
“That’s not the scary part!” Himiko protests, finally taking the bowl in her hand and taking a generous bite of chicken with her wooden spoon.
“Then what is?” Eijiro asks, intrigued. His cheeks go a little red when Mina instinctively scoots closer to him at the prospect of hearing a creepy story.
“They say that the ghost of the Todoroki kid never left the village. And it’s now haunting his family’s house. Some people swear they saw a pale figure with rotting flesh creeping behind the curtains of one of the windows on the second floor of the mansion. He stares down at the people of the village with sad blue eyes, yearning for revenge on the person who brutally killed him.” she whispers, the fireplace creating unsettling shadows on her face, making it look almost distorted.
Mina lets out a shaky whimper, her body pressed against Eijiro’s side.
“Okay, that… that was a little scary…” she admits. “I have chills all over me, look.” she says, pointing her finger against the pink skin of her arm to show the others the goosebumps.
“It wasn’t scary at all.” Katsuki snarls. Keigo can’t help but notice the way his fingers are tightly wrapped around his spoon, knuckles almost white. “Everyone knows ghosts don’t exist.” he sends a dirty glance in Himiko’s direction.
Rumi throws Keigo a sly grin and leans towards Katsuki without him noticing. When she’s close enough, she tickles his side.
“Boo!” she barks in his ear, making Katsuki jump in surprise and yelp helplessly. Everyone starts laughing at his expenses despite his angered yells, threatening everyone that he’ll murder them in their sleep.
“Anyways!” Himiko exclaims when the laughter dies down. “Ghosts do exist!”
“That’s bullshit.” Katsuki fires back, cheeks still a little red in embarrassment.
“I’m telling you, they exist! I saw one with my own eyes a couple of weeks ago!” she insists.
“Eh? You saw a ghost?” Ochako asks, visibly alarmed, eyes wide open. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t wanna scare you!” Himiko whines with a pout. “It was so scary!”
“What did the ghost look like? And what did it do?” Eijiro asks, one arm wrapped around Mina’s waist, slowly caressing her arm to soothe her.
“It was after the night we had those last few boiled eggs for dinner. We were all sleeping and I woke up because I heard a noise. I lifted my head and through a gap in the curtain of our tent, I saw this tall scary figure with white hair and white clothes walk away from the wagon suspiciously.” Himiko whispers, her yellow eyes shining scarily in the firelight.
“Waaaa, that’s scary! Why is a ghost following us??” Mina whines, shaking Eijiro’s shoulder and almost making him drop his stew. Shota and Oboro glance at each other, the former with an exasperated expression and the latter with an amused grin, both of them clearly skeptical about the whole ordeal.
“You sure it actually happened? Maybe you were dreaming.” Oboro suggests, turning to face the girl.
“I was not! I saw it, I saw the ghost!” the blond girl insists, pouting like a child.
“Ah!” Rumi exclaims, seemingly hit by some kind of realization. “Yep, that was not a ghost. That was me.” she admits. All the kids stare at her with eyes wide open in surprise.
“What?!” Himiko yells, shocked. “What were you doing up so late at night? And where were you going?”
“Well, those eggs messed my stomach a little and I had to… y’know… go.” she says with a sheepish grin.
“Go?” Ochako asks, tilting her head to the side.
“Go.” Rumi repeats, raising her eyebrows a couple of times. Mina makes a cry of disgust at the realization, Ochako lets out a surprised gasp.
“First of all, that’s disgusting and that’s not the kind of stuff you say while eating, unless you wanna spoil other people’s appetite. Second of all, this only proves my point. Ghosts don’t fucking exist.” Katsuki grunts, pointing his spoon toward Himiko, who pouts once again.
“That doesn’t prove that the Todoroki ghost doesn’t exist though!” she protests.
“That’s enough talking about ghosts, you’re all gonna end up having nightmares.” Oboro intervenes, still visibly amused by the conversation. Shota, next to him, nods in approval. “Now finish your stew and go to your tents. You need to rest.”
Katsuki lets out a grunt, lowering his gaze and taking one big bite of stew.
“She’s ruining the taste of the stew with all this crap talk about ghosts.” he mutters.
“You’re only saying that because you’re scared.” Eijiro shoots back with his mouth full, some small pieces of food flying off his mouth. The blond boy grimaces in disgust.
“Stop talking with your mouth full or I’ll kill you!” he hisses.
“Ah, before I forget…” Keigo speaks up and raises his gaze to look at Oboro and Shota, hoping that the change of topic would finally distract the kids from talking about ghosts. “I didn’t find a well around here, so I suppose they must have one in the village. But I did find a lake. The water seems clean enough for a bath. I can show you the way tomorrow.”
Oboro’s eyes light up in excitement.
“Seriously? That would be fantastic! Gods, you’re a lifesaver, Kei!” he exclaims with a smile, the thought of bathing in the lake the next morning making him cheerful.
“Yay, it’s gonna be fun!” Himiko singsongs happily.
“Didn’t you and Ochako promise that tomorrow you’ll be performing at the village for money, just a few hours ago?” Shota deadpans. The smile on the blond girl’s face vanishes in an instant.
“Oh… ugh, we did!” she whines, placing her head on Ochako’s shoulder, a few tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry Ochako, now you’ll have to play the shamisen all day with me instead of going for a swim with the others!” she mumbles, visibly upset.
The brown haired girl smiles, gently patting her head.
“It’s okay, Himiko, we can take a quick bath early in the morning and then have fun with the others another time.” she says, tilting her head so she could properly look at the girl. “Besides, I like playing the shamisen with you.”
“You do?” Himiko asks, using her sleeve to wipe her tears.
“Yeah, of course I do.” Ochako nods, her smile even bigger now. The two grin at each other, foreheads pressed together and Keigo turns his head to the side, focusing on his bowl of stew so he could give the two some privacy.
“So it’s settled, then. Tomorrow I’ll be taking you two to the village. We don’t know these people, so it’s better if an adult accompanies you, just in case.” Shota says to the two girls, even though they’re still busy whispering sweet nothings to each other.
“I could take them.” Keigo hums absentmindedly, his eyes still fixed on his almost untouched food.
“You?” Shota asks, slightly surprised.
“I mean, yeah… you deserve some rest. Besides, I don’t really feel like going for a swim, so… I can watch the girls.” he says with a shrug. The black haired man squints his eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent positive!” Keigo nods with a smile. Shota still looks unconvinced.
“Keigo, can I trust you on this one?” he whispers tiredly. The blond man places his spoon in the bowl and brings his free hand to his chest, right where the heart is.
“You’ve known me since I was twelve , do you not trust me?” he asks, fake annoyance in his tone.
“I don’t trust you for that exact reason. Because I know you too well.” Shota deadpans, before letting out a long sigh. “You know what… fine, you can take the girls. Just- be careful, okay? We don’t want any issues with the locals.” he pleads.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behavior!” Keigo promises with a grin, focusing back on his food, the smile dying on his face the moment he’s back alone with his thoughts.
Why does he feel like he cares so much? It’s just an old story Himiko told to scare the others.
Still, he wishes he never knew about any of that. Like, sure, the ghost thing it’s obviously fake. It wouldn’t be that surprising if that merchant told Himiko that story to scare her off and make them leave the village sooner.
The kid, though… the kid was real. He used to be alive and now he’s not. Not anymore. It was a stupid thing to be upset about. Kids die every day. People die every day. Before meeting Shota and Oboro, Keigo himself almost died, damn it. More than once. So why is this so upsetting to him so much?
“Keigo? You alright?” Rumi whispers near his ear, her hand easily carding through his messy blond locks. “You barely touched your stew…”
The concern in her tone makes the weight in his chest feel ten times heavier. Not only is he ruining his own mood and missing out on a delicious bowl of chicken stew, but now he’s also making his best friend worry.
“I’m… I’m fine. I guess I’m just tired.” he lies, the words coming out weaker than he would’ve liked. She hums for a second, her hand still playing with his hair, making his shoulders relax. He knows she doesn’t believe him, but he hopes she doesn’t pry any further. He doesn’t have the strength to face this discussion right now.
“I see…” she nods slowly, ruffling his hair. A small giggle escapes his lips before he can stop himself. “Well, try to eat a little more and then go get some rest.” she gets up and grins at him, her white ears twitching. “And if you feel like talking about your… tiredness … you know where you can find me.”
Keigo smiles weakly, watching as she walks away and he takes another spoonful of stew, the flavor of meat and vegetables perfectly mixing together and he feels his chest untighten even so slightly.
As he turns to look at the rest of the group - Himiko trying to steal some chicken from Jin’s bowl while Mina, Eijiro and Ochako distract him, Katsuki staring at them with a hint of a smile on his face, Oboro red in the face to stop himself from laughing at the silly display, Shota and Chiyu busy talking under their breath about something - Keigo can’t help but smile to himself.
And when he lays in his tent, later that night, he still has that same smile on his face. He has a good family. Everything is fine. Everyone is happy. Sad thoughts be damned.
Everything is fine .
He closes his eyes, yawning tiredly.
That night he dreams of blue flames and trees burning.
Notes:
so here we are! kind of a filler chapter, the real stuff is yet to happen but i really wanted to give some space to the little family, they're so fun to write and before i could realize this chapter ended up being 5k+ words about them eheh
if you want to say hi, talk a lil or support me in any way you can find me here and if you enjoyed this chapter consider leaving a kudo or a comment, they always make me happy.
i'll see you next week with a new chapter! :)
Chapter 5: Chapter 4 - Jasmine
Notes:
the truth is that the slow burn tag in this fic is there bc it takes them centuries to meet lol
jk, it's happening soon, promise!ALSO THANK YOU FOR ONE THOUSAND HITS IM GONNA CRY!!! :')
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Jasmine: Gracefulness
When Touya wakes up that morning, it’s with a displeased grunt.
He lays in bed staring at the ceiling, fingertips against his temples, trying his best to forget the gruesome details of the nightmare he just woke up from. Nothing too specific: just him dying, his mother dying, Shouto, Natsuo and Fuyumi dying, his father screaming at him, Hakata burning down. Same old stuff. Just the perfect way to start the day.
With a sigh, he slowly rolls out of his futon, numb body aching in protest. He neatly fixes the bedding and lets out a yawn.
Only then, as he boredly scratches his belly, he notices that it was not the nightmare that woke him up. No, it was the sound of music. Shamisen music to be precise.
Is today one of the days Fuyumi practices her shamisen skills?
No, that doesn’t seem right. Fuyumi usually practices in the late afternoon, when Father is done teaching Natsuo and Shouto politics and allows himself to relax, listening to the quiet and cozy melodies created by his eldest daughter.
Besides, this music doesn’t sound like Fuyumi’s at all. It’s not like anything Touya has ever heard before. It’s cheerful and fun to listen to, every note makes you wonder what the next one is gonna sound like, keeping you on the edge. It’s the kind of music that makes you feel like… dancing.
Not that Touya knows anything about dancing, actually. He was born with two right feet, and even if that wasn’t the case, it’s not like he has any occasion (nor any reason, for all that matters) to try and refine his dance skills.
The music comes to an end and a round of shy hands clapping can be heard right outside his window, loud enough to catch Touya’s attention. Someone is performing on the streets. But who? There aren’t many people who are able to play the shamisen in Hakata. Fuyumi might be the only one. The rest of the musicians in the village are more focused on instruments like drums and flutes and can barely play a few notes using stringed instruments. So who…?
Touya feels his breath getting stuck in his throat, his heart suddenly beating faster. Could it be…?
—
“Curse Bearers?” Touya asked, eyes looking comically wide in shock. Well, whatever he was expecting was going on in Hakata, this was definitely not it. Shouto nodded seriously, his mismatched eyes staring back at him.
“Yeah, Father went and talked to them late in the morning and I followed him with Midoriya. There’s eleven of them and some of them even have some weird curses that make them look… non-human.” he said, taking a bite from his rabbit stew.
“Uh? Non-human?” Touya asked, perplexed by that statement. Did those people look like him? Were they disfigured by their awful curses as well?
“There was a girl with small yellow horns, pink hair and pink skin. And the sclera of her eyes was not white, it was black.” Shouto murmurs, pointing at his own face with his spoon. “And there was a woman with bunny ears. And a man with huge red wings.” he added.
“Red wings? Like a dragon?” Touya leans forward, turquoise eyes still wide open, but the shock was now replaced by genuine curiosity. It was the first time he ever heard of other Curse Bearers. The first time he could learn more about people like… him.
“Mh, no… more like a bird. With primary feathers and smaller ones. But they looked… sharp.” the boy explained with a pensive look on his face.
“Sharp? How can feathers be sharp?”
“Don’t ask me… that curse seriously looked strange. Even Father seemed thrown off by it.” Shouto said. “Ah, there was also this boy… he looked normal at first, but then we made eye contact and he smiled at me, and he had pointy teeth. Now if someone looked like a dragon, it was him. He almost scared me. And I swear I heard Midoriya whimper.”
Touya let out a sigh, playing with the food on his plate. Suddenly he didn’t feel so hungry anymore.
“Your friend is not particularly brave, isn’t he?” he forced himself to smile. Shouto mimicked his grin with a more genuine one.
“He isn’t, but he has a big heart. And he’s a good friend.” the boy admitted, lowering his gaze, a slight flush clear on his cheeks. “You know, he really didn’t wanna go to see those Curse Bearers, he was scared, but when I told him I wanted to go, he…” he stopped, noticing the troubled expression on his older brother’s face. “Touya? Is everything alright?” he asked, clearly worried.
Touya shook his head, unruly white locks falling on his forehead at the motion.
“It’s nothing, just- I know it’s stupid, but I kinda wanted to see them too. You know, the Curse Bearers.” he lifted his spoon, staring at the boiled piece of carrot on it and letting it fall again into the bowl. He wished he could explain the strange feeling he felt bubbling in his chest. The weird longing, the attraction towards these strangers, the desire to… belong. It was stupid, he didn’t even know these people. But still, he wanted to see them with his own eyes.
He wanted, for once in his life, to fit in.
“Well, maybe you will. They’re staying for a few days.” Shouto reassured him with a shrug. Touya felt his jaw drop in surprise, the staples keeping his face together pulling enough to sting.
“They… they what? Father let them in?” he asked, surprised.
“Yeah, I know… sounds crazy. But yeah, he did. He’s making them stay in the forest… but I think they’ll be able to come to the market whenever they want, though.”
“Out of sight, out of mind, uh? Reminds me of someone.” he mumbled sarcastically, taking a bite of his food. Of course the old man would put a limit to his kindness. Typical of Todoroki Enji, keeping at arm’s length whoever wasn’t of his liking.
They kept eating in comfortable silence after that, both enjoying the delicious meat while lost in their own thoughts.
“You know, I understand why you want to see them.” Shouto said after a while, lifting his cup of water to his lips and taking a sip.
“You do?” Touya tilted his head to the side, stopping in the act of bringing his spoon full of broth to his mouth.
“Father spent years making you feel different. And as much as Yumi and Natsu try to pretend otherwise, I think they also believe you are. Your desire to feel like you’re part of something is understandable and very valid.”
—
Touya shakes his head at the memory of what Shouto said the night before during dinner. Feel like part of something, uh?
That kid is starting to get very good at reading me, uh…
As the music starts again, Touya slowly approaches the window, hand shakingly reaching for the curtain. Damn it, why is he shaking? He doesn’t even know if it’s actually them !
After taking a deep breath to soothe his nerves, he finally moves the curtain to the side, just enough to peek outside without being spotted. Then he looks.
And his heart stops.
Touya reads a lot. Living his whole life hidden in his room can be boring, Shouto can’t spend all day inside with him, so books are Touya’s biggest companions. He often reads about love, both in poems and novels, but he never actually gave the authors too much credit. He never thought attraction could feel as powerful and as sweet as those people tried to claim. He never believed love at first sight could ever exist.
Well, he stands corrected.
Because if not love, what is making his heart race so fast in his chest, what is making the healthy skin of his cheeks feel so hot he’s sure he’s blushing, what is making his whole body feel like it’s on fire all over again?
There are two girls sitting on a small mat on the side of the road, each of them holding a shamisen in their hands, playing that music that first caught his attention. One of them has a short bob of brown hair, slightly blushed cheeks and eyes closed in concentration, lashes gently caressing her flushed skin. The other one has a small grin on her face, slightly pointy canines peeking from under her upper lip, making her smile look a little wicked, sharp yellow eyes and long blond hair tied in two messy buns. They both look around Shouto’s age, their expressions making it perfectly clear that they’re both enjoying playing their music together. But it’s not any of them the person that made Touya’s breath stuck in his throat.
‘Pretty’ is not enough of a compliment to describe the absolute beauty that that man is. Touya can’t believe that Shouto talked about his big red wings, but failed to say how everything about him was unfairly breathtaking. How his hair is a beautiful shade of golden blond, messy and soft looking, moving in the wind like yellow waves and catching the light of the sun, making the honey colored locks look even shinier. How his eyes are sharp and of a darker shade of gold than his hair, eyelids decorated by black markings that make his gaze look even more attractive and fascinating. How pretty his nose is, the point slightly turned upwards. How his skin is tanned and his face void of facial hair, except for a few strands on his chin.
And his wings, oh… his wings . They are huge and red, the same color as ripe cherries and so, so soft looking. How could Shouto lie to him and tell him they looked sharp? Touya is looking at them now, with his own eyes and he would give everything he owns for the chance of letting his fingers run through those soft feathers.
The man is dancing along to the music, his body moving graciously in a way that keeps Touya on edge, almost hypnotized by his every movement, his hips swaying to the rhythm of the music, hands clapping, flowy dark brown clothes moving along with his body, revealing a few inches of skin of his abdomen every time the man’s movements make the shirt rise a little too much, big cloudy wings flapping gently, as if eager to dance along with their owner.
Touya feels weak on his knees, right hand clenching against the wall near his window, holding tight to stop him from dropping on his knees. He can feel his head spin, the need to step back and sit on his futon is strong, but his eyes are glued to the beautiful man dancing, making it impossible for him to move even an inch away from the window.
He doesn’t know how much time he spends drinking in the appearance of that beautiful red winged angel, but the sound of gentle knocking coming from behind him forces the white haired man to take his eyes off the scene and turn it to the door of his room.
Before he gets a chance to allow the person outside to come inside, the door opens, revealing the dark gray eyes and white hair of his sister Fuyumi.
Fuyumi has always been the exact copy of their mother, safe for the few red strands of red hair on her head, inherited by their father. Those painfully familiar dark eyes rapidly scan the room, before focusing on Touya and widening in concern.
“Touya! Step away from the window, someone might see you.” she whispers, as if worried that someone outside can hear her from up here, and steps into the room, revealing the small tray of food she had brought with her.
“Yumi, come here.” the young man says instead, gently wrapping his fingers around the wrist of his younger sister the moment she has placed the tray on the small table. He pulls her next to him, trying very hard to ignore the way she gasps at the feeling of his scarred skin against hers or the way she seems to be holding her breath the moment they’re so close to each other, as if uncomfortable because of the proximity.
The young woman looks at him with uncertain eyes, before gently pulling the curtain to the side so she could take a glance at whatever is keeping his brother looking outside.
“Ah, the Curse Bearers…” she mumbles, staring at the way the villagers stop to look at the little performance, creating a small crowd around the three outsiders, some of them even daring to throw a bronze or silver coin in the small cup sitting in front of the two girls.
With a delighted gasp, Touya notices how a few feathers detach themselves from the man’s big wings, flying around the street and making happy circles around the people who give the three performers money, as if it’s some fancy way to express gratitude.
So he can also make his feathers fly on their own… so wonderful.
“Father told me that he has allowed them to make a small temporary camp in the forest. Let’s just hope they don’t cause any trouble and don’t decide to stay for too long. We have our hands full as it is already, we don’t need more of that around here.” she closes the curtain back. Touya stares at the white fabric for a few seconds, the warm fuzz he felt while staring at the blond man gone just as rapidly as it arrived. The sound of the music and the cheers is still loud enough to be heard by the two siblings.
“Yeah, I agree.” he nods, looking at his sister as she walks away from the window and approaches the table, kneeling in front of it. “One Curse Bearer in the village is already enough, right? We don’t want any more trouble…” he adds, unable to stop the venom dropping from his words.
Fuyumi audibly gasps and brings a hand to her mouth, stopping in the act of setting the table for Touya’s breakfast and turning to face him with a mortified expression painted on her face.
“Touya! I… I didn’t mean it like that…” she stutters, visibly upset.
Touya looks at her for a few seconds, before letting out a long sigh. He shouldn’t be too harsh with Yumi. After all, she is doing her best.
After Touya’s presumed death their father fired all the maids in the house. The official reason was to let their family mourn in peace. But the truth was that he just wanted to make sure no one ever found out about their dirty little secret, Touya himself. Ever since that day, Mother and Fuyumi took care of all the housework and, after their mother’s death, everything fell on Fuyumi’s shoulders.
Touya knows she feels responsible for the whole family. Every time Father or Natsuo talk to her about marriage, she hurriedly changes the topic, fully aware that getting married would lead to her leaving the house and that would mean not being able to take care of Father and her three siblings anymore. Her sense of duty is keeping her chained to this house just like Touya’s disfigured body is keeping him confined in his room and he can only blame himself for both his and his sister’s misery.
So he can’t really blame Yumi for resenting him. He resents himself as well.
With a sigh, he steps away from the window.
“It’s okay, Yumi. I’m sorry.” he steps close to the small table and kneels in front of it. “Did Father tell you for how long they’re staying?” he tries to sound as accommodating as possible.
“No, he didn’t. But I guess it won’t be too much.” she replies with a cautious tone, placing a porcelain cup on the table and pouring Touya some steaming hot tea. “I’m guessing one week or two at best.”
A small pang of disappointment hits Touya straight in his chest, making him wince. That’s an awfully short period of time. He probably won’t ever get the chance to take another glance at those other Curse Bearers, least of all the bird man .
His disappointment makes him subtly roll his eyes. He shouldn’t feel this upset over a stranger. But alas, he does. And he could swear he never felt so annoyed at the idea of being stuck in his house, of not being able to leave this stupid room, run outside and ask that man his name, see his face up close, maybe make him smile.
Every night, Touya falls asleep wondering why he’s not normal. Every morning he wakes up wishing that all of this was all a dream, that his curse never existed, that he wasn’t some freak living hidden in his family’s house, that everything was fine .
And every time, he is hit by heartbreaking disappointment, because he’s still cursed. He’s still a freak. Everything is still not fine .
Greyish smoke starts coming out the seams on his skin, body temperature increasing just enough to heat up the cup in his hands, tea steaming.
“T-Touya!” Fuyumi yelps, visibly alarmed by the smoke her brother is exuding. The fear in her voice makes Touya flinch, distracting him from his dark thoughts.
Damn it, he was about to have another fire accident. He stopped having those ages ago. He seriously needs to calm down.
“Sorry Yumi… didn’t mean to scare you.” he takes a sip of tea, trying to soothe himself. The scorching beverage runs down his throat, too hot to be considered pleasant, but he ignores it.
He puts down the tea, choosing to let it cool off before taking another sip. Only then he notices the amount of food Fuyumi had brought, just enough for one person.
“Is Shouto having breakfast with you and the others today?” he asks absentmindedly, taking the chopsticks and the small bowl of rice.
“Ah, no, he isn’t… he’s actually having breakfast with his friend Midoriya and his family today.” she says, seemingly glad to finally change the subject to something more familiar (and probably safer). “Honestly I’m so glad Shouto is bonding with the Midoriya kid. He seems so nice. And Shouto definitely needs more friends, so I hope young Izuku can help him socialize more.” she tilts her head to the side, cheerful. “Father seems very glad as well, he always says it is not good for Shouto to spend so much time in here.”
Now, Touya always tries very hard not to take personally the things Fuyumi and Natsuo blurt out accidentally and the shit Enji says intentionally. But fuck it if it hurts sometimes.
“You mean… with me?” he says, staring at his sister with a raised eyebrow. She visibly squirms, avoiding looking at him. It’s a thing Yumi and Natsu do quite often. They try to avoid looking at his disfigured face as much as possible.
“N-No, that’s not…” she stutters, but Touya places the rice bowl on the table with a sigh.
“That’s not what you meant. I know.” he mutters and this time he lets the bitterness he feels inside be evident in his words. “Listen… just go. I want to eat alone.” his fingers clench around his chopsticks, almost making them snap.
“But… but the tray…” Fuyumi stutters, still kneeling next to him.
“I’ll take it to you when I’m done with it. Now go.” he repeats.
Fuyumi bites her lip and slowly gets up, fixing the long skirt of her kimono with her hands.
“Captain Chisaki will visit us sometime this morning. It’s better if I come and take it when you’re done.” she approaches the door. “I’ll be back in around twenty minutes.” she says before she walks out, leaving Touya alone in the room.
He lets out a sigh, finally taking the first bite out of his bowl of rice, picking a piece of dry seaweed and putting that in his mouth as well. As much as Fuyumi’s words hurt, Touya can’t allow himself to live in a delusion. She is not wrong. It’s dangerous for Shouto to spend time with him. Pretending that that is a lie can only be described as selfishness on his part. Shouto deserves better than that. He deserves to spend time with people his age, deserves to have fun and certainly does not deserve to be put in a dangerous situation, risking being burned alive by Touya's stupid curse.
The memories of his recurring dream come back before he can stop them, the hurt expression in his younger brother’s eyes as he holds his scarred face makes Touya feel sick.
No, Fuyumi is right. Shouto is better off without him. He should act like a good older brother and tell him that. He should convince Shouto to stay away.
The thought makes his insides twist painfully, his whole body protesting at the idea of losing Shouto as well. As rare as they are, those times they eat together really make him feel… happy. Shouto’s presence, his sharp tongue, his straightforward demeanor, his complete lack of ability to understand sarcasm, his sincere mismatched eyes staring at him when he tells Touya he’s not a monster… Touya needs that. He needs Shouto.
The realization makes him laugh bitterly, the staples keeping his face together pulling just slightly at the corners of his mouth. Of course a monster like him can’t even do what’s best for his brother, egotistically keeping him close even if that’s detrimental for him.
With a shake of his head, Touya can’t help but think that everyone in his family would be way happier if only he had actually died in that fire.
—
Shouto is walking with Midoriya towards the market. The shorter boy had told him he needed to buy some ingredients for his mother to prepare mochi, so Shouto had decided to tag along. The green haired boy is talking to him, something about the kind of pastries they sell at his family’s shop during this time of the year, but Shouto is distracted, mind occupied by Touya having breakfast alone in his room. It’s a silly thing to worry about, honestly. Touya eats alone most of the time and every time Shouto joins him, he mutters something about Father getting mad and being fine with having his meals alone.
He usually tells himself that he does it for Touya, because his brother needs some company once in a while, but maybe Shouto is just being selfish, imposing his presence on his older brother simply because Shouto himself needs his company, not the other way around.
Shouto likes Touya. He likes to hang out with him, even though Father, Fuyumi and Natsuo keep telling him that it’s too dangerous. That Touya could get mad and hurt him. And Shouto knows Touya is scared of that as well, his brother’s eyes always linger on him for a second too long, as if he’s afraid his mere presence may hurt Shouto.
“-roki? Hey, Todoroki? Are you okay?” Midoriya’s hand is resting on Shouto’s shoulder, his green eyes staring at him with a perplexed expression. Shouto blinks a few times, focusing back on the present and looking back at his friend.
“Ah, Midoriya.. sorry, what were you saying?” he asks with an apologetic tone. He feels guilty, having completely missed every single thing his friend had said, too lost in his thoughts.
“I asked you if you wanted to go and see what’s going on there?” the shorter boy murmurs, pointing his finger towards a small crowd not too far away from them. Now that Shouto is aware again, he notices there’s the faint sound of music coming from there, the familiar sound of a shamisen being played brings him back to Fuyumi’s painfully long concerts that Father forces him and Natsuo to attend. But the melody is way more enjoyable than Fuyumi’s melancholic tunes.
I wonder who’s playing…
“Y-Yeah… let’s go.” he nods, resuming his walking, Midoriya trotting along. They finally approach the group of people, easily sneaking around to get to the front of the crowd and get a glimpse of the mysterious musician. Well… actually, musicians .
Two of the Curse Bearers from yesterday, a brown haired girl with pink cheeks and a blonde girl with spiky canines and a pretty hairstyle are sitting on a dark mat on the ground, playing two identical instruments, their fingers rapidly moving on the strings of their shamisens.
Next to them, the blond man with red wings is dancing along to the music, clapping his hands and flapping his wings, feet lifting from the ground for a few seconds at a time, making his dance look even more graceful.
“They’re… good…” Midoriya whispers next to him, eyes moving rapidly from the girls playing and the man dancing and back, as if he couldn’t choose what to focus on. Shouto nods in agreement, distracted by the red feathers circling in the air around the three performers. At first, he had thought that the blond man had shed them naturally like a bird would and that the small downies were floating around carried by the wind. But no, their movement is too precise and scenographic to be a coincidence. It’s likely that the man’s curse allows him to move them as he pleases.
A faint cling sound distracts him and, as he lowers his gaze, Shouto notices a small metal cup placed on the ground, a few silver and bronze coins inside. It's filled halfway through, but as Shouto looks around, more people have money in their hands, ready to tip the three performers.
Oh, of course! They’re performing for money.
He digs his hand in the small satchel tied to his belt, looking for the coins he knows he had put in there. But before he can take the money out, he feels the crowd shift around him, and suddenly, when Midoriya gets pushed against his chest, all he can see are green curls. He feels his cheeks get slightly hotter at the feeling of the shorter boy’s back being pressed against his body, but it must be because of today’s warm temperature.
“What’s going on here?”
Ugh, Shouto could recognize that low, annoyingly slurred voice anywhere.
“Captain Chisaki?” Midoriya whispers, visibly surprised, following with his gaze the soldier as he walks up to the three Curse Bearers. The blond man immediately stops dancing, his wandering feathers halting mid air, as if waiting for a command from their owner. The two girls stop playing their shamisens, the blond girl silently moving her hand and placing it on the brown haired girl’s knee.
“Is there a problem, sir? Was the music too loud?” the winged man asks, with a friendly smile plastered on his face, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. There’s something off about those golden irises, something unsettling, but Shouto can’t really place his hand on the feeling.
“The music was not the problem. However, begging for money on the streets is not a practice that we accept around here.” the Captain says, his yellow irises staring down at the man in front of him. The Curse Bearer is at least a head shorter than the brown haired man, but he doesn’t look intimidated, even if Chisaki seems to be doing his damn best to look as threatening as possible, using his height to his advantage.
“Ah, but you see, Sir, we were not begging. My friends here, they are very talented when it comes to music, so we just came here to perform for your people. And I’d dare to say that all those present were delighted by their skills.” he replies, every word sweet and cheerful, tone of voice basically dripping honey.
“Do not try to sweet talk me, Curse Bearer.” Chisaki replies, voice ice cold. The man’s red wings stiffen, looking as sharp as they had looked the day before when Father was talking to their spokesperson. “I am not blind. I see that cup full of money there.”
A sudden rattling sound makes Midoriya jump in surprise and the cup is now resting on the blond man’s palm, brought to him by one of the feathers floating around him. All the presents gasp at the motion, finally noticing that the red feathers were somewhat sentient.
“You did? Well, I’m impressed. I bet nothing gets past you, uh?” the winged man says, sarcasm clear in his tone. Shouto barely manages to hold a muffled laugh, immediately slapping his hand over his mouth. Midoriya does the same, trying to silence a gasp instead. “Besides, it’s not like we’re keeping the money to ourselves. We’re gonna spend it in your market here, buying food, clothes and medical supplies. We’re only helping the economy of the village!” he adds, bringing his free hand to his chest. “In fact, you should be thanking us. You’re welcome, Sir.”
Chisaki visibly stiffens, straightening his shoulder in an attempt to look bigger.
“Kei… let’s just go.” one of the girls, the one with brown hair and pink cheeks, whispers. While the man and the Captain were talking, the two had silently put away their instruments and got up, ready to leave.
“Yeah, listen to your friend and go… Kei.” Chisaki whispers, taking a step forward. Like this, Shouto can better see his face. There’s a strange glint in the Captain’s eyes. Not threatening, just… strange. Shouto is not sure he likes it. He turns his gaze towards the curse bearer, expecting him to step back, to look somewhat intimidated by the soldier’s behavior. He certainly doesn’t expect the blond man to step forward, hand gently placed on the brown haired man’s chest, and suddenly his face is dangerously close to Chisaki’s, lips almost touching the shell of his ear.
“Please, mister…” he pretty much purrs with a smile, wings slowly moving behind his back. “Don't call me that ever again. My name is Keigo.” with one last smirk, he steps back and turns around, walking away. “Himiko, Ochako, let’s go.” he then says to the two girls, feathers flying back to their place on his wings.
The blond girl lets out a small chuckle and cheerfully hops towards the man, following him, meanwhile the other one respectfully bows her head at the Captain, before hurriedly joining the other two Curse Bearers.
Everyone is either staring at the three Curse Bearers or at the brown haired man still standing a few steps away from them. From his position, Shouto can see that Chisaki’s ears are visibly flushed, probably a sign of ill-concealed rage.
“The show is over, everyone.” the man simply says after a few seconds, turning towards the crowd. It’s like every single person suddenly awakens from a trance. Everyone starts walking away, resuming their mornings.
“Maybe we should go too.” Midoriya whispers in Shouto’s ear.
The taller boy turns towards his home, eyes staring at the window on the second floor. Touya’s windows. He wonders if his brother saw the performance.
“You go ahead, Midoriya. I’ll be back. “There’s something I gotta do first.”” he mumbles and then he starts rapidly walking in the opposite direction, following the three Curse Bearers.
He doesn’t know what he’s supposed to tell them. Hell, he doesn’t even know what he wants to tell them. He only knows that he wants them to stay a little more, to talk to him.
“Hey… wait!” he calls out, loud enough for the three to turn and face him, perplexed. The man, Keigo, looks him up and down, head tilted to the side, red wings stilling behind his back, alerted.
“Uh? What can I do for– wait, I know you.” the man says, tilting his head to the side. “You were there yesterday… when Shota was talking to Todoroki. You’re his kid, right?” he asks, a polite smile forming on his face, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“How… how do you know that?” Shouto mumbles, surprised by the statement.
“It’s not that difficult to figure out. You look a lot like Todoroki… well, technically only your left side looks a lot like Todoroki.” Keigo replies, his smile getting a little playful as he points his finger at his own left eye. Shouto feels a slight blush form on his cheeks, suddenly feeling self conscious about his appearance, left hand nervously touching the evenly splitted fringe.
“Your hair looks cool!” the blond girl (Himiko or Ochako, Shouto doesn’t know) says with a grin, as if sensing his discomfort. Shouto smiles a little, still slightly flustered.
“Well… thank you. And, to answer your question, yeah, Enji is my father.” he confirms, almost apologetically.
“Mhmh…” Keigo hums almost to himself, nodding at the confirmation. “Well, what can we do for you, Babyroki?” he asks, the nickname taking Shouto by surprise. “Get it? Babyroki… Baby Todoroki... Because you’re a smaller version of your dad. Big Todoroki.”
Shouto blinks a few times, his cheeks feeling a little warm.
“Yeah, uhm… I just– I think you guys were great. My sister plays the shamisen as well, but she is not really good and I have never seen anyone dance like that before.” he whispers. The three of them smile, the grin on Keigo’s face now looking more genuine.
“It wasn’t that special, but thank you.” the blond bows his head in gratitude. Shouto shakes his head, digging his hand in the pouch on his belt again, taking out the money he was looking for a few minutes ago, when the three were performing.
“No, I mean it. It was really impressive. Take these.” he insists, stepping forward and putting the two gold coins in the cup, the money inside rattling slightly at the movement. Keigo instinctively lowers his gaze to look inside the cup, his eyes immediately going wide in surprise at the sigh of gold.
“Shit, are you serious, kiddo?” he asks, taking the two coins out and staring at them. The two girls look surprised as well, staring at the golden coins and Shouto can’t really blame any of them. Gold is extremely rare and only the richest families have real gold, may it be in the form of coins or jewels.
“I haven’t seen one of these in sooo long…” the blond girl hums, resting her chin on Keigo’s shoulder. The other girl nods, impressed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in my life.” the man says, turning the coins in his hands to have a better look.
“Well, your performance was amazing. You deserve them.” Shouto says with a shrug. “Hope to see you perform again.” he adds and turns to leave.
And I hope you perform again in front of our house so Touya can see you as well.
“Hey, kiddo!” Keigo’s voice calling him makes Shouto turn his head, eager to know what the Curse Bearer wants to tell him.
“Listen, I'm sorry about your brother and… you know, the fire.” he says, hiding his hands in his pockets while a small feather floats in the air, holding the cup full of money for him.
Shouto blinks a few times, surprised, wondering if he heard that correctly.
“What? Wait, how do you..?” Shouto mutters, turning to face the man completely. They arrived here just yesterday. Did someone tell them about Touya?
“It’s a long story. But just so you know, I wanted to tell you that what happened to him is… that’s awful. And I wouldn’t blame your family if you guys were to hate the likes of us. But both you and your dad are being very nice to our family. Thank you, really.” sincerity shines in the Curse Bearer’s golden eyes. Shouto can feel his cheeks heat up.
“It’s… it’s okay. Being rude to you just because of who you are wouldn’t be right. You look like nice people, so…” he mumbles. Keigo grins at that, taking out one of his hands from his pocket and running his fingers through his messy golden locks to try and fix them.
“What’s your name, kiddo?” he asks. Shouto tilts his head, surprised by the sudden question.
“Uh… Shouto. I’m Shouto.” he replies.
Keigo smiles even more at that.
“You’re really cool, Shouto.”
Notes:
enji: that winged man is so pretty
touya: he's not just "pretty", here's a whole paragraph of all the things that make him the most beautiful man to existyou can really tell who's the one who's gonna fall HARD and who's only thirsting for a handsome man uh...
anyway, thank you guys again for the hits, and kudos and comments, they always make me soososo happy. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far and i know these first chapters are a little slow and there's not a lot of stuff going on, but I PROMISE it's gonna be worth it.
also, today i finished writing the prologue of my next fic lol, hopefully when I'm done posting this fic's chapters thee new story will be ready to be posted! can't wait to share that one with you as well!
i'll see you next week with a new chapter! :)
Chapter 6: Chapter 5 - Erica
Notes:
hey guys! i hope everyone is doing fine!
just a little heads up before the chapter, i'd like to remind everyone that this story is tagged one sided endhawks so there will be scenes in which enji feels a certain way when it comes to keigo. please be mindful of that :)
hope you enjoy this chapter!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Erica: Solitude
“Kei, maybe you went too far with that man. He seemed like a very important person around here. We promised Shota not to cause any issues…” Ochako whispers, as she walks towards the forest with Keigo and Himiko. She’s visibly worried, brows furrowed in a troubled expression and hands fidgeting nervously.
“He was a Captain!” Himiko butts in with a careless smile. “It was obvious by the way he was dressed. Jin taught me how to recognize military ranks based on the clothes.”
“A Captain?!” Ochako looks even more worried now. “Oh, Kei… why did you make fun of him like that?” she whines, cupping her face with her hands, unintentionally activating her quirk and starting to float over Keigo and Himiko’s heads. With a sigh, the blond man detaches one of his feathers and gently wraps it around the girl’s ankle, dragging her along before she can float too high for them to catch her.
“I thought it was funny.” Himiko says with a grin, fixing one of the buns on her head with expert precision. “That guy was being kind of an asshole, I bet that rule about begging for money was made up.” she mumbles with a pout.
“All the rules are made up, Himiko. It’s not like they exist in nature.” Keigo replies with a content smile, more for the sake of being annoying than anything. The girl pinches his side, rolling her eyes.
“You know what I meant, idiot.” she groans, with no real malice behind her words. The man lets out a small laugh, flipping one of the golden coins with his fingers.
“Yeah, I know what you meant, I just wanted to piss you off.” he sighs happily. “Anyways, I’m not too worried about that Captain. It’s not like anything bad will happen.”
Ochako makes her fingers touch, a small flicker of pink light coming out of her fingertips at the touch and she lands next to him.
“You can’t know that for sure.” she says with a slight pout.
“Yes, I can.” Keigo shoots back with a grin. “Wanna know why? Because this is not the first time I’ve messed with a soldier. Nothing happened back then and nothing will happen now.” he says, jokingly touching the tip of her nose with his index finger.
“No shit, that’s because that soldier you messed with back then was Jin. Oboro told us everything about that day. And I mean, it's Jin! What could’ve possibly happened?” Himiko protests.
“Hey, Jin might be a nice dude now, but he was still a soldier. With a sword and everything.” Keigo replies, gently shoving her out of the way with a wing. Himiko yelps in surprise.
“So you think he was not a nice dude back then? I’m telling him you said that.” she finally stops fidgeting with her hairstyle and takes back the shamisen one of Keigo’s feathers was carrying for her. “Anyway, did you see that big house? The one not too far from where we were playing?” she asks, a subtle glint in her yellow eyes.
“Uh?” Ochako lets out a small confused hum. “Yeah, what about it?” she leans forward so she can turn her head to the side and properly look at the other girl.
“I bet that was Todoroki’s house! I kept looking at the second floor’s window, just to see if I could get a glimpse of the ghost!” she says, tapping her index finger against her bottom lip. “And at some point, I swear I saw the curtain move!”
Keigo stops flipping the coin in his hand.
“Ah, Himiko… are you still thinking about that ghost story? It was most likely something that the seller told you to scare us and make us leave sooner…” Ochako whispers, hugging her shamisen to her chest. “There’s no ghost in the Todoroki mansion. Besides, I don’t think it’s nice to keep talking about that. It’s a dead kid we’re still talking about, after all… ”
Keigo couldn’t agree more. Especially after talking to that kid's brother, Shouto.
“Well, I kept glancing at the second floor too. But not because I was looking for the ghost.” he adds immediately before Himiko could get any funny idea. “I was actually looking at the flowers. There were a lot of pots on the balcony. They were pretty and well-kept.” he admits, smiling at the thought of the pretty white flowers he saw decorating the Todoroki mansion.
“Can you imagine big and scary Todoroki watering those cute flowers?” Himiko chuckles, squaring up her shoulders to try and look bigger, in a sorry attempt to mock the size of the red haired man.
“He doesn’t look like the type of guy that cares about flowers or… anything, honestly, so I doubt he’s the one taking care of them. Maybe his wife, or that boy, Shouto…” Ochako holds her chin as if deep in thought.
Speaking of Shouto…
“You think he could have a quirk?” Keigo asks out of the blue, making the two girls turn their attention back to him.
“I mean… it would explain why he was so nice to us…” Himiko hums, squinting her eyes deep in thought. “Also his hair… and eyes. I mean, I know it’s not nice to judge someone based on their appearance… but I think it could be a possibility.”
“Maybe he’s being forced to hide his quirk too...” Ochako whispers, the two girls exchanging a knowing look. No one better than them knows how hard and painful being forced to hide a part of yourself can be, after all.
“Should we talk to Shota and Oboro about this?” Himiko asks, turning to face Keigo. The man hums, evaluating their options.
“I think it would be safer to keep an eye on the kid and wait for some confirmation before bringing this up with the others or with Shouto himself. Accusing the son of the Village Chief of having a quirk could be dangerous.” he says. The two hum in agreement and the rest of the walk towards the camp proceeds in silence.
All Keigo can think of are pretty white flowers.
—
The full moon is shining brightly outside. Not that Touya can see it through the white curtain, but a few beams manage to pass through the fabric anyway, shedding their silver light over the man’s empty futon.
Touya flips the page of the book he’s reading, some boring essay about war and politics his father gave him when he was a kid and he was still expected to be the next Village Chief instead of Natsuo, and he lifts his cup of tea to his lips. As he takes a sip of the beverage, he can’t help but grimace. He didn’t notice that his tea got so cold. With a sigh, he wraps his slender fingers around the cup and lets the fire within him heat the porcelain and the tea inside. When the beverage is steaming, Touya puts the cup down. Then he does the same thing with the teapot, warming it up just enough to make his tea taste good again.
A drop of wax slides down the candle placed on the small table, blue flame melting the candle faster than it normally would and Touya stares at the way the yellowish liquid stains the old chamberstick, only now noticing the way his stomach is rumbling in hunger.
Touya sighs, placing his hands on his back and stretching in torso, staples pulling annoyingly where they keep the skin of his chest and his stomach together, but not enough to actually hurt. Dinner was a little scarce today, but still, he wasn’t expecting to feel hunger in the middle of the night.
Oh well, he’s pretty sure it’s way past midnight at this point, which means he should be able to safely sneak downstairs and steal some food. Maybe he can find some leftovers from dinner or, even better, some of the delicious sweets Fuyumi buys from the pastry shop owned by Toshinori Yagi and Inko Midoriya and sometimes serves with green tea. Yeah, that sounds like a fantastic plan.
Touya silently leaves his room and starts walking down the stairs, feet moving expertly on the wooden floorings, avoiding all the stairsteps he knows tend to creak when stepped on.
“I am serious, Father. You need to send them away, it’s too dangerous to have so many Curse Bearers here.” the hushed voice of his younger brother, Natsuo, makes him stop in his tracks, on the last step of the staircase.
Okay, so maybe they aren’t all asleep yet.
Touya turns his head towards the source of the voice. It came from Enji’s office, the light of a candle lighting the small room and revealing the shadows of his sibling and father behind the translucent paper door.
“You know I can’t go back on my word, Natsuo. That would make me look like a fool in front of the village and the Curse Bearers.” Enji sounds tired. Who knows how long this conversation has been going on. “Besides, Shouto was there when they asked to be allowed inside. If I sent them away, he would’ve been upset. You know he’s sensitive when it comes to these things.”
Natsuo lets out an exasperated groan.
“Why does he even care so much? Is it because of Touya?” he asks. Touya feels his blood turn cold when his brother speaks his name. “I don’t understand why Shouto is so obsessed with him, Touya’s been nothing but a nuisance for the last twenty or so years.”
Touya swears he feels a pang of pain in his chest, sharp and sudden like a stab wound. He slowly rubs his hand against his chest, trying to soothe the ache, but to no avail. Does Natsu really feel this way about him?
“I know that, Natsuo. But Shouto will eventually grow out of it and I can’t antagonize him, or else he’ll act even more stubbornly.” Enji replies. Touya can imagine him rubbing the bridge of his nose like he always does when he’s frustrated. “This is why, for the time being, I need to be cautious whenever it comes to Touya or Curse Bearers in general.”
“Still, it is not a good reason to allow a dozen of those monsters inside the village!” Natsuo insists. “What if they curse all of us? What if they bring their misfortune upon Hakata?”
“You are perfectly aware that those are just baseless rumors and beliefs. We’re both above those gossipy speculations, Natsuo.” Enji warns, tiredness clear in his tone. At this point it’s obvious that he’s done with this conversation and doesn’t want it to be protracted any further.
“Are they really speculations, though? Let’s be real, Father, things have been going downhill since Touya started burning himself. He basically became a living corpse, Mother died, Shouto barely leaves the house and Fuyumi is refusing to get married even though Chisaki’s been begging us for her hand since last year. This doesn’t feel like-”
Touya takes a step back, almost stumbling on the staircase in the process. He feels like he’s about to vomit. He can’t stomach any more of this conversation. With clenched fists, he runs up the stairs ignoring the squeaking steps, hunger long forgotten.
He had always known that his father resented him, almost hated him for being born with a curse. He had accepted the idea of being disliked by the very man who brought him to this world. But Natsuo? His little brother Natsu? The one that played with him when they were kids? The one that, before Touya’s accident, always sneaked into his older brother’s room to sleep together, enjoying the warmth that Touya’s body emitted because of his curse? The one that cried in fear when he saw Touya’s scarred face for the first time, but then hugged him, whispering between sobs that he was so glad his brother was alive?
That same Natsuo really hates Touya so much that he blames him for every disgrace that happened to their family?
It honestly feels like a nightmare.
Yeah, probably, that’s it. Touya is probably just dreaming. He must have fallen asleep while he was reading and now he’s dreaming. Because yeah, Natsuo rarely visits him in his room, and he always avoids looking directly at his face, but he doesn’t hate him… right?
Touya just needs to go to sleep. Tomorrow it’ll be okay, because Natsuo won’t hate him. Yeah, he just needs to get in bed and…
When Touya walks into his room, his body freezes instantly.
Oh, now he’s certain he must be sleeping. Because behind the curtain of his window, illuminated by the moonlight there’s the clear shape of a person standing on his small balcony, only the white curtain and the thin glass window concealing Touya’s presence from the eyes of the person on the other side.
Touya takes a step forward. What do old people always say? Curiosity killed the cat? Well, Touya is about to get himself killed, because he wants... no, he needs to get a glimpse. Who could it be? Is it Shouto? No, of course not, Shouto is taller than the figure. Besides, why would Shouto be on his balcony in the middle of the night? His brother is probably sleeping in his room.
With a deep sigh, Touya approaches the window even further, scarred hand lightly moving the hem of the curtain to the side, just enough to peek at the stranger outside with one eye, but not enough to catch their attention.
—
Keigo lets out a groan and shifts for the hundredth time on the cheap bedding of his tent, desperately trying to be claimed by tiredness and fall asleep, but to no avail. It feels like he has too many thoughts in his mind to actually doze off.
Is Shouto a quirk user? Does Todoroki Enji know about it? Does that Captain know? Damn it, what if Shouto is the quirk user that burned the forest all those years ago? Himiko did say that the fire happened ten years ago. If his assumption that Shouto is around the same age as Katsuki and the rest of the kids is correct, that would mean that Shouto was around five or six years old when the fire happened and the eldest Todoroki kid died.
And that’s the age when quirks tend to appear…
Keigo groans again, rubbing the palms of his hands on his face. Gods, he needs to get out of this fucking tent right now, or else his own thoughts will drive him insane. He gets up with a grunt, wings almost getting caught in the roof of the tent and steps outside, the chilly air of the night hitting the naked skin of his chest and making him shiver. A single feather flies right back inside the tent and gets out right after, holding his black haori shirt and the rope he uses as a belt.
Once Keigo has put the haori on and fastened the rope around his waist, he approaches Rumi’s tent, sticking his head inside.
“Ru? Rumi?” he whispers, watching the messy mop of silky white hair shift just slightly. A low grunt can be heard coming from his best friend. “Are you awake?”
“Not anymore.” she hisses back, lifting her head just enough to send a murderous glare at the blond man. Strands of white hair messily fall on her face and stick up on her head, getting caught in her big bunny ears.
“Good!” his grin grows even bigger. “I just wanted to let you know that I need to stretch my wings, so I’ll be out for a while.” he says, feeling the wind ruffle his feathers, making his desire to take off and fly stronger and stronger with every passing second.
“And you really had to wake me up just to tell me this?” she groans, letting her head fall back on her thin futon. Keigo hums for a second, as if in deep thought.
“Uhm… honestly? No, not really. But I kinda wanted to annoy you, so…” he lifts his hands with a yelp to protect his face from the pillow that was thrown at him. “Wow, rude?”
“Just leave, you dumb bastard!” Rumi whisper-yells at him, wrapping herself in her old wool blanket.
“Yessir!” Keigo replies with a grin as he retracts his head from inside the tent, letting his wings spread fully and taking off, getting higher and higher, deep in the jet black night sky.
He only stops when the air around him gets foggy, white and gray humidity surrounds him as he finds himself inside a cloud. A real one, not one of Oboro’s white cotton-like ones. With a small smile, Keigo lets himself float in the dense cloudy fog, wetness soaking his thin clothes, his skin, hair and feathers.
Now, this? This is the best feeling in the world for him. Weightlessly flying in the clouds, feeling them shift around his body whenever he bats his wings, experiencing that forbidden pleasure that only birds get to experience, that happiness that humans were never supposed to know. But here he is, with his wings, the wings his quirk gave him, doing that very thing other humans could only wish they could do.
Keigo lets his eyes fall close, lulled by the wind whistling in his ears and the occasional sound of a nocturnal animal letting out its cry in the forest beneath him.
Soon enough, he loses count of how much time he spends flying around, sometimes going even higher, over the clouds, sometimes plunging down, stopping his fall just a few seconds before hitting the ground, sometimes letting himself be a bit of a show off, twirling in the air, making loops after loops and all those sick air tricks that he loves and that give Shota a scare every time he sees Keigo perform them.
(But hey, can he actually be considered a show off if there’s not someone to show his skills off? Not really, right?)
Suddenly he stops mid loop, head upside down as he sniffs the air. The familiar smell of night is now mixed with a faint hint of smoke and an almost imperceptible scent of… flowers?
He lets himself lose altitude, just enough to be able to look around without the clouds blocking the view, and sees the small wooden houses of Hakata. He must have strayed too far away from the forest once again. Does that mean that the smell of flowers comes from..?
Yeah, it really does come from the Todoroki mansion. The same white flowers from that morning are placed all around the balcony, spreading their pleasant smell around the village and Keigo… well, Keigo is just a human. A human incapable of resisting when it comes to nice smells.
He faintly remembers telling Ochako that since he was a child, he had always loved the smell of flowers and the girl explaining to him that flowers have a nice scent because they’re meant to attract birds and insects in order to pollinate. So maybe it’s his bird instinct that’s making him gently fly towards the balcony, eyes fixed on the pretty white flowers, as if he’s attracted by them like the moth to a flame. It’s not like someone’s gonna see him anyway, everyone is probably sleeping by now. Besides, he’s not doing anything bad.
With a silent hop, he lands on the balcony, closing his wings behind his back, crouching in front of one of the pots and tilting his head to the side.
Now that he’s finally standing so close, he lets himself appreciate both the pleasant sweet smell and the beauty of the shape of every flower. The petals are white, slightly pointy and they almost look like they’re positioned in some kind of spiral, getting smaller and smaller as they get closer to the center where a small patch of light yellow marks where the anthers full of pollen are. The leaves are big, dark green and glossy, almost shining under the moonlight.
Pretty, he thinks as he hums in contentment, softly caressing one of the petals with the point of his finger.
And the smell, oh … it’s just so nice. Warm and comforting. Keigo breathes in the almost honey-like scent and sighs in delight. Would it be that bad if he took one flower with him? The Todorokis probably won’t notice, right?
When he’s about to pluck one of the smaller flowers off the plant, an almost imperceptible sound comes from behind him, making his feathers twitch, suddenly alert. It’s a light rustle of fabric, one that a normal human could never detect, but that he can thanks to his sensitive feathers.
Keigo rapidly turns around towards the source of the noise and his golden eyes are met with a turquoise one, staring at him wide in shock. There’s someone inside the house, staring at him through the window, completely hidden behind the white curtain, except for that single blue eye. Keigo's first thought is Todoroki Enji, that shade of blue identical to the one of the Village Chief’s eyes. But no, the shape of this eye is much far more gentle than Todoroki’s. Also, there’s… oh .
Keigo’s mouth falls open as he notices the scarred skin under the person’s eye and something akin to metal seems to be attached to the purplish skin. The beautiful turquoise blue eye blinks a couple of times, before getting comically large and, suddenly, the curtain snaps closed, concealing completely the figure of the person inside.
It’s like waking up from a trance. Keigo jolts up in a rush, approaching the window and lightly knocking on the glass.
“H-Hey, wait! Who are you?” he yelps, pressing his face against the glass, trying to get another glimpse at the mysterious person. “Can you hear me?” he asks after a few seconds. “Are you upset about the flowers? I was just smelling them… they smell nice and they’re really pretty.” he adds. Keigo carefully avoids telling the person inside that he was also about to steal one.
“Leave.” the voice from the other side is low and definitely masculine.
Okay, so it’s a man. Based on that short word it’s difficult to determine the age, but Keigo is pretty sure he’s neither much younger nor much older than him. The man didn’t sound mad or anything, but almost… pleading. Keigo’s wings twitch in discomfort at the sad sound of his voice, so he immediately takes a step back, nervously chewing on his bottom lip.
“I… fine, I’m leaving. I’m leaving, okay? Please don’t be upset about the flowers, okay? They’re fine. You can check if you want…” he says, loud enough so the guy on the other side of the window can hear him, but not so loud to accidentally wake up the other inhabitants of the house. He doesn’t know why he feels so nervous or why he feels the need to justify himself with this person but… he just does. “I’ll go now. Bye.” he adds, a little awkwardly, before taking off, rapidly flying away from the balcony and stopping after a few wing flaps to turn and face the Todoroki mansion again. He lands on the roof of a smaller building, cautiously hiding so he can try and get another peek at the man. His bird-like sight makes it possible for him to see the curtain move to the side again, this time enough to reveal the whole frame of the mysterious person.
The first thing that catches Keigo’s eyes is messy white hair, snow colored strands standing up on the man’s head, making him look quite young and innocent. Overall, he doesn’t look much older than Keigo, but he does look… frail. The young man is skinny, clothes loosely falling over his tall and scrawny frame. The skin of his face and neck is partially covered by the same purple scars he saw just a few minutes prior under his eye, and maybe Keigo is mistaken (he’s still standing a few meters away from the guy, after all) but he swears he can see the same scars covering his wrists, purple skin extending to the hem of the man’s sleeves and only the gods know how many inches of marred skin are hiding under his clothes.
The man slowly opens the glass window, silently sneaking outside and kneeling in front of the flower pot, gently caressing the white petals just like Keigo did before getting caught. The movement catches a few rays of moonlight, creating a light reflection that leaves the blond man confused. After a more careful inspection, he noticed the source of the issue: there’s an ungodly amount of silver colored pieces of metal keeping the man’s healthy skin and scarred skin together. The thought makes Keigo shiver. That must be uncomfortable and extremely painful.
How can someone live like this..? he wonders to himself, eyes still fixated on the mesmerizing man. As quickly as he came out, the white haired man gets up and walks back inside, closing both the window and the curtain, nervously looking around as if to make sure that Keigo had actually left.
As for Keigo, he stays on that roof for many minutes, his body completely paralyzed from head to toe.
He doesn’t know what to think. Well, actually he does. But it’s such a crazy thought he can barely wrap his head around it. It seems like something you hear in those old stories and legends adults tell kids to scare them. Could that man actually be…
Keigo violently shakes his head, spreading his wings and hurriedly flying back towards the forest. He needs to talk with someone and there’s only one person he trusts enough to share this story with.
—
When Natsuo finally leaves Enji’s office, the man lets out a sigh, sitting more comfortably on the pillow he was kneeling on and rubbing his right hand on his face.
He was not expecting to have this conversation with his son and, not for the first time, the Village Chief feels the sting of disappointment at the realization that Touya was definitely better suited than Natsuo to be his successor. Natsuo is strong headed, incapable of seeing the bigger picture and, most importantly, eager to do things as he pleases, even if that means going against what Enji deems to be right or wrong.
On the other hand, Touya has always been a gentle soul, a characteristic that he had inherited from Rei (just like the white hair and the thin figure), and always eager to please and follow Enji’s every instruction. If it wasn’t for that stupid curse of his, he would’ve grown to be a good Village Chief, shaped according to his father’s likings, ready to manage Hakata exactly how Enji would’ve taught him to do.
But Touya turned out to be a Curse Bearer. And a Curse Bearer incapable of controlling his own curse, no less. And therefore, Enji found himself in the uncomfortable position of having to choose Natsuo as his new successor (Fuyumi, being a girl, was never considered for the position for obvious reasons).
Overall, Touya’s presumed death made it easier for Enji to justify his choice, having to explain why his eldest was being removed from the line of succession without exposing his family’s dirty secret would’ve been pretty difficult otherwise.
With a frustrated groan, Enji drinks the last sip of his no longer warm tea and stands up, gaze turning towards the window almost subconsciously. The village looks almost creepy under the darkness of the night, dark shadows creating spooky figures over the buildings’ walls and on the streets.
The man’s eyes stop on a precise spot right in front of the mansion, the same corner of the street he had been staring at that same morning, and his heart can’t help but beat a little faster in his chest.
Enji isn’t completely oblivious to the concept of being attracted by someone of the same sex. It’s that kind of thing that everyone knows about but no one actually talks about out loud. Everyone knows it can happen, but no one is willing to admit that it has happened to them.
Well, Enji is ready to bring that secret to his grave. Because if being attracted by a man is frowned upon, being attracted by a Curse Bearer can only be considered one of the most repulsive things that can happen. But yet, here he is, daydreaming about a blond haired winged man, the same Curse Bearer that first caught his eye the day before and that he saw dancing in front of his house this morning. As if he was mocking him, with his shameless beauty and cheeky grin and unsettling wings.
Yes, Enji feels mocked. Mocked by the fact that he knows that in reality, Shouto was just an excuse, that he only accepted to let the Curse Bearers inside the village because he wanted to be able to see that man again and again, drink in his beauty and soothe the thirst he felt since he first laid his eyes on him.
Not without a little effort, the man takes his eyes off the street, turning to face the painting of Rei that he had placed on the wall next to his writing desk many years ago. It’s a beautiful painting Enji commissioned right after Rei died, requesting the painter to make two copies of the same portrait. A smaller one that was placed on Rei’s altar, in their old bedroom, and a bigger one that Enji hung in his study, so he could always have Rei by his side.
The dark gray eyes of his wife’s portrait stare at him, almost judging him and Enji delicately caresses the painting, right where Rei’s cheek is.
“What should I do, Rei? That vicious Curse Bearer came here to take my heart and mind away from you… his mere presence tarnishes your memory, my love.” he whispers, words silently echoing in the empty room.
If only Rei was alive, none of this would be happening. These disgusting thoughts wouldn’t be happening if only his wife was still here next to him.
Enji takes a step back, taking his gaze off Rei’s melancholic dark eyes, the thought of golden irises making him feel a wave of nausea rising from the bottom of his stomach. As he walks out of his study, silently making his way towards the bedroom, a dark, awful thought sneaks into his mind.
Enji knows that curses are inherently bad. They are punishments that the gods themselves brought upon humans, to castigate them for the wrongdoings of their ancestors.
But for the first time in his life, he wishes it wasn’t Touya the one that has to bear the weight of that punishment. For the first time in his life, he wishes it was him to be the one with the ability to ignite his body and turn to ashes everything he pleased.
Because wouldn’t that young man look so, so much more lovely without those blood colored wings ruining his beauty? Wouldn’t it be an act of kindness on Enji’s part, to burn away every trace of curse from that graceful body, getting rid of the Gods’ punishment in their stead? Wouldn’t the attraction Enji felt for him feel just a little less sacrilegious if only the blond man looked like a normal human being?
Notes:
me, after writing that enji's pov: BROTHER EWWW
ough, i hate that old fart so much, writing his pov is always such a pain, stupid fucking enji smh
well, i hope that (endeflop pov aside) you enjoyed this chapter. because AHHH KEIGO SAW TOUYA!!! IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY OFFICIALLY MEET NOW :') I'm so excited, you have no idea!
thank you again for every kudo, comment and hit, you guys are showering this fic with love and I'm so grateful! thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!
i'll see you next week with a new chapter, byeee <3
Chapter 7: Chapter 6 - Carnation
Notes:
WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE ALREADY SURPASSED A HUNDRED KUDOS??? AHHHHH YOU GUYS ARE INSANE, THANK YOU SOSOSOSO MUCH OH MY GOD :(((
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Carnation: Fascination
Keigo almost gets stuck on the entrance of Rumi’s tent, his wings too big to fit through the small hole, so he sheds his feathers with a sigh, leaving them in a pile near the futon and snuggling on the mattress next to his best friend. Rumi groans and stirs a little in her sleep, but doesn’t wake up.
“Rumi? Wake up, we need to talk…” he gently shakes her shoulder. Rumi’s steady breath falters for a second, signaling that she is about to regain consciousness. “Ru-” the word dies in his throat when his friend wraps one arm around his waist and pulls him closer, burying his face in her chest.
“Mhh, Kei… shut up and sleep…” she mumbles tiredly, using her other arm to caress the messy golden locks on his head. Keigo tries to yelp, but the sound is muffled by the woman holding him even tighter, making it difficult for him to breathe with her boobs covering both his mouth and nose and completely blocking his airways.
“Ru… can’t… breathe…” he chokes out, trying to push Rumi away. The white haired woman lets out a frustrated huff and lets him go, staring down at him with sleep filled eyes. The moment he’s free, Keigo takes in a deep, relieved breath.
“Why are you here?” she asks, her red eyes staring at him with murderous intent. “I thought you were going to fly around all night or something.”
“Something happened, Ru, and I needed to tell someone.” he whispers back, staring at her as she rubs the sleep away from her eyes with her fingertips.
“It could’ve waited ‘till tomorrow, Kei…” Rumi mumbles, getting more comfortable as she lays on her side, putting her arm under her head and looking at her friend.
At this point, she looks as awake as she can possibly be in the middle of the night and Keigo almost feels bad for waking her up twice in one night, but if he doesn’t talk about this with someone now he'll go crazy.
“No, it couldn’t. Listen, I… I think I saw the Todoroki kid… the one who died in that fire.” The small wings on his back flap a couple of times in excitement as he finally gets to say the words out loud.
And damn, that made the realization feel way more real… and crazy, actually.
“Seriously? You woke me up for that stupid ghost story Himiko told us last night?” Rumi groans, exasperated. “Why don’t you go and wake her up? I bet she’d love to talk with you about ghosts all night, but I really wanna go back to sleep, so…” she starts to wrap herself in her blanket, ready to go back to sleep, but Keigo stops her hands, trying to get her attention back.
“No, no, Rumi! Wait! You don’t get it, I didn’t see a ghost!” he says in a firm tone the moment their eyes meet once again. “He was real. And I saw him, he talked to me. He was alive , Rumi.” he adds, a seriousness in his tone and gaze that makes the rabbit woman blink a few times, surprised. A heavy silence falls between them, the two staring at each other for a few long seconds, before Rumi lets out a long sigh and moves Keigo’s hands away from hers, making him lay next to her on the small futon.
“Okay, fine.” she murmurs slowly. “You have five minutes to explain. Then I’m going back to sleep.” she points her finger against him in a fake threatening way.
Well, Keigo starts explaining. And it takes him way more than five minutes to tell every single detail he can remember of that strange and brief encounter. He starts from the moment he sniffed the pleasant smell of flowers, telling her about the pretty white petals, the balcony, how he was about to steal a flower, how he felt a faint movement behind his back, how his eyes, for just one second, met one single turquoise eye and how the person inside the house immediately hid themselves, asking Keigo to leave.
“So how do you know it was him if you only saw one eye?” Rumi asks, yawning tiredly.
“When I left, I hid behind a roof and waited to see if he would come out... and he did. It was a man around my age. White hair, same eye color as Todoroki, very thin. And his skin was… oh gods, Rumi, his skin was covered in dark scars.” he mumbles with a pained expression as if the mere thought of the condition the man was in makes him feel physical pain. “His jaw, and neck, his undereye… they were all covered in scars… and I could see scarred skin on his wrists too, so maybe even the rest of his body is in the same condition… and the scarred skin was kept together with some kind of… metallic staples. It looked rather painful too.” he absentmindedly touches his own cheek, as if trying to imagine the feeling of scarred skin and metal wire on his own face.
“So, let me get this straight…” Rumi rubs both her hands on her face, her tone a mixture of tiredness, exasperation and curiosity. “You believe the man you saw is Todoroki Enji’s eldest son. The one that everyone in this village believes to be dead.”
Keigo nods once, eyes filled with determination.
“Exactly. I believe he somehow survived the fire and Todoroki told everyone he was dead, when in reality he kept living in his family’s house. He’s the ghost everyone saw that Himiko was talking about. And I mean, I can understand why people would mistake him for a ghost, his healthy skin is very pale and he has white hair…” he mumbles, the small wings on his back twitching and poking uncomfortably against the futon, but his mind is too focused on the train of thoughts it's following to actually care about that. “What I fail to understand is… why? Why fake his death? Why would Todoroki make everyone believe his son died in a fire?” he whispers, lightly touching his chin, deep in thought.
“Well, if the fire really was started by a quirk user, I think that Todoroki did it to avoid any panic in the village. You know how people in small villages are, they’re superstitious, if they knew the guy survived, they would’ve treated him like some kind of freak. Can you imagine it? The boy who survived the cursed fire… it’s like going around with a huge sign saying ‘ I bring bad luck ’. Probably he thought it would’ve been safer for the kid to be considered dead.” Rumi considers with a shrug, moving a strand of white hair away from her face. “Also, from what you said, this dude looks awful, I can see why Todoroki would prefer to keep his terrifying looking son hidden.” she adds, making Keigo grimace as if he just tasted something very sour.
“Don’t say that, Rumi… he wasn’t awful, nor terrifying.” he says seriously.
“You said his face was kept together by staples, Kei. What do you want me to believe?” she asks rhetorically, lifting one eyebrow.
“Still, that didn’t make him look ugly. He actually looked… really handsome, you know. But at the same time, he looked sad and… fragile.” he hums slowly, struggling to find the right words to describe the utter pain he felt while looking at the scarred man. His eyes meet Rumi’s, an unreadable expression hidden behind her small red irises, but then the woman sighs and turns to lay on her back with a small grin.
“Well… there’s only one way for you to have the answers you seek about the mysterious Todoroki dude, right?” she says, side eyeing him with a knowing smile. Keigo blinks a couple of times, visibly oblivious. Rumi sighs, shaking her head. “You need to go back there, tomorrow night. Knock on that window and do not leave until he tells you what you want to know.” she explains.
“But how? He refused to let me see him, he told me to leave… what makes you think that he’ll talk to me this time?” he asks, his eyes going wide in curiosity.
“Dunno, tell him that if he doesn’t let you in you’ll start screaming or something… if his dad really wants him to play death, he won’t risk it.” she replied with a curt shrug.
“That… doesn’t sound like a nice thing to do, Ru.” he admits after a few thoughtful seconds, making the rabbit woman groan, visibly fed up with his uncertainty.
“You wanna know the truth, Kei. Right?” she asks, turning on her side to look at him once again, her narrow eyes staring him down.
“Yes, but…” he mutters, instinctively shrinking under her gaze.
Shit, she's scary... how could a bunny look so intimidating? I’m supposed to be a hawk, damn it. A bird of prey! Hawks eat bunnies!
“No 'buts', Kei. All the answers you seek are in that house, and the one who could give them to you is that man. Just go and get them, if you’re brave enough. Staying here and brooding over it won’t solve shit.” she reprimands him. Keigo turns his gaze away, pouting.
“I know, but…” he tries to speak again, but Rumi’s arms sneak around him once again, locking him in another bone crushing hug. Luckily, this time his nose and mouth are spared from the previous torture, as he is left free to breathe.
“Shush. Now sleep. You’ll think about it tomorrow.” she mutters with a tone that clearly says ‘end of discussion’. Keigo lets out a sigh, relaxing in his best friend’s hug.
“Fine… goodnight, Ru.” he whispers, closing his eyes.
“Kei?” Rumi lets out a few seconds later, her voice barely audible even to his sensible ears.
“Mh?” he hums silently, eyes still closed.
“If you wake me up in the middle of the night one more time, I’ll kill you.”
—
Touya had spent the whole night awake, staring at the ceiling with an overwhelming feeling of anxiety swelling in his stomach, making his insides turn and ache painfully and his eyes remain stubbornly wide open. Why, damn it, why is he so stupid? What made him think that opening the curtain was a good idea? Stupid, stupid, stupid. And now someone saw him, and saw him from up close. Oh no, not just someone. One of the Curse Bearers. The beautiful winged man. Gods, he was even more handsome up close. And he was probably so disgusted by Touya’s horrendous appearance and…
Touya lets out a huff, shaking his head. Is he seriously worrying about that right now? He should focus more on the fact that the man saw him in the first place. What if he tells anyone? Oh, Touya’s gonna be so dead if he spills the beans and Father finds out… damn it, he’s so stupid… utterly, hopelessly, stu-
“Touya? Are you okay? You haven’t touched your food like… at all.” Shouto mumbles, chopsticks holding a piece of tofu suspended mid air.
Touya blinks a few times, trying to distract himself from his catastrophic thoughts, and lowers his gaze to look at the food on his plate.
“I, uh… actually I’m not very hungry today, Sho.” he whispers, his voice coming out a little weaker than what he intended. He does his best to stop the grimace from showing on his face, while his chopsticks move around his plate, poking at the anpan his younger brother had brought him.
“Did you have nightmares again?” the boy asks sympathetically, tilting his head to the side, the red and white strands of hair of his fringe getting mixed together at the motion.
Touya forces a smile, lifting his cup of tea to his lips and taking a small sip. The delicate taste with sweet aftertaste of his tea does a good job of soothing his tormented heart and a small sigh leaves his lips before he can stop it.
“Something like that…” he answers, closing his eyes.
“Well… I’m sorry about that, Touya. it’s been happening a lot more often than usual lately, isn’t it?” he asks, receiving only a short affirmative nod. “I bet it’s not easy, and you must be stressed, but I think you should try and eat something anyway. Skipping meals is not good for your health.” Shouto suggests, a worried look darkening his mismatched eyes just for a second, before being replaced by an amused glint as his lips stretch in a knowing smile. “Maybe just a few bites, okay? For me?” he leans forward with a pleading look and a slight pout on his lips. Touya averts his gaze with an amused grin.
“Stop that, Sho!” he chuckles, shaking his head. “You know I can’t resist your puppy eyes.”
The kid lets a triumphant smile spread on his face, eyes glistening in delight when he sees his brother show an emotion that isn’t nervousness for the first time since he has walked inside the room with the breakfast tray.
“I know, that’s why I do it.” he says cheerfully and takes a generous bite of tofu.
“You and your stupid big puppy eyes…” Touya mutters with no real malice, lifting the small anpan with his chopsticks and taking a bite. Shouto smiles even more brightly at that small victory. “You know, when you do that you really do look a lot like Mother.” he adds, after gulping down a second mouthful.
“Yumi says that quite often too.” the boy whispers with a soft smile, lowering his gaze. “I wouldn’t know, though… I don’t really remember her face so well, after all.” he admits, his voice bittersweet.
A sharp pain hits Touya in the chest, Natsuo’s words from the night before washing over him like an icy shower.
“Are they really speculations, though? Let’s be real, Father, things have been going downhill since Touya started burning himself. He basically became a living corpse, Mother died, Shouto barely leaves the house and Fuyumi is refusing to get married even though Chisaki’s been begging us for her hand since last year.”
Because of the whole mess with the Curse Bearer, Touya had completely forgotten about the conversation between his father and Natsuo he had eavesdropped on the night before, but now the memories are coming back in full force, making him squirm on the spot, his mood once again turning sour.
Was Natsuo right? Was he really bringing bad luck upon his loved ones?
“Right. Sorry, Sho…” he lets out in a whisper when the heavy silence starts lingering for too long. The kid shakes his head, a smile still present on his face.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Touya. I’m fine.” he says, putting the chopsticks down and lifting his cup to his lips. After taking a small sip, Shouto lowers his gaze to take a look at the tea inside the cup. “Hey, would you mind..?” he whispers, handing the cup to his older brother.
“Sure.” Touya nods and takes it, warming it with his hand just enough for the temperature to be pleasant, but not scorching hot. “So, how did breakfast with Midoriya’s family go yesterday? Bet eating freshly made pastries for breakfast was nice, uh?” he hums, trying to change the sullen topic and distract his own mind from his dark thoughts. As he speaks, he hands Shouto his now warm tea.
“Ah, it was!” the boy beams as he takes the cup back. “Thanks.” he whispers, sipping the hot beverage with a smile, before placing it on the table. “I think I ate the best pancakes ever, even better than the ones Fuyumi makes. I already told her that we’ll have to buy them once in a while. Ah, and Midoriya’s brother made some sort of honey sponge cake, it was so sweet and fluffy it felt like it was melting in my mouth!” he explains with a happy smile on his face, double colored eyes shining just like when he was a kid.
“Since when Midoriya has a brother?” Touya furrows his brows, trying to mentally recall the faces of all the members of the Midoriya family, but no, he’s pretty sure it’s only him and his mother. Well, actually he remembers his father too, but he died many years ago, even before Touya had his accident in the forest.
“Well, technically they’re not exactly brothers…” Shouto hums sheepishly, before leaning forward, as if ready to tell a juicy secret. Touya leans forward as well, curious. “Remember Toshinori Yagi?” the boy says.
“Uh? Yeah, he owns the bakery with Inko Midoriya, right?” the white haired man asks, tilting his head to the side in confusion. What does Yagi have to do with this?
“Well, Midoriya told me that he and his mother they’re planning on getting married. Yagi’s been taking care of Midoriya and his mother since his father died and he’s basically family for them. Also, Yagi and Midoriya’s mother seem to get along really well, so…” Shouto explains with a somewhat calm tone as if he isn’t just sharing gossip regarding someone else’s family.
“So, when you said ‘Midoriya’s brother’ you were referring to...?” Touya leaves the sentence hanging, waiting for his younger brother to confirm his suspicions.
“Yeah, Tenko Shimura.” Shouto nods.
Touya remembers Tenko. He’s Yagi’s adoptive son and used to be Touya’s best friend when they were kids, before the accident. It was easy to keep his curse at bay when Tenko was around, the silver haired boy used to have some sort of soothing effect on Touya. He wonders if his old friend misses him; if seeing Shouto’s face reminds him of Touya.
“I see. So he’s learning how to be a baker?” he asks, a sad smile forming on his lips before he could hide his thoughts behind his usual indifferent expression.
“Yeah… gotta keep the family's business running, I guess. Besides, he’s really good at it.” Shouto hums with a hint of a smile of his own on his face. “Speaking of which, I gotta go. I’m meeting him and Midoriya today, he promised he’ll show us a spot in the forest where he picks the wild berries he uses for his cakes.” he adds and shoves the last remains of his breakfast in his mouth.
Touya can’t help but smile, this time more genuinely than before.
“Have fun, Sho. And be careful.” He watches as his brother gets up and fixes his clothes. “Don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll take them down to Fuyumi when I’m done.”
“You sure?” Shouto tilts his head to the side, stopping in the act of taking the tray used to bring breakfast to Touya’s room.
“Yeah, sure. You better go though. We don’t want you to be late for your berry picking adventure, right?” he asks back, making the boy chuckle.
“Don’t call it an adventure, Touya. You make it sound more exciting than it actually is.” he rolls his eyes, amusement clear in his tone and expression.
“Well, it’s definitely more exciting than what I’ll do today!” Touya grins, staples pulling on his cheeks, but he ignores them. He stretches his arm, taking the first book he can reach from the pile next to his futon. “I’ll be stuck here reading…” he turns the volume in his hand to take a look at the title on the cover. “The Fūga Wakashū* all day!” he finally adds, showing Shouto the heavy book with an overdramatic sigh. The boy lets out a chuckle, amused by his brother’s act.
“I wish you could come as well.” Shouto whispers in a low voice as if scared that someone beside Touya could hear that confession. The white haired man smiles sadly, putting down the book and fixing his blue eyes on his younger brother’s mismatched ones.
“Yeah, Sho… me too.” he admits.
When Shouto leaves the room, Touya lets out a sigh and lays on his back on the hard wooden floor, staring at the ceiling. Now that his brother is gone, Touya is once again alone with his thoughts and there’s nothing that can save him from thinking about all the catastrophic scenarios that kept him awake all night.
And all of them have one specific winged Curse Bearer as their protagonist.
—
Keigo can hear the sound of every single one of the members of their group (minus Rumi) sleeping in the tents placed in their small camp, from Jin’s loud snoring to Mina’s numerous tosses and turns, from Katsuki’s low grunts (that kid manages to be grumpy even when he sleep, it’s crazy), to Ochako’s soft puffs of breath.
He takes a deep breath, fixing for the twentieth time his clothes. Trying to buy time.
“So… are you sure this is a good idea, Ru?” he keeps his voice extra low, just to be sure not to wake anyone up. Besides, Rumi and him are the only people in their group sharing the ability to have very sensitive ears (they can thank their animal attributes for that), so it’s not like he needs to speak particularly loud to make sure his best friend hears him.
“For the last time, Keigo, yes.” Rumi replies with an exasperated sigh. “Seriously, you’re one of the most sociable people I know, why are you even so nervous about this thing?” she asks, lifting one of her thin eyebrows.
To be fair, Keigo doesn’t have an answer to that, but that’s probably something he’ll have to figure out sooner or later.
“It’s just… what if I end up in some kind of trouble?” he bites the inside of his cheek.
“As if you ever cared about that.” she replies sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “C’mon, you’ll have to come back before the sun rises to make sure no one spots you. You better go now.” she suggests, gently nudging forward with a light shove.
“Fine. Gods, if Shota finds out about this, he’ll kill me.” Keigo mumbles, pouting.
“That’s why we’ll never tell him.” Rumi assures, but Keigo doesn’t reply, simply opting for rolling his eyes and taking off with a powerful movement of his wings.
This time the trip to the city doesn’t take long, the previous night’s soothing flight filled with lazy flapping and pointless air tricks is now replaced by a short travel made of cold wind whistling in his ears and strong wingbeats that make his shoulder blades ache in the most pleasant and familiar way possible.
When Keigo finally lands on the by now familiar balcony of the Todoroki mansion, he’s immediately enveloped in that lovely scent of flowers, but this time he doesn’t let himself linger on the sweet smell for too long, focusing on the window instead.
He presses his forehead against the glass, trying to get a glimpse of the room through the curtain, but to no avail: the fabric is thick and the darkness surely doesn’t play in Keigo’s favor.
With plan A out of the way, Keigo can only let out a defeated sigh and try to get the mysterious man’s attention with plan B (hoping that the guy is in the room, because if he isn’t all of this could be considered a huge waste of time).
Keigo flexes his fingers a couple of times, trying to get rid of his nervousness. Finally, he musters the courage to knock a couple of times on the glass window, almost holding his breath to be able to detect any noises coming from inside the room. A few seconds pass in complete silence. Nothing.
I’ll try one more time, if I can’t hear anything, I’ll leave. he promises to himself, knocking once again, this time daring himself to do it a little harder than the first time. Just to make sure he has knocked loud enough to be heard by normal human ears.
Once again, not a single sound comes from the other side of the window.
Well, at least he tried. He can try and come again tomorrow night, but it might be better not to keep his hopes too high.
He turns around and spreads his wings, ready to leave, when suddenly he hears it. It’s almost imperceptible, he almost missed it. But he’s certain he heard it: the faint sound of a body moving on a futon, the weight shifting on the bedding, the fabric of the sheets rubbing against clothes. Once again, Keigo must thank his sharp hearing. He approaches the window again, placing his palm against the cold glass. He can see a small source of light coming from inside, probably a candle being lit to shed some light inside the dark room.
“Hey, you… can you hear me?” Keigo says as loudly as he dares. He feels awkward. He wishes he could address the man inside in some way, but he doesn’t know his name. He could call him ‘Todoroki’, but to be fair, he’s not completely certain that the man is actually the (presumed) dead Todoroki. After all, his hypothesis is only based on a guess, even if it’s a fairly educated one. His eyes land on the pot of flowers next to him and a small smile stretches his lips.
Oh... of course.
“Flower boy? I’m the guy from yesterday… the one who came to see your flowers.” he then whispers, still focusing on the sounds coming from inside the room.
The sound of someone moving inside is now slightly louder and Keigo can imagine the scarred man getting up from his bed after being woken up by Keigo himself. But other than that, the winged man’s words are met with deafening silence.
—
Touya’s pretty sure that his heart is about to explode. He can feel it so hard and fast in his chest that it’s almost scary. Why is the winged Curse Bearer back here? Touya had spent the whole afternoon praying that the man would forget about their encounter, maybe think it was all a dream and never come back.
But of course nothing ever goes the way Touya wants, so here he is, staring at his closed window in horror, scared of even letting out a breath, in case the man on the other side of the glass can hear him.
“Flower boy? Can you hear me?” he repeats, his voice cautious.
Something in the way he pronounces that nickname, makes Touya's insides twist. Maybe it’s the gentleness in his tone. Maybe it’s his accent, pleasant and familiar in the way he stresses some syllables instead of others, a dialect that clearly indicates that he was born and raised in one of the other cities and villages of the Kyushu region. Maybe it’s the fact that the most beautiful person Touya has ever seen in his life is addressing him with such an endearing name, even after seeing the ugly scarred skin of his under eye. And yeah, he probably wouldn’t be so nice if only he saw the extent of Touya’s injuries, but Touya can’t help but feel a somewhat warm feeling in his chest either way.
“I just wanna talk.” the Curse Bearer insists, his tone still low and gentle. Touya feels bad for the man standing on his balcony, probably shivering because of the chilly air of the night. Ignoring him won’t do any good, right? After all, the man knows Touya is in there, hiding in the room. He saw him the night before and now he came looking for him. At this point, will it really change anything, pretending not to be there?
Touya moves the blanket away and stands up, taking a deep breath in the process. If this backfires he’s gonna be dead.
“You shouldn’t be here.” he whispers, standing a few steps away from the window, curtain still closed. The physical distance gives him some sort of peace of mind. “Please, leave.”
“I can’t.” the Curse Bearer whispers back. Maybe Touya is just imagining it, but he swears he can hear the amusement in his voice. “Just five minutes?” he pleads.
Touya considers it for a second, his left hand reaching for the curtain, but it stops mid-air the moment he gets a glimpse of the purple skin of his wrist.
What is he thinking? As polite as the man may sound, if he sees Touya’s face and body, he'll be disgusted. Terrified. He would flee at the speed of light and tell everyone about the horrible creature living in the Todoroki mansion.
“I can’t.” Touya murmurs, clenching his fists and turning his back at the window. The staples on his wrists pull painfully, and he uses the pain to ground himself and focus on that only. To force his heart to calm down; his mind to stop overthinking. “Just go.”
A long moment of silence passes and Touya almost believes that the Curse Bearer is gone.
But, again, nothing ever goes as he wants.
“I’m really sorry, but,” the Curse Bearer says and then stops. Why does he stop? Is he looking for the right words? Is he mustering his courage? Why doesn’t he talk? What is he sorry for? “If you don’t let me in… I’ll have no other choice but to start screaming.”
Shit.
He wouldn’t dare… wouldn’t he?
“You wouldn’t.” Touya says, but his tone betrays his uncertainty. Gentle fingers tap on the glass of the window.
“Are you willing to take the risk?” the blond man asks.
Gods, now it’s certain. Touya is dead. Father will strangle him when he finds out about this.
He needs to think and fast. With every passing second, the man on his balcony is more likely to start screaming and wake the whole village up.
Shit.
I must be completely out of my mind… he thinks and turns back towards the window, opening it in a sharp movement. The Curse Bearer, who just a second ago was resting his shoulder against the glass, loses his balance at the loss of the support and yelps in surprise. Touya pulls him inside by the wrist with one hand and covers his mouth from behind with the other, suffocating his startled noise.
He stares at the man’s back, ignoring the way the big red wings are tickling his chest, and slowly removes the hand that was covering his mouth. As the man starts to turn to face him, Touya places both his hands on his shoulders, turning him back towards the window, with his back facing Touya.
“No. Don’t look at me.” he whispers. The Curse Bearer’s shoulders are warm and solid against his hands and when Touya is certain that he won’t try and turn around again, he lets go, taking a step back, just enough to put some distance between his body and the soft wings that were twitching against the fabric of his clothes. “Why did you come here again?” he asks, mentally hoping that the man can’t hear the worry in his voice.
“After getting a glimpse of you, last night, I couldn’t help but feel… curious.” the blond man whispers. Touya can see him tilt his head slightly to the side, enough for him to see the handsome traits of his profile, but not enough for the Curse Bearer to see him in return. “The day we came here… we heard stories about the Todoroki family… about a kid who died in a fire.” he explains and Touya can feel the blood drain from his face, making him go pale.
He knows that the circumstances around his presumed death are a source of gossip around the village. Not even the love and respect everyone feels for his father had spared his family from being at the center of all sorts of rumors. And yet, he wasn’t expecting the rumor to reach the Curse Bearers’ ears. Not this fast anyway.
“I see.” he simply states, waiting for the man to connect the dots. He most likely already connected them, and that’s the reason he’s here tonight. Because only an idiot wouldn’t be able to put two and two together once they saw Touya’s pathetic appearance.
“It was you, right? You were that kid.” the man says. Touya lets out a sigh and steps further away from him, walking towards the door to the room. With the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of the red wings twitching a couple of times. “Where are you going?” the man asks, and Touya turns his back to him just in time before the Curse Bearer turns around too, their position switched as the winged man is now the one facing Touya’s back.
“I don’t have money here. But there’s a few valuable objects in the house. Silver cutlery, a few gold knick-knacks, jade jewels… stuff like that. I’ll take them and bring them to you. I’m sure that if you sell them, it’ll be enough to convince you to keep this encounter a secret.” he explains, hand reaching for the door. His mind is already going through the most valuable things scattered around the house. He’ll need to be careful not to take too much, in case the rest of his family notices the missing objects.
“Wait, what?” the man sounds surprised and almost offended. “What makes you think that I want any of those things? Are you seriously implying that I came all the way here to blackmail you? Who do you take me for, uh?” he goes on, his voice getting a little higher and Touya is seriously considering turning around and shutting the Curse Bearer’s mouth with his hand once again.
Even if the rest of his family is sleeping on the ground floor, far away from Touya’s small room, the walls are not exactly thick. They could still hear them if they’re not careful.
“Do you think that just because I have a quirk I could ever do… such a…” before Touya can act, the man’s voice gets lower and lower and suddenly he’s silent once again. Touya furrows his brows and turns his head to the side to send him a confused glance, but the Curse Bearer is not looking at him.
His eyes are fixated on something placed on the side of the room where Touya’s futon is. When Touya follows the trajectory of his gaze, his heart stops in his chest.
Shit.
On the small nightstand there’s a lit candle. Its wax is steadily melting because of the heat radiating from the small blue flame burning the wick.
The two stand in silence for a few infinite seconds.
“It was you.” the Curse Bearer finally whispers, his eyes slowly moving from the incriminating blue fire and stopping on Touya’s frame instead. “It was you who started the fire.”
Notes:
keigo: i know what you are
touya: say it. out loud. say it.
keigo: todoroki's dead son.AND AT LAST THEY MET AHHH!! I'm so glad i can finally share this chapter with you guys, things will only get more and more interesting from here and i can wait for you to read what this story has in store for you.
i hope you enjoyed this chapter, consider leaving a kudo or a comment to let me know you enjoy my work, it takes one second but it truly means a lot to me
have a nice week, i'll see you guys next Tuesday :)
Chapter 8: Chapter 7 - Anemone
Notes:
i woke up this morning with 2.1k hits and ngl i teared up a lil :') thank you so much everyone, i know i say this for every little milestone and it may look like two thousand hits are not a lot, but to me they're a massive accomplishment. so thank you for your support.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Anemone: Sincerity
The silence in the room is deafening. You could hear a pin… no, you could hear a single hair drop.
Himiko’s words echo through Keigo’s brain, almost mocking him.
‘Ten years ago a quirk user who could create blue flames sneaked into this very forest and set it on fire. But Todoroki’s eldest son was trapped by the flames and died in the fire.’
His eyes are still studying the small candle sitting on the nightstand next to the bed, the unnaturally blue flame flickering vibrantly, brightening with its azure shades the otherwise dark room.
Keigo wishes he could’ve thought of this possibility, when mulling over and over the mystery surrounding the Todoroki family. He was such an idiot for fully convincing himself that the kid, Shouto, was the quirk user. Sure, the timeline of events matched (especially if you consider that it’s very rare for kids to properly know how to control their quirks), but still he had no actual proof suggesting that the youngest Todoroki had a quirk, let alone a fire one.
Now turns out he was onto the wrong sibling all along.
But, in his own defense, who could’ve thought that the fire user who burned down half the forest and (presumably) killed a kid, was the same kid who got (almost) killed by said fire? That’s something you only hear in old folks’ tales.
And now that kid is here, standing a few steps away from him. Well, actually, he’s obviously not a kid anymore. He’s a man now. A man slightly taller than Keigo, with the same skinny figure and snow white hair the blond man had seen the night before from afar. Keigo wishes he could take a look at those turquoise eyes again, but the man is still turned towards the door, still stubbornly hiding his face, probably too self conscious because of the scars on his face.
Keigo wants to tell him that he doesn’t need to hide. That he already saw the purple bruises on his skin and that he shouldn’t be embarrassed, or scared to show them to him, but he honestly doesn’t know how to do that without sounding indelicate or revealing that he had spied on him the night before.
“As I said…” the white haired man speaks up when the silence starts getting too long, making Keigo almost flinch in surprise. “There’s a lot of valuable items around the house. If you just let me…” he reaches for the door again, ready to open it, but Keigo takes a few steps forward, wrapping his fingers around the man’s wrist.
He can feel him flinch in surprise at the gesture, almost trying to squirm away, but Keigo keeps his hold on him, strong enough to make sure he doesn’t leave but not enough to bruise. After all, he still doesn’t know if the man’s arm is as scarred as his hands and face are and whether the scars hurt or not. The mere thought of accidentally hurting the person in front of him makes him loosen his hold just slightly.
“Can you stop assuming that you need to buy my silence or something? You said you want to keep this a secret, right? Then I won’t tell a soul. There’s no need to steal from your own house, flower boy.” he says seriously, the nickname escaping his lips before he can stop himself. The small, more sensitive feathers of his wings bristle for a second when they feel the body temperature of the white haired man rise just barely.
“Can you… just… not call me that?” the fire user murmurs, almost shily. Or at least Keigo thinks he’s being shy, he doesn’t know him that well.
Actually, he doesn’t know him at all.
“As you wish… what should I call you, then?” he asks, letting go of the man’s wrist.
If he tries to flee the room again to go and steal his family’s riches one more time, Keigo will make sure to use his feathers to tie him up.
The white haired man rubs the wrist Keigo was previously holding and lets out a sigh, his head tilting slightly backwards, in a weak attempt to look less tense.
“Touya. My name is Touya.” the man, Touya, answers.
“Well, nice to meet you, Touya. I’m Keigo.” Keigo introduces himself and steps forward, trying to take a glance at his profile, but Touya swiftly turns on the opposite side, hiding his face. Silence falls between them again, this time less tense, but definitely more awkward. Keigo is about to say something to fill the embarrassingly long pause, but before he can utter a word, the fire user talks again.
“Why were you so insistent on meeting me, Keigo? Just wanted to snoop around?” he asks bluntly and at first Keigo doesn’t know how to answer. Saying yes feels insensitive, but lying feels wrong. So he decides to set for a middle ground.
“Actually, at first it was just about that. When I saw you yesterday, I knew something about the story my friend Himiko was told was off… so I wanted to know if my suspicions were right. I wanted to know if you were actually alive and why you were hiding here.” he admits. Touya shifts uncomfortably, his right hand rapidly pulling down his left sleeve, trying to hide the purple skin of his wrists. “But it’s not just that. Not anymore, at least!” Keigo promises, taking a step forward. “You have a quirk! You’re like me, like the rest of my family.” he explains with a smile, his eyes moving to glance at the blue fire on the candle’s wick once again.
“A… a quirk?” Touya murmurs, once again tilting his head to the side to look at Keigo with the corner of his eye. “What’s that?”
Keigo can't help but smile, endeared by the curiosity in Touya’s voice, the uncertainty of his tone.
“Quirks are the supernatural powers some people possess. My wings, your fire… they’re quirks.” he explains briefly, flapping his wings a couple of times, almost instinctively.
“I thought everyone called them curses.” Touya admits in a low tone, still moving his weight from one foot to the other, nervousness clear in his movements. Keigo wonders when was the last time he talked to someone, aside from his immediate family.
“Well, leave it to the so-called ‘normal people’ to judge what they cannot comprehend and label us as cursed only because they’re scared of us.” he replies with a shrug. “Quirks are not curses. They’re not… punishments. They’re part of us, like our hands, or our…”
“That’s easy for you to say.” Touya interrupts him, his tone harsh and, in contrast with his body temperature, ice cold. “I saw you, the other day. You… the things you do with your wings and your feathers… they’re beautiful.” he whispers, his fists clenching on his sides in a way that, to Keigo, looks extremely painful, given the way the staples seem to be pulling at his healthy skin. “You’re graceful and breathtaking and… so pleasing to watch. Well, I am not. I can only burn and destroy everything I come in contact with, myself included. How could I see this… thing I have inside of me as anything but a curse?” he asks slowly, almost desperately. "How could I see it as something I should embrace, after everything it has done to me?"
And oh, Keigo should probably stop himself from saying what he’s about to say. His guts tell him that this is a bad, very bad , idea. But he needs Touya to know. He needs Touya to see how wrong he is.
“If… if you’re talking about the scars…” he lets out. The fire user visibly tenses up. “I think you shouldn’t be ashamed.” he finally says.
“How can you say that? How would you even know?” Touya asks rapidly, words laced with curiosity and confusion. “You barely got to see a glimpse of my eye yesterday. What makes you think you are in the position to say that? You didn’t even…”
“I did.” Keigo interrupts him, cold sweat pooling in his clenched fists, because he knows there's a high chance this conversation is about to end terribly very soon. “After you told me to leave, yesterday… I hid on a nearby rooftop. I… I saw you, when you came out to check on the flowerpot.” he admits and tries to gulp down the nervousness and guilt stuck in his throat. Something in his heart is telling him that Touya will get mad, that he will scream at him to leave and never come back. And he wouldn’t blame him in that case.
But Touya laughs. It’s long and bitter. It sends shivers down Keigo’s spine.
“I see… so you came to take a better look at the freak.” he sighs, sounding sad and defeated. Keigo wants to scream.
“What? I- no!” he whispers. “I don’t think you’re a freak, Touya. Not for one second the thought crossed my mind, I promise.”
He did think the man looked sad, and in pain. But not a freak. Never a freak.
The fire user remained silent, clearly skeptical.
“I think you look fine.” he admits.
Actually, he thinks the man looks quite handsome, but the mere thought of saying that out loud, especially to him directly (after meeting officially just a few minutes ago, no less), makes his cheeks feel hot.
“Don’t be ridiculous…” Touya chuckles once again, this time with a shorter laugh, more on the melancholic side than the one he let out just before. Keigo stares at the back of his head for a few seconds, before stepping forward once again, his body close enough to Touya’s he can touch his shoulder if he lifts his arm.
“Turn around.” he says, his tone gentle, but firm at the same time. The white haired man shuffles away just slightly.
“I’d… rather not.” he mumbles. He’s clearly out of his comfort zone, Keigo doesn’t need his feathers to hear the hesitation in his voice or feel the shaking of his body. But this is a hill Keigo won’t let Touya die on. He won’t let him believe Keigo thinks he’s a freak.
“C’mon now, just…” the blond man hums, gently taking Touya’s wrist and pulling it towards himself, making Touya twirl around on the smooth surface of the wooden floor of the room. The fire user yelps in surprise, trying to free himself from Keigo’s hold.
“N-No, wait…” he pleads, but Keigo is fast and places both his hands on the man’s shoulders, forcing him to stand in front of him, and now Touya can’t do anything but lift his head, their eyes finally meeting.
—
Is this what heaven feels like? Because Touya thinks he likes it so far. The winged man’s hands… Keigo’s hands are resting on his shoulders, warm, gentle and incredibly grounding, his golden eyes are staring into Touya’s with an unreadable expression that makes his skin tingle in the best way possible. It would be perfect if it wasn’t for the fact that this absolute god of a man is staring closely at his hideous face. Every single wrinkled scar, every single staple digging in his skin, every single imperfection was there completely exposed for the man to see. If having his own family stare at him is humiliating, this is even worse.
The more the seconds pass and Keigo doesn’t say a word, the more Touya feels like shrinking under his gaze.
He’s just about to open his mouth, to apologize for the sorry state of his face, when Keigo’s lips curve in the most breathtaking smile Touya had ever seen in his life.
“See? Perfectly fine, just like I said.” he lets go of Touya’s shoulders and the fire user immediately feels a chill run down his spine, the skin of his shoulders itching at the loss of contact with the man’s warm hands.
The healthy skin of cheeks feels embarrassingly hot when he finally registers the words Keigo just spoke. Perfectly fine , he said?
“You… must have very poor sight.” Touya grumbles, avoiding the Curse Bearer’s… no, the quirk user ’s gaze.
“Oh? And why is that?” the blond man asks, his tone almost amused. Big red wings flutter, flexing open and almost knocking down the pile of books resting on Touya’s small table.
“How could you look at me and say something like that, uh? I look…” Touya hesitates, looking for a word to use. Messed up? Disgusting? Unsettling?
“Hurt.” Keigo whispers instead. Touya’s head shoots right up, forcing him to make eye contact once again. His eyes must express just how confused he feels after Keigo’s intervention, because the winged man immediately starts talking again. “You look hurt.” he repeats. “Those scars… you hurt yourself with your fire, right? In the forest.”
It’s a stupid question. At this point, Touya is pretty sure Keigo has already put together all the pieces of his messed up story. So he doesn’t really need to ask that. He knows. He must know.
“I… yeah.” he still replies, blinking dumbly at him, the way those golden eyes are staring at his face is making his brain feel embarrassingly empty.
“Well… it must’ve hurt. It looks like it still hurts.” Keigo says, his gentle hand tentatively approaching Touya’s cheek, but still so hesitant. Is it because the man is scared of him? Disgusted by the scars? Afraid of hurting him? Touya doesn’t know. He’d rather not know, so he just steps away, putting some safe distance between his face and Keigo’s hand. Luckily, the blond man doesn’t look offended by that.
“It… it doesn’t actually… I mean, sometimes the staples pull a little when I stretch, but that’s mostly uncomfortable, at best.” Touya explains, awkwardly flexing his fingers, suddenly very aware of the curious golden eyes following his every movement.
It’s the first time in many years that someone who’s not one of his family members looks at him and Touya can’t help but shiver under Keigo’s gaze because of how different it feels. Shouto always looks at him unimpressed, like he knows his older brother like the back of his hand, and maybe he does. Fuyumi tends to send him quick apprehensive glances, as if she’s too afraid to look at him for more than five seconds uninterrupted. Father, on the other hand, stares him down for way too long, making Touya feel self-conscious and reminding him of how much of a disappointment he is. He doesn't spend time with Natsuo very often, but when they do meet, his younger sibling always displays an unreadable expression, his dark gray eyes cold and distant. Given the conversation he overheard the night before, Touya doesn’t have to wonder what kind of thoughts wander behind those impenetrable eyes anymore. Mother was the only one who never changed the way she looked at him, even after his incident. Always so gentle, always so kind. She looked at him like he hung the stars in the sky.
But now there’s Keigo. Keigo with his eyes full of wonder, curiosity and worry, Keigo who glances at his staples with uncertainty, as if not fully convinced that Touya is not actually in pain, Keigo that looks at Touya like he doesn’t resemble a living corpse, Keigo that makes Touya wonder if the rest of the world would act just like he does, indifferent in the face of Touya’s horrible appearance or if the blond man is just a beautiful, kind-hearted exception.
“Ah, that’s good to know… I mean, I was actually worried you were in pain or something. But I’m glad that’s not the case though, I was ready to ask Chiyo to come here and-”
“You’re not disgusted?” Touya interrupts him, too eager to let the question out, too curious to know what kind of game Keigo is playing, too scared to find out he is being mocked. Slowly, he lifts his gaze to look at the man standing in front of him. Keigo reciprocates the glance with a blinding smile, making Touya gulp and turn away, flustered.
“Not one bit.” He confirms with a cheerful tone, and he does sound honest.
Touya wants to trust him so badly. His voice is sweet and melodic, almost like the chirping of a nightingale and Touya can’t help but wonder if that’s just how he was always supposed to sound or if his curse- no, his quirk gave him some other bird-like features besides his wings.
“I can't help but believe you must have some trouble seeing properly, then.” the fire user admits, trying to let out a small chuckle. Because he has looked at his face one too many times, and every time he’s incapable of repressing the disgusted shiver that runs down his spine. So the only possible explanation for Keigo’s lack of repulsion must only be that the man can’t see.
Keigo grins, shaking his head and running a hand through the blond locks, messing his already unruly hair even more. The sight makes Touya’s breath get stuck in his throat.
“You already said that. Sorry to disappoint, but I have perfect eyesight!” Keigo says, pointing his index fingers towards his eyes while also lifting his eyebrows to make the golden orbs look even bigger. “One could say I see as good as a hawk.” he adds with a big smile, flexing his wings once again. Touya’s lips pull a little to the side, making him smile just slightly. The involuntary act leaves him surprised, so he swiftly turns his face to the side to hide the small smirk.
“Was that supposed to be a joke?” he mumbles, covering his still smiling mouth behind his hand, trying to look as casual as possible.
“That depends…” Keigo immediately fires back, again stepping a little too close for Touya’s comfort. “Did you like it?” he asks, tilting his head in a weak attempt to get a glimpse at the white haired man’s face.
“I’ve heard better jokes…” Touya replies, shaking his head with still a faint trace of a smile on his lips. It’s not exactly a lie, since he probably did hear some good jokes when he was free to leave the house as he pleased. He just can’t seem to remember any. “So… you’re sure you don’t want any money or..?” he tries to regain his composure. Keigo lets out a loud groan and Touya flinches in surprise, scared that the sound could wake someone up in the house, but thankfully that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“I swear to the gods, you offer me money one more time and I’ll hit you.” Keigo says sternly, but he doesn’t look angry, just slightly annoyed. “I am serious, whatever the reason you want your whereabouts to be a secret is, I’ll keep this secret for you. I’m no snitch, Touya.” he crosses his arms.
“I wasn’t implying otherwise…” Touya assures, worried that the other man might misinterpret his intentions. “It’s just… I don’t get it. I’m a stranger, after all. Why would you keep my secret for me without asking for anything in return?” he asks.
Keigo seems to relax at that, his posture getting less rigid and the man shrugs, sitting comfortably on one of the pillows placed in front of the table at the center of the room. Touya decides to take a seat on the other side, kneeling on the other pillow and placing his hands on his knees.
“I mean… yeah, we’re strangers and I don’t gain anything by doing you a favor, but I don’t gain anything from exposing you either, you know?” he explains. A small feather detaches itself from the man’s left wing and floats around for a couple of seconds, before sitting on Keigo’s open palm. “Besides, you’re a quirk user. And quirk users help each other out.” he gently takes the feather’s base between his thumb and index finger, twirling it absentmindedly. “If we don’t, who will?” he whispers, almost to himself.
Touya doesn’t exactly know how to respond to that, nor if he should.
“So… you haven’t told them? Your friends, I mean…”
“Not all of them. I only told my best friend, Rumi. After seeing you, yesterday night, my mind was all over the place… I needed to put my thoughts together and she helped me do that. It was her who suggested that I come here tonight.” Keigo explains, letting the feather go and watching it fly back to its previous spot on his wing. “She’s the only one who knows about me seeing you last night and coming here today. But I assure you she won’t tell a soul unless told otherwise.”
“Will you tell her about tonight?” Touya whispers, uncertain.
“I won’t… only if you want me to, of course.” Keigo replies with a serious expression, leaning back and resting his hands on the floor. “Whether I talk about you to my friends depends on what you wish me to do. Needless to say, they wouldn’t tell on you either. No one would know other than us quirk users.” he assures.
Touya opens his mouth to reply, but no sound comes out. His first instinct is telling him to refuse, to ask Keigo to never speak a word about him with his friends. But, realistically speaking, would it really be such a bad idea? Keigo knows his friends and he looks confident that they won’t betray his trust. But what if they do? What if trusting Keigo (and the rest of the quirk users) ends up backfiring? Not only him, but his family would be in trouble too. He doesn’t particularly care about his father, but Fuyumi, Natsuo and Shouto would lose all the trust the people in the village put in them. Shouto has been treated poorly for years because people thought he was cursed. If everyone finds out Touya is cursed, they will start suspecting Shouto as well all over again. And he could never let that happen.
But then again, Keigo seems to be certain that his group is trustworthy. And Touya… well, he had spent the last ten years pretending to be a ghost. Keeping at bay the loneliness squeezing his heart and making him feel utterly miserable. Is it really that bad to be greedy, for once? Is it really that bad to wish for someone to know about him, to acknowledge him, to know he’s alive?
His hands twitch on his knees and his eyes land on the ugly scars on his wrists, the sleeves on his robe doing a poor job at hiding the purple rough skin. Of course, if Keigo were to tell his comrades about his existence, he would have to tell them about his appearance. The thought makes him want to puke.
“Touya?” Keigo whispers worriedly and the fire user rapidly lifts his head, only now realizing that he was taking way more time than what is considered polite to answer.
“I… I’m sorry, I… I’m not really sure if I want them to know.” he blurts, trying to organize his thoughts and carefully weigh his words. “It’s not like I don’t trust you… or them, of course. It’s just that… before yesterday no one except for my family knew I was alive… and now you do, and apparently your best friend does as well and… it’s a lot. I really don’t know what I want yet… sorry.” he tries to explain himself, feeling a slight blush form on his cheeks. Keigo shakes his head and waves his hand dismissively, a small smile still present on his lips.
“Hey, you don’t have to apologize for that. What you’re feeling is totally valid, I get it. I mean, if I was in your shoes, my mind would be all over the place as well, so don’t mention it. And I won’t pressure you to do anything, take your time to ponder over it and let me know what you’ve decided when you’re ready. If you decide you want me to keep the secret from them, then I’ll keep my mouth shut. And if you decide you want them to know, I’ll talk to them and even make sure to introduce you.”
Touya can’t help but jolt up in surprise at that, his brain suddenly stopping in its tracks, uncertain if it understood the quirk user’s words correctly.
“Introduce… me?”
“I mean… of course I’d like you to meet them, if you’re up to it. They can be loud and… sometimes a little weird and annoying, actually. But they’re nice people. I think you’d fit in.”
Touya doubts that he can fit in anywhere, honestly. He wonders how Keigo can find it in his heart to be so optimistic.
“Well, no offense, but I think my family wouldn’t exactly be thrilled if you brought all of your friends here…” he starts, scratching awkwardly his neck, but Keigo shakes his head again, this time more vehemently.
“Who said I would bring them here? I’d take you there, of course. And then bring you back here before sunrise. No one would notice your absence and you’d be able to breathe some fresh air. Cool idea, uh?” Keigo asks rhetorically, before letting out an overly dramatic sigh. “I literally just thought about it, but it’s perfect…”
Leave his house. For a whole night. To meet a group of people born with a curse, just like him. Spend more time with Keigo. Maybe make some friends.
Seems like something so extremely mundane, but also so out of his reach. Something he never, even in his wildest dreams, thought he could ever achieve. Not in the last decade, at least.
Before he can even try and blurt out a reply, Keigo’s wings twitch a couple of times and the blond man is suddenly sitting straight.
“Someone’s about to wake up.” he whispers and gets up stretching his wings behind his back one more time. “I should probably go before your family finds out I’m here. The sun is about to rise anyway.”
Touya feels an uncomfortable weight crushing his chest as he realizes, not with little surprise, that he’s saddened by Keigo’s departure.
“Oh… s-sure… you’re right. Natsu is probably waking up early to go and fish with his friends, so… you should go.” he forces himself not to look too bummed out by the situation. Keigo turns to face him, his face once again lit in curiosity.
“Natsu? You have another brother?” he asks, detaching a few feathers from his wings and letting them fly out the open window.
“Yeah, he’s my second youngest brother… but you wouldn’t believe it, since he’s way taller than me.” Touya hums, unable to hide the tiny smile forming on his lips at the memory of eight year old Natsuo towering over his thirteen year old self.
“Ah, so he’s older than Shouto.” Keigo nods to himself, sending a few more feathers out the window. Touya can’t help but follow them with his gaze, wondering the reason behind the winged man’s action, before furrowing his brows in confusion.
“You know Shouto?” he asks, surprised. He remembers Shouto telling him that he saw the group of quirk users when they first arrived in town, but he didn’t know the two of them were on a first name basis.
“Yeah, met him the other day. He’s a good kid. But I’ll tell you everything about our encounter another time.” Keigo promises with a grin and, in the blink of an eye, all the feathers that he previously sent outside come back, neatly reattaching themself to his wings. “The coast is clear, better get going. I shall see you tomorrow night, Todoroki Touya.” he adds with an ever wider smile, jokingly bowing before Touya.
Once again, Touya feels his cheeks burn hot at the act, before stumbling forward, clumsily getting up and trying to stop the blond man from leaving.
“W-Wait… you’ll come back tomorrow?” he asks, the surprise evident in his tone. The quirk user straightens his back and tilts his head to the side, his eyes shining prettily in the first pink rays of sunlight.
“Of course I will.” the man confirms, stepping outside on Touya’s balcony and, with one wingbeat he lifts himself high enough to step on the wooden railing. Like this, with the sun shining dimly behind his back, he looks like some kind of god staring at him with gentle eyes and a charismatic smile. The white haired can feel his mouth getting dry at the sight. “We’re friends now.”
He winks and then flies away, leaving Touya staring at him from his room, turquoise eyes incapable of leaving the elegant man soaring through the pink, blue and purple sunrise sky.
When a few seconds go by and Keigo is long gone, Touya lets out a sigh, silently closes both the window and the curtain and finally turns off the almost finished candle on his bedside table. As he lays down on his futon, tiredness catching up to him, he yawns and wraps himself in his bedsheets, hiding the huge smile that’s stretching his mouth.
Friends…
The mere thought makes his heart skip a beat and, before he can stop himself, a small laugh escapes his lips. He has a friend now. And that friend is Keigo. If this is a dream, Touya doesn’t want to wake up.
As he closes his eyes, allowing himself to sleep some more before breakfast time, Touya wonders if, for once in his life, time can pass a little faster. Because he really can’t wait to see Keigo again, the next night…
—
“Ah, good morning, Shouto!” Fuyumi exclaims cheerfully the moment the boy steps into the dining room, making him wince.
How can his sister be so loud and upbeat even so early in the morning is something that he can’t understand.
“C’mon, have a seat. Breakfast’s ready.” she offers, making him focus his gaze on the food.
A fuming pot of miso soup is sitting at the center of the table, surrounded by plates and bowls full of vegetables, rice and grilled fish. His father is already seated at the head of the table, silently sipping his tea and seemingly ignoring the presence of his children.
“Natsu won’t be joining us today, since he left early this morning to go and fish with his friends, but the three of us can still enjoy breakfast together.” Fuyumi adds, pouring a generous serving of soup in a bowl and placing it on the table, where Shouto usually sits.
“Thanks Yumi, but I’d rather have breakfast upstairs with Touya.” he says calmly, taking the wooden tray he often uses to carry Touya’s food to his brother’s room and kneels in front of the table, carefully placing the bowl Fuyumi prepared for him and another bowl he filled himself on the tray.
“Are you sure you wanna eat upstairs? I already set the table for three people…” his sister murmurs in that careful tone she always uses when Touya is the center of the conversation. Shouto hates that tone with burning passion.
“Well, you shouldn’t have. You know I prefer eating with Touya.” he replies curtly, preparing two portions of rice and two others of salted vegetables. He rapidly glances at the plate filled with some kind of grilled fish before focusing on pouring some tea into two cups. Taking the seafood upstairs is a waste of time since Touya never eats it anyway.
“Shouto, be more respectful when talking to your sister.” Enji speaks up, finally realizing he’s not alone in the room and slowly turns to look at his youngest kneeling not too far away from him. “You can bring Touya his food later. Now sit properly and eat your breakfast with your family.” he orders sternly, before taking another sip of tea. As if saying ‘conversation’s over’.
Shouto clenches his teeth, placing the cups of tea on the trail with slightly more force than necessary. The hot liquid inside trembles threateningly, almost spilling on the boy’s hands.
“Touya is my family, even if you like to pretend otherwise, Father. But I’m not you, so I’d rather eat with him.” he fires back, his tone ice cold. The man shoots him an angered glance, his blue eyes staring him down in a threatening way. A younger Shouto would’ve probably felt his blood run cold in fear at the sight. But he’s not a kid anymore. He holds his head high, refusing to be the one to interrupt the staring contest between them.
“Why do you act so stubbornly all the time? We go through this same argument every day.” Enji grunts, displeased, his cup of tea now placed on the table, forgotten.
“Maybe we wouldn’t have to go through the same argument every day if only you let Touya eat with us.”
“You know we can’t do that. Someone might come here unannounced to confer with me at any time. What if they see him? It’s safer for him to stay where no one can see him.” the man explains, words carefully crafted. As if he had prepared this excuse in advance and rehearsed it over and over again. And maybe he has. “Besides, Touya doesn’t want to eat with us down here. He prefers staying on his own in his room.”
“Does he, now?” Shouto scoffs sarcastically, squinting his eyes.
“Well… he did stop joining us a few years ago, Sho… none of us told him not to come down… he started doing that on his own accord…” Fuyumi butts in, trying to mediate between her father and brother. That only makes Shouto feel more frustrated.
“Maybe because you all always treat him like he’s… like he’s some kind of freak!” the boy raises his voice, angered. “You always look at him in disgust every time he dares to take a step outside his damn room!” he goes on, his tone full of resentment and accusation.
If looks could kill, Shouto would be dead. Enji is staring at him with murderous eyes, his face as red as a cherry.
On the other hand, Fuyumi looks mortified, mouth hanging open in shock. Both of them visibly taken aback by the boy’s outburst. And honestly, he feels a little surprised himself. Shouto never loses his cool, he never raises his voice, even when he’s mad.
Before his father or sister can recover from the shock and reprimand him for his language, he stands up with the tray and heads towards the stairs.
“I’m not hungry anymore. I’ll take this to Touya’s room and then I’ll go meet Midoriya. Don’t count me in for lunch.” he murmurs and leaves the room, leaving his family still staring at him, shell-shocked.
He'll count that as a small win.
For Touya's sake.
Notes:
you tell 'em shouto!!!
and keigo ahhh i loved making him so gentle and supportive, he's the bestby the way, i asked a question on twitter the other day, so I'm asking it here as well: I'm working on a new fic that (for the first part) focuses heavily on touya and shouto's relationship. it's a dabihawks fic, because they're the main couple in the story, but the first quarter or so of the fic is centered around touya and shouto, keigo arrives later on in the story. would you guys be interested in that or should i just stick to dabihawks' dynamic? let me know what you think, i cant wait to read your feedback!
thank you for reading this far, i hope you enjoyed this update and i'll see you next tuesday with chapter 8! have a good week!
Chapter 9: Chapter 8 - Freesia
Notes:
the way i had absolutely forgotten that today is chapter day and i was chilling in my bed ready to go to sleep lmaooo thank god my mom casually mentioned today is tuesday :')
chapter 8 is here and so is todobakudeku yippee (and dustbunny. god bless dustbunny)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Freesia: Childish
Shouto manages to carefully balance the tray on his right hand while simultaneously knocking on Touya’s door with his left. He waits for an answer. After a few seconds of silence, he knocks once again, this time a little louder, but to no avail.
He must still be asleep… he thinks to himself, silently opening the door and stepping inside the small room. Just like expected, Touya is still fast asleep on his futon, buried in covers and bedsheets. It isn’t exactly unusual for his brother to sleep in once in a while, his nightmares tend to keep him awake almost every night, so it’s nice to see him rest peacefully for once.
With a content smile, Shouto kneels in front of Touya’s small desk and starts setting the table for when his brother will wake up, covering the bowl of soup with a lid to keep the meal warm and placing it down (not that Touya needs a lid to keep his food warm, he can easily use his fire to heat it up himself after all, but Shouto likes taking care of small details like these). After placing the last dish containing various kinds of diced salted vegetables on the table, the boy nods to himself and turns to glance at his brother, still asleep.
Now that he thinks about it, Touya is being uncharacteristically calm today. In the last few years, Shouto has grown accustomed to his brother’s restless sleep. Even when he’s not tormented by nightmares, Touya can’t seem to stay put for more than a few minutes without tossing and turning on his futon, messing the covers and sheets and most of the times finding himself basically on the hard floor when waking up. But not today. Today he’s hugging the blanket close around his body, snoring softly and sleeping with the most peaceful expression Shouto has ever seen on his face since their mother died. He seriously doesn’t have the heart to wake Touya up and disrupt this rare moment of peacefulness.
With a content sigh, Shouto gets up, looking for the writing supplies he knows Touya keeps somewhere in the room and, after a few minutes of meticulous search, he finds some spare paper and a charcoal pencil stacked in the back of a drawer where most of his brother’s books are stored. The boy sits back in front of the table and places the paper on the surface, careful not to knock any of the plates he previously put on there.
Good morning, Touya. I really wanted to have breakfast with you this morning, but you were sleeping so soundly I didn’t feel like waking you up. Midoriya is waiting for me at his family’s shop. We’ll spend the day together, so I’ll see you tonight for dinner, I’ll even bring some sweets to make up for today’s breakfast.
Also, if you see Father or Fuyumi act strangely, that’s my fault. We just had a screaming match this morning. I’ll tell you everything tonight.
Shouto
The boy reads the small letter to make sure he didn’t forget anything and, when he’s satisfied with it, he places the piece of paper next to the bowl of miso soup, just to make it impossible for Touya to miss it when he’ll sit for breakfast. After sending one last glance at his sleeping brother, he leaves the room with a smile. As he walks down the stairs, he carefully looks around, making sure not to cross his sister nor his father, because he seriously doesn’t feel like arguing again. He can hear Fuyumi hum something to herself, clearly still shaken by the previous fight. His dad’s huffs and grunts are nowhere to be heard, so he must’ve taken his food to his office like he often does. Good, the coast is clear. Better get going.
He tiptoes to the front door, silently putting his sandals on and leaving the house with a sigh. When he finally leaves the perimeter of the mansion’s garden and steps onto the main road, Shouto takes his sweet time fixing his clothes and his hair, making sure the red and white locks of his fringe don’t mix messily into one weird looking chunk of pink hair. When he’s satisfied with the result, he nods to himself and starts walking towards the familiar pastry shop, a little smile forming on his lips at the thought of meeting with Midoriya again.
When he finally reaches the stand, he finds the shorter boy sitting behind the counter, absentmindedly playing with a piece of rope, twisting and turning it between his fingers.
“Midoriya, good morning.” he greets, making the other boy lift his gaze from the rope and smile at him, his emerald eyes glinting in glee.
“Ah, Todoroki! Good morning!” he exclaims back, jumping on his feet. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, thank you for asking.” Shouto replies with a small smile, choosing to keep for himself a family drama that would be too difficult to explain without revealing crucial details about Touya. “How about you? Are you on shop duty today?”
“Not for long, I’m just covering for Tenko because he needed to buy some seasonal fruit for his special mochis. Said he’ll be back soon.”
“Seasonal fruit? To make mochis?” Shouto asks, perplexed by the statement.
Not too long ago, Midoriya had told him that his older brother always loves experimenting with his recipes. Mixing ingredients that don’t usually go together, adding honey to any food that could come to mind, slicing different kinds of fruits and turning them into tasty jams... Shimura Tenko tries it all. Most of the time, his experiments turn into delicious sweets and pastries that his family can enjoy (and most importantly, sell). Yagi often calls the young man a food genius. And after tasting Shimura’s honey biscuits filled with almond paste, Shouto had to agree with the man. Shimura really knows how to make delicious sweets.
“Yeah, he said he wants to make mochis, but fill them with jam instead of bean paste. Said we can make them a specialty to sell during the Hanami festival, but he wants to make sure they taste good first.” Midoriya explains with a sheepish grin. “When he comes back we can go, I know that staying here can be really boring, so I don’t want to make you stay here longer than necessary. Mother told me your brother was here early this morning and bought some shokupan with apricot jam for him and his friends since they were going to spend the day fishing at the beach. We could join them if you like?” the boy suggests, tilting his head to the side. A green curl falls on his forehead at the movement, making Shouto smile at the sight.
He doesn’t feel like spending time with Natsuo and his obnoxious friends. They’re too loud for his taste, but spending some time at the beach is a good idea. Maybe he can try and convince Midoriya to stay somewhat distant from his brother and his friends’ usual fishing spot.
“That’s an idea.” he nods, walking around the stand and sitting behind it next to his friend, the little bench a tad too small to fit the both of them without having their elbows touching, but the shorter boy doesn’t seem to mind. “And by the way… I don’t think staying here with you is boring. We get to sit and talk and help your family. It’s something I actually enjoy.” he points his eyes straight ahead of him, the thought of looking Midoriya in the eyes while saying this making him somewhat flustered.
“You… really?” Midoriya asks and by his tone, it is clear that he’s surprised by Shouto’s revelation.
“I mean, yeah… studying all that political stuff Father wants me and Natsu to know by heart is way more boring… At least here I can talk to you.” Shouto explains with a sigh. And now he can feel it, the slight flush forming on his cheeks, making them feel warmer than they should.
Before Midoriya can open his mouth to reply, a visibly flustered Shimura Tenko appears in front of them, holding a basket full of fruit in his arms.
“There you are, Te- hey!” Midoriya tries to greet him, but the young man doesn’t allow him to do so, hurriedly shoving the basket in his arms, making an apricot fall in the process.
Luckily, Shouto catches it in time.
“Tenko! What’s wrong with you? Can’t you take care of your groceries on your own?” Midoriya protests, still trying to balance the basket in his hold. Shouto silently gets up and lifts it, placing it on the bench where he was previously sitting.
“Act natural, act natural, act natural.” Shimura orders while sending them an agitated glance, before running off from where he just came from.
The two kids turn to look at each other, bewildered by the man’s weird behavior.
“What’s gotten into him?” Shouto asks, hoping that maybe his friend could better understand the reason behind his brother’s act. Why would he tell them to act natural..?
“I don’t know… I just hope he’s not trying to leave me on shop duty all day.” the boy replies with a frown. “It’s his turn.”
Shouto tries to take a look at the road in the hope of spotting the silver haired man somewhere, but the crowd makes it impossible, so he turns towards Midoriya with a shrug.
“Maybe he needed to buy more stuff so he just came to leave the basket?” he wonders, still scanning the area with his gaze.
“I don’t know. The basket is pretty heavy, so you’re probably…” the green haired boy hums, before being interrupted by the familiar voice of his brother coming from the street.
“Please, this way! Yeah, the shop is right there, you can’t miss it.” the man is saying and, before Shouto could even begin to wonder who he's talking to, there he is, followed by no other than two Curse Bearers.
Shouto immediately recognizes one of them: she’s the dark skinned woman with white hair and bunny ears that stepped in when his father was talking with the curse bearers’ spokesperson. The other one, Shouto is less familiar with, simply because he didn’t react much during the conversation, but Shouto does remember seeing him laugh at Enji when he introduced himself.
“There we are. This is my family’s shop.” Shimura stops in front of the stand, pointing at it with clear pride in his expression. The woman tilts her head to the side, looking at the pastries displayed on the wooden surface, her red eyes wide in curiosity.
“Well, you were right, sir. These sure look appetizing!” she says cheerfully, before turning towards the boy. “C’mon now Kats, you pick!” she adds, slapping the boy’s shoulder hard enough to make him lose his balance for a second. “It’s your big day after all!”
The boy flushes slightly when he finds himself on the spot and Shouto gets the chance to properly look at him. He has blond spiky hair, the kind that seems impossible to tame, even if you spend hours brushing it. His eyes are just as red as the ones of the woman, but his skin is much lighter than hers. He’s tall and Shouto can clearly see the shape of strong shoulders and thick muscles even with the clothes on. With a flustered cough, he averts his gaze, pointing his mismatched eyes on Midoriya instead. His friend looks as agitated as Shouto feels, his cheeks as red as cherries and his green eyes desperately fixed on the piece of rope in his hands.
“I don’t give a shit about the fucking sweets, you old hag!” the blond boy, Kats, growls, averting his gaze and kicking a pebble away with the sole of his sandal.
“What’s the special occasion, if I may ask?” Shimura asks and Midoriya’s head snaps to the side to send a puzzled look at his brother. Now, Shouto doesn’t know the man that well, but he does think that showing so much interest in a customer is out of character when it comes to him.
“Today, eight years ago, this little rascal joined our group.” the woman reveals with a grin, putting one arm around the blond boy’s neck and pulling him close, much to his dismay. “That calls for a celebration, don’t you think?”
“Tsk, we never celebrate stuff like this. Just because some idiot gave that dumbass bird some gold coins, it doesn’t mean that we have to waste them on stupid shit.” Kats protests, trying to get away from the woman’s firm hold.
“Hey, don’t you talk about your brother like that, you hear me?” she reprimands him, knocking on his head a couple of times.
“Keigo is your brother?” Shouto asks before he can stop himself, making everyone around him shut up and turn their heads towards him.
Shouto’s mismatched eyes meet the woman’s red ones, her expression unreadable, but before she could speak, the blond boy stomps towards him, his right hand lifted over his head. A small explosion goes off on his palm and Shouto observes it with interest. Is this guy capable of creating fire just like Touya?
“Why are you asking, huh? And how the fuck do you know his name?” he snarls, getting dangerously close to Shouto’s face. “Who are you?”
“The idiot who gave him those golden coins.” Shouto deadpans, not at all intimidated by the proximity. Kats’ eyes go slightly wide in recognition and the tips of his ears turn bright pink.
“Oh, so I was right! You are the famous Shouto!” the woman chimes in cheerfully, grabbing the blond boy from the neck of his haori and pulling him away from Shouto’s personal space. “I apologize for this idiot’s manners. We tried to fix his bad attitude, but Katsuki is a lost cause.” she offers an apologetic smile.
“It’s okay…” Shouto murmurs, uncertain, while sending a quick glance at the boy, Katsuki, who’s currently doing his best to avoid his eyes with a sullen expression plastered all over his face. “Keigo told you about… me?” he tilts his head to the side.
“How couldn’t he? You’re like… the nicest person any of us has met in, like… a year.” she places a hand on her hip, grinning. There’s some sort of light in her eyes, a weird glimmer of recognition and the boy can’t help but feel a little self conscious. What did Keigo tell her about him exactly? “I’m Rumi. This guy right here is Katsuki, as you might’ve guessed.” she introduces both herself and the boy with the same mischievous smile plastered on her face.
“I’m Todoroki Shouto. But, well, I guess you already know that.” Shouto answers, definitely more awkwardly than the woman. A faint coughing sound comes from behind him and his eyes meet Shimura’s dark red ones. “Uh, right… this is my friend, Midoriya Izuku and his brother, Shimura Tenko.” he adds, pointing his hand at the two, introducing them. Midoriya jumps on his feet, bowing at the two.
“N-Nice to meet you both!” he exclaims, his voice a little shaky. If it’s out of fear or out of fluster, Shouto doesn’t know. Shimura bows as well, with much more composure than his younger brother.
“It’s a pleasure.” he says when he finally straightens his back. “You can call me Tenko… or Shimura… or well, however you please, actually.” he mumbles, with a faint trace of red forming on his cheeks. Shouto and Midoriya exchange a glance, shocked.
“Tenko, are you o-” the green haired boy starts to ask, but before he can finish his sentence, he’s being lightly shoved towards the main street. Shimura’s hand finds Shouto’s shoulder and he’s being pushed aside as well.
“‘Zuku, you and Todoroki can go now. You said you wanted to go take a walk together this morning, right? Well you should hurry and go, the sun is already getting high in the sky and soon it’ll be lunch time.” the young man says, his hands still placed on the kids’ backs. Rumi is staring at them, clearly amused, while Katsuki has an annoyed look on his face and one eyebrow raised as he sends quick glances both at his friend and at Shimura.
“H-Hey, wait!” Midoriya protests as he tries to stop his brother from pushing him away. “What are you doing?!”
“Hey, Kats, since you wanna be a lil' shit and refuse to help me pick the pastries, why don’t you go and look for a book shop? Chiyo asked us to find her something new to read since she knows all her books by heart now.” Rumi whispered while slapping the blond boy’s shoulder once again, making him growl in displeasure.
“Why should I be the one to go and buy a stupid book for her, uh? Where should I even find a fucking book shop, you dumb carrot muncher?” he protests, lifting his hands and making the small explosions from before appear once again on both his palms. Shouto hears Midoriya whimper slightly at the sight, clearly rendered nervous by the product of Katsuki’s curse.
“Because it wouldn’t hurt you to do something nice once in a while and because if you get a head start, we can go back to the camp sooner. Also, I’m sure you can find a book shop on your own, I bet a smart little thing like yourself can manage just fine.” Rumi explains, mockingly patting the boy’s head, not at all intimidated by his demeanor.
“Don’t you talk to me like that, fucking hag, I’m gonna-”
“We can show you where the book shop is.” Shouto butts in, staring at the two. Katsuki stops mid sentence to look at him, a vein on his forehead protruding and red eyes shooting daggers at him.
If looks could kill, Shouto would be dead in a second.
“We can?” Midoriya asks in a soft voice, clearly worried at the idea of the two of them being left alone with the short tempered blond.
“Sure. I mean, it’s not too far away from here.” the boy confirms, sending a reassuring glance at his friend.
“Well, fuck me! Keigo really was right about you, kiddo. You are a nice one!” Rumi exclaims, letting out a short, loud laugh. “You heard that, Kats? They can take you to the shop!” she adds, pushing the boy towards Shouto and Midoriya with a fast shove of her hip.
“Fucking- fine! Stupid book shop, it’s not like it’s a do or die situation.” Katsuki grunts, approaching the two. “Well, let’s go see this damn shop.” he orders, before stomping away.
Shouto is about to follow him, but he feels something tug at his sleeve. He turns to see Midoriya staring at him with big green eyes filled with uncertainty.
“Todoroki… are you sure this is a good idea?” he whispers silently, so no one can hear him. Shouto catches one of Rumi’s ears twitching with the corner of his eye and he can’t help but wonder if that was a spontaneous movement or if the woman can actually hear their words. As far as he knows, rabbits tend to have a sharp sense of hearing, but he doesn’t know if the woman’s ears are as receptive as the ones of the animal her curse seems to resemble.
“Of course. We’ll just take him to the Yaoyorozu’s shop and then accompany him back here… it won’t take us more than half an hour at best.” he replies with a hushed tone of his own. “Besides, we don’t know how people may react to him wandering around alone, so maybe, if we’re with him, they’ll be more accommodating… I don’t want people to be rude to them, it’s not okay.” he explains, sending Katsuki a quick glance.
The blond is standing a few feet away from them, absentmindedly kicking the ground with his hands buried in his pockets, clearly waiting for the two of them.
Midoriya gulps down, visibly anxious. Luckily, he doesn’t look as scared as he was the day the group of Curse Bearers came to town. Shouto can see he’s visibly less tense at the thought of being so close to one of them, maybe just a little intimidated, but that’s probably caused by his shyness.
“You’re right.” he nods, before smiling softly. “When we’re done we’re going to the beach, right?” he asks as he starts walking towards the street.
“Yeah, we can go to the beach.” Shouto confirms with a small smile of his own, as he approaches Katsuki, who’s staring at them with an annoyed frown on his face.
“Fucking finally, what was taking you two so long?” he grumbles. Shouto can’t help but wonder if the blond is always so grumpy or if he reserves this kind of behavior for people who are not part of his little crew.
“Sorry, we were just-” Midoriya starts apologizing.
“Don’t care.” Katsuki interrupts him, sending him a dirty glance. “You.” he hisses. “You better tell your brother to stay the fuck away from Rumi, you hear me?”
The two village boys exchanged a puzzled look.
“Excuse me..?” Midoriya boy mumbles, his eyes wide open in confusion.
“I can recognize a dickhead with a crush from miles away. And that loser was thirsting all over Rumi.” the blond says with a shrug. “She tends to have that effect on men.”
Shouto tilts his head to the side.
“So… you’re just trying to protect your friend, then?” he asks.
“Tsk! As if that woman needs me to protect her! She can smash that idiot’s head with a kick if she wants to!” Katsuki shouts back, clearly flustered. Shouto can see the tips of his ears getting just as red as they were before.
“S-She’s gonna smash Tenko’s head?!” Midoriya screeches in panic, already turning around to run back to his family’s store and protect his brother. How could he protect him from a woman who’s apparently capable of destroying people's heads with a kick, Shouto doesn’t know.
“It was just a stupid example, she’s not actually gonna do it! Gods, is everyone around here a fucking moron?” the Curse Bearer groans out loud, making a few people turn to look their way with disdain.
“Maybe you shouldn’t yell so much, Katsuki…” Shouto says calmly. Midoriya’s face gets as red as a cherry and he starts sending apologetic looks at whoever makes eye contact with him.
“Don’t you fucking call me that, you half and half looking weirdo. Only my friends call me that.” the blond boy snarls, this time with a much quieter tone, thankfully.
“Do you have a last name we can use, then?” Shouto asks with a trace of a smile lingering on his lips. He’s used to people noticing his peculiar appearance, but he’s definitely not used to people commenting on it. Being the son of the Village Chief has its upsides, after all. But the way Katsuki is so nonchalant in the way he makes fun of Shouto’s mismatched hair and eyes amuses him.
“Don’t have one. We don’t do last names. The only family we belong to it’s our group.” the blond boy replies, his gaze stubbornly set straight ahead. “My parents were assholes who turned their backs on me. Why should I bother using their family name?” he mumbles, his jaw clenching slightly and Shouto thinks about Touya, about the way their family left him aside, alone. Would he leave their family name behind like Katsuki and the other Curse Bearers did, given the occasion?
“I see.” Shouto whispers, hoping that the pang of sadness he feels in his chest is not audible in his voice. “So what should we call you, then?”
“Don’t call me at all!”
“How about Kacchan?” Midoriya’s voice interrupts the banter between the two, and both Shouto and Katsuki turn to look at him.
“What?” the blond boy whispers. Feeling the two pairs of eyes on him makes the shorter boy blush and lift his hands, as he starts gesturing nervously like he always does when he’s flustered.
“I-I mean… since you don’t want us to call you Katsuki and you don’t have a last name, I was thinking that maybe…”
“As if I’ll let you two call me that! How did you even come up with such a stupid-”
“Kacchan is fine.” Shouto interrupts him, sighing silently when Katsuki starts raising his voice once again, drawing the attention of the other villagers as he did just a minute prior. “You don’t have to pretend you don’t like it.” he adds calmly, glancing at the boy’s ears, the tips tinted with a faint pink color.
Such an endearing little detail, the fact that Katsuki’s ears are able to show his true emotions even when he’s not willing to do so.
“Who told you I’m pretending? I really don’t like it! If you call me that I swear that I’ll-” he protests, yelling directly into Shouto’s left ear.
“Let’s go inside.” Shouto interrupts him once again, wrapping his hand around the boy’s arm and gently dragging him into the book shop. “What kind of book do you need?”
The Yaoyorozu’s shop isn’t exactly well furnished. As far as Shouto knows, they try their best to provide a good variety, but there's just so much a small family owned business can do. It’s still nothing compared to the huge stores in the big cities. Still, Shouto likes this place. He enjoys the smell of paper and ink, he often spends hours walking around the shelves, looking for the perfect book to buy so he and Touya can read it and talk about it together.
Speaking of Touya, it’s been a while since the last time Shouto had bought him a book. Maybe he can surprise his brother with something new to read.
“Whatever is fine.” Katsuki grunts, looking around the room with furrowed brows.
“You can’t just pick a random book… what if your friend doesn’t like it?” Midoriya asks cautiously, lifting a random book and looking at the name written on the first page.
“Better choose wisely, so you don’t have to come all the way here a second time.” Shouto hums in agreement with Midoriya’s statement. He looks around, as if that would magically help him find the perfect book for Katsuki’s friend, but he ends up making eye contact with the Yaoyorozu’s daughter as she neatly places some books on a shelf not too far away from where the three of them are standing.
Shouto doesn’t care too much about girls (even if Natsuo keeps nagging him about it, saying that he should start looking for someone to get married to), but even he knows that Momo Yaoyorozu is beautiful. He remembers Fuyumi calling her one of the prettiest girls in Hakata, with her long, shiny black hair, black eyes and long eyelashes.
The moment their eyes meet, the girl smiles gently at him and stops what she’s doing, a couple of books still in her arms as she nods her head to silently greet him. Shouto nods back, before focusing back on Midoriya and Katsuki, the two of them still trying to figure out which book to buy.
A small smile forms on Shouto’s lips at the way Midoriya blushes and tries to shush a visibly upset Katsuki, the two of them bickering like small kids.
“W-Wait Kacchan, you can’t buy that one!” the green haired boy yelps, trying to take a small volume away from Katsuki’s hand while the blond is already stomping towards the counter where Mr. Yaoyorozu is standing, staring at them with an expression that perfectly blends confusion and concern.
“I can do what I want! And stop calling me that!” Katsuki fires back, lifting the book so it’s out of the shorter boy’s reach.
“But that’s a children’s book!” Midoriya protests, his voice a little whiny. “It’s basically just figures!”
Shouto has to stifle a small laugh at the odd display and shakes his head, approaching the two. Maybe after they’re done with Katsuki’s errand, they can invite him to join them to go to the beach…
—
Touya’s pretty sure he has read the same sentence at least five times, but he seriously can’t seem to focus enough to understand the words in front of him. The moon is already high in the sky and he knows he shouldn’t keep his hopes too high, but still, he’s been glancing at the window every five minutes.
Keigo did promise he would come back tonight, but that doesn’t mean he will actually come. He could forget, or fall asleep, or have something better to do. He has many friends after all, back at their camp in the forest, and he seems to like them a lot. Who would pick Touya over his friends?
But you’re his friend too, remember?
The annoying voice in his head teases him, making him roll his eyes. Yeah, Keigo did say that last night, but that doesn’t mean Touya is at the same level as his other friends. The ones he has probably known since forever.
With a sigh, Touya closes the book he was trying to read and places it on the table. Should he take something from the kitchen for Keigo to eat? It feels rude not to offer him food. Maybe he could sneak downstairs, but what if Keigo arrives when he’s not in the room and decides to leave? Touya groans, placing both elbows on the table, his eyes falling on the message Shouto had left him this morning. Touya was expecting to have dinner with him, his brother had promised as much in the note, but when dinnertime came and he heard a knock on his door, he was surprised to see Fuyumi holding his usual tray instead.
Apparently their father had decided to force Shouto to eat with him, Natsu and Yumi “like a family should” and took the chance to reprimand him for the way he had spoken to him during breakfast. As he accepted the tray, Touya feigned ignorance about the morning’s dispute, too lost in his own mind to deal with his sister’s rambling about respect and morals.
After all, eating alone turned out for the best, tonight. Shouto is a bright kid, he would’ve noticed Touya’s nervousness from a mile away and the man was not ready to have the “Keigo conversation” with his brother.
And probably he never will.
Sure, Keigo is a nice distraction from his bleakly empty routine, but that doesn’t change the fact that his presence in Touya’s life is destined to be as short lived as the blink of an eye. Soon Keigo and the other curse… no, the other quirk users will leave and there’s nothing Touya can do to change that reality. So he should prevent himself from growing attached, whatever it takes.
His hands shake a little when he hears the faint sound of the wind coming from outside the window and his head turns embarrassingly fast to the side, his eyes looking for blond hair and red wings. But, aside from the pots with his white flowers, the balcony is empty.
With a dejected hum, Touya lifts back up his copy of the Fuga Wakashu , flipping the pages until he finds the “Love” section and picks a random poem to start with. At least he can trick himself into believing the time is passing faster if he’s focused on his reading.
'On the topic of waiting for a lover.'
Touya sighs. Seriously?
'I don’t know why, since
he won’t come back tonight, but
I expect him to.
Yesterday I wanted more;
my heart now won’t stop wanting.'
Touya groans and puts the book down again, nervously scratching his head. Why did he think that reading love poems tonight would be a good idea?
Not that he has any right to associate Keigo with the concept of love anyway. Keigo is a friend, Touya should consider himself lucky as it is. A friend so clearly out of Touya’s league he should feel embarrassed even by standing next to him. But still, the winged man had looked at him with such gentleness the night before, Touya could’ve almost forgotten who he was, what he was.
How could he think of himself as a monster when someone like Keigo was smiling at him like he mattered? Talking to him, looking him in the eyes like he was human ?
Touya can feel his cheeks burn at the thought of Keigo’s eyes lingering on him, the feeling of his hands on his shoulders so warm, strong and reassuring. A small whine leaves his lips as he covers his face with his hands.
What is he doing, feeling so flustered because of a man he barely knows? He should know better. He needs to pull himself together. He can’t let Keigo see him in this state. He must calm down before…
A soft knock on the window makes him jump up in surprise and Touya brings his palm to his chest, trying to calm his heartbeat as he stares at the closed curtain. Keigo is on the other side, waiting for Touya to let him in. It’s okay, there’s no need to freak out. He can do this. It’s no different than what happened the night before.
After gulping down his nervousness, Touya gets up and approaches the window, moving the curtain to the side. The moment his eyes meet Keigo’s, the quirk user grins and waves at him. Touya can’t help but let a smile of his own form on his lips as he unlocks the window and moves to the side to let the winged man inside.
“Hey, Touya! Sorry if I’m late, but it took literally ages for everyone to go to bed and I didn’t wanna sneak out in front of them, that would’ve been like… super suspicious, right?” Keigo says as he steps inside. “But now that I think about it, we didn’t actually plan for a meeting time, so… technically I’m not late!” he adds with a smile. “You weren’t sleeping, right?”
Touya closes back the window, fixing the curtain and, when he’s done making sure the fabric is completely covering the inside of the room, he turns to look at the winged man, who’s now sitting in front of the small table, right where he sat the night before.
“No, don’t worry… I was just reading to kill time.” Touya replies as he approaches the table to sit in front of him.
Keigo is here. He kept his promise and came back to visit him. He’s sitting in his room, absentmindedly flipping the pages of the Fuga Wakashu with that serene smile that makes Touya feel warm all over. A kind of heat that doesn’t hurt, but burns his insides in the best way possible.
And yes, he still has to remind himself that Keigo is and will only be just a friend, just a fleeting moment of happiness in his life, but as he sits down and their eyes meet once again, Touya realizes that it's too late to tell himself that.
His heart, just like the last verse of the poem says, can’t stop wanting.
Notes:
allow me to repeat myself but GOD BLESS DUSTBUNNY
god, i like that ship so much, literally my favorite rarepair :')
i know there's not a lot of dabihawks content in this chapter, but i really wanted to leave room for the side ships to properly introduce themselves lol, i hope its okay!
I'll see you guys next week with chapter 9, hope you liked this chapter and i hope you have a wonderful week! <3
Chapter 10: Chapter 9 - Hibiscus
Notes:
my cramps are literally *killing me*, sitting in front of my laptop to post this chapter is nothing short of torture, besties... pray for me
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Hibiscus: Gentleness
When Touya sits at the table in front of Keigo, the winged man is still busy flipping the pages of the book the fire user was previously reading, his bushy eyebrows furrowed, as if deep in thought.
“You’re a fan of poems?” Touya asks with a nervous smile. “I can’t say I’m particularly fond of them, but at least they’re not as boring as books explaining the art of war… I have at least a dozen of those, and they all say the same old stuff.” he adds, placing his hands on his knees, his smile getting more genuine when Keigo lifts his gaze from the Fuga Wakashu and points it on him instead.
“Oh, actually… well, this is embarrassing, but I was just looking at the figures.” the blond man admits, flipping the book to show Touya the page he was just now observing. It's part of the ‘Spring’ chapter and, at the bottom of the page, right under the short poem, there's the drawing of a scenery, with tall trees, a river and flowers scattered all around the picture. Placed here and there there are drawings of different types of birds, some bigger like a beautiful white and black crane, and some smaller, like some gray songbirds, depicted while flying around in the sky or while resting on the tree branches. It's overall a beautiful drawing, Touya had found himself looking at it more than once in the past. “They’re very pretty.” Keigo adds with a sheepish smile as he turns the book back towards himself, so he can admire the artwork some more.
“Ah, I see… yeah, this style is indeed elegant. You know, if you’re interested in art, I think I have a book somewhere about art history. To be fair, it’s a little outdated, but you know, it can be really enlightening.” Touya replies as he gets up and walks toward the cabinet where most of his books are stored. “I can lend it to you, if you want. Personally, I love the part about the history of calligraphy and how it started being considered a form of art, but I’m sure you can find something that better suits your… ah, here it is!” he rambles as he takes out the book and turns to face Keigo.
To his surprise, the man is nervously fidgeting with his fingers, the Fuga Wakashu now closed and neatly placed on the table.
“I… can’t read it.” Keigo mumbles slowly, as if it’s physically challenging for him to speak those words. Touya blinks a few times, tilting his head to the side.
“You mean you don’t have time to? I mean… I suppose since you’re staying in Hakata for a few days, you can’t read it all before your departure… but maybe if you just focus on the parts that you…”
“Touya… I can’t read it.” Keigo averts his gaze.
Silence hangs heavy between them for a few seconds.
That’s when the true meaning behind Keigo’s words really hits Touya and shit, he feels so fucking stupid for not getting what the other man meant sooner, now he wishes he could kick his own ass.
It’s not that Keigo can’t read the book.
Keigo can’t read at all .
—
Keigo faintly remembers his mother being able to read and write. He remembers her hands plucking the sensitive feathers of his wings and dipping them in ink so she could scribble on spare pieces of paper how much money her clients owed her. He remembers how he had often asked her what those funny symbols meant, and he remembers her cold tone whenever she would tell him not to wander around the tavern because his ugly wings would scare the customers away.
By the time he was seven, he just stopped asking.
By the time he was ten, he only cared about surviving another day in the streets and having enough food in his tummy so he wouldn’t die of starvation in some cold back alley.
By the time he was twelve, Shota and Oboro had taken him away from his hometown and, in the following months, the black haired man had tried more than once to teach Keigo how to read and write, but he was never able to focus hard and long enough to actually memorize any of the characters the man had showed him.
“I know this might sound crazy to you, Kei, but a man who can’t read nor write is a man who can’t survive on his own, you know?” Shota had once told him.
“Oboro doesn’t know how to read and write either.” thirteen year old Keigo had replied with a raised eyebrow.
“First of all, I can read simple stuff, thank you very much! But that doesn’t matter, because I don’t have to survive on my own since Shota and I will always be together.” Oboro had said with a cheeky grin as he rested his chin on Shota’s shoulder.
“I guess I’ll have to stay with you forever too, then.” Keigo had shot back with a shrug of his shoulder. After that, Shota gave up.
And as the years went by and the rest of the crew joined the three of them, Chiyo, Ochako and Himiko tried and then gave up on teaching him as well. It was clear to everybody that Keigo had no intention of learning, so why bother?
Deep down, Keigo knew why he didn’t want to learn. If being able to read and write meant being able to take care of oneself, then Keigo didn’t want to be able to do that. He wanted to keep depending on Shota, and the rest of his family. Being able to take care of himself meant that there was a chance for him to be left alone and he didn’t like that chance.
When Chiyo finally gave up on trying to teach him, around three years prior, Keigo was nineteen, and even if he wasn’t as afraid of being abandoned as he was when he was a child, he still didn’t feel the need to learn. There were other people in the family who were able to read and write, if Keigo ever were to find himself in a situation in which he needed to read or write something, he could’ve easily asked for assistance. So why bother learning now?
At least, that’s what he has always thought.
Right now, while sitting in Touya’s room, with the man’s gaze burning on his skin, Keigo is certain he has never felt so small.
Because of course Touya knows how to read, he comes from a good family after all, his room is full of books, he must read all the time. And he must be good at it too, if the amount of volumes scattered around is any indicator of his talent. He just said he reads books about war, for the gods' sake. Even Keigo knows those are extra difficult!
Of course, Touya is brilliant and smart… and Keigo is a stupid fool who can only look at the pictures.
“You… can’t read?” Touya whispers carefully. Keigo can feel the faint sound of the art book being placed back in its drawer and the steps that Touya takes towards him. Keigo's wings instinctively wrap around him, as if they’re trying to shield him from the humiliation he feels burning in his chest.
“No…” he simply whispers, his eyes still stubbornly staring at his own hands.
“How about writing?”
“I can’t do that either.” the confession is heavy, painfully hard to take off his chest and spit out of his mouth and Keigo wonders why it is so difficult. Why does he feel so inadequate? He never cared about this stuff.
A heavy silence falls between them for around ten seconds, but suddenly there’s some rustling, the sound of Touya walking around the room and picking random objects. Keigo is about to lift his head to see what the man is doing, when he feels Touya’s slightly warmer than normal body sit right next to him, their elbows almost touching.
Yesterday they touched. More than once, actually. Keigo remembers putting his hands on Touya’s shoulders, he remembers feeling the other man’s body heat radiating off him, even through the fabric of his clothes, but somehow that warmth didn’t send chills run down his spine like the feeling of Touya’s hand invading his personal space to offer him a small black cylinder made of a material that looks like coal.
“Want me to teach you?” Touya asks in a gentle tone, an uncertain smile forming on his lips and making his turquoise eyes almost shine.
Now, Keigo is not a weak willed man. Never has been, never will be. If he sets his mind on something, that’s the hill he’s gonna die on. That’s just who he is as a person.
But when a white haired cutie with a beautiful smile and a pair of addicting, sea-colored eyes offers so gently to teach you how to write, what could eleven years of resolve even mean in comparison to that?
“I don’t even know where to start…” he admits with a nervous chuckle, desperately trying to hide how flustered the situation makes him feel. With a shaky hand, Keigo takes hold of the piece of coal, awkwardly turning it between his fingers, trying to mimic the way he has seen Shota, Ochako and Himiko hold their own writing utensils in the past.
“That’s why I’m here. I’ll lead you through every step of the way.” Touya reassures him with a smile as he takes a piece of coal of his own and places two pieces of paper in front of them. “Which hand is your dominant one?” he asks. “I can only write with my left hand, but normally people use their right. You can pick whichever you feel most comfortable with, but usually, people tend to prefer their dominant one.” he explains calmly and oh, why is his explaining voice so nice and soothing? Keigo needs to focus, or else he’ll end up looking more like a fool than he already does.
“I… I don’t have a dominant hand, actually. I can use both just fine.” he answers honestly, staring at his palms, as if trying to consider which one is his favorite.
“That’s good, it means you can try both and then make your decision.”
“I think… maybe I’ll start with the left one?” Keigo hums, deeming it wiser to use whatever hand Touya uses. If Touya thinks the left one is better, who is Keigo to go against that?
“Perfect! Wait, before we start…” Touya hums, leaning closer to him, and suddenly their hands are touching, long fingers curling around Keigo’s own hand. “We just need to fix your grip a little…” he adds, shifting his hold around the coal stick. “Don’t be too rigid, or you’ll end up snapping the pencil… you need to relax your hand and shoulder… yeah, just like that. Very good.”
Keigo shouldn’t feel so satisfied when being praised by his (extremely attractive) newest friend, but that’s a thought he's definitely gonna ignore for the sake of his sanity.
“Would you like to see how to write your own name?” Touya asks, distracting Keigo from his thoughts and making him focus back on the task. He nods, his eyes stubbornly set on the table, fully aware that making eye contact with Touya right now would make him even more flustered. “Okay. Try and follow the movement of my hand, okay? Writing, much like drawing, requires precise and delicate strokes, or else the result will look shaky. But don’t feel too pressured, no one can write perfectly on their first try, so it’s okay if your writing doesn’t look exactly like mine.” the man lifts his left sleeve just enough to reveal his forearm.
At that, Keigo can feel every ounce of focus and concentration leave his body, because, just like he had previously thought, the skin of Touya's forearm is purple and scarred, the extent of the scarring hidden by the sleeve. Is his whole arm scarred? His chest, his abdomen, his legs… are they in this same state as well?
“There… Luckily, your name it’s short and easy to write.” Touya hums when he’s done writing and puts his coal pencil down, turning his head to look at him, so Keigo forces his eyes to stop staring at the man’s arm and focus back on the paper.
In the right corner of Touya’s sheet, there are three symbols, one on top of the other, forming a small column. Keigo stares at them blankly, desperately trying to understand how to replicate them without making it obvious that he was not paying attention when Touya was writing them down.
“Every symbol corresponds to a syllable of your name. You read them from top to bottom, like this.” Touya explains as he points his finger on the paper, right next to the first symbol. “This one is Ke .” he says, moving his finger to the second symbol. “This is I . And this last one is Go .” he adds, pointing to each symbol as he speaks. “This alphabet is called Hiragana .”
“ Hiragana .” Keigo repeats. He vaguely remembers the word from those times when Shota and Chiyo tried to teach him.
“How about this: you start practicing with your name on your sheet and I prepare you another one with the whole alphabet, so you can learn the other letters as well. What do you think?” Touya suggests, tilting his head to the side. A strand of white hair falls on his forehead at the motion and Keigo has to suppress the urge to coo at the sight.
“I… sure, yeah… let’s do that.” the quirk user nods a couple of times, averting his gaze and focusing on the piece of paper in front of him instead. The symbols don’t look that difficult. The ones in Touya's book looked way more complicated to replicate.
Holding the coal more securely in his grasp, Keigo traces the first line on the paper and, oh gods, he can’t believe he’s doing this. He’s actually writing!
They spend the next twenty minutes like this. Keigo is slowly writing his name over and over, his hand getting more and more accustomed to the feeling of the piece of coal in his grip, the letters looking less and less wobbly and he can’t help but smile a little, his chest filling with something akin to pride, while Touya silently works on his own task with much more efficiency.
At some point, Keigo can feel the faint sound of the white haired man placing his coal pencil down and leaning slightly to the side to look at his progress.
The winged man gulps down his nervousness, his sharp hawk-like senses making it extremely easy for him to hear the strong and steady sound of Touya’s heartbeat, feel the soft sensation of his warm breaths caressing his cheek, smell the pleasant scent of his skin.
Smells like flowers and fire…
“You’re doing great for a beginner, you know?” the fire user says with a smile. Keigo gathers his courage and turns his head to look at him, their faces much closer than what would be considered socially acceptable. Touya seems to realize that as well, because he clears his throat and leans back, putting some distance between them.
Their shoulders are still touching.
“I mean… I just copied what you did. It wasn’t that difficult.” Keigo replies with a sheepish smile and a shrug.
“Well, you’re still doing better than the average beginner.” Touya insists with a smile of his own. Keigo is pretty sure the man doesn’t know much about average beginners, given the fact that he’s the first person Touya has met since who knows when, so he’s probably just saying it to encourage him. But still, he just accepts the compliment, because he's not gonna lie, getting complimented by Touya feels nice. “I bet that you’ll soon be able to write and read anything you want on your own and you’ll teach your friends too.”
“I don’t know about that, Shota and Chiyo would be better suited for the teacher role compared to me…” Keigo hums, still a little flustered by the praises.
“Mh? Your friends can write and read?” Touya asks, clearly surprised by the sudden revelation.
And here comes back the feeling of embarrassment.
“Not all of them. Shota and Chiyo are really good. Oboro can read some simple words, and Himiko and Ochako can read well, but they can’t read those… uh, the complicated looking words..?” Keigo whispers, trying to recall the word he was looking for.
“Kanji?” Touya suggests.
“Yeah, those. They can’t read those very well…”
Touya hums lowly, sending a quick glance at the sheets of paper on the table, his eyes moving back and forth from his own writing to Keigo’s, as if deep in thought.
“Then why didn’t they teach you?” his eyes meet Keigo’s golden ones once again and the winged man can see the shadow of concern forming behind those turquoise irises, turning them slightly darker than usual.
It’s clear what’s going on behind those eyes, Keigo can almost hear the thoughts running through Touya’s brain. He probably thinks Shota and the others refused to teach him.
“They tried to, I promise. But I never really bothered because… I mean, we always have so many things to do, we’re either traveling or setting up a camp, cooking, packing, fixing stuff, looking for water… you know, there’s always something going on and I never felt the need to know, since we’re always together.” he fidgets nervously with the coal pencil, his fingers covered in black powder, but he doesn’t particularly care at the moment.
Touya seems less tense after this revelation, the thought of his family voluntarily keeping such basic knowledge from him must’ve scared him more than he’s willing to show. Keigo doesn’t know how to feel knowing that Touya seems to care about him so much he even worries about such little details, but this is something he doesn’t want to deal with at the moment.
“So… you don’t actually wanna learn. I am forcing you.” Touya states, his shoulders slouching a little as guilt and unease become clear in his expression.
In another situation, Keigo would’ve found endearing the way Touya seems to always wear his heart on his sleeve, his face and overall body language always expressing clearly what’s going on in his mind, but now he can only focus on the fact that he upset him. And he needs to fix it, immediately.
“No! No, Touya… you’re not forcing me, I promise.” he scoots a little closer to try and make the other man look at him once again, their shoulders brushing against each other. Maybe Keigo is just imagining it, but he’s pretty sure that, under the thin layer of Touya’s clothes, he feels the hard metal of the staples on the skin of the fire user’s arm. He instinctively moves away, so he doesn't touch that delicate spot.
“But you said…”
“That I never felt the need to know, yes… but now I do.” Keigo interrupts him with a small smile. Touya turns to send him an uncertain look.
“Why now? What changed..?”
“Well… we’re gonna stay here for a few more days… so I’m gonna have plenty of time to practice… and you can keep helping me whenever I come to visit, if you want.”
I also don’t want you to think I’m stupid.
“So…” Keigo whispers, leaning a little into Touya’s personal space, still careful not to touch his shoulder again. Doesn’t matter if Touya had told him his scars don’t hurt, it’d take Keigo more than that to stop himself from being afraid of accidentally hurting the fire user. “What do you think?”
It takes a while for Touya to reply, Keigo anxiously staring at him basically on the edge of his seat.
“I think we have a plan.” Touya finally says after a few seconds long silence, turning his head to the side to look at Keigo. The winged man smiles back.
The way his heart skips a beat in his chest after Touya’s words must be caused by the fact that Keigo is convinced he’s lucky to have met someone so selfless.
—
When Touya wakes up the next morning, the sun is already up in the sky and his room is filled with the smell of breakfast. He turns his head with a grunt, finding the table covered in dishes, pots and cups and Shouto patiently sitting next to it with a book in his hands, too absorbed in his reading to notice that his brother is awake. With a sigh, Touya sits on the mattress and mentally thanks his instincts that told him to put away all the stuff he had used to teach Keigo the basics of writing before going to sleep, because it would’ve been difficult to explain to his younger brother why he had wasted time going over the hiragana alphabet in the middle of the night.
His stirring must’ve caught Shouto’s attention, because the boy is now looking at him with the corner of his eye and putting his book down, his head turned to smile softly at him.
“Good morning, Touya.” the kid greets in a low tone. Shouto knows how much Touya hates loud noises when he wakes up. In that, the two of them are very similar. “Did you sleep well?”
“I slept too much.” Touya grunts and carefully rubs his fingers on his eyelids, trying to chase the sleepiness away without accidentally pulling one of the staples keeping his scarred undereye skin together. “How long have you been waiting in there?”
“Not too much.” Shouto promises as he lifts the small teapot on the table and fills their cups.
“Sho, don't lie to me, you know I don't fall for it.”
“I'm not lying!”
“Sho.”
“Okay, fine! Just an hour.”
Touya sighs at the confession. The kid must be starving…
“Damn it Sho… don’t you have places to be?” he moves the covers away and gets up. Normally he would get washed and put on some day clothes before sitting with his brother for breakfast, but Shouto has waited enough already. “Don’t you have to meet Midoriya or something?”
“I do, actually.” the boy replies, putting the teapot down. “But today he’s on shop duty, so it’s not like we have to go somewhere in particular… besides, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” he adds, his eyebrows furrowed in a serious expression.
Touya furrows his own eyebrows as well, but in confusion.
“Uhm… sure. What is this about?” he sits in front of his brother, seizing one of the tea cups Shouto had previously filled and taking a sip.
“It’s about your quirk.”
At that, Touya almost spits his beverage.
Quirk? Did Shouto just use the word quirk ?! Does he know something? Did he talk to Keigo? Oh gods, did Touya leave something compromising around the room before going to bed? He did snooze off at the crack of dawn and he was kinda feeling a little out of it, but he was sure he had put everything in its place.
“My… my what?” he manages to blurt out, trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably, given the weirded out glance Shouto is sending him.
“Oh, right… I mean your fire. Sorry, yesterday I met one of those Curse Bearers and he got really upset whenever Midoriya and I used the word ‘curse’. Said it’s offensive and that they call their powers ‘quirks’.” he explains briefly. Touya can feel his body visibly relax at the revelation. His and Keigo’s secret is safe.
“You befriended one of them? And Father didn’t freak out? Seems unlikely.” he chuckles, trying to sound casual.
“That’s because he doesn’t know. I don’t plan on telling him. Do you?” Shouto lifts an eyebrow.
“Absolutely not.”
“Good.” the kid nods and takes his bowl of cold soba and his chopsticks. “So, about him… his name is Katsuki and I wanted to talk to you about him.”
“Mh? Why is that?” Touya inquires, curious. He had thought about asking Keigo to tell him more about his friends, but now the perfect occasion to know something about one of them is right in front of him and well, Touya is a nosey person.
“His quirk reminds me of yours. He can create small explosions on his palms…” Shouto says, pointing to his left palm with his chopsticks, before lifting some soba noodles and bringing them to his mouth.
Touya stares at him in silence as his brother eats his noodles with a slurp.
“He… you met someone who uses fire..?” he asks, his mind overwhelmed by a million thoughts.
“I mean, I think your quirk and his work very differently, considering that you create blue fire while he’s like… I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but it’s like fireworks exploding on his skin and it doesn’t seem like it hurts him.” Shouto explains after gulping down his mouthful of soba. “But I can try and ask him. Try to understand if his explosions hurt him and if not, how does he keep them from doing so.”
“I appreciate the thought, Sho… but at this point it’s pretty useless, since I’m already hurt. Besides, it doesn’t hurt that much anymore.” he replies, slowly shaking his head and taking the bowl of rice that his brother had previously placed on the table in front of him.
It’s only half a lie, after all. While his healthy skin still stings whenever the blue flames touch it (for example, when he uses his fingers to light a candle) or whenever his body temperature rises a bit too much (when he gets angry or embarrassed, usually), the scarred parts of his body barely feel any pain, the skin probably too ruined to be able to feel a thing.
Unfortunately, Shouto, as always, seems able to read right through his bullshit.
“You only say that because you don’t want me to worry about it. But it won’t change the fact that I am already worried, Touya. Let me talk to Katsuki, please.” the kid begs, his eyes firmly locked with Touya’s.
And shit, usually Touya finds it impossible to say no to those big puppy eyes, but this is one of those times that requires him to use every ounce of willpower he possesses to put his foot down and stop his brother.
Openly befriending a quirk user is dangerous enough as it is, but given the rumors that Touya knows still run around the village about Shouto possibly being cursed, asking questions about quirks and how they work would put way too much attention on the kid. Touya doesn’t feel comfortable with the idea of his brother asking for advice from this other person, Katsuki. Keigo seems to trust his friends with his life, but they’re still strangers, after all. He doesn’t know if Katsuki will spill the beans about Shouto asking too many questions and Touya doesn’t want to take the risk.
But still, Touya does want to know more about this explosive quirk. He’ll have to investigate on his own.
And the only way to do that is to ask Keigo to introduce him to the rest of the quirk users.
—
Oboro doesn’t like to think of himself as particularly smart. Not when compared with Chiyo’s academic intelligence, Keigo and Rumi’s sharp wit or Shota’s all-rounded knowledge. He’d rather consider himself Shota’s emotional compass instead, the less logical part of him that helps him see things under a different light instead of the usual cynical approach the black haired man seems to always have.
When their duo became a trio with Keigo’s arrival, eleven years ago, and their group was officially born, Oboro started sharpening his eye, because he knew that if Shota was gonna be the one to make most of the logical decisions, then someone else had to look out for all of them and make sure that everyone was fine and happy.
And Oboro likes to take his task very seriously. Which is why the sudden change in Keigo’s sleeping schedule immediately catches his attention.
Keigo has never been a big sleeper. Six or seven hours of sleep every night are enough for him to be awake and ready to face the day early in the morning. Compared to Jin, Mina or Eijiro, one could say Keigo barely gets enough sleep. But suddenly he’s sleeping well past ten and still, he looks tired, with dark circles around his eyes and his wings looking way less receptive than usual.
“Why are you staring holes into Kei’s back?” Mina asks as she sits next to him with a pear in one hand and a small knife in the other. Oboro almost jumps in surprise, too focused on the blond man to notice the young girl approaching him.
“I… what? I was not staring!” he protests, bringing a hand to his chest, feigning offense, but he realizes he doesn’t sound very convincing. “I was just… thinking. And he happened to be in my line of sight. That’s it.” he lies, turning away his gaze from the winged man and focusing on the girl instead. Mina lifts her eyebrow, staring at him with a skeptical expression and an amused grin plastered on her lips
One could barely believe that Mina is the same girl they met four years ago in a small unnamed village in the Chiba region.
The poor thing was clearly neglected, her long pink hair dirty and matted, curls tangled in her horns, her yellow irises deprived of the light kids should always have in their eyes, and her face, arms and legs so skinny you could almost see her bones. When Eijiro had approached her, asking if she was fine, the words that left her mouth made all the adults in their group (and a seventeen year old Keigo) shiver.
“They said I can stay if I kill the mice that try to enter the barn, but I don’t like killing mice.” the nine year old had whispered, her eyes cast downwards as she glanced at the remains of what looked like a melted mouse, only a bunch of white bones left of the poor creature. The patch of grass around it was blackened, as if it was burned.
It hadn’t taken too much convincing to pry the girl away from the people of the village, most of them looking relieved at the idea of getting rid of her. And even when Chiyo took the girl to a nearby lake, where she bathed her thoroughly, cut off the unsalvageable matted hair (with the aid of a pair of Keigo’s sharp feathers) and clothed her with some of Katsuki’s smaller garments, it still took a while for the traumatized girl to warm up to them. Eijiro’s presence helped a lot though, and the arrival of Himiko and Ochako, three years later, marked a turning point for Mina’s behavior.
Now she’s the most lively person in their family, always dispensing big smiles to everyone and never failing to make them laugh with her goofy attitude. It’s crazy to think how much six years and a loving family can change someone…
Yeah, Mina changed a lot… but she definitely changed for the better.
“If you’re worried about him you could just say so, y’know.” she hummed as she carefully peeled her pear, snapping Oboro out of his nostalgic thoughts. “You tend to fuss over him a lot.”
“I fuss over all of you a lot.”
“Yeah, that’s because you think you always have to take care of us. That’s one thing you and Shota have in common.”
“We do it because we care about you.”
“And so do we… but you don’t have to baby us all the time… we’re not kids anymore.” Mina’s tone is gentle, but it carefully hides a serious note behind it.
“You’ll always be kids to me… even when we’re all gonna be old and wrinkly.” Oboro replies and pinches her side, making her squirm as a small laugh leaves her lips. He knows she’s right. Their kids are growing up faster than he’d like to admit. Just a few more years and they’ll be as old as he and Shota were when they left their home. Keigo is literally older than he was when he took Katsuki and begged Shota to keep him. But that sure won’t stop him from taking care of his siblings. “He does look tired, right? Keigo, I mean.” he silently hums, trying to divert Mina’s attention from the topic and hoping that some gossiping would distract her enough to forget they were having this conversation.
“I think he’s having trouble sleeping… heard him leave his tent last night and I didn’t hear him come back. He probably spent the whole night flying around. He tends to do that.” the girl replies with a hushed tone of his own, finally removing the last piece of peel from her fruit and starting to slice it.
Oboro turns to look at Keigo again, the man standing with his back turned towards them as he talks with Shota, the black haired man listing something on his fingers with a serious expression painted on his face. Keigo bursts out laughing, the sound so loud that even Oboro and Mina can hear it from afar.
“I think I should talk with him about it… he’s been acting weird since the first night here, maybe something is troubling him.” Oboro sighs, stealing a slice of pear from Mina’s plate, making her glare at him angrily.
“Yeah, because he’ll tell you everything, of course…” she rolls her eyes, her tone filled with sarcasm. “You know him better than I do, even if there’s something actually worrying him, he won’t tell you.” she adds, taking a piece of pear and eating in two bites. Oboro takes a bite off his own slice, letting the sweet juicy taste fill his mouth.
Once again, Mina is right. But at the same time, waiting for Keigo to come around and open up is always the worst kind of torture to Oboro, the thought of his little brother losing sleep over who knows what makes him restless as well.
“Try Rumi. Maybe he talked to her…” the pink haired girl suggests, shrugging. Oboro brings the last piece of pear to his mouth, slowly munching as his eyes linger on Keigo and Shota, the two of them still deep in conversation. Shota looks more and more exasperated, but it’s all just an act. It’s always just an act.
Suddenly, Keigo takes a small feather from his left wing and places it on the black haired man’s palm, before waving with his hand. Shota rolls his eyes and walks away, making the winged man bark another laugh and then he’s gone, already up in the sky. The sudden movement makes fallen leaves and grass flutter in the air and, if it wasn’t for the fact that Oboro was observing the scene, the short white flicker would’ve gone unnoticed.
“I’ll be right back.” he says as he gets up. Before Mina can reply, he steals another slice from her plate, making her pout like a kid.
“Oboro!” she protests, trying to take the slice back, but the man is faster, shoving it in his mouth and chewing on it proudly.
“Sho-y, ‘m hong-y.” he laughs with his mouth full.
“So am I, so stop stealing my food!” she yells, catching the attention of Jin and Eijiro, the two of them sitting not too far away, both enjoying their own breakfast and minding their own business. Oboro sends the girl a wink, before walking to the spot where Keigo was just now standing.
Yeah, it wasn’t just a trick of the eye. There’s a piece of paper on the ground that probably fell from Keigo’s pocket.
Why would Keigo have a piece of paper on him? he wonders as he picks it up, opening it and turning it in his hands. His eyes go comically wide as he realizes what he’s holding.
Now, Oboro is not completely illiterate. He knows how to read a few letters, faint memories from when he and Shota were kids and the other had tried to teach him how to decipher the alphabet. The paper is covered in letters, some of them repeated over and over again on the right side of the sheet.
Ke… I… Go…
Yeah, if his memory isn’t tricking him, that’s how you write Keigo’s name. The question is, when did Keigo learn how to write it? And most importantly, how? Who taught him?
Oboro folds the paper and puts it in his own pocket, brows furrowed in confusion and concern. This is something that he definitely needs to discuss with Shota.
Notes:
my toukei heart was so glad as i was writing this chapter ngl, they're so cute, but also so clueless lol :')
as i said in the notes at the beginning of the chapter, I'm struggling to sit down, so i'll keep this note short, i hope you don't mind. thank you for reading this fic, if you're liking it so far let me know with a kudo or a comment because those really help up when it comes to motivate me with future works :')
i'll see you next week, bye everyone <3
Chapter 11: Chapter 10 - Yellow Rose
Notes:
this is another reminder that this fic is tagged one sided endhawks and one sided chisakihawks. these two thirst a lot over keigo. it's gross, i know...
btw, CAN I JUST SAY HOW GRATEFUL I AM FOR 3K KUDOS? THANK YOU EVERYONE T-T
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Yellow Rose: Jealousy
What was Shota thinking when he decided it was a good idea to send Keigo to go buy a whole week's worth of groceries? Keigo, the person who could barely remember anything, let alone a long list of ingredients. Like, seriously? How could he be considered the best candidate for the job? He can’t even read a grocery list!
To be fair, Keigo is starting to learn those Hiragana letters Touya taught him the night before, so technically, with some patience and concentration, he thinks he’d be able to read a grocery list. Not that Shota knows that, obviously. Keigo will tell him… sooner or later.
Speaking of Touya... the thought of him being Keigo's little secret actually makes him giddy. Waking up in the middle of the night to go and meet him is tiring, of course, his usual hours of sleep are now cut to half of what they used to be before, but he likes what they have, so he doesn’t want to give it up... even though he can feel his mind working significantly slower than usual. And he suspects that the others are starting to notice his tiredness as well; especially Rumi.
The woman had tried to talk to him and ask how his second visit to the Todoroki house went, but Kiego had given her a pretty vague response, claiming that no one answered and he didn’t get to take a second glimpse of the person inside. When Rumi insisted, trying to pry some more details out of him, Keigo had told her that the person he saw that first night probably was that Todoroki ghost Himiko still talks about. The reply had made the white haired woman groan and leave, but Keigo knows that the war is far from over. Rumi is way too smart to fall for the ghost bullshit and, by the looks she was sending his way earlier this morning, it’s obvious that she knows that his tiredness is not a coincidence, but the blond man is not gonna spill Touya’s secrets and break their promise only to please his nosy best friend and get her off his back.
A tickling sensation itches the back of his brain and Keigo chuckles to himself, his wings twitching at the feeling of a small feather various meters away from him being twirled between Shota’s thumb and index finger.
Yeah, he better focus on his shopping for now. Thinking about Touya surely puts a smile on his face, but it also reminds him of how slowly time passes when you’re eager for a moment to come (in his case, night time, so he can go meet the white haired man again). At least if he distracts himself with something else he can pretend the time is passing faster than it is.
So, what did Shota tell him to buy? He definitely knows they need rice and vegetables. And eggs. And he also remembers the older man saying something about fish... he’ll start from there.
“Are you here with good intentions or do I have to remind you that begging for money is not accepted around here?” the voice coming from behind almost takes him by surprise and, sure enough, when Keigo turns around, the Captain from a few days ago is standing in front of him with a smile on his lips that Keigo can’t exactly decipher.
“Oh, it’s you again, mister…” he mumbles and leaves the sentence hanging, not exactly sure if he forgot the man’s name or if he never knew it in the first place.
“Chisaki. Kai Chisaki.” the soldier introduces himself, his eyebrow twitching almost undetectably. He looks almost annoyed by the quirk user not knowing his name, which is weird since Keigo is almost completely certain that the man never introduced himself.
“Well, Chisaki… you can rest assured, I’m not here to perform today. As I promised three days ago, I intend to spend the money your co-villagers kindly gave us, so I’m here to buy food for me and my family.” he replies with a cordial smile, while simultaneously patting the small satchel of money tied to his waist. The coins inside make a faint metallic sound as they rattle against each other in the small pouch. “So, if you excuse me, I better take my leave. As you can imagine, feeding eleven people requires lots of food and I should hurry, if I wanna make it to the camp before lunch time.” he slightly bends his back in a kind of half bow. “I’ll see you around, sir.” he bids his goodbyes and turns around, walking away.
“Why the hurry, Keigo?” Chisaki asks, stepping forward and starting to walk alongside the quirk user. Keigo takes a deep breath, summoning every ounce of self control he owns not to roll his eyes at the situation. What’s the problem of this man and why does he seem to always have a bone to pick with him?
“I just told you the reason why I don’t have time to waste now, haven’t I, Captain?” Keigo shoots back, side eyeing the brown haired man. His wings, which up until now were relaxingly hanging from his back and enjoying the fresh breeze ruffling the soft smaller feathers, are now slowly wrapping themselves around his shoulders, shielding him from the unwanted presence of the soldier. Chisaki notices the movement of the feathered limbs and takes a small step to the side, putting a safe distance between them. As if he’s worried at the idea of Keigo’s wings touching him.
Not that he needs to worry about that anyway. Keigo is just as repulsed as Chisaki is at the mere thought of having the man and his wings so close to each other.
“Still, it is still pretty early in the morning. I doubt you’re running out of time as you claim you are.” he says with that same smile as before, the one that Keigo can’t really seem to comprehend. It makes him nervous, sends chills down his spine. “So, I bet you have plenty of time to answer a few questions before you go.”
Keigo sighs silently, stopping in the middle of the street, the man next to him swiftly stopping as well. Keigo can feel the eyes of the bystanders burning on him and he silently thanks the gods for being the one who was sent here for grocery shopping, because he hates the idea of one of his siblings, especially the kids, having to deal with something like this.
“Ask away, then. But I need to beg you to be concise, Captain.”
“Well, as you can imagine, being the Captain of the armed forces of Hakata means that I’m the one in charge of making sure that everyone around here is safe. And I take my job very seriously.” the Captain explains.
“I must say, that’s very remarkable of you.” Keigo replies, his tone laced with ill-concealed sarcasm, but Chisaki doesn’t seem to notice, the corners of his lips lifting in a grin as he is visibly satisfied by the praise.
“I’m glad you feel that way. So I’m sure you won’t mind me asking a few questions about the intentions of your group. You know, so I can give some peace of mind to the people that justifiably come to me to voice their concerns.”
“You know, Captain, I’m sure Shota, our spokesperson, would be glad to answer all your questions. I don’t think I’m the right person to-”
“Well, aren’t you even going to tell me when you plan to leave Hakata? You must at least know as much.” Chisaki insists and yeah, the man officially managed to creep Keigo out. Why is he being so persistent? What does he want from him? Is he trying to make him snap? To get Keigo to yell at him, be rude, so he can have an excuse to send them all away?
Well, Keigo won’t play that game with him. He won’t let this pompous bastard kick them out of the village. Not now that his family is finally getting the rest they deserve. Not now that he has a new friend he can’t wait to see again.
“As I said, it’s not my place to discuss these matters with you, Captain. My older brother Shota will gladly tell you everything that you need to know with all the details that you so desperately seek.” he says with a forced kind smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “But I can tell you as much: we plan to stay for as long as we see fit, especially since the people around here are being very kind to us, compared to the people from other cities. As long as Todoroki Enji is kind enough to let us stay, we’ll gladly accept his kindness.” his smile never leaves his lips. His eyes, however, are staring at the man, pupils reduced to slits. “Did my answer satisfy you, sir? Am I free to go now?” he tilts his head to the side.
Chisaki’s reaction is not one he was expecting. He thought the man would act intimidated, or at least a little creeped out by Keigo’s cold kindness, but no. He’s smiling back at him, more genuinely than Keigo, that’s for sure. But there’s a sinister glint in his yellow irises, one that makes the quirk user’s feathers sharpen just slightly. Keigo can’t even begin to express how much he dislikes this man.
“Well, to be honest-” Chisaki starts, but suddenly the blond man’s feathers twitch, the vibration of heavy steps approaching distracts him from the sound of the soldier’s voice and Keigo turns his head to the side, his eyes widening when he sees no other than Todoroki Enji walking up to them. His blue eyes, so similar to Touya’s in color, but completely different in shape, are staring at him and Chisaki with furrowed brows. Everything about him is screaming discontent and Keigo wants to curse out loud.
How am I getting in trouble with the Captain of the village’s police and the Village Chief just for wanting to buy some damn groceries?
—
Walking around the village to make sure everything is fine and everyone is happy is one of the things Enji values the most about his job and probably the most important thing to do to make sure that everything always goes by smoothly. When he inherited the role of Village Chief from his father, he took upon himself the responsibility to take care of these people. And he likes to think that he’s doing a good job at it.
So here he is today, walking down the market street, approaching the stands and talking to the vendors, exchanging pleasantries and reassuring people here and there. After the initial turmoil following the arrival of the Curse Bearers, five days ago, things seem to have settled and everyone seems a little less worried now, probably reassured by the absence of menacing behavior coming from the outsiders, but most people's mood is still slightly on edge. That’s when his role comes into place, assuring that he won’t let the Curse Bearers overstay their welcome. It’s almost been a week, after all. How much more are they planning to stay anyway?
As he leaves the market to head back home, Enji notices something unusual. Captain Chisaki and the winged Curse Bearer (if his guess on the day of the Curse Bearers' arrival was correct, the man's name must be Keigo) talking to each other, both of them with a smile plastered on their faces.
The feeling that fills the man’s chest at the sight is bitter and unpleasant. Why is Chisaki talking to the Curse Bearer and why are these two smiling? He thought Chisaki disliked them, he didn’t even want to let them inside Hakata and now he’s fraternizing with one of them? And not just anyone, but the winged man. Enji’s winged man!
Before he can even realize it, he’s walking towards them, his mind racing, trying to find a good excuse to stop their chatting and monopolize the attention of the lovely man who’s been keeping his thoughts occupied for the past five days.
“What’s going on here?” Enji asks when he’s finally close enough to the two men to be able to talk to them in a normal speaking voice. The Curse Bearer looks at him with what seems to be a troubled expression, meanwhile Chisaki is staring at him with the same look as a kid who was caught while doing something bad.
“Nothing, sir.” the Captain replies before the winged man can open his mouth. “Keigo and I were just exchanging a few pleasantries.” he points his right hand towards the Curse Bearer (so his name is Keigo), the corners of his lips lifted in that polite smile that Enji hates.
“Didn’t a group of recruits recently join our army, Chisaki?” Enji asks, lifting one eyebrow, his eyes staring right into Chisaki’s. The man looks surprised by the sudden change of topic. “One would think that with so many new soldiers to train, the Captain of the military wouldn’t have much time to… exchange pleasantries.” He turns his head to glance at the winged man, who’s looking around uncomfortably, as if he wishes to be anywhere but right there.
Meanwhile, the brown haired man looks like he just received a slap on the face.
“Sir, I-”
“You’re excused, Captain, I'm sure you don't wanna keep your recruits waiting any longer. You’re free to go.” Enji interrupts him before the man can utter anything more than that and Chisaki’s mouth snaps closed, the man clearly upset by being sent away like a scolded child.
“Yes sir.” he turns to send one last meaningful look in Keigo’s direction, before walking away towards the army’s headquarters.
Enji and Keigo both look at him walking away in silence for a bunch of seconds.
“Well, that wasn’t awkward at all!” Keigo exclaims with a clearly fake cheerful tone, sarcasm dripping from his every word. “I should really go now, so…” he adds and starts walking away towards the market, leaving the sentence hanging.
“Wait.” Enji calls out before he can even realize it, taking a step forward.
Why did he stop him? It felt like his body was moving on its own. Keigo stops on his track, mumbling something that awfully sounds like a ‘ you’ve got to be kidding me ’ under his breath. The Village Chief cringes internally.
“Yes?” the Curse Bearer asks, turning to face the older man.
“I…” Enji hesitates, frantically looking for something to say. He clears his throat, hoping that his embarrassment doesn’t show on his face. “I was just wondering how you’re liking Hakata so far. You and your friends, I mean.” he asks after two painfully long seconds.
“Well, as I was telling your Captain just a few minutes ago, everyone has been very pleasant with us. Sure, some people look a little intimidated, but that’s to be expected given our situation. Overall, we’ve been treated far worse elsewhere.” the blond man explains with a polite smile, his wings moving from their previous position wrapped around his shoulder and resting more comfortably behind his back.
Enji follows the movement with curious eyes. He had spent the last couple of days thinking about the blond man, his pretty features haunting his mind and making it impossible for him to have a peaceful moment of rest. The desire to rip those bloody wings off Keigo’s back, take away from him the product of his curse had passed his mind more often than he’d like to admit, but maybe this is the best way to free himself from this morbid obsession. Maybe if he looks at those disturbing wings for long enough, he’ll be able to finally be able to despise Keigo, just like he is supposed to do.
“You know, people often say that the manners of the inhabitants of a village are the reflection of the heart of the one that guides them. And given your kindness towards us, I can’t say I’m surprised by how well we’re being treated. Besides, your kid was very good to us as well.” Keigo keeps talking, unaware of the dark thoughts passing Enji’s mind, but the last sentence coming out of the Curse Bearer’s mouth makes the Chief's mind suddenly focus back on his talking.
“My… my kid?” he asks, dumbfounded. Is it possible that Natsuo met the Curse Bearers? He didn’t tell Enji anything about it… and given the boy’s stance on the matter, it seems unlikely for him to act friendly with them. Maybe Keigo is referring to Fuyumi? Calling her a kid seems strange, coming from the blond man, especially since he seems to be around the same age as her, but…
“Yeah, Shouto, right?” once again, Keigo stops his mind’s wandering. “Met him the other day when my younger sisters and I came here to perform… nice kid, very polite… he even showed one of my younger brothers where the bookshop was, yesterday.”
Of course, it was Shouto. Who else would befriend a bunch of cursed people so lightheartedly? Enji will have to talk to that boy first thing when he goes back home.
“I see… he didn’t tell me about your encounter.” Enji replies, trying not to let his dissatisfaction over the matter show in his words or on his face.
“Not that I’m surprised…” the blond man mutters to himself, but loud enough for Enji to hear.
“Mh? What do you mean by that?” he lifts one eyebrow. Keigo jumps up, looking almost surprised and his lips immediately distend in a beautiful grin.
“Ah, that came out super wrong!” he exclaims. “I meant that I’m not surprised that your son didn’t want to bother you with something so trivial. I mean, I’m not a Village Chief, but I bet you must have lots of things to do and matters to think about every day, am I right?”
Enji hums, studying the young man’s charming expression, before nodding once.
“Well, I bet Shouto knows that too! And of course, being the good kid he is, he didn’t want to waste your time by boring you with some silly little story about me.” Keigo continues, lifting his feet off the ground with the help of his wings, now open to their full extent and fluttering in the air gently. “So thoughtful and diligent, that son of yours… I wish my siblings were as well mannered as him.” he sighs as he shakes his head with a grin.
“I… thank you.” Enji manages to blurt out, almost disoriented by the rapid fire of words Keigo is shooting at him, his mind still a little too enraptured by the Curse Bearer’s beauty to be able to focus on his words instead.
“No need to thank me, I’m only telling the truth!” Keigo winks, his wings taking him even higher above the ground. At this point, the red haired man needs to lift his head to maintain eye contact. “Hey, I really gotta go now. You know, a lot of things to do, a lot of things to buy… I’ll see you around, say hi to your son for me. Byee!” with one last grin that leaves Enji embarrassingly flustered, the man flies away, leaving the Village Chief standing in the middle of the street like an idiot.
Enji runs a hand over his face, trying to recollect himself. He needs to find a way to get rid of this sick obsession. Staring at Keigo’s wings, hoping to feel repulsed is not helping at all. Not when one single glance at that face manages to make him feel weak in his knees all over again.
As the man finally starts walking towards the market so he can resume his previous task, he’s too lost in his own thoughts to notice the hidden eyes staring at him from afar.
—
Touya gulps down his nervousness as he rummages through his drawer full of books, looking for a small volume that he knows will make itself pretty useful tonight. It took the whole day, but he finally made up his mind. Tonight he’s gonna ask Keigo to be introduced to the rest of the quirk users.
And sure, the thought of meeting new people after all this time is scary, even worse, the thought of other people even just perceiving him makes him so nervous that he wants to puke, but the chance of meeting someone with a quirk even so slightly similar to his is too inviting. Not just because he wants to know if there’s a way for him to use his fire without hurting himself, but it’s also because of that same old desire of belonging with someone that he struggles so much to get rid of.
Blame Shouto for encouraging that foolish selfishness of his.
“Ah, there it is…” Touya hums when he finally finds the book he was looking for. It’s a children’s book, the cover old and discolored, the corners of the pages rounded by the passing of time. One of his first memories as a child is his mother coming back home with this same book in her hands, a book that she bought with Touya in her mind. That same night, she sat on the kid's bed next to him and the two of them read one of the fairytales inside together. As the years went by, Rei did the same with Fuyumi, Natsuo and Shouto, helping them to learn how to read with the help of that book filled with old folk tales about beautiful princesses, brave heroes, gentle animals and mischievous yokais.
While staring at the book, Touya feels guilt fill his chest, a displeasing sense of uneasiness spreading all over him. He’s supposed to teach Keigo how to read and write. He should spend their remaining days together sitting in his room and teaching him all he can about the alphabet, maybe even showing him some of the easiest kanjis. He shouldn’t be asking Keigo to waste a whole night just to satisfy a whim of his.
“Hey, teacher… what’s with that gloomy face? Are you feeling down because you realized that I’m a lost cause?” Keigo’s voice distracts him from his train of thought and, sure enough, when the fire user turns around, there the blond man is, in all his beautiful glory. Is it possible for someone to get more breathtaking day by day? Or is it just that Touya’s mind is incapable of accurately remembering the man’s face, so every time he sees it he ends up being blown away by its looks?
Keigo is smiling cheerfully, leaning with his shoulder against the glass balcony door, his wings still expanded, signaling that he just landed. His cheeks are a little reddened probably because of the night’s chilly wind.
Touya feels his guilt and all his worries easily slide off him, just like they’re being washed away by a gentle rain.
“I don’t think you’re a lost cause, c’mon… I already told you you’re a good student.” he reprimands Keigo with a tiny smile of his own.
“And I gotta say, I really find that hard to believe, teacher.” Keigo shoots back and steps forward, closing both the window and the curtain behind him.
“Stop calling me that and sit down!” a little chuckle escapes the white haired man’s mouth, before he clears his throat. “I… I have something I need to talk to you about.” he adds, his face morphing into a more somber expression as he kneels comfortably in front of the table, the children’s book resting on the floor next to him.
Keigo seems to instantly catch the shift in the mood and he sits down on the same cushion where he sat the two previous nights, crossing his legs dutifully.
“I’m all ears. Did something happen?” he asks, a faint shadow of worry forming on his face as he tilts his head to the side.
“No, nothing happened, don’t worry… I just need to ask you something.”
“Hey, you sure everything’s fine? Your face became so serious and sullen all of a sudden…”
“Yeah, I promise you it’s nothing…” Touya hesitates, before letting out a groan and rubbing his hands over his face. “Ugh, just… I guess I just feel selfish… for what I’m about to ask you.”
Keigo looks even more confused at the words.
“I… I don’t think I’m following, Touya…”
With a deep sigh, Touya tells him everything. About his fire hurting him every time he uses it, about Shouto telling him about Katsuki’s quirk, about his curiosity that always led him to wonder about people with a quirk like his own, about his desire to meet the rest of the quirk users since the first time he heard about their arrival in Hakata. And it feels… strangely freeing. Turns out Keigo is a good listener, because he sits there in silence, letting Touya ramble for ten minutes straight, his golden eyes staring at him intensely as the white haired man reveals the deepest secrets he’s been holding in his chest for the past years, secrets that not even Shouto ever got to hear.
“I know we decided that I would tutor you for your remaining days here, but I… I’d really appreciate it if you would take me to your camp and introduce me to them. I’m sorry.” Touya mumbles and then takes a deep breath, worn out by the long talk. Keigo is still staring him down with an unreadable expression and Touya is already preparing himself for the man’s negative reply, for Keigo’s disappointment caused by Touya finally revealing his true colors, finally showing how much of a jerk he actually is.
“Okay… you’re an idiot.” Keigo says and Touya can’t help but flinch, lowering his head in shame. He knew the scolding was coming, but that doesn’t make it any less painful. “You’re an idiot for thinking for even one second that this could be considered selfish on your part. First of all because it’s completely valid for you to want to know more people like us. I wanted that too before I met Shota and Oboro. Second of all, because I was the one who suggested you meet my family in the first place. Actually, I’m glad you asked. I know this is very difficult for you, and the fact that you mustered the courage to ask me makes me proud. I am so happy right now, Touya.”
Touya feels his cheeks heat up at the praise, so he immediately turns his head to the side, trying to hide his embarrassment.
“B-But… our lessons…”
“We can always skip one, you know. I’ve spent the last twenty-three years without being able to read, I can wait one more night.”
“So… you’re okay with it? You sure?”
“Of course I am!” Keigo flaps his wings happily, his smile so big and genuine it makes Touya’s heart flutter for a second. “We can go tomorrow. You know, I’d take you tonight, but the others are probably sleeping, and since I suspect you wanna speak with Katsuki, it’d be way better if we wait. That kid is already constantly grumpy, but if you wake him up he’s even more unmanageable." he reveals with an amused chuckle. "So here’s the plan: tomorrow morning I’ll talk to the others, I’ll explain the situation and tell them that you want to meet them. Oh, they’ll surely be so excited! I’ll come and fetch you tomorrow night, same time as always, of course. Ah, I have an idea! Don’t eat anything tomorrow night, you can have dinner with us, what do you think?” he rambles so fast Touya starts having trouble keeping up, but the winged man’s excitement must be contagious, because he can feel a small smile forming on his lips at the prospect of what is about to come.
And sure, he still feels worried, borderline terrified, but as difficult as leaving his house for the first time in ten years can be, Keigo is with him. And that’s enough for Touya to feel way more at ease.
“Seems like you have everything figured out…” he chuckles. “So, since we are not going tonight, how about we focus on our lesson for now? I’ve found something that could really help us out a lot.”
Keigo seems to perk up even more after that, his eyes widening in surprise.
“You did? What is it, what is it?” he asks. Touya takes the children’s book in his hands and gets up, walking around the table and sitting next to the blond man just like he did the day before, placing the volume on the wooden surface.
“This is a children’s book. My mother bought it when I was a kid and I was still very inexperienced when it came to reading. We used to sit on my bed and read it together every night until I became able to read on my own just fine. And then she used it to help my sister and brothers as well. You could say that this is some kind of family heirloom.” Touya jests with an amused smile.
Keigo stares at the book in awe, carefully tracing the title with the tip of his finger, probably to better remember the letters.
“And you wanna read it with me?”
“I mean… if you want, sure. We don’t have to finish it in one night, of course, that’s pretty impossible, but if we manage to read a few pages it’d be great.” Touya explains.
“I think that’s perfect… thank you for sharing something so important with me, Touya.”
Touya shrugs, feeling his body temperature rise just slightly.
“Do you want to pick a fairytale to start with?” he asks, trying to deflect Keigo’s attention towards the book instead, his left hand sliding the volume towards the blond man.
“Okay!” Keigo hums happily and starts flipping through the pages with a content smile on his lips. “You know… your mom sounds like a very nice woman. Himiko, one of my younger sisters, once told me that rich families hire a tutor to teach their kids how to read and write because the parents can’t be bothered with that and the fact that your mother took her time to teach not only you, but your siblings as well is very sweet.”
“I mean, we did have tutors as well growing up, but yeah… it was very sweet of her. I guess it was more about the bonding than the actual learning, since I know for a fact that all of us cherish those memories with her.” Touya whispers with a little smile on his lips, the bittersweet taste on his tongue getting more prominent as memories of his mother fill his mind.
“I wish I could meet her… hey, does she ever visit the market? Maybe if I’m lucky I can cross paths with her before me and the others leave Hakata.”
Keigo’s words feel like a knife digging into an open wound. It’s not like the winged man could know about his mother, but Touya still feels every bit of pain at the reminder. Memories of Rei leaving so she could go to the market and coming back with flower pots, books, bags full of groceries and, occasionally, boxes full of Midoriya Inko's sweets, make Touya smile sadly, his eyes stinging for his need to cry.
“She… she doesn’t, Keigo… not anymore, at least.” he murmurs quietly, lifting his head and taking a deep breath to calm himself. The last thing he needs right now is to cry in front of Keigo. The winged man doesn’t need to see his creepy bloody tears. Touya doesn’t want to disgust him more than he probably already does.
“W-Wait, is she..?” Keigo whispers, his tone perfectly conveying his surprise. He only gets a short nod in reply, Touya still not fully trusting his voice not to crack. “Shit, Touya, I am so sorry…” he says, clearly mortified.
“It’s okay, you didn’t know.” Touya says after a couple of seconds, finally lowering his gaze to look at Keigo. His golden eyes are wide open, staring at him with evident sorrow and remorse for what he said. Touya wishes he could wipe that sadness off his face. Keigo is so much prettier when he smiles. “Seriously, it’s okay. It happened many years ago. Besides, it often feels like she’s with me all the time, you know… so it’s not as hard as it used to.” he adds. Keigo gulps down and looks at him, uncertain.
“Really?”
“Yeah. You know, she used to love flowers. We would take care of them together every day. It was her who taught me everything I know about flowers and plants. She was very passionate and passed that same passion on to me.” he explains, his voice softening as he talks about those carefree moments. “Every time I water my flowers, or change their soil, or cut their dead leaves, or move them from one pot to a bigger one… it feels like she’s next to me, helping me out.” Touya whispers, a gentle smile forming on his lips without him realizing. Keigo’s wing lightly brushes against his back, almost hugging him close. Touya can’t help but blush at that. “Sorry, I know it sounds stupid…” he chuckles, trying to play it cool. Keigo probably doesn’t care about his ramblings.
“It’s not stupid… not one bit, Touya.” his left hand tentatively approaches the fire user’s right one and holds it gently. The contact sends shivers through Touya’s body. Their hands look so different when seen so close to each other: Touya’s fingers are longer, paler, softer, in stark contrast with Keigo’s tanned and rough and strong ones. His hold is firm, yet delicate and Touya lightly squeezes back, earning a bright smile from the man sitting next to him.
“You know… I’m glad your mom shared her passion with you, because I really like your flowers.” Keigo admits after a short silence, his smile not fading one bit, still as charming as before.
“You do? I really couldn’t tell.” Touya hums and taps the index finger of his free hand against his cheek, as if deep in thought. “It’s not like you flew on my balcony in the middle of the night only to take a better sniff at my gardenias.” he teases, making the other man stifle a laugh.
“Gardenias? Is that what they’re called, then? I’ll have to keep that in mind.” Keigo shakes his head, turning his whole body and motioning for Touya to do the same. The fire user tilts his head to the side, confused by the act, but he complies nevertheless, the two of them now facing each other. “Jokes aside… I don’t just like your flowers because of their smell… even though they do smell amazing.”
Touya blinks a couple of times, confused by the statement.
“Mh? Why do you like them, then?”
Keigo’s smile grows even bigger, his other hand taking Touya’s free hand and his warm fingers gently wrap around Touya’s scarred hands. His eyes are staring right into turquoise irises, so full of sincerity and affection that the fire user struggles not to shy away from that gaze.
“Because they led me to you, Touya.” Keigo says. “Thanks to your flowers, I found you.”
Notes:
we're in this dabihawks shit for life, damn... i love them so much chat...
hey, can we talk about the fucking hypocrite todoroki enji himself?? "oh yeah, keigo, *my curse bearer* but oh, why is shouto being so friendly with the curse bearers? i definitely need to scold him for that!" like?? fuck you man...
also, just so you know, writing the scenes with chisaki in them is always painful. that man gives me the ick in canon, but somehow manages to make me feel even more grossed out in this fic. yuck!
i hope you guys liked this chapter, consider dropping a comment or a kudo if you did and, as always, i wish you a good week and i'll see you next Tuesday!
Chapter 12: Chapter 11 – Chrysanthemum
Notes:
please be nice to this chapter, my beautiful, talented, lovely beta reader didn't have the time to proofread it, so if you see any mistake, turn your head to the other side. i'll definitely update the chapter again with her corrections in the next few days :)
edit: the chapter has been proofread and edited!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chrysanthemum: Truth
“Oh, c’mon Shota please, please, please !” Oboro whines like a damn child and Shota really wishes he could shove the carrot he’s peeling in his best friend’s mouth just so he could make him shut up.
“Don’t you have someone else you can annoy today?” he asks, side eyeing him with a murderous glare, but Oboro doesn’t seem to mind. Unfortunately, he knows Shota too well and he’s well aware that as much as Shota can get angry, he never actually snaps.
“Actually yes! But you won’t let me!” Oboro protests, resting his head against Shota’s shoulder with a sigh.
“For the last time, we will not ask Keigo how he got his hands on that piece of paper.” Shota puts away the peeled carrot and takes another one from the bag resting next to him.
The two of them are on peeling duties today, their first task of the morning being peeling and washing all the vegetables needed to prepare everyone’s lunch. To do that, they had decided to work on their task in Shota's tent, the morning sun being too hot for the man’s liking. So here they are, sitting in the small space, surrounded by bags filled with carrots, mushrooms, onions and cabbages, focused on taking the peel off them as quickly as possible so they can hand them to Katsuki and Chiyo, the designated cooks of their group.
Well, Shota is doing that. Oboro is too busy being a nuisance to actually be productive today. He barely managed to clean a single carrot in the last twenty minutes.
“But he wrote his name , Shota! That’s a huge deal for him! I’m dying to know how that came to happen. I doubt Himiko or Ochako taught him, they would’ve told everyone by now. It must’ve been someone from around here. But who, and why? You can’t tell me you’re not even a little curious!”
To be fair, Shota is curious. He seriously wants to know who the person who managed to teach his stupidly stubborn younger brother the basis of writing is, especially since he himself had tried and failed numerous times in the past eleven years.
But at the same time, he knows Keigo. He knows he can’t keep secrets to save his life and when he does, it’s for a good reason. Eventually, he’ll come around. He always does.
“I know it’s a big deal, but you need to give him some space. He’ll tell us when he is ready.”
Another peeled carrot is carefully placed in the basket in front of them and Shota lifts another one as he sends a glance at the half peeled vegetable resting forgotten in Oboro’s hands. If only Shota didn’t know the other man so well, he’d think he’s doing this on purpose to avoid doing his share of the work.
“But what if he is never ready? Something’s off with him, I know you noticed it too.” Oboro hums, this time more seriously. Shota’s hands stop in the act of removing a rotten spot from the carrot and he sighs. Of course he noticed. Only an idiot wouldn’t.
“Pushing him won’t solve shit, Obi. You know that. Just trust him, he’s not a kid anymore… he can take care of himself.” he replies, looking at the man. Oboro opens his mouth to reply and Shota stops him. “I know what you’re about to say. That him being an adult doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t care for him anymore. But letting him deal with his own life doesn’t automatically mean that we stop caring for him. We’re not leaving him on his own. We still care and we’re still ready to be there for him when he needs us to.”
Oboro closes his mouth with a pout.
Shota knows Oboro knows he’s right. He’s just insisting for the sake of it. And because, even if he’s older, he still acts like a child more often than not.
“Fine, I’ll pretend nothing happened.” the man mumbles, finally focusing back on his carrot. “Damn it, when did you become the smart one?” he asks under his breath. His tone sounds grumpy, but there’s an ill-concealed teasing grin on his lips, his blue eyes shining in the dim light of their small candle.
“I’ve always been the smart one and you know it.”
“If you’re the smart one, who am I then?” Oboro asks with a gasp. Shota can’t help but smile a little at his friend’s silly expression.
“The pretty one.” he answers playfully. Of course, Oboro is so much more than just a pretty face. He’s brave, and caring, and funny, and empathetic, and charming, and overall he’s all those things that Shota is not. But that’s what makes them a pretty solid team.
“You’re right. I am, indeed, really pretty.” Oboro says with a satisfied grin, pointing his thumb against his puffed out chest. Shota shakes his head with a soft smile on his lips, before focusing back on his task.
They keep on working in a comfortable silence, the peace disrupted only by the sounds of birds singing and the occasional chatter of their siblings coming from the outside world.
It’s when they’re almost done with the carrots and ready to take care of the mushrooms that someone walks inside, distracting both of them.
“Hey… can I talk to you?”
Shota and Oboro simultaneously turn to face each other, exchanging a knowing glance. If it wasn’t for the fact that the person that just walked in and is now standing in front of them is Keigo himself, Shota would’ve said a very sarcastic ‘ I told you ’. But the two of them don’t need to use words to communicate most of the time, so a slight raise of his eyebrow on his part is enough to gain a small shrug of Oboro’s shoulders.
“Sure Kei.” the taller man says as he turns his head to look at their younger brother. “What’s up?” he asks, his tone maybe a little too eager to sound casual, but Keigo doesn’t seem to notice.
“Can we call a family meeting? It’s something I need to discuss with all of you.” Keigo's wings are wrapped around his shoulders to fit inside the tent. “Before you ask, nothing bad happened. It’s just…” Keigo hesitates, probably looking for the right words. “There’s something I wanna share with all of you… if that’s okay.”
Keigo looks tired. Shota can see the dark bags under his eyes even from afar. Given his state, he doubts that nothing bad happened, but until he hears his brother’s story he can’t say anything for certain.
“Of course it’s okay.” he nods and slowly gets up, leaving the vegetables and the knife aside, gesturing to Oboro to do the same. His best friend seems way too pleased as he complies, quickly jumping up and hopping out of the tent. Shota can see Keigo send him a confused glance, but doesn’t question the older man’s weird behavior.
When he steps out of his tent, Shota sees the rest of their family sitting around the almost extinguished bonfire, looking at him and Keigo expectedly.
“I already told the others… we just need to wait for Rumi and then we can talk.” Keigo murmurs as he lets his wings go back to their usual position behind his back.
“Where is she?” Oboro asks as he sits down next to Katsuki and wraps his arm around the kid’s neck. Katsuki grunts, and mutters an irritated ‘ get off, old man ’, but he doesn’t actually try to push Oboro away.
“Actually I wanted to ask you that. I thought that probably you guys sent her off to take care of some errands?” Keigo asks and tilts his head to the side. Shota turns his head to look at Oboro, his friend looking as confused as he is.
“We didn’t…“ he says, turning back to face the younger man, who hums in reply.
“Maybe she went for a walk?” Ochako intervenes, earning a small nod from Himiko, the blond girl sitting next to the brunette with her chin resting on Ochako’s shoulder.
“Should I send my feathers to look for her? It’s kinda important…” Keigo says, hurriedly looking around and Shota can feel his worry slowly grow in his chest. Being this fidgety is completely out of character for Keigo… what on Earth is going on?
“Heya everyone! Woah, is there a meeting or something? Why is everyone sitting here?” Rumi exclaims cheerfully as she approaches them with a big smile. Ten heads turn to look at her almost simultaneously. She stops in the act of munching on something. Probably some cake, given the fact that she’s holding a slice in her right hand and a small bag in her left. “What? Do I have something on my face?” she asks after she gulps down her food.
“Actually we were just about to have a small family meeting, Ru.” Keigo walks up to her, gently directing his friend towards the free spot on a log between Mina and Jin. “There is something important I wanted to-”
“Hey where did you get that cake? I want some!” Himiko butts in, her yellow eyes staring intently at the pastry Rumi’s still munching on.
“Also, what’s inside the bag?” Eijiro asks, leaning forward to take a better look at the cloth satchel Rumi had placed on her lap.
“Smells nice!” Mina hums with a happy smile as she takes a sniff at the bag.
“Mh? Got them at the pastry shop. The guy who works there told me he’s testing a new recipe and wants me to give him my honest opinion.” Rumi replies as she takes another bite. “Can you believe he gave me all this stuff for free?” she adds with a grin. Katsuki lets out an audible grunt.
“Of course he did…” he grumbles and crosses his arms against his chest. Or at least he tries to, since he’s still tightly secured in Oboro’s embrace.
“Can we focus on the main topic?” Chiyo asks, everybody going silent and turning towards her as the old woman talks. “I believe Keigo called us here to tell us something important.”
Every head now turns towards the winged man still standing next to Shota.
“Oh, right. What’s up Kei? Just shut up, we don’t care! ” Jin screeches, crossing his arms against his chest.
Shota looks at him while the young man shifts his weight from one foot to the other, his fingers nervously twisting and pinching at his knuckles.
“Okay, uhm… I spent the last few hours trying to find the right way to tell you this, because there’s so much to say and… I don’t actually know where to start.”
Before he can even realize it, Shota had his hand placed on Keigo’s shoulder, gently squeezing it to calm him down.
“Just start from the beginning. We’re here to listen.” he whispers. His brother looks at him and a small smile forms on his lips, his posture visibly relaxing.
“Right… okay, so… the beginning.” Keigo hums and turns back towards the rest of their family. “I met another quirk user.” he just states.
Well, that sure is a way to start.
Everyone looks at him, with various degrees of surprise on their faces. Himiko and Ochako exchange a knowing glance, Oboro almost drops his hold around Katsuki’s body, the blond kid staring in silence at Keigo with a lifted eyebrow, Jin lets out a curse word, earning a scowl from Chiyo, Eijiro and Mina gasp at the same time, and even Rumi looks shocked. But not as if she’s surprised, but more like as if something clicked in her head.
“Is it that boy, right? Shouto…” Ochako whispers, her hand instinctively searching for Himiko’s and squeezing it. Katsuki rapidly jumps up, almost knocking Oboro off the log they’re sitting on, his eyes focused on Ochako.
“The fuck do you mean, Round Face? That idiot Shouto has a quirk?!” he yells, smoke starting to come out of his palms as he gets more and more riled up.
Oboro sends Shota an alarmed glance that the man can’t help but reciprocate. Why is this the first time he hears this name? And why do Ochako, Himiko and Katsuki seem to know it? When did his siblings start keeping secrets from him?
“Wait, who is Shouto? And how do you know he has a quirk?” Oboro interjects, taking Katsuki by the arm and pulling him back in his seat.
“Shouto doesn’t have a quirk, guys. It’s not him.” Keigo shakes his head, clearly distressed. “It’s his older brother. Touya.”
Another name Shota doesn’t know, perfect.
“Which one is Touya, the dead one or the one that walks around the village like he owns the place?” Rumi asks, leaning forward with her torso and resting her elbows on her knees.
“The dead..? Oh gods, is this about that ghost story?” Eijiro asks with a sigh, running a hand through his black hair. Mina covers her ears, visibly upset.
“If this is about that ghost story, I don’t wanna hear it! The other day I had nightmares because of it!” she whines.
“Okay, everyone. Stop talking.” Shota steps in with a stern voice, every mouth snapping closed at the order and silence falls among them. Whatever is going on, the man doesn’t like it. As much as he’s a big advocate of his siblings having their own autonomy and space, the fact that all the adults are being excluded from a secret as big as the presence of another quirk user in the village is not okay. His family knows better than this. “Keigo. Start explaining properly. No one interrupts him until he’s done.” he commands. Keigo gulps down, visibly preoccupied by Shota’s seriousness.
Turns out that Keigo’s story is longer than Shota would’ve expected. It begins on the morning of their second day in Hakata, when he, Ochako and Himiko met Shouto, the youngest kid of the Todoroki family (the same kid with red and white hair Shota had noticed on the day of their arrival), and the three of them suspected he was a quirk user. Shota can see Chiyo open her mouth, probably to reprimand them for judging someone based on their appearance, but then she presses her lips in a thin line, probably after remembering what Shota not too long ago told them.
Meanwhile, Keigo is still telling his story, now explaining how, while he was flying around, he was attracted by the smell of flowers that led him to the Todoroki mansion, where he saw a mysterious figure hiding behind a curtain. Shota hears Himiko whisper a faint ‘ the ghost ’, but before he can even send a glance her way, she gets shushed by Ochako.
“The next night I went back there and I waited until he let me inside. He was the one who started the fire in the forest ten years ago and Todoroki let everyone think Touya died because of the flames. He's been hiding in his house since then. Long story short, I told him I would keep the secret about him being alive and having a quirk until he felt comfortable enough with me telling you. And that’s why I’m telling you now. He… wants to meet everyone and I agreed to take him here tonight. So we can all have dinner together.” he says, ending his speech. And damn, Shota feels he needs to sit down. That was a lot of information and, while the rest of his family members start talking among themselves, he rubs his forehead with his fingertips.
Todoroki Enji, the Village Chief, has a secret son that everyone believes to be dead and Keigo is sneaking around to meet him every night? Shota refrains himself from groaning out loud. What kind of mess did Keigo get himself into?
“There’s one more thing I need to talk to you about.” Keigo interrupts the chatter and immediately everyone is looking back at him in curiosity. The troubled expression is back on his face and Shota feels uneasy. Why is he distressed? Is there more to all of this? “Touya is… the fire hurt him really bad. He has very visible scars on his face and body.” he admits and at that revelation, a chill makes the air around them icy cold.
“Wait, I thought you said he was the one who caused the fire… how can he be hurt?” Katsuki grumbles, his left arm lazily resting on his stomach, his pinky finger absentmindedly tapping against Oboro’s wrist.
“His body is not fire resistant… his fire hurts him just like it would hurt any of us.” Keigo explains and a chorus of gentle saddened hums rises and even Shota can’t help but feel bad for the guy. He never heard of a quirk that actively hurts its user. “And I know you, I’m aware that you would never judge him for this, but… he feels really self conscious about his looks. Please, remember to be mindful of that.”
He’s not talking to anyone in particular, everyone knows that, but Shota appreciates his thoughtfulness. He doesn’t know the extent of Touya’s scarring, but he’s glad Keigo gave them a little heads up, because you never know how a person may react when facing someone visibly hurt. And Touya would probably feel bad if everyone stared at him in concern or pity. Shota knows that he would.
“So wait! Is he the one who taught you how to write?” Oboro asks, his arms had found their way back around Katsuki’s torso sometime during Keigo’s story. The blond kid has a vein throbbing on his forehead.
The atmosphere around them immediately gets less heavy and Shota shakes his head with a grin. Leave it to Oboro to always make their family feel better. If it wasn’t for his cloud quirk, Shota would believe that his best friend’s superpower was making people happy.
“You learned how to write?!” Himiko gasps, staring at Keigo in shock.
“Not cool Kei! You were supposed to be one of us non-readers!” Mina protests, earning a firm nod from Eijiro.
“W-Wait, how do you even know that?!” Keigo squeaks in surprise.
“You dropped this yesterday before you left to go grocery shopping!” Oboro grins, the guilty piece of paper dangling in his hand. The two very different handwritings on it, one elegant and precise and one shaky and clumsy, can be clearly seen on the page. Himiko claps excitedly, leaning towards Oboro.
“Let me see! Let me see!” she sing-songs, taking the sheet from the man’s hand and observing it carefully. Ochako tilts her head, trying to get a look as well.
“Aw, he taught you how to write your name!” the brown haired girl coos.
“He has such a pretty handwriting too…” Himiko adds, but suddenly a feather snatches the piece of paper away from her, bringing it back to his rightful owner’s hands. “Hey!”
“So you had it! Damn it, I’ve been looking for it everywhere…” Keigo mumbles, carefully folding the sheet and placing it in his pocket.
As the rest of the group keeps teasing Keigo and begging him to tell them more about this mysterious Touya, Shota can’t help but notice the way his brother’s cheeks get as red as his wings, displaying a shyness completely out of character for him. A sense of dread starts forming in his chest before he can stop it and the realization hits him so hard it physically hurts.
Oboro sends a look his way, immediately noticing his discomfort and his eyebrows furrow, as if asking what’s wrong, but the black haired man shakes his head.
Shota doesn’t need to see Touya to be certain of what he suspects is going on, because he knows Keigo better than the winged man knows himself. And he can tell Keigo probably hasn’t realized what’s going on yet, but Shota has.
Keigo, his sweet younger brother who rarely lets people in, who is constantly afraid of being left behind, who loves and cherishes with all his heart has, surprisingly, already grown attached to Touya. And if Shota is certain of something it is that, the day they leave Hakata, they’ll either leave with a new member of their family or with a heartbroken Keigo. And the prospect of the second thing happening is so scary that it makes his heart ache.
—
The moon is shining so prettily tonight, surrounded by pearly gray clouds and when a gust of wind blows through his feathers, Keigo can’t help but close his eyes, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the blissful sensation. It’s a wonderful night to fly.
“It’s time.” Rumi whispers as she walks up to him and stops by his side. She smells like ash and firewood and, given the faint crackling sound of fire burning behind them, almost completely covered by the voices of their family making dinner, Keigo suspects she helped start the bonfire where dinner is currently cooking.
“It is.” he nods and raises his arms over his head, stretching his body.
“Well, go fetch your prince, then.” Rumi says with a hint of amusement in her tone and Keigo feels his cheeks turn way hotter than normal.
“W-What?” he screeches, his voice sounding foreign even to his own ears and his body going a little stiff. His best friend barks out a laugh, shaking her head. Her bunny ears flap at the motion, swaying left and right with every movement.
“Nothing, don't worry… you’ll get it, eventually.” she whispers and walks away before Keigo can have the chance to ask her what’s so funny.
Ugh, women. He sighs, before spreading his wings and taking off, immediately reaching the cloudline. Now that he’s up here, Keigo lets out an excited giggle. He can’t believe this is about to happen. He’s about to take Touya to their camp, so he can introduce him to his family. He feels so excited he could burst.
He knows everything will turn out fine. Touya may be a little shy, but he’s wonderful. Keigo is certain that his family will be charmed by him just like Keigo himself was when they first talked.
When he silently lands on the familiar balcony, the fresh smell of gardenias surrounds him, the corners of his lips tugging upwards as a grin forms on his face. The glass window is slightly ajar, Touya had probably left it open so Keigo could let himself in.
And there Touya is, walking back and forth while rubbing his hands together. If the faint vibration of his racing heart that Keigo’s feathers are sensing is any indicator, the man must be nervous.
Keigo can’t help but grin a little more widely, endeared by the fact that Touya seems to be too lost in his own thoughts to actually notice his presence. After looking around one last time, just to make sure that no one’s around to catch him sneaking inside, Keigo steps in.
“Are you ready?” he asks as he closes the curtain. Touya jumps up in surprise, turning to face him, the healthy skin of his cheeks turning a bright pink because of the surprise.
“I… I guess I am…” Touya mutters after gulping down. “I mean, it’s not like this is the first time I’m leaving my house in a decade because even the smallest infection could kill me and, if that wasn’t enough, it’s not like I’m about to meet what? Ten quirk users for the first time after spending said decade alone. I can’t be more ready than this.” he rambles as he takes a warm-looking garment from his bed and puts it on over his shirt.
Keigo lets out a chuckle, amused by the way the sarcasm slips out of Touya’s mouth so easily and he can’t help but hope to see this side of Touya more often. Gods, why is everything this man does so damn charming?
“Are you having second thoughts?” he asks as he steps forward with his arms crossed, the smile never leaving his lips. Touya sends him a quick glance and huffs, closing the coat around his waist more securely.
“I’m not backing down if that’s what you’re asking… I want to do this.” he nods to himself, before looking to the side with a pout. “Even if this little act of transgression will probably lead me to my grave.” he adds under his breath. Keigo has to stop himself from laughing out loud, too scared someone in the house might hear them.
“Well, you can rest assured, Chiyo is a wonderful doctor and she won’t let you catch a cold, let alone die.” he promises, bringing a hand to his own chest, right where the heart is.
“I mean, that is a little reassuring.” Touya admits and sighs, rubbing his hands together to try and calm his nerves. “So, how are we gonna do this? It’s not exactly safe for me to walk around, even if it’s the middle of the night… besides, I think it’ll take us a lot of time to get to your camp.”
“We’re flying there, obviously.”
Silence.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Absolutely not! I can carry you!”
Touya clears his throat, still rubbing his hands together. A faint puff of smoke rises because of the friction.
“That… doesn’t sound safe.” he admits.
“Oh, it’s perfectly safe! I carried around the others a bunch of times and I almost never dropped them!” he assures, nodding his head once. Touya visibly pales at that.
“ Almost ?!”
“Just kidding, I never dropped them!” Keigo chuckles, glad that he managed to land his little joke. “Wow, you should see your face now... you suddenly got very pale.”
Touya sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. He looks like he is reevaluating every life choice that led him to this point.
“If I die, I will haunt you.” he threatens.
“And I’ll let you.” Keigo shoots back. He’s still not exactly sure what caused Touya to become so much bolder, if his nerves are making him act blunter, or if he just feels more comfortable with Keigo now that they know each other a little better, but still, it’s nice bantering with him like this. “Now, when I carry someone around, there’s usually three ways to do it. I can princess carry you, and that’s the easiest way, or you could wrap your arms and legs around my torso and hold on as tight as possible. Obviously, you won’t have to depend on your limbs alone, because I’ll keep my arms around you to keep you secured. How does that sound?” he explains quickly, mimicking the positions with his body to better explain what he’s talking about.
He sends a glance in Touya’s direction and the white haired man looks on the verge of having a crisis. Keigo can swear he sees his left eye twitch for a second, but he's probably just imagining things.
“What’s the third option?” Touya asks after the long silence, clearing his throat.
“Well, I could lift you up by wrapping my arms around your torso and then carry you like a dead weight. It’s not a problem for me, you don’t look too heavy, but-”
“Then let’s do this one.” Touya interrupts him. Keigo lifts one eyebrow, perplexed.
“Are you sure? It’s not a very comfortable way to fly…” he admits, anxiously eyeing Touya’s body. Are there more scars, where eyes can’t see? What if Keigo ends up hurting him? “Besides, you looked a little scared just now, so maybe this isn’t the best option for you?” he adds, a nervous little smile forming on his lips.
“No, it’s okay. I want to see the view.” Touya confirms, clearing his throat once again. Damn, what’s up with his throat today?
I hope he’s not getting sick…
“Well, if you're sure that’s what you want…”
—
Touya is going to die.
How stupid of him to think that an infection would be the cause of his death. No, apparently his inevitable end is going to be even more pathetic than that!
When Keigo finally, finally , puts him down, Touya’s legs get ridiculously weak and he rests his hands against his knees to catch his breath as he feels like his stomach is turning upside down in his belly.
Thank gods, Keigo landed somewhere not too close to the quirk users’ camp, because having them see him in this state would’ve been far too humiliating.
“Are… you okay?” Keigo asks and Touya clenches his eyes shut, trying to focus enough to mutter at least a couple of reassuring words.
“Give… give me a second…” he whispers breathlessly, before clenching his lips shut.
Oh gods, he thinks he’s about to vomit. He cannot vomit in front of Keigo, fuck! That’s so embarrassing he might consider setting himself on fire again…
“I didn’t know you suffered from motion sickness.” Keigo says, tilting his head so he can get a better look at Touya’s face, but the white haired man turns to the side, triggering a new wave of nausea that makes him groan.
“That makes two of us.” he wheezes as he takes one last calming breath, before slowly getting up and straightening his back. “Now I understand why you told me not to eat dinner… you didn’t want me to puke all over you, uh?” he says with a tentative smile, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
“Actually, I told you not to have dinner because I want you to eat with all of us. But since I don’t look forward to having you vomiting all over me, I’ll make sure to princess carry you back to your house, later. That way, it’ll be easier for you to keep your food in your stomach.” Keigo says, jokingly touching the tip of Touya’s nose with his finger. The simple gesture is enough to make him blush.
The thought of being princess carried by Keigo is also not helping.
“S-Sure, it’s fine…” he mumbles, turning his head to the side in a desperate attempt to hide his embarrassment.
“Very well, then! Let’s get going, the others are waiting for us.” Keigo hums cheerfully, before hopping toward the deepest part of the forest. Touya is about to follow him, taking a step forward, but something itches the plant of his feet, making him stop.
Shit…
That’s something he didn’t think about and he feels very dumb for it. He’s not wearing any shoes, his thin white socks the only barrier between his skin and the ground underneath them.
Keigo must’ve noticed that he wasn’t following him, because he is looking at him, perplexed.
“Touya, are you coming? Is everything okay?” he asks, tilting his head to the side. The wind blows between them, ruffling the golden locks Touya likes so much.
“I forgot to put on some shoes… if I get my socks dirty, my sister will notice.” he explains, lowering his gaze to look at the incriminated socks. Fortunately they’re standing on a patch of yellowed grass, so it shouldn’t be a problem, but he still remembers the forest and he knows that a few meters ahead the grass leaves room for soil and dust.
Keigo furrows his brows and scratches his temple, deep in thought.
“What should we do?” he asks.
“I don’t know… maybe I could take them-”
“Taking off your socks is not an option.” Keigo interrupts him before he can finish the sentence. “You said that infections can be fatal to you, so we’re not risking it, you could get hurt.” he mumbles. “Maybe I could carry you?”
“You can’t carry me around all night, Keigo…” Touya sighs. He already suspects Keigo’s friends will think he’s ridiculous, given his looks, so letting the winged man carry him like a toddler would make him look even more stupid and pathetic.
“Mh, you’re right… ah, maybe I can send a couple of feathers back to your house to fetch your shoes? Just tell me where they’re stored, it’ll take a couple of minutes at best.”
“I don’t own any shoes.” Touya shakes his head. His family stopped buying him outside shoes a decade ago, since he clearly didn’t need them. To be fair, his family probably keeps some of his old pairs back in the house, somewhere in his old room, but he doubts that the shoes he wore when he was fourteen would still fit after ten years.
Keigo hums, deep in thought, before smiling gently.
“I could lend you mine, then.” he says.
“What?” Touya blinks a few times, surprised.
“I mean… I know it’s not the best solution…” Keigo admits sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “But it’s just for tonight and we really don’t have another option so… what do you think?”
“But that way your socks will get dirty…”
Touya gulps down his nervousness, perfectly conscious of how silly he sounds right now. He doesn’t even understand why he feels so flustered by the situation. It’s just shoes, for the gods’ sake!
“Don’t worry, I don’t mind.” Keigo reassures and Touya honestly can’t comprehend if that’s actually the truth. Keigo probably does mind, but he’s downplaying the situation to make Touya feel less guilty.
“Keigo…” he whispers, hesitant, but the man shakes his head, his feathers ruffling like the ones of a content canary.
Cute…
“Seriously Touya, it’s fine.” he insists and reaches for his sandals, easily taking them off. With only his socks covering his feet, Keigo approaches him, his charming smile never leaving his lips. “C’mon now, lift your left foot.” he says, kneeling in front of the fire user. Touya gulps again, complying obediently.
He feels his cheeks burn so hot he’s afraid smoke could come out of the seams on his face. He doesn’t understand the reason why he feels like this. It’s just Keigo gently putting his own sandals on Touya’s feet, meticulously but rapidly fastening the straps. It is such a simple gesture, but at the same time, it also feels so… intimate that he can’t help but be a little flustered.
You should stop... Keigo is just a friend, he’s doing something nice for you and he certainly would not appreciate the way you’re feeling about this. Learn your place.
The words of the realistic part of his brain are harsh, yet true. He shouldn’t romanticize the things Keigo does for him as a friend. After all, they’re both men, and even if that wasn’t the case, Keigo would never see him like that. How could someone like him even aspire to be with someone like Keigo? The mere thought is laughable. Keigo is nice, beautiful, charming and smart. What could he even see in a flawed freak like Touya?
“There.” Keigo says cheerfully as he gets up, staring at the shoes on Touya’s feet with what seems to be pride. “How do they fit? I know they’re not exactly your size, but that really can’t be helped.”
Touya moves his feet tentatively, his eyes also staring at the shoes. They feel a little big, but not uncomfortably big. But even if that was the case, beggars can’t be choosers.
“They’re perfect, Keigo… thank you.” he whispers, lifting his gaze so he can look at the man still standing in front of him and he finds golden eyes staring back at him with a fierce intensity that makes his guts twist in the best way. In this position they’re close, dangerously close, their chests almost touching and the need to close the gap is so strong that Touya clenches his fists, his nails painfully digging in the palms of his hands in an effort to snap him back to reality.
Why can’t he make these feelings stop? Why can’t he stop his heart from aching and begging for more? More of Keigo’s eyes looking at him, more of his hands touching his skin, more of his body heat mixing with Touya’s, more of his warm scent filling his lungs, more everything ? Why can’t he stop being so selfish?
“Good… we should go then.” the winged man whispers after the long silence, his eyelashes caressing his cheekbones when his gaze shifts from Touya’s eyes to look at something somewhere lower.
He’s probably trying to avoid looking at the scars under my eyes…
Touya takes a step back, left hand touching the sensitive skin under his eye. The coldness of the metal of the staples almost stings his warm fingertips.
“Y-Yeah… let’s go.” he nods, following Keigo through the forest. This is his first time visiting this place since his accident; the familiar smell of trees and nature fills his nostrils and makes him feel at ease, despite the stressful experience he’s about to face.
Soon they can hear voices and music, and the smell of greenery mixes with the pleasant scent of food being cooked. If Touya remembers correctly, there should be a meadow just a few meters ahead of them. It’s probably where they set up their camp, since it's the best spot to do so.
As expected, when Touya and Keigo finally walk past the last line of trees, they see them: a group of people of all ages sitting around a bonfire and, not too far from them, a bunch of small tents. They’re all laughing and talking with each other while a steaming pot is hanging over the fire.
A woman with long white hair and bunny ears turns to face them, her red eyes rapidly looking at Keigo before setting on Touya. Her intense gaze makes him feel somewhat nervous, but suddenly she’s smiling.
“Guys, they’re here!” she announces loudly and gets up.
Suddenly, the two of them are surrounded, and Touya wishes he could dig himself a hole and hide in it. Everyone is talking at the same time and he struggles to understand the words that are being thrown at him.
“Hi, I’m Himiko, and this is Ochako. What’s your quirk? Kei told us you use fire, but it’s like fire fire or, something that-”
“-shorter than I was expecting. Keigo told us you were tall, but he’s very short, so everyone must look tall to him. Kei is actually a giant! ”
“So you must be Touya! I hope you’re hungry, we prepared some-”
Keigo laughs and brings his wing around Touya’s shoulders, as if he’s trying to shield him from the questioning.
“Okay guys, leave him some room to breathe…” he says, pulling the other man even closer, his arm gently intertwining with Touya’s. The gesture is simple, but comforting.
“Kei is right. Everyone, sit down and let Touya properly introduce himself.” an old woman, the only person who didn’t stand up to look at him says with a gentle tone. Everyone immediately stops talking and takes a step back, their eyes still fixated on Touya, waiting for him to talk.
The fire user turns to send a glance at the blond man next to him and Keigo grins at him, his golden eyes glinting reassuringly.
It’s like he’s saying ‘ You can do this ’. With a small smile of his own, Touya turns to face the quirk users.
Yeah, he can do this. With Keigo, his friend, by his side, he feels like he can do anything. He's not afraid.
Notes:
i'm not gonna lie, this chapter was one of my favorites to write. shota and oboro's dynamic is probably my favorite (after dabihawks ofc) and the way the quirk users interact with each other is always so fun to describe.
i hope you guys enjoy this chapter just as much as i enjoyed writing it! i once again apologize for posting this before beta, but i didn't want to postpone the update, it doesn't feel fair, especially because many people are excited for this fic's updates :/
i want to thank you for all the support this story is getting, i really can't wait to share with you the rest and everything else I'm working on, i promise i'll keep doing my best :') see you next Tuesday!
Chapter 13: Chapter 12 – Alstroemeria
Notes:
in this house we love and cherish platonic erasercloud.
in this house we love and cherish platonic erasercloud so much that we named the chapter in their honor.
god bless platonic erasercloud.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Alstroemeria: Strong Connection
When it comes to personality, Touya is far from perfect. Well, even look wise it’s not like he won the lottery, but that’s not the point. The point is that, as flawed as he can be, he knows when to give credit where it is due. And right now, he’s mentally thanking his father for all those times he made him learn by heart those boring poems and essays many years ago. Because Touya is certain that, without all that mental training, he wouldn’t be able to remember all the names Keigo just told him when he introduced the rest of his friends to him.
Associating the names to the faces, though? That’s a whole different story.
Katsuki is pretty easy to remember, he’s the blond kid Shouto told him about. Mina also comes to mind quite easily, she has pink skin, black eyes and curved horns on his head. Touya immediately associated the name with the young girl’s face. The others, however… that’s when things get a little foggy in his mind.
After sitting down around the bonfire for dinner, Touya can still feel many eyes looking at him, but the feeling is not as unpleasant as he was expecting it would be. A tall man with curly light blue hair and blue eyes hands everyone a bowl of rice porridge topped with vegetables and, when he approaches Touya with his portion, he sends the fire user the biggest, most genuine smile he has ever seen in his life. Touya can’t help but smile back as he politely thanks for the meal.
Keigo observes the interaction in silence, and when the white haired man turns to look at him and their eyes meet, he gently nudges Touya’s shoulder with his own.
“How are you doing?” he asks with a hushed tone, making sure Touya is the only one who can hear him, and the fire user can’t help but feel his heart squeeze in his chest at the thoughtfulness behind that question. Of course it’s only natural that Keigo, being his friend, wants to make sure he feels comfortable in the situation, especially given how nervous Touya was earlier but his cheeks decide to betray him and turn red anyway.
“It’s… it’s fine. I’m fine.” he whispers back, earning a playful little wink from Keigo, who nods in satisfaction and starts eating his food.
Luckily, when they start eating, the focus is not on Touya anymore, the group of quirk users engaging in everyday conversations, things they did during the day and things they’ll do during the next. Sometimes they include Touya in the conversation, asking him questions about him or his family (Katsuki seems particularly interested when Touya starts talking about Shouto), about his interests and other mundane things. Other than that, the man spends the majority of the time in silence, enjoying the simple, yet tasty, meal and basking in the pleasant atmosphere surrounding him. He has always looked back at the times when his family used to have dinner all together with fondness, but those days pale in comparison to what he’s experiencing right now. The quirk users talk, joke around, tease and bicker so lightheartedly, like they have no worry in the world, like they wouldn’t be anywhere but right here right now and, not for the first time, Touya wonders if his family has ever actually felt like a real family. Because how come these people seem to love and care for each other more than his father or his siblings (minus Shouto) ever did to him?
“It’s so cool that you’re teaching Kei how to write!” a blond girl with yellow eyes (for the life of him, Touya can’t remember if her name is Rumi or Himiko) says with a big smile on her face, revealing her pearly white pointy canines. Being so suddenly addressed distracts the fire user from his thoughts and immediately makes him focus his attention on the blond girl. Touya faintly remembers seeing her and the brown haired girl sitting next to her performing with Keigo on their second day in Hakata, the two girls playing the shamisen while Keigo danced. “Ochako and I tried to teach him the basis but he always ended up ditching us or falling asleep mid lesson.”
Touya sends a quick glance in Keigo’s way, the man too occupied in a loud conversation with the white haired woman with bunny ears to notice the girl talking about him.
“Yeah, he always said he couldn’t bother.” the brown haired girl (probably the aforementioned Ochako) says, placing her empty bowl on the ground, next to the log the two girls are sitting on. “And that he was clearly not cut for stuff that requires the use of his brain.”
“Which is a very lame excuse, because he’s very smart.” the blond girl adds with a pout, playing with the remaining food in her bowl with a spoon. “How did you even convince him?”
Touya hums, gulping down a mouthful of food and pondering a reply.
“Well… it didn’t take much convincing, honestly. I just offered and he said yes.” he explains, shrugging his shoulders. The two exchange a look and suddenly the blond haired girl starts snickering while the brown haired one bites her bottom lip, muffling a little laugh of her own. The fire user immediately feels self conscious. Did he say something funny by accident? Did he just make a fool out of himself? “W-What’s so funny?” he tries to hide the discomfort and embarrassment, but before the girls can reply, a strong arm gently wraps around Touya’s shoulder and Keigo’s familiar scent fills his nostrils.
His body relaxes immediately.
“What are you three talking about? Why are you laughing?” Keigo asks, his head softly bumping against Touya’s as he scoots closer so he can properly talk with the girls.
“Oh, nothing…” Ochako whispers, hiding her amused grin behind her hand.
“Aww… c’mon, tell me! I wanna laugh too!” Keigo protests, whining petulantly. “Himiko, tell me!” he insists, addressing the blond haired girl, who is still laughing cheerfully.
Okay, so that one is Himiko.
“Ochako is right, it’s nothing, really…” she says with a smirk full of mirth. “Touya was just now telling us how easy it was for him to convince you to learn how to write and read.” the girl adds, leaning forward with her body and cupping her reddened cheeks between her hands. “Wonder why you always refused to learn from us but were sooo eager to accept Touya’s help…”
Touya can feel Keigo shift next to him, wincing in surprise as if the girl’s words hit him like a slap in the face, and when the white haired man turns to look at him, Keigo's eyes are wide open and the tip of his ears are way redder than they normally are.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” He stutters, hastily shaking his head. The gesture makes the two girls laugh even more and Touya feels lost. What’s going on..?
“I think you know perfectly what I’m t-”
“Hey, Touya! Bet you wanna listen to some music, right?” Keigo interrupts the girl, turning toward the man next to him with a nervous smile. “You know, Ochako and Himiko are very good with the shamisen. They can play something for you.”
Touya furrows his brows, perplexed by Keigo’s weird behavior, but maybe that’s just how he acts normally when his family is around, so he just accepts it without questioning it too much.
“That would be nice, actually… if it’s okay with you, of course.” he replies, turning to face the girls. Himiko sends Ochako a questioning look and the brown haired girl nods with a smile.
“It is, definitely!” the blond girl finally says and stands up. “I’ll go take the instruments, be right back.” she announces, before turning towards Keigo, her cheerful smile morphing into a big wicked grin. “You come with me.” she adds and yanks the man up on his feet, making him lose his hold around Touya’s shoulders.
“What?? Why?” he protests, waving his free arm around like a startled chicken. Touya can’t help but chuckle, thinking that sometimes Keigo’s behavior really reminds him of a human sized bird.
“Because I’m a helpless little girl and I need your help to lift both mine and Ochako’s shamisen.” Himiko replies with a sweet tone that does not match her expression.
“You’re an awful liar, you know that?” Keigo huffs and follows her as the blond girl drags him towards a wooden wagon parked on the opposite side of the meadow. “We’re talking about two shamisen, not some heavy stuff. You know perfectly well that you could easily…” he protests, but Touya can’t hear him anymore, his words lost in the chattering sound of the other quirk users talking among themselves and the far away cries of the nocturnal birds living in the forest.
“I should go with them to make sure they don’t break the shamisen by accident…” Ochako sighs and gets up, before looking at Touya. Realization flashes in her eyes and her already pink cheeks seem to paint themselves a few shades darker. “On a second thought, though… never mind. It’s rude walking away and leaving you here alone, since you’re our guest…” she whispers, sitting back on her log with her hands neatly placed on her knees. Touya feels the corner of his lips pulling upwards as a small smile forms on his face when the memory of a younger Fuyumi pops into his mind. Ochako’s way of talking and acting really does resemble his sister’s.
“Don’t worry about that, I don’t mind.” he replies with a smile. “You should go, I would never forgive myself if they ruined your instrument.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Ochako asks, lifting her gaze to look at him, her brown eyes filled with uncertainty.
“Absolutely.” he confirmed. “It’s okay, go.”
The girl smiles at him, her cheeks looking way rounder and pinkier than before at the shift in her expression, making her appear younger, and she thanks him, before scurrying away towards the wagon where the two blondes can be seen bickering and pushing each other as they laugh loudly.
Touya observes them with an endeared smile. There’s a weird feeling in his chest, making him light and giddy. He almost wants to laugh, even if nothing funny happened, the corners of his lips wobbling as he tries to keep his expression neutral. Is this happiness? Do people feel like this all the time? It’s been so long since the last time he spent time with other people, except for his family (and, well, Keigo) that he forgot how nice it feels to have company.
“Hey there, Touya.” the tall man with light blue hair from before approaches as he grins at the fire user. Touya can’t help but wonder if this man actually smiles all the time, because every time his eyes fell on him during the night, he was either smiling or straight up laughing while speaking loudly with the others.
“Hi, uh…” Touya stops, abruptly realizing that he’s not completely sure about the man’s name. Was it Jin? He thinks it was Jin… “Jin?” he says tentatively, mentally praying to the gods he guessed right.
“Almost.” the man chuckles. He sits on the log next to Touya, right where Keigo was previously sitting before being dragged away. “I’m Oboro. That one is Jin.” he adds, pointing towards a blond man sitting a few logs away from them with Mina and the black haired boy with pointy teeth.
The three of them are talking animatedly, the kids listening and occasionally laughing while Jin is talking, probably telling a story and waving his hands in the air in the process. Right, right… Jin is the one that contradicts himself when he talks… what a peculiar individual.
“Oh, right… sorry.” Touya mumbles, a little embarrassed for the mix up. He had managed to hide his struggle with the names for most of the night.
“Don’t worry, I don’t mind. It’s not easy to remember all the names, I would struggle too if I was you.” Oboro admits with a shrug. “Rumi called me ‘cloud man’ for months before finally learning my name.”
“Cloud… man?” Touya murmurs, perplexed. Oboro winks and suddenly a small fluffy cloud appears on the palm of his hand with a small poof . Oh... cloud man. “Oh… yes, that makes sense…”
“I guess it does, yeah.” Oboro agrees and makes the tiny cloud disappear, before creating a bigger one behind him and using it as a pillow so he can lean backwards on it, sitting more comfortably. “So, where’s Keigo? I thought he would stick around all night, given the way he was hovering over you every second.” he asks, the lighthearted sarcasm clear in his tone. Touya can’t help but feel the heat rise to his cheeks. Hovering? Was Keigo seriously... hovering ?
I mean, he was sitting next to me all the time, but he was also focusing on his own conversations… I wouldn’t call that hovering.
“Himiko needed his help to fetch her and Ochako’s shamisen… they want to play some music.” he explains. “I think they’ll be back any moment now.”
Oboro lets out a hum and nods slowly, getting more comfortable on his cloud and Touya has to stop himself from touching it. It looks so soft…
“So, Touya… what do you think?” the man asks, gesturing vaguely towards the rest of the group with a nod of his chin. The fire user turns to look at the quirk users, a little amused smile forming on his lips when he sees what they’re doing.
“RU-MI! RU-MI! RU-MI!” Mina is yelling and clapping as she cheers for the white haired woman who’s currently lifting one heavy looking log over her head, her tanned cheeks reddened for the strain.
“C’mon shitty hair! Put those muscles to good use, you can let a woman fucking beat you!” Katsuki is screaming way more fervently as he stares at the black haired boy as he is holding a log as well.
“S-Stop saying… my hair is shitty!” the boy grunts breathlessly, his skin hardening all of a sudden. It must be his quirk…
“Looks like Rumi is gonna lose! Eijiro doesn’t stand a chance against her. ” Jin is loudly commenting on the improvised competition, observing the two weightlifters with eyes full of wonder. The black haired man (at this point, Touya is certain that he must be Shota) is shaking his head in disapproval.
“If you get hurt, I’ll tell Chiyo not to heal you.” he crosses his arms.
Oboro bursts out laughing as he assists at the weird scene in front of them.
“I mean… as you can see, they can be a lot… I suppose you’re not really used to all of this.” he side-eyes Touya with an amused smile. The fire user smiles back, sending him a glance.
“I’m definitely not used to all of this…” he confirms, turning back to look at the small group.
Keigo, Himiko and Ochako join them, the blond man carrying the two instruments in his hands. Immediately, the three of them join the fun and start cheering for this or that weightlifter. Touya thinks he might be mistaken, but he’s pretty sure he sees a glimpse of red approaching Eijiro’s log and suddenly the boy seems to be holding his weight with way more ease. Touya barely manages to stifle a laugh.
“But it’s nice here… being able to witness all of this. You all are great to be around.” he adds with a smile.
“You know, you don’t have to just witness it… you can be a part of it if you wish.” Oboro whispers gently. “Keigo told us that you would probably feel overwhelmed if we all started crowding you, so they’re all giving you space, but we’d really like to know you better.” he explains. “If you want to be more involved, you can talk with them… don’t hold back, yeah?”
Touya doesn’t answer, stunned by the revelation. The idea of them wanting to know more about him is weird, but not in a bad way. He knows why he wants to know more about all of them, but he can’t fathom that they feel the same way about him.
In that moment, his eyes meet Keigo’s, the winged man lifting an eyebrow, as if silently asking if everything is fine. Touya sends him a reassuring smile and a small nod, a gesture that doesn’t go unnoticed by the man sitting next to him.
“You know, when Kei told us you were gonna join us tonight, I was very curious. He doesn’t open up with other people very easily and I was wondering who this mysterious Touya was… how did he manage to get my brother’s attention so easily.” Oboro sits up straight as he makes the cloud disappear. Touya gulps down nervously under his gaze. “But now that you’re here… I must say, you’re exactly how he described you.”
The fire user feels his cheeks turn a darker shade once again, this time more because of discomfort rather than embarrassment. How did Keigo describe him? He probably told them about his scars. Did he tell them how ugly Touya is? Is Oboro making fun of his looks?
“He described you as a polite, gentle person.” Oboro interrupts his thoughts, leaning forward to make their eyes meet, different shades of blue locking for a moment. “He said you’re smart too, and that I can’t doubt, since you even managed to teach that overgrown chicken the basis of writing. He said you love flowers, you’re passionate about your books and so, so patient with him.”
Touya is speechless. Did Keigo really say that about him..?
“Oh…” he only manages to let out, lowering his gaze to look at the empty bowl in his hands. Only a wonderful person like Keigo could see so many good things in someone like him.
I really am lucky to have a friend like him, uh…
If only Keigo knew the kind of feeling Touya hides deep in his heart, he bets the blond man wouldn’t be so nice. Or maybe he would. After all, it’s Keigo. Sweet, pure hearted Keigo. If he knew, he would still be kind to Touya, despite the disgust he would probably feel.
“And I’ll tell you one more thing. Don’t tell him I told you, but you even made a good impression on Shota. He may not look like it, but he’s very protective when it comes to our siblings.” Oboro reveals with a smile, his hand covering his mouth as he whispers in Touya’s ear. The fire user can’t help but turn to take a look at the black haired man as he helps Rumi and Eijiro put down the logs safely. While he does so, a stream of scolding words leaves his mouth, while the rest of the group observes and laughs. At least Rumi and Eijiro have the common sense to look a little remorseful for their stunt.
“Are you sure? Shota looks very… strict.” Touya mumbles, glancing at the black haired man, before turning to look at Oboro. The man next to him is looking at Shota too, with a big grin on his lips, eyes filled with affection.
“Oh, trust me… no one knows him like I do.” he says. Touya’s eyes travel between the two men for a bunch of seconds, a doubt forming in his mind.
“Are you two… you know…” he mumbles and turns his gaze away, mentally slapping himself.
Oh gods, why is he so stupid ? He can’t just ask someone if they’re attracted to the same sex just like that! That’s wrong and offensive, and he wouldn’t blame Oboro if he got mad for the insensitive question.
Not to mention that, by asking that question, he probably made it clear that he might like men as well. Which, well, he does, but Keigo and his family cannot know that!
“What? Are we a couple?” Oboro asks and starts laughing, bending over with his hands holding his stomach. “Oh gods, no… we’re definitely not a couple.”
“Sorry for asking, that was disrespectful.” Touya whispers and a shiver of embarrassment runs through him. If Keigo’s family didn’t think he was weird before, they’ll definitely think so now.
“Nah, it wasn’t, don’t worry.” Oboro reassures him with a gentle pat on his shoulder. “In our family, we don’t care too much about what is considered proper when it comes to love, you know. Life is already hard enough for the likes of us, so why should we have to deprive ourselves of something so beautiful and fulfilling as love? If you love someone, truly… how can a feeling like that be wrong?”
Touya hums, and his eyes find Keigo once again. The winged man is clapping along to the music Himiko and Ochako are playing, a big careless smile on his face, and Touya feels his heart skip a beat. Oboro’s words feel right and somewhat reassuring, but they also leave a bitter taste in his mouth.
He wishes those words could be real for him as well, that he too could be free to be in love. But a voice inside his brain, a bitter and cold voice that awfully resembles his father’s, keeps reminding him that no one could ever love a face like his, no one could ever want to touch his body, or kiss his lips. Expecting something even slightly close to love, anything other than disgust and pity is nothing short of selfishness on his part.
(Not that his father actually told him any of these things, it’s not like he expected Touya to meet anyone beside their family. But Touya is pretty sure that, if he knew, he would tell him these exact words.)
Oboro clears his throat and the fire user turns his gaze away from Keigo, noticing only now that he was staring. Given the way the older man is looking at him, it’s clear that he noticed as well. Touya looks down bashfully and gulps down in embarrassment as he feels smoke coming off the seams of his cheeks, the healthy skin of his face feeling hotter than it should be.
“Still, I apologize for assuming things.” he mumbles, trying to ignore the knowing grin plastered on Oboro’s face. “It’s just– The way you look at him… I don’t know, it kind of made sense in my head. Sorry.”
The older man nods slowly, his expression softening as he turns his head to look at Shota once again.
“To be fair with you, he was my first friend. We’ve known each other for seventeen years.”
“Seventeen? Did you meet him when you two joined the group, then?”
“You know, we actually formed the group, even if at first that wasn’t our original intention. It just kind of… happened .”
Touya’s eyes widen at the revelation. It feels stupid, being surprised by such a simple statement, but he still is. It feels weird, thinking about a moment in time in which these people didn’t all know each other. The way they interact feels like they’ve been together all their life, but realistically speaking, it’s only obvious that someone, at some point, started this whole thing. And these someones, apparently, were Oboro and Shota.
“Can you tell me how? I mean… if you don’t mind.” he asks, his curiosity getting the best of him, overcoming the shyness and embarrassment he was feeling just a couple of minutes ago.
“Mh? Sure!” Oboro looks surprised by the request, but nods with a smile. “But I gotta tell you, it's not that great of a story, really.” he warns, before running a hand through his light blue hair. “We used to live in the northern area of the city of Edo, basically on the outskirt of the city. A very nice place, really. Not too many people around, a lot of lakes where to fish… in a way, your village reminds me of our old home. Shota’s old man was an artisan, used to make these beautiful teapots and Shota decorated them, he was very good at it. He was gonna inherit the family business.”
“And what about you?”
“Me? Oh, I did whatever. My quirk manifested when I was six and my parents dipped when I was ten. They couldn’t bear the embarrassment of having a cursed child anymore, so they took all their stuff and left to start anew somewhere else. So I was on my own; I used to hunt or fish in the area just outside the city. I ate most of it and traded the rest whenever I needed something. I still lived in my parents’ old house, it’s not like someone could chase me away even if they wanted to, but still I spent most of my time outside. That empty place was haunting.” the smile on Oboro’s face turns sour as he pronounces that last sentence and Touya is nothing short of horrified by what he’s hearing. He can’t believe a man this cheerful had to endure so much sadness and loneliness. “I met Shota because he used to go and read near the lake where I used to fish. He was very stubborn at first, no matter how much I tried to talk to him, he would always ignore me. Rude, right?” he asks with an amused scoff, sending a glance in Touya’s way. The white haired man stifles a chuckle, his heart feeling lighter now that the other man’s mood seems to have improved. “After a couple of months, I guess he finally cracked. I was trying to ask him about the book he was reading, sitting comfortably on one of my clouds when he turned and snapped at me, telling me to stop bothering him. And just like that…” he leaves the sentence hanging and suddenly snaps his fingers. “My cloud disappeared from under my ass and I fell right into the lake. He was surprised. Asked me why I did something so stupid, but I didn’t do it.”
“Then what happened?” Touya furrows his brows, too lost to actually connect the dots.
“Long story short, we found out Shota had a quirk too. We call it Erasure . As long as he looks at someone directly he can temporarily erase their quirk. We don’t know exactly when his quirk manifested, since it’s the kind of thing that can easily go unnoticed, unless you interact with other quirk users… but it’s likely that he’s had it since he was a kid, since all of our quirks, except for Keigo’s and Rumi’s, manifested when we were around four or five.” Oboro explains. “I suppose it was the same for you.”
The fire user nods slowly and lowers his gaze to look at his hand, the memory of the first time his body emitted flames, scaring both Fuyumi and himself, still clear in his mind.
“Well, it took some time for him to actually warm up to me, but eventually we became thick as thieves. He would help me get good deals whenever I went to the market to trade my game, and whenever he came to the lake to read, he would do it out loud so I could follow the story as well, stuff like that. He wasn’t as comfortable as me with his quirk, after all I grew up with mine, while he had just found out about his, but he would use it on my clouds whenever I pissed him off. It was… a good life actually, but it didn’t last.” he sighs, shaking his head. “I still don’t know exactly what happened, if someone saw him use Erasure on me or if people just started assuming, given the fact that we were close, but… suddenly everyone in our neighboring area was talking about him being cursed. His father forbade him from entering the house and… that really wasn’t easy for him. I was used to it, but he wasn’t. I welcomed him into my house, and we lived together for a while, which only started more rumors about… you know, us. At some point he told me that living like that felt suffocating and asked me if I wanted to leave with him. Said we could look for a new place to live, where no one knew about us. I had barely turned eighteen and he was still seventeen when we left and never looked back.”
A few seconds pass and Touya is pretty sure that the story’s over, so he leans forward, his curiosity still not quelled.
“W-What about Keigo and the others? When did you meet them, and how?” he asks, turquoise eyes staring into deep blue ones.
“It’s not my story to tell, sorry.” Oboro replies with a lighthearted shrug, his lips still curved in a smile. “I can only tell you that Keigo was the first one to join us and when we took him in, we still had that same goal in our minds. Find a place to call home. But then we realized that… that place didn’t exist. We were each other’s home. There will never be a place where who we are is fully accepted and people don't treat us poorly. But as long as we’re together, we’re home. And that’s enough.” the man explains and Touya hums, looking at him silently.
“I guess… it was very lucky for you and Shota to meet, then…” he finally says. Oboro lets out a small laugh, but it sounds slightly off. Stained by that same sourness from before.
“Still… I can’t help but think that I really screwed him over, you know. If it weren’t for me, he’d still live in Edo city, still have his family business. As much as I love my family and everything Shota and I created, I can’t help but wonder… did I do the right thing by taking his normal life away from him?” he whispers and Touya seriously doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t know how to react because, how can he reassure him? Is it even his place to reassure him?
“You sure know how to say the stupidest things when you put your mind to it, uh?” a deep voice coming from their left makes the two of them turn at the same time, Touya flinching slightly in surprise.
“Shota…” Oboro whispers, staring at the man now standing next to the log they’re sitting on with his hands in his pockets and a raised eyebrow. Touya almost feels the need to cower, even if the dark haired man’s scowl is not directed at him. “Were you eavesdropping?”
“Keigo heard what you two were talking about and told me. I just wanted to hear for myself the way you were telling our guest about our tragic backstory. But I wasn’t expecting you to add your sad little twist to it. That’s not really in character coming from you, don’t you believe?” Shota asks, his head tilting to the side as he keeps looking at his best friend with his seemingly bored expression.
Oboro turns away, pouting like a scolded child.
“Don’t make fun of me, you know that I mean what I said.”
“I know you do… but you shouldn’t. You know I don’t regret leaving Edo.”
“But your father… and the shop…”
Shota scoffs.
“Ah, to hell my father and his stupid shop. The moment he found out I had a quirk, the old man didn’t think twice about it and threw me out. You think I would miss someone like that?”
“But if it weren’t for me, you-”
“I’d be alone. Taking care of an old bastard and of a shop that never brought me an ounce of happiness once in life.” Shota steps forward, placing himself in front of Oboro, and crouches, arms on his knees. His black unwavering eyes meet blue saddened ones. “I don’t care if that man is my father. He might’ve had a part when it came to bringing me into this world, but he’s not my family. You guys are. So don’t you dare feel guilty for taking me away from that place. Are we clear?” he whispers slowly, his eyes never leaving Oboro’s. The taller man nods slowly, his expression looking visibly less tense.
The two men keep exchanging hushed words, but Touya can’t hear them, his brain too focused on what Shota just said to pay attention to anything else. He never thought anyone could feel so strongly about their parents. Sure, he resents his father too, anyone would if they were in the same situation as him, but he would never go as far as not seeing him as his family… or would he?
After all, even in his nightmares, when he dreams of losing his family, of accidentally killing them, he’s never afraid of losing him, he’s more afraid of him. In his dreams, Enji screams at him, belittles him, hits him for what he is, for killing their family, for being a curse to their family. He’s never a corpse Touya cries for, he’s always alive and scary and evil.
Is this who I am? A person who despises his own father?
Weirdly enough, though, the realization feels more freeing than he could’ve expected. He hates his father… and, for once in his lifetime, he doesn’t feel guilty for how he feels. He feels… at peace.
—
Keigo silently steps away from the conversation he was having with his younger siblings, plus Jin and Rumi, the woman insisting that she and Eijiro must hold a second round of their weightlifting competition after finding out that Keigo had helped the boy with a couple of feathers (thank you for snitching, Mina) and he approaches Chiyo, the woman calmly sipping a cup of tea while sitting next to the fire.
“Hey Chiyo…” he whispers, sitting cross legged next to her. His wings almost instinctively wrap around his body, the proximity to the fire making him slightly nervous. The others always make fun of him for his wariness when it comes to flames, saying that of course a chicken would be afraid of being roasted, but it’s not his fault if his feathers are easily flammable.
Quite ironic that he made friends with a person with a fire quirk, uh?
“Hi, little bird.” the woman says, her expression unchanging as she lowers her cup to rest her hands on her lap.
“So… what do you think… about him?” Keigo asks, his eyes instinctively searching for Touya’s turquoise ones, but the white haired man seems lost in his thoughts, head lowered as he sits next to Oboro and Shota.
“He seems very nice and polite. And shy. Overall matches the description you gave of him.” she replies, her wrinkled face morphing to show a smile. “But you failed to mention how handsome he is…” she adds, making Keigo blush profusely.
Handsome? Well, of course Touya is handsome. Keigo’s been thinking that since the first time he saw him. But it didn’t feel like something he needed to tell the others. It didn’t feel like something he wanted them to focus on.
Only now he realizes how stupid it was to think they would ignore that fact. After all, you must be blind not to see how attractive Touya is.
“I-I didn’t… I’m not talking about that.” he mumbles, trying to hide his reddened cheeks with his wings. Chiyo only laughs at his reaction, before taking another sip of her warm drink.
“I know, I was just teasing you…” she says and wow, Keigo feels his feathers ruffle in outrage. When did he become the butt of everyone’s joke, Chiyo included? “Does he have more?” the old woman asks, his tone now more sober.
“I’m pretty sure he does… but I’m not sure of the extent…” he replies, his eyes going back to Touya, the silver staples on his face looking almost orange under the firelight. “But… you can cure him, right? You must be able to make it at least a little bit better, right?” he asks, feeling his heart beat fast, dread and hope mixing messily in his chest as he anxiously waits for Chiyo’s final reply.
“I could… but not in a few days.” she whispers after a long silence, and Keigo can feel the chagrin in her tone as she speaks. “I can’t say for sure, since I haven’t examined the scars from up close and we have no idea of the amount of injuries he’s hiding under his clothes… but I can tell for sure that it would take me many weeks to heal him without risking his health in the process.” she explains. “I’m sorry, Keigo.”
It feels like his heart is being squeezed in the most painful way possible. For a moment he really thought he could help Touya. That he could make his life even slightly less sorrowful. But as the hope of healing his scars shatters in front of his eyes, a wave of guilt and nausea washes over him.
Touya is doing so much for him. And yet…
What am I even doing to repay for your kindness?
Notes:
shota and oboro's backstory was so sad to write, damn it hurt so much. and yet is not even in the top 5 of the saddest backstories i imagined for the quirk users. fun fact, all of them have a precise lore in my head. i'd love to write a spinoff/prequel/sequel in which all of their stories are revealed so that you guys can understand how their group came to be. in this fic i'll only drop little pieces of lore (+ ofc keigo's story), but let me know if you'd be interested in a spinoff like this!
i hope you liked this chapter, personally i think it's one of my favorites :') i'll see you guys next week with a new chapter. we're almost halfway through the story omg...
Chapter 14: Chapter 13 - White Poppy
Notes:
i know i'm late, but you can blame my flu for it. istg sitting down to read the chapter before posting has been painful, my body craves oxygen and a night of sleep
lots of dabihawks and todobakudeku in this chapter, hope you're ready!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
White Poppy: Rejoice
Touya gets distracted from his thoughts by Shota getting up with a small grunt, his black eyes landing on him with that same unreadable expression.
“Well, I apologize for interrupting your conversation. It was very impolite of me to hog Oboro’s attention, so sorry for that.” he says, placing once again his hands in his pockets.
“Oh, don’t worry about that, really.” Touya reassures him with a shake of his head and gets up, his numb legs aching in protest at the sudden movement. “Actually, if that’s okay I was hoping I could go talk to…” his eyes rapidly scan the meadow, looking for spiky blond hair that seems to be nowhere to be seen. He stops mid-sentence, letting out a soft hum. “Uh… do you know where I could find Katsuki?”
Shota turns around, probably to look for the boy as well, meanwhile Oboro furrows his brows in confusion.
“Mh? You wanna speak with Kats?” he asks. “Why?”
“My brother told me that he can create explosions with his hands… I was thinking that his quirk and my cu–my fire…” Touya corrects himself just in time, hoping the two older men didn’t notice his slip up. “They kind of look alike, in a way, and I wanted to talk to him about it… to see if they’re actually as similar as they seem.”
He can feel Shota’s gaze burning on him, and he’s afraid he knows why, so he pretends not to notice.
“Well, knowing Katsuki he probably went to sleep.” Oboro says with an amused smile as he gets up as well. “That kid has the same sleeping schedule as a toddler.”
“Maybe he just left to fetch some more firewood.” Shota responds, before sending another glance in Touya’s way. “Follow me.” he starts walking towards the spot next to the fire where the rest of the group is seated, talking comfortably. Touya obediently walks with him, followed closely by Oboro.
Himiko and Ochako have stopped playing (and, to be fair, Touya does feel a little guilty for not paying closer attention to their performance), the brown haired girl is just absentmindedly playing a few notes every once in a while as she listens to a story Rumi is telling. Everyone seems to be focused on what the rabbit woman is saying, the kids with eyes full of curiosity and Jin with an amused grin on his face. Keigo is not there and, after rapidly looking around, Touya sees him sitting on the other side of the camp with the old woman, Chiyo. The fire user doesn’t like the troubled expression on his friend’s face, but since he can’t approach him right now, he’ll have to ask Keigo if he’s okay later.
Rumi’s ears twitch almost imperceptibly and she turns around, looking at the three of them with a smile.
“Oi, Touya! Just in time! C’mere, I was just telling the kids the story of how Keigo and I met!” she exclaims loudly, encouraging him to sit down with them with a gesture of her hand.
“Maybe another time, Rumi.” Shota intervenes before Touya can even utter a word. “Where’s Katsuki? Touya wanted to talk to him.” he turns to look at Eijiro.
“Uh? Oh, he went to bed. He’s probably already out as a light.” the boy with pointy teeth replies, scratching his neck.
“I mean, considering his usual bedtime, I’m surprised he didn’t fall asleep during dinner.” Mina adds, making the others snicker.
Touya lets out a sigh, touching the inside of his right cheek with the tip of his tongue. The familiar sensation of the staples digging into the flesh of his mouth feels grounding.
Now what?
“Don’t make that face, Touya.” Himiko smiles gently at him, placing her elbows on her legs and resting her face in her palms. “You can always ask Kei to take you here tomorrow as well. We wouldn’t mind, and I bet he wouldn’t either.” she suggests. The smile on her face is genuine, but Touya can’t help but notice the little sly glint in her eyes.
“What did you want to talk about with Kats? Maybe we can help?” Eijiro asks, distracting Touya from his useless attempt to figure out what really is going on behind those yellow feline eyes.
“I actually wanted to ask him if his quirk hurts him when he uses it. Because, you know, well…” He mumbles, leaving his sentence hanging as he awkwardly touches one of the staples on his left hand with the middle finger of the right hand. The black haired kid hums in understanding, but Touya doesn’t lift his gaze to look at him, too afraid to be met with eyes full of pity.
“If it’s about that we can’t be of much help, unfortunately. Katsuki doesn’t really talk a lot about his quirk.” the kid sighs.
“Yeah, the brat is very secretive about it…” Rumi agrees.
“I don’t know if it may help, but I remember him saying that he hates the rain because it makes his quirk weaker.” Ochako says and Touya meets her gaze, his interest instantly piqued by her words.
“The rain..?” he asks. Himiko nods in Ochako’s stead, her expression shifting to become more serious.
“Yeah, I remember that… I think he said something about his sweat…” she hums, turning to face the brown haired girl as if to ask for confirmation. “He did talk about sweat, right?”
“He did, yeah. I wonder what he meant by that…”
“Girls, I’m afraid speculating on Katsuki’s quirk won’t really help Touya solve his issue.” Shota interrupts them, crossing his arms against his chest. “I think it’d be wiser to try and help him with some first hand suggestions.”
Touya furrows his brows, looking at him. First hand suggestions? How can they help him? It’s not like their quirks are anything like his or Katsuki’s.
“What do you mean, Shota?” Oboro asks, vocalizing Touya’s own confusion.
“Touya’s main issue is the fact that his quirk hurts him when he uses it. Correct?” Shota says, turning to look at Touya to ask for confirmation. He nods rapidly when put on the spot. “But we’re all perfectly aware that there are many quirks that can harm their owners if used without caution, even if they have nothing to do with fire.”
“Oh right, it’s normal to struggle with overexertion.” Oboro confirms, looking at Touya. “Take Shota for example, it’s not like he can use Erasure whenever he wants. If he uses it for a long period of time, his eyes become dry and sore.”
Mina lifts her hand, as if she’s asking for permission to talk, before leaning forward with the upper side of her body to address Touya.
“Yeah, I need to be careful with my quirk too! It’s called Acid, it allows me to shoot a corrosive liquid from my body. My skin is naturally resistant to it, but if I release too much acid I get dehydrated and just touching it can severely burn me.” she opens her palm and suddenly a white pearly liquid is forming on her pink skin, probably the acid she just now mentioned. A single drop escapes from her fingers, falling on the ground underneath her hands and, the moment the liquid touches the grass, the grass blades lose their green color and turn brown, dying in a matter of seconds. “Maybe for you, it’s the same with your fire?”
“Now that I think about it, I remember Katsuki telling me that when he uses his explosions too much, his wrists get sore… but I guess that’s caused by the recoil, more than anything.” Eijiro adds, massaging his right wrist, recalling what his blond friend told him.
“Ocha struggles with her quirk too! If she floats around too much, she gets nauseous and then throws up!” Himiko jumps in, chuckling softly. Ochako’s eyes go wide and the girl’s face turns a deep shade of red when she gets brought up in the conversation.
“Himiko, don’t say stuff like that! You know it’s not lady-like!” she protests, taking the blond girl’s arm and shaking it. The motion only makes Himiko laugh more.
“Hey everyone, what’s the commotion?” Keigo approaches them and sits next to Touya, his wing immediately wrapping itself around Touya’s shoulders. The fire user accepts the gesture, enjoying the warmth radiating from the feathered limb.
“Oh hey Kei! We were just chatting Touya up!” Oboro says with a grin, ruffling the blond man’s hair, making him whine in protest.
“About what?” he asks, jokingly pushing away the older man’s hand and using his fingers to try and fix his hair.
“About Ochako’s definitely not lady-like vomit.” Rumi grins, sending the brown haired girl a glance. A small laugh escapes Touya’s lips when he sees the way poor Ochako turns red once again.
“W-We’re not… Rumi, stop! Can we focus on something else?” she begs, covering her face with her hands. Himiko bites her lip – probably to muffle her own laugh – and hugs her, trying to calm her down.
“We were actually talking about quirks. They were giving me some insight, you know… so I don’t risk hurting myself again with my fire.” Touya explains, turning to look at Keigo, but the winged man averts his gaze, looking at the almost extinguished bonfire a few steps away.
The gesture is odd, and definitely unusual. If there’s something Keigo doesn’t do is to avoid looking at Touya. So why is he doing it now? Did Touya do something to upset him?
“Kei, where’s Chiyo?” Shota asks before the fire user can open his mouth to question Keigo’s weird behavior, making the blond man focus his attention on him.
“She said she was going to bed, because she’s not as young as we are and she needs to rest her old and tired body.” Keigo replies, lifting his index finger and using it to put emphasis on every word. “Those were her actual words by the way.”
“That woman keeps yapping about being old and shit, but I’m pretty sure she’s gonna outlive us all.” Rumi says, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Isn’t it funny that she’s the oldest one amongst us all, but she somehow managed to stay awake longer than Katsuki?” Mina asks with a chuckle, making the others laugh as well.
“Well, now that you said it, I’ll definitely make sure to tell Katsuki that he has worse sleeping habits than old people.” Himiko hums with a grin. Rumi barks out a laugh and lifts her hand to give the blond girl a high five.
“That will piss him off. You know that, right?” Eijiro asks with a lifted eyebrow.
“And that’s exactly why I intend to do it.” Himiko shoots back as she reciprocates Rumi’s high five.
“Wait, that’s mean… I like it, let’s do it together! ” Jin claps his hands with a content smile and Touya lets out a relaxed sigh, as he looks at them.
He never thought he could feel so at peace in his life. He had long forgotten what spending time with friends felt like. But now that he’s here, with all of them, he wishes he could freeze this moment, and let it last forever.
As he gets lost in his thoughts, and the sound of talking and laughing becomes just a silent hum in the back of his head, Touya lifts his head to look at the sky. The pitch black color of the night sky is already making room for a slightly less dark indigo color, a sign that dawn is slowly approaching.
The idea of going back home leaves a sour taste in his mouth. He knows he’ll still see Keigo tomorrow, at this point his nighttime visits are an unspoken promise that Touya knows the winged man wants to keep. But still, it’s sad knowing that it’ll soon be time for him to say goodbye to the rest of the quirk users. And it’s weird, actually, how he already knows he’ll miss them, even if they just met. He’ll miss their cheerfulness, their way of being a family, their way of making him feel part of this.
“Is everything okay?” Keigo whispers, his voice gently caressing Touya’s ear, his warm breath tickling his cheek. He’s close, his head almost bumping against Touya’s and the fire user feels his cheeks burn at realization.
“Yeah, don’t worry. I’m fine.” he whispers, averting his gaze from the sky and turning to send a reassuring glance Keigo’s way. He can tell that Keigo is not buying it, but he decides to drop it anyway, wrapping his wing around Touya’s a little tighter and going back to his conversation with Jin.
Touya pushes his dark thoughts to the back of his mind, letting himself enjoy those last moments of carefree happiness. He’ll have time to be sad, he’ll have time to drown in self pity and loneliness.
Tomorrow. He can go back to being miserable tomorrow. But not now. Not tonight.
—
Keigo can tell something is off with Touya. He can feel his shoulder getting tense, his jaw clenching every once in a while, but every time their eyes meet, Touya shakes his head and sends him a small smile. Not for the first time since he met him, Keigo wishes he could read Touya’s mind.
Keigo looks at his family, still sitting in a circle as they talk with Touya. Everyone looks visibly tired, Mina fell asleep with her head resting against Eijiro’s shoulder sometime along the way, probably when Shota, Ochako and Touya started talking about their favorite books, and Eijiro had brought her to her tent to sleep more comfortably and then came back. Himiko is yawning every few minutes. Oboro and Jin are both resting their backs against a big cloud Oboro created around two hours ago and even Rumi looks a little worn out by the lack of sleep.
The wind blows in their direction, bringing along the smell of burned firewood, and when Keigo turns his head, he sees the bonfire completely extinguished and the faint pink color of the approaching sunrise. Soon the sun will be up and everyone will wake up. As much as it saddens him, he must take Touya home soon, since the risk of getting caught by some early riser will grow exponentially in the span of one hour.
“Touya…” he whispers, drawing the fire user’s attention. Their eyes meet and, despite the evident shadow of… something , behind his gaze, there’s a sparkle in Touya’s turquoise eyes that Keigo had never seen before. He looks… alive. “It’s time. We should get going.” he says, feeling in his heart the same disappointment that washes over Touya’s face.
“What? Already?” Himiko protests weakly, trying to stop yet another yawn from escaping her lips. “But it’s still dark… it’s not day yet!”
“No, Keigo is right. There’s a lot of people who wake up early in the village and it’s better if they don’t see him sneak in and out of my house. I don’t want to cause any of you more trouble than I already do.” Touya shakes his head and stands up with a small groan, probably due to his limbs being too accustomed to the sitting position after the hours he spent on the log.
“You’re not causing us any trouble, Touya. It was good having you here tonight.” Shota says before Keigo can even open his mouth to protest the statement and stands up, approaching Touya with his hands in his pockets. “You should come some other time before we leave, if you want.” he takes his hand out of his pocket and gently pats Touya’s back a couple of times.
Oboro sits up straight, making the cloud behind his back disappear. Jin, who was still resting his weight on it, falls back first on the ground with a yelp, making the light blue haired man chuckle and mutter a quick and not-so-heartfelt apology.
“Yeah, you should totally come back, Touya! It was fun having you here!” he says and lifts his fists in the air cheerfully.
Keigo is sure he feels turquoise eyes landing on him for a second, but when he turns to look at Touya, the fire user is looking at his two older brothers with a little smile.
“I… I’ll think about it, thank you.” he replies. “So, goodbye, then.” he adds, taking his time to look at everyone.
“Aww, goodbye Touya!” Himiko lets out a small whine and jumps up, scurrying towards him and hugging him tightly. Keigo flinches, his instinct screaming at him to tell his sister to be more careful, not to hurt Touya – because Touya is hurt, Touya needs to be treated carefully, Touya shouldn’t suffer – but before he can say anything, Touya hugs her back, one hand finding its way on top of the girl’s head, patting the blond hair in the gentlest way. Keigo feels his body relax in an instant. “Just so you know, if you don’t come back at least once before we leave to say some proper goodbyes, I’ll be extra mad at you…” the girl whispers with no real malice, making the fire user laugh softly.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Himiko. Thank you.” he replies, before turning towards the others.
“It was cool meeting you, Touya.” Eijiro lifts one closed fist with a big grin that reveals his sharp teeth.
“Hell yeah it was!” Rumi adds, freeing him from Himiko’s embrace and placing her hands on his shoulders. “Oi, you must come again some other time. We’ll make sure to prepare some meat for dinner. You need to put some proper food in this scrawny body, yes?”
Touya chuckles awkwardly, his cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink.
“Sure Rumi…” he replies with a smile when his laughter dies down.
“See you, Touya… please don’t ever come back. ” Jin waves his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that. I actually did. ”
“Bye Touya… we’ll miss you.” Ochako mumbles, interrupting the stream of contradictions coming out of Jin’s mouth.
“I’ll miss you all too. Say hi to Katsuki, Chiyo and Mina for me, please.”
“We will.” Shota promises with a nod and the faintest hint of a smile on his face. Keigo deems that the time for goodbyes is over, so he tentatively approaches the fire user.
“So… princess carry it is?” he asks with a small smile and the color on Touya’s face seems to drain in a second.
“Y-Yeah…” he just mumbles, turning his head away, avoiding his gaze. Keigo’s feathers twitch at the feeling of Touya’s heart beating hard in his chest.
He must be terrified at the thought of flying again…
As gently as possible, Keigo puts one hand behind Touya’s knees and lifts him up, placing his other hand behind his back, holding him close. The familiar smell of fire and flowers fills his nostrils, making goose bumps form on his arms and the nape of his neck, but he ignores them.
He hears someone that sounds awfully like Oboro clearing his throat and the familiar sound of Rumi snickering, but he ignores that as well, focusing on Touya instead. He is awkwardly holding his arms pressed against his own chest, as if he doesn’t know where to put them and his eyes are stubbornly cast downwards, still avoiding Keigo’s at all cost.
“I’ll make sure not to fly too fast, okay?” he whispers reassuringly, and Touya’s cheeks turn a dark shade of pink. He must be embarrassed because of his situation, but Keigo doesn’t understand why. There’s nothing embarrassing about getting motion sick.
When he takes off, carefully flying up in the sky, he can feel Touya tense in his arms, so he holds him closer and detaches a few feathers from his wings, using them to cover the man’s ears. The fire user’s eyes shoot open in surprise at the feeling, turquoise irises finally meeting golden ones.
“The sound of the wind can be really annoying when flying, especially when you’re trying not to think about the fact that you’re flying.” he explains with a warm smile. “My feathers will shut most of the noise out. So you just… close your eyes and trust me, okay? I’ll take you home safely.” he promises.
The blush on Touya’s cheeks comes back and the man just nods, probably because he doesn’t trust himself enough to utter even a single word. His eyes close once again, white lashes gently caressing his face and Keigo feels Touya’s body slowly relax in his hold, his breath getting slow and steady. His heart is still beating a little faster than normal, Keigo can feel it both through the hand placed on Touya’s back and against his own chest, but he supposes that can’t be helped, considering Touya’s fear of flying.
The rest of the flight is peaceful, Keigo maintains a not too crazy speed, just like promised, his eyes checking the sky every once in a while to keep track of the sunrise, because as much as he doesn’t want Touya to be sick, he still needs to hurry, otherwise they risk getting busted.
On the other side, Touya stays still in Keigo’s embrace, his position still a little stiff, but his eyes stay closed just like he was asked. With all things considered, Keigo feels… at peace. He spent a beautiful night with Touya and his family, everyone is clearly fond of him already and Touya had spent most of the time with a smile on his face. The winged man feels so blessed if he thinks that Touya got to leave his room, have some fun and meet other people. The gods only know when was the last time the fire user experienced happiness.
“You know… Shota and the others were right, you should definitely come to the camp again.” he says after a long silence. “I know we have our reading lessons… but hear me out. We could go and spend two or three hours with the others early in the night, have dinner together… and then go back to your house for our lessons.” he offers, his eyes still focused on the sky ahead of them. They almost made it to Touya’s house – only a couple of minutes and they’ll be there. “You don’t have to say yes if you don’t want to, I realize that taking you there would mean having to fly again, but… it looked like you were having fun tonight, and the others loved hanging out with you, so… maybe try and consider it, please?” he asks, lowering his gaze to look at the man in his arms.
To his surprise, Touya doesn’t react to what Keigo just said, his head tilted to the side, resting against Keigo’s chest and his lips slightly parted.
Keigo’s eyes widen in surprise when he realizes that, sometime as they were flying, Touya must’ve fallen asleep, probably reassured by the silence provided by the feathers pressed against his ears. Keigo’s heart skips a beat as he lands on the balcony of the Todoroki mansion, Touya still sleeping peacefully in his embrace.
As he gently removes the soft plumes from the white haired man’s ears, he directs them towards the futon, making them move the covers aside and he steps inside the room, carefully placing Touya on the mattress. A small yawn escapes his own lips and he can’t really blame Touya for falling asleep on him. Probably pulling all these all-nighters is putting a toll on him just like it’s doing on Keigo himself. Besides, a lot of things happened tonight, Touya must’ve gone through so many emotions in the last few hours alone, the poor thing must be exhausted.
With a smile, Keigo puts the covers over Touya’s body and, before he can stop himself, his fingers gently run through the soft tufts of white hair. Touya always looks beautiful, so it shouldn’t really be a surprise that he’s also a pretty sleeper. Still, Keigo can’t help but be surprised by how breathtaking the fire user looks right now, with his face completely relaxed and void of emotions.
He should feel like a creep, staring at someone as they sleep is creepy and honestly, he does feel a little bad for invading Touya’s privacy like this, but somehow he can’t seem to tear his eyes away from his friend’s face.
As beautiful as he looks right now, Keigo thinks he definitely prefers it when Touya smiles instead. He likes the way his eyes, the same color as the sea, shine when he’s happy, likes the way the corner of his lips turn upwards when he smiles, likes the way he looks a little awkward when he’s happy, as if he doesn’t know exactly what to do with his body, as if he’s not used to feeling joy.
I want you to be as happy as humanly possible as long as we’re here. I’ll do everything I can to give you many beautiful memories you can cherish. I promise.
And maybe that way he’ll be finally able to repay Touya for his gentleness, for his friendship, for everything the white haired man keeps giving and everything Keigo keeps taking from him. He wants Touya to be as happy as he has felt since the day they met. It’s the least he can do.
His hand leaves the fire user’s hair, trailing down to caress his cheek instead. It’s a bunch of feelings and textures mixing together, the warmth and smoothness of the healthy skin meeting the slight roughness, just as warm, of the scarred area of his face, everything topped by the hard and cold feeling of metal staples. But it’s not unpleasant. It’s definitely… different , yes, but not in a way that Keigo dislikes. In fact, he finds himself letting his hand wander a little longer on Touya’s cheek, the gentle gesture earning a soft pleased hum from the sleeping man.
With a smile, Keigo retracts his hand and takes a step back, approaching the window.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Touya.” he whispers and steps out, closing the glass door behind him and, with the first rays of sunshine warming his skin, he flies away, back towards the forest.
His fingertips tingle, right where his skin touched Touya’s. As he brings his other hand to his face, he realizes he’s smiling.
—
Shouto doesn’t know what exactly changed in Touya’s routine to make him way sleepier than he used to be, but he doesn’t worry too much. Touya has always had trouble when it comes to sleeping, so seeing his brother resting properly is a true blessing to him. His only chagrin is the fact that they’re not having breakfast together as much as they used to anymore. He just hopes that Touya doesn’t mind too much.
“Hey, Midoriya.” he greets as he removes his sandals to better walk on the seaside’s sandy ground. The green haired boy jumps up from the bamboo mat where he was just now sitting and turns around to look at him with a smile. Shouto can’t help but reciprocate the grin with one of his own.
“Todoroki, good morning!” he says, gesturing for the taller boy to approach. Shouto holds his sandals by the straps and walks closer to his friend, eyeing the basket placed next to the mat.
“I told you I would take care of our breakfast today.” he says, placing his own basket next to Midoriya’s and unwrapping the mat he had brought along. After tidily placing it on the sand, he sits on it, followed by Midoriya, who starts gesturing frantically, his cheeks turning a deep red.
“I-I know, but when I told Tenko we were gonna have breakfast on the beach he said that I could bring some sliced fresh fruit and some honey he had lying around. Apparently he miscalculated how much stuff he needed for the batch of jam he’s making for the spring festival and ended up buying more than necessary.” he explains rapidly, making Shouto chuckle lightly.
“It’s okay, Midoriya… I’m not mad.” he reassures. After all, he can already feel his mouth water at the thought of having some apple slices with honey. “I’m pretty sure we’ll end up eating everything anyway.” he adds.
“Speaking of which… do you think he’s coming? Maybe he forgot…” Midoriya hums, turning to look towards the path leading to the village, his eyes looking for familiar spiky blond hair.
“I didn’t see him as I was walking here, but I don’t think he forgot. Maybe he’s just a little late.”
Shouto was honestly surprised when Midoriya had invited both him and Katsuki to the beach for breakfast. He was pretty sure Midoriya didn’t like the quirk user that much. But after meeting up with him for a second time, yesterday, his friend must’ve warmed up just enough to overcome his initial concerns. And to be fair, Shouto is glad that things seem to be working out fine now.
Sure, Katsuki is short tempered and never seems to be able to express his emotions in the best way possible, but his exaggerated reactions always end up showing how he actually feels. Shouto can’t help but feel endeared by the way the blond boy seems to always have his heart on his sleeve. And apparently, albeit a little more shily, Midoriya seems to like that as well.
“You know… I can’t help but think that he’s lucky…” the boy whispers, distracting Shouto from his train of thought. “Kacchan, I mean.”
“Lucky? Why do you think that?” Shouto asks curiously, his brows furrowing as he looks at his closest friend. Midoriya shrugs and lays down on his mat, placing his hands behind his head to rest more comfortably on his back.
“I mean… I know that having a quirk must be rough. Everyone is scared of you or straight up hates you. But his group travels around a lot. I bet he has seen so many different places.” he explains and closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. “All the stuff we know about other cities, about the world… we only read about them in books. But he saw them , Todoroki. Doesn’t that make him… lucky, in a way?”
Shouto hums, hugging his knees close to his chest deep in thought. To be fair, he never really gave too much thought to the life of Katsuki and the other quirk users. He only accepted the fact that now they’re here and someday, probably pretty soon, they won’t be anymore. He never really stopped to think about what a day in their life looks like when they’re not stopping in some city or village around the country. But he guesses Midoriya does have a point.
“You wish you could do that too, right? Travel around, see stuff…” he whispers, his mismatched eyes staring at the horizon. Somehow, it feels difficult to look at his friend right now, but he doesn’t know why.
“Don’t you?” Midoriya shoots back.
Shouto doesn’t know how to reply. Midoriya asked that question as if the answer was obvious. But, to him, it’s not. It’s not like he particularly enjoys his life in Hakata, most of the time he’s bored out of his mind. But at the same time, Touya is here. Damn it, Midoriya himself is here. And how could he wish to be anywhere else in the world, if not being here means being far away from the people he loves?
“I guess it would be fascinating, seeing the world. But still, I would miss my family and, you know, everyone else.” he stutters, his cheeks feeling strangely warm.
“Everyone else?” Midoriya asks, and Shouto can feel green eyes staring holes into his head without having to look at the other boy. Damn it, why is it so hard to say it out loud?
“Yeah, I mean…” he manages to let out, praying to every deity that comes to his mind that his face is not as red as he feels it is.
“Oi! What are you two talking about?!” Katsuki’s voice makes them both jump in surprise, the two of them turning to look at the blonde at the same time. Shouto sends a rapid glance at the boy next to him and, maybe his eyes are playing tricks on him, but he swears he sees a faint blush on Midoriya’s face.
It must be his imagination.
“N-Nothing! We were just-you know, just… talking about, you know, stuff!” Midoriya stumbles on his words, making Katsuki look even more pissed than he usually does.
“You’re late.” Shouto intervenes, deciding to save his friend from the embarrassment and drawing Katsuki’s attention to himself instead.
“Of course I am! I couldn't wake up this morning. Last night we all went to bed late because of y-” Katsuki suddenly stops, his jaw clenching almost undetectably and Shouto furrows his brows, perplexed.
“Because of what?” he asks.
“None of your business.” Katsuki snaps and sits between the two of them with his legs crossed. Izuku sits back up from his previous lying position.
“Either way… glad you could make it, Kacchan.” he says with a tentative smile.
“I already told you not to call me like that.”
“And we already told you that since you don’t want us to use your name, we have no other choice.”
Shouto can’t help but grin at Midoriya’s condescending tone as he busies himself with his basket, taking out a lidded bowl of mochi and another one with three servings of grilled fish with steamed vegetables. As he busies himself with taking out three cups and filling them with cold tea, he absentmindedly listens to the two boys biker over whether Midoriya can or cannot keep calling Katsuki ‘Kacchan’.
“Now, you two. Stop fighting and eat your food.” he says with no malice, placing dishes and chopsticks in the other boys’ hands.
“A-Ah, sure! Thank you for the meal!” Midoriya immediately says, bowing his head in Shouto’s direction, meanwhile Katsuki simply accepts the utensils with a grunt.
The three of them start eating in silence, enjoying the pleasant taste of the food and the salty breeze, the smell of the sea filling their nostrils.
“Having breakfast here was a good idea… Natsuo always tells me that this time of the year is perfect to spend some time near the sea, but I didn’t think it would be so pleasant.” Shouto admits after gulping down a piece of broccoli.
“Ah, thanks… actually I’ve been thinking about having a picnic here for a while, but I didn’t know if you would be up for it.” Midoriya admits, that faint blush appearing once again on his freckled cheeks.
“I like it a lot here. I think we should do this more often.”
“Oi, would you two shut up? You’re ruining the taste of the food with all this talking.” Katsuki interrupts them, his red eyes sending a dirty look in Shouto’s way and the boy can’t help but grin at the expression on the blonde’s face.
Just as he previously thought, Katsuki really does have his heart on his sleeve.
“Of course, you’re invited as well, Kacchan.” he says with a smile, taking pride in the way the tip of Katsuki’s ears immediately turns pink.
“Yeah, you should definitely come, Kacchan! Next time I’ll make sure to bring some pastries from the shop. Did you like the ones my brother sold your friend last time? I can ask him to make more if you want.” Midoriya adds with a smile of his own, leaning towards the other boy as he speaks, excitement clear in his tone.
“Tsk, as if I care to have stupid breakfast with you, I only said yes for the free food, do whatever you want, you fucking…” Katsuki mutters under his breath, his ears turning an even darker shade of pink, while the faint crackling sound of explosions can be heard over the sound of the gentle waves. When Shouto averts his gaze from the red tips of the blonde’s ears and places it on his hands instead, he can see light gray smoke coming off both his palms.
“How does your quirk work?” Shouto asks before he can stop himself, immediately catching both Katsuki and Midoriya’s attention. “Like, do you simply think about it and the explosions just appear on your hands or it depends on your emotional state?”
“Why do you care, Half and Half?” Katsuki immediately snaps, the hand holding the chopsticks clenching a little tighter around them and Shouto is sure they’re about to snap. But then red eyes meet his gray and turquoise ones and they look at each other for a second too long. Shouto almost looks away, but resists the urge, because he doesn’t want to look as uneasy as he’s feeling. Why is Katsuki staring at him like he knows something Shouto’s not aware of? It should be the other way around! “Tsk, whatever… it’s not like it’s a secret or anything.” he mumbles, before putting down his bowl and chopsticks. “It all starts with my sweat.”
Shouto furrows his brows, unsure if he heard that correctly. Did Katsuki just say… sweat?
“What does sweat have to do with explosions?” Midoriya asks, probably as confused as Shouto is by the blond boy’s affirmation.
“Listen, I don’t have an explanation for why it happens or how. What I can tell you is, when drops of sweat form on my palms… I can make them explode whenever I want. Depending on the amount of sweat on the skin on my hands I can decide the size of the explosion I am about to create.” he explains, before lifting his left sleeve. “Just... look.” he instructs and both Shouto and Midoriya lean closer, their eyes wide in wonder as they stare at Katsuki’s hand expectantly. The blond boy closes his fists for a few seconds, before opening it and, sure enough, his palm is slightly damp with sweat. Suddenly, a bunch of small explosions form on Katsuki’s cupped hand, making Midoriya jump back in surprise, a startled yelp falling out of his lips.
“That’s actually quite fascinating…” Midoriya whispers, taking Katsuki’s hand in his and staring at his palm with meticulous attention. “Does it hurt when you use your quirk? Like, does it burn your skin or something?”
Katsuki lets the other boy examine his hand, rolling his eyes.
“Nothing like that. I mean, my wrists hurt a little when I use my quirk to fly around, but that’s mostly caused by the recoil.”
Midoriya gasps, his eyes shining brightly.
“You can use your explosions to fly ??”
Shouto observes the two as Katsuki explains the dynamics that allow him to stay airborne thanks to his quirk and he finds himself unable to stop the smile spreading on his face.
It’s only been a week since the day Katsuki and the other quirk users arrived in Hakata, but somehow it feels like it’s been way longer than that. Just thinking about the fact that right now Shouto’s on the beach with Midoriya and a quirk user, and his closest friend is currently bombarding said quirk user with questions about his quirk feels crazy, especially when considering the way Midoriya was feeling wary of the strangers when they first arrived.
Shouto has never been a fan of things changing, but this? This is a change he’s willing to get accustomed to.
Katsuki grunts something Shouto can’t quite hear, but apparently Midoriya can, because the shorter boy bursts out laughing cheerfully.
Shouto’s smile only grows bigger and as he takes a sip of his cold tea he thinks, not without a faint pang of sadness, that he really wishes things could stay like this forever.
Notes:
my beta reader edy left a comment on the original doc that said "katsuki unlocked canon midoriya" and honestly it made me giggle because... yeah, that's exactly what happened
please pray for me, because i hate being sick so hopefully i get better before next tuesday. i hope you guys liked this chapter, if you did let me know with a kudo or a comment if you want. have a nice week!
Chapter 15: Chapter 14 - Hydrangea
Notes:
WE ARE OFFICIALLY HALFWAY THROUGH?? FUCK, IT FEELS LIKE YESTERDAY WHEN I STARTED POSTING THIS FIC :')
a little heads up before leaving you to this chapter: chisaki and enji are in here and they're weird, as always. yikes
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Hydrangea: Pride
These last few days, Kai has been feeling – for the lack of a better word – weird.
He hates feeling like this and, most importantly, he hates knowing why he’s feeling like this. The reason is quite simple: Keigo.
Chisaki Kai is no stranger to attraction, even when it comes to people of the same sex as him. As he traveled through the country to learn the art of swordsmanship and war, he had his fair share of sexual encounters, both with women and men, so many that he fails to remember the exact number. He knows what desire feels like, he knows that familiar hitch in the pit of his stomach that makes him want to touch, kiss, mark, and own another person.
And yet, he finds himself completely unprepared in the face of what he is feeling right now in regards to Keigo, the beautiful red winged Curse Bearer that has been haunting him both in his sleep and waking hours.
The usual desire feels more like a desperate longing, the familiar hitch feels more like an excruciating pain. The only explanation that comes to mind is that the Curse Bearer must have some kind of inhuman power that makes him desirable, some ability that easily allows him to lure Kai in, slowly driving him to madness.
He can vividly recall the week before, when he first met the man. The Captain can almost still feel the faint trace of Keigo’s warm breath against the shell of his ear after he oh so gently whispered in it. He remembers his smiles, his witty remarks, the sharp movements of his floating feathers. And he remembers their last encounter, Keigo’s evasiveness, his little smiles, his golden eyes looking at everything and anything, except for Kai himself.
Kai is no fool. He recognizes the game Keigo is playing. He sees the way Keigo taunts him, always keeps him on his toes and the Captain can’t say he dislikes it.
What he does dislike, however, is the way Todoroki Enji seems to gravitate around the man. Every time the Curse Bearer comes to the village (he claims that the reason why he comes so often is to buy food, but Kai knows better than that. It’s clear that this is all part of his game of chase), Todoroki always ends up being suspiciously close by, either looking from afar or straight up addressing him.
The mere thought makes him scoff. Kai sees the lust in the man’s eyes, he knows what Todoroki is trying to achieve and it’s nothing short of ridiculous. As if that old man could ever be worthy enough for someone like Keigo. He might be a Curse Bearer, the worst kind no less (the gods disfigured his body, giving him wings. That’s the worst kind of punishment a cursed person could ever receive), but he’s still beautiful. Way out of Todoroki’s league.
Iida Tensei’s voice, asking for permission to enter, comes from outside his office, making him snap out of his thoughts. Kai clears his throat and calls out for the man, allowing him to step into the room.
“Captain, the Village Chief is here to see you.” Iida says after being asked what he came here for. “Should I let him in?”
Well, speak of the devil… what is the old man doing here?
“There’s no need, Iida. I’ll go greet him outside and let him in myself.” he gets up. “You can go.”
“Yes, Captain.” Iida straightens his back and bows, before hurriedly leaving the room. Kai fixes his clothes, before walking out as well, rapidly stepping towards the main entrance of the military headquarters. True to Iida’s words, Todoroki is there, looking around with that ugly expression that screams ‘superiority complex’. Kai hates it.
“Good morning, sir. It’s a pleasure seeing you here. To what do we owe the honor?” he bends in a bow. Not a deep one, of course. Just enough to make it look polite.
“Good morning, Captain. I’m here to check on our newest recruits, I want to make sure they’re working properly. And in the meantime, I was hoping I could have a talk with you.”
Of course the old fart is here to breathe down his neck…
“Of course, sir. Please, follow me.” he just says, displaying his best smile.
The two men start walking down a long hallway, leading to the camp where he knows his men are training the recruits. If Todoroki thinks he came here to find his men unprepared, he’s wrong. Kai knows how to do his job.
“I intend to invite the Curse Bearers to the upcoming spring celebration, Chisaki.” Todoroki suddenly breaks the silence, his tone serious and controlled. As if he didn’t just say utter nonsense.
“Excuse me, sir?” Kai asks, taken aback by the statement.
“You heard me correctly, Captain. I know this may sound crazy, and careless. But I believe this is gonna be the best course of action for Hakata and its people’s wellbeing.”
Kai stops in his tracks, making the red haired man stop as well, to turn and face him.
“I apologize, but I don’t understand how inviting those individuals to such an event could turn out to be beneficial to our people, sir. On the contrary, it looks like a very dangerous thing to do.”
“I understand that… but if there’s one thing that I believe in, is that hospitality is our best bet when it comes to gaining the favor of the gods. For generations, our village has been known for its hospitality and I believe our manners towards outsiders are the main reason why the gods rewarded us by never plaguing the village with a child born with a curse. I visited the Tocho-ji temple earlier this morning and thoroughly discussed the matter with priestess Kayama. She also believes this to be the best course of action. Showing compassion towards those less fortunate souls will surely please the gods. Besides, those people have been staying here for a week now. If they truly had bad intentions, they would have already shown their true colors by now.” Todoroki ends his long speech, his blue eyes never leaving Kai’s.
“I understand, sir… but have you considered how our people will react to the Curse Bearers’ attendance? They surely won’t appreciate the presence of those people during a moment of celebration as important as the spring festival. Shouldn’t their comfort and well-being come first?”
Kai is, admittedly, getting slightly worked up over the matter, but in his defense, the mere thought of having those freaks walking around the village during the festival is making his skin crawl. Sure, Keigo will be there as well, a small comfort compared to the utter disgust he feels right now.
“Most of them seem to have grown quite accustomed to the Curse Bearers’ presence. But you’re right, many will still feel uneasy because of their presence. And that’s why I’ll need your intervention.”
Kai furrows his brows, once again taken aback.
“My… intervention, sir?”
“I’ll need you and your men to patrol the festival. It’ll give everyone great peace of mind and will ensure that everything proceeds smoothly.”
Now, Kai may be young, but he’s no fool. He can smell Todoroki’s bullshit from miles away and he knows that, despite all the big words the man is spitting about hospitality and gods’ favor, there’s only one big reason why he’s so eager to let the Curse Bearers inside the village for the spring festival.
Keigo.
But not only the old man is egotistically inviting the whole group of Curse Bearers, just for the sake of keeping one around, he’s also making sure to keep Kai away from the winged man by giving him such an important task.
Too bad Kai is smarter than that.
With a firm nod, he straightens his back and squares his shoulders, looking at the other man with a severe expression.
“Me and my men will do our best, sir.” he says. Todoroki seems pleased by that reply and resumes walking down the hallway, with the Captain following right after.
And that’s how you do it. That’s how Kai managed to get where he is now. Let others think they have the upper hand, that he’s mindlessly complying, while secretly preparing his next moves. It’s like a game of shogi, really. Deceive, strategize, conquer.
The two finally arrive at the camp, where Sergeant Kamihara is supervising the training session. Kai and Todoroki stand to the side as they oversee the men sparring in pairs. When they approach the Sergeant, a man in his thirties with grayish hair and same colored eyes, he immediately notices them, standing straighter in respect.
“Chief Todoroki, Captain.” he says as a way of greeting, before turning towards the soldiers. “Men! Pay homage to our prestigious guests!” he orders, his voice ringing loudly over the metallic sound of swords and spars clashing together. The soldiers stop their fighting and turn towards the two men, saluting them accordingly.
The Hakata army is not composed of many people, a few hundred at best, but that’s to be expected since their village is a small one. Besides, Kai knows that numbers don’t win fights and he takes great pride in his troops, as he knows for a fact that every single one of his men fights just as fiercely as five.
“Don’t mind us, we just came here to see how the training is going.” Todoroki says, lifting his hands at chest height with a smile. Kai can’t help but think that smiles fit on the man’s face just as much as they would fit on a venomous snake's wicked mouth.
The two of them stand in silence as they observe the soldiers resume their training, the men sparring fiercely with their armors on. After all, the only way to properly know how to fight a real battle is by training with the same garments you would wear during a real fight.
“The training is really paying off, Captain. My congratulations.” Todoroki says with a small condescending nod.
“Thank you, sir. This year’s recruits are really promising.” he just says, bringing his hands behind his back and clenching his fists tightly. After that, they both stay silent, observing in silence until Kamihara orders the men to stop and move to the adjacent camp where they hold the archery training.
“Well, I guess I’ll take my leave. I have other matters to take care of today.” Todoroki suddenly says, smothering the creases on his overgarments.
“Let me accompany you outside.” Kai offers, loosening the tight hold of his clenched fists and gesturing the man towards the building. Just as they did not too long before, the two are once again walking in silence through the many hallways of the military headquarters. “If it’s not indelicate for me to ask, sir… how is your daughter doing?” he asks in a casual, but respectful tone, his eyes stubbornly set straight ahead.
“Fuyumi is doing fine, thank you.” it takes a few seconds for Todoroki to reply and his answer is curt, but not hostile.
“That’s good to hear. I’m glad.” Kai immediately says, his words and tone carefully calculated.
“I assume that your previous offer from some time ago is still on the table?” the older man asks, and Kai can feel his blue gaze burning on the skin of his face.
Yes, the marriage proposal. How could he ever take that offer back?
“It is, sir.” he nods respectfully. Todoroki lets out a low hum.
“There are many women in Hakata, you know.” he says, and the Captain can feel the way the older man is testing him.
“I am aware. But no woman sings to my heart like Miss Fuyumi does, sir. I could never settle for anything less.” he immediately replies without skipping a beat.
Todoroki Fuyumi is… pretty, at best. Especially considering what her old man looks like. Kai can only consider himself lucky that she looks more like her late mother than her father. Too bad she seems to be just as hard headed as him, still refusing to take Kai’s hand in marriage after his first proposal, the year before, insisting on living with her family and sticking by her old man’s side. This kind of dedication would be perfect, if only directed towards forming her own family. Possibly, with Kai himself.
“I see. Well, I’ll let her know that you asked about her. I’m sure she’ll be glad to hear that.” Todoroki promises.
He sounds convinced. That’s good. Maybe if Kai keeps playing his cards right, the old fart will even put a good word for him with the woman. Again, it’s like shogi. It's all about carefully planning your moves.
It’s not like he’s particularly interested in marrying Fuyumi. What the Village Chief said is true, there’s many women in Hakata and many of them would die to marry him. He’s young, he’s handsome, he’s rich, he’s influential. He has every means to give his spouse a respectful life. But no woman can give him anything more than an heir. That Todoroki girl, however… she can give him so much more than that.
She can put him in a convenient spot to easily get his hands on a position even more interesting than Captain of the Military. Sure, marrying her won’t be enough to secure the role of Village Chief for himself. Even with Todoroki’s first born dead and out of the way, there are two other sons to take care of. But, who knows… accidents can happen, after all.
Kai stops on his track when the red haired man steps out of the headquarters.
“I’ll take my leave now. I’ll see you soon, Captain. We’ll need to further discuss how the military will operate during the spring festival. Come see me tomorrow afternoon.” Todoroki instructs, turning to face him. “I’ll make sure Fuyumi will be home by then.” he adds with a sly smirk that Kai can’t help but reciprocate. How funny, seeing the deer push his helpless fawn right in the wolf’s den.
Everything will go just as planned, in the end. Kai marrying into the family, Fuyumi by his side and, eventually, Todoroki and his two kids rotting underground, just like his wife and eldest son.
As the Captain watches Todoroki walk away, his mind wanders back to his latest recurring thought, Keigo. One could certainly wonder where the winged man would fit in Kai’s carefully crafted plan. And the answer is way simpler than expected: Keigo has no place in his plan. Sure, his somewhat pleasant looks would make him a good fuck, and Kai is definitely aiming for that to happen, but nothing more. This little chase game they’re playing is exciting, but that’s it. A game, nothing more. Kai will get what he wants, as he always does, and Keigo will leave Hakata for good, with the rest of his bunch.
Kai doesn’t know if Keigo expects something more from all of this. He’s still not sure about what’s in for the blond man. But he can’t say he cares anyway. He’s a Curse Bearer, after all. Why should he care about a Curse Bearer?
—
When Keigo steps inside Touya’s room that night, the man spends a good five minutes apologizing for falling asleep on him the night before and he can’t seem to stop no matter how many times Keigo tells him it’s fine.
“Seriously Touya, did you really think I would get mad at you for something like this?” he asks with an amused grin, carefully keeping his hands hidden behind his back. Touya’s eyes are staring at him, wide and saddened like the ones of a puppy, as the man silently nods his head, unruly white hair bouncing around at the motion.
Cute…
“Well, I am not mad.” Keigo goes on with a grin. “And I’ll tell you more. I also brought you a gift.”
Touya’s eyes manage to go even wider the moment the winged man reveals the package he was hiding behind his back.
“A… a gift? For me?” he asks, blinking in surprise as he looks at the present with interest.
“Yup. I picked it myself this morning!” Keigo nods and places the object on Touya’s lap. “C’mon, open it!”
The fire user lets his eyes wander over the lumpy little package for a few more seconds, before carefully untying the rope that is keeping the paper wrapped around the object inside and revealing what is inside.
Keigo observes as Touya’s expression morphs into a surprised one, his sea colored eyes going wide once again.
He had spent at least half an hour in the shop, looking for the perfect pair of shoes. He wanted them to be comfortable, pretty, but most importantly the right size. In the end he went for a very simple pair of bamboo and straw rope shoes with straps made of leather. The shop owner had assured him that they were comfortable and durable. Keigo, admittedly pretty ignorant when it comes to shoes, decided to just trust her. So here he is now, staring nervously at Touya as he inspects the gift he just received.
“You… you got me shoes?” Touya whispers, carefully lifting the shoes to give them a closer look, turning them around with extreme gentleness, as if he’s scared he might accidentally break them.
“Last night,. you were probably already asleep when I asked you this, but… I’d really like it if you decided to come to the camp again to hang out with me and the others. Everyone would really like it, actually. You know, we could spend a few hours there and then come back here and do our thing with reading and writing.” he admits, feeling his traitorous cheeks heat up. Damn it, why is he getting so flustered over something so simple? “So I thought that you might like having your own shoes so you can comfortably walk around the meadow without having to worry about dirtying your feet.” he explains, sheepishly scratching the nape of his neck.
Touya lifts his gaze to look at him, visibly speechless, and Keigo cringes internally as he feels the desperate need to fill the silence with something.
“Of course you don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I know that you didn’t particularly like the flight experience, I realize that it’s not something that a lot of people enjoy and if that’s a big turn off for you, you don’t have to come. Really, I don’t want you to feel pressured in any way about this, me and the others will totally get it if you’re not-”
“I want to.” Touya interrupts him, holding his brand new shoes close to his chest, his cheeks displaying the cutest shade of dark pink. Keigo stops mid sentence, blinking at him dumbfounded.
“You… want to what? Feel pressured?” he asks, uncertain. The fire user’s lips twist in a half smile and a low snort escapes him, making the tension in the room dissipate. Keigo's shoulders relax instinctively, his wings positioning themselves more comfortably on his back. He hadn’t even noticed that his stance was so tense.
“I meant… I want to come to the camp again, if that’s okay with all of you.” Touya clarifies with a smile after his amused laugh dies down.
“That’s… it’s perfectly fine with us, I swear. Everyone loved spending time with you and we would be very happy to have you with us again.”
Touya’s smile gets a little wider, his turquoise eyes shine prettily under the blue-ish light of the candle the white haired man had ignited with his quirk.
“Then it’s decided.”
—
And that’s how Touya finds himself once again surrounded by the loud, pleasant company of Keigo’s family.
The moment the two of them landed, right after the traumatic flight (not as terrible as the first one, but still quite unpleasant), Himiko jumped up to pull him into a hug, followed right after by Mina and Jin. Rumi approached him from behind and gave him a not too strong, but not light either, pat on the back, meanwhile Oboro grinned and ruffled his hair. All the shoving and squeezing was certainly not doing good to his still upset stomach, but he couldn’t bring himself to dislike the affection the quirk users were showering him with.
Still, he couldn’t help but let out a little sigh of relief when Shota gently shooed them away to give Touya room to breathe and asked him how he was doing. After receiving a positive answer, the black haired man nodded, visibly pleased.
They didn’t have dinner together that night, both Touya and the quirk users had eaten already, but after sitting around the fire Ochako insisted that they at least had to have some tea, because not offering anything to eat or drink to a guest was extremely rude. And, not for the first time, Touya wondered about the girl’s life before joining the group, since her way of talking and acting often reminded him of a person that grew up in a well off family.
So here they are now, all of them with their own cup of tea in hand, talking about everything and anything and Touya seriously keeps being baffled by the way the conversation always seems to flow so easily with these people. First they’re talking about his love for flowers, and suddenly the topic shifts and he’s listening to hundreds of anecdotes about Himiko’s favorite season, Jin’s catastrophic military career, Keigo’s infinite instances of altercations with various kinds of birds, Shota’s struggles to keep Oboro from getting himself killed whenever he gets drunk, all those crazy injuries Chiyo had to heal because of Rumi and Katsuki’s bickering, Eijiro’s despair due to the fact that, given the nature of his quirk, he seems to be unable to stay afloat whenever he puts foot in any body of water deeper than his height, and so on.
At some point Touya finds himself incapable of holding his tea anymore (thankfully, a red feather approaches him and takes his cup before he could spill the drink on his clothes or the ground), the laughter making his tummy ache, his body convulse and his eyes sting. He’s fairly certain that, if he could cry right now, he would.
He even manages to discuss with Katsuki about their quirks, even though that conversation doesn’t bring him very far. As he had feared, their quirks aren't that similar after all. But the blond boy still reiterates the same thing the others said the day before: overexertion can be a quirk's biggest enemy.
“Oh, ew.” the barely audible sound of disappointment coming from Keigo’s lips distracts Touya from the investing story Rumi was telling about the time she almost poisoned Ochako and Himiko with the poorly made food she had prepared.
“Is everything okay?” Touya asks under his breath, doing his best not to disrupt the conversation. He turns to look at his friend, who’s currently glaring at his tea with blonde bushy eyebrows furrowed.
“Mh? Yeah, it’s fine, just… I took a sip of my tea, but it got cold.” Keigo explains, turning his head to look at Touya and gesturing towards his cup.
“You don’t like cold tea?” he whispers, his tone sympathetic. He can’t stand his drinks getting cold either.
“Hate it.” the blond man confirms, leaning forward to place his half full cup on the ground, probably renouncing drinking for the rest of the night.
“Do you want me to warm it up for you?” he offers with a small smile. He receives a confused look in return, so he decides to explain further. “I can concentrate warmth in my palms and heat the cup up in a few seconds. I do it with my tea all the time.”
“Ohh, so that’s why your tea is still steamy… wow, that’s actually a very useful skill, Touya.” Keigo compliments him and picks up his cup, handing it to the fire user.
Touya feels his cheeks heat up at the praise, so he just smiles sheepishly as he puts his tea down and takes Keigo’s, focusing on raising the temperature of his hands just enough to warm the liquid up, but not make it boiling hot. He sure is a mess when it comes to using and controlling his fire, his physical appearance is enough proof of that, but if there’s a skill he has mastered through the years, it’s the delicate art of warming tea up to perfection.
“There you are.” he says with a smile and offers the cup back to its owner. The winged man accepts it and takes a tentative sip of tea, his golden eyes going wide in surprise.
“Woah, it feels like it was just made. You’re good at this!” Keigo mumbles, clearly impressed, as he takes another sip.
“I spent years learning how to bring it to the right temperature with Shouto’s help… it took a lot of trial and error, but it was worth it.” Touya admits with a satisfied grin.
“Definitely worth it.” Keigo nods with a grin of his own.
“Can you two stop mumbling already?! I’m trying to listen!” Katsuki yells at them from the log next to theirs, making everyone turn in their direction. “What are you even talking about, uh?”
Touya flinches in surprise for being reprimanded, his cheeks going red in embarrassment but Keigo doesn’t seem bothered one bit, letting out a small laugh.
“Touya was just showing me how he can use his quirk to warm up a drink.” he replies without skipping a beat, showcasing his steamy cup of tea with a proud smile on his face. “Best application of a quirk, if you ask me.”
“Woah, you warmed up Keigo’s tea, Touya? Would you mind doing the same for mine? It’s all cold and gross.” Mina exclaims from the other side of the circle, lifting her cup over her head. The fire user blinks in surprise at the request, but rapidly recoils.
“Y-Yeah, sure.” he nods, observing the pink haired girl squeal in delight and get up from her log, approaching him hurriedly.
“Thank you, thank you! You’re the best!” she says happily.
“Can you do mine too if it’s okay, man?” Eijiro tilts his head to the side. “It’s cool if you don’t want to, though.”
“I’d like my drink to be warm too! I prefer cold tea, hot tea sucks! ” Jin gets up and approaches as well.
“Hey, if you’re asking Touya to warm your tea, I want mine to be warm too!” Himiko jumps up, stomping in their direction.
The fire user stares at the small crowd around him, slightly dumbfounded, as he gives Mina back her cup now filled with warm tea.
“Hey! Back down, you hot tea addicts!” Keigo tries to make them leave, before turning to Touya with eyes filled with concern. “Hey, sorry for that, I should’ve expected that my comment would’ve attracted them like moths to a flame… quite literally.” he adds, as a second thought.
“No problem, seriously… it’s fine.” Touya reassures him with a small smile, taking Jin’s cup.
“Are you sure it’s fine? It’s not gonna… hurt you or anything, right?” the winged man asks.
Once again, Touya is left speechless. It’s such a simple gesture, such a simple concern, but still he’s surprised Keigo even worried about it. Keigo knows his fire hurts him. So even though warming the cups doesn’t actively require him to produce flames, he is still worried Touya might get hurt. He returns Jin’s cup and takes Eijiro’s, his hands quickly warming up once again. Even if a small part of him hates the fact that he’s so frail that even something so small can worry Keigo, he also feels grateful for the ways the man shows him he cares.
That’s what every good friend would do, don’t get too ahead of yourself.
The tiny voice in his head is back once again, bringing him back to his senses and yes, of course Keigo only worries because they’re friends, it’s not like there’s something more. Still, that won’t stop his heart from beating a little faster.
“It won’t hurt me, I promise.” he assures with a warm smile, his eyes trying to convey all the gratitude and affection he’s feeling for the blond man, but that he’s too afraid to voice out loud in front of everyone. Keigo looks at him for a long moment, before visibly relaxing and giving him a small nod and a smile. Touya smiles back and gives the cup he’s holding back to Eijiro. “I’m ready for whoever’s next?” he averts his gaze in favor of looking at the rest of the group.
“Hey Touya! Warm this up for me real quick, will you?” Oboro appears in front of him with his cup in his hands, earning a disdained yelp from Himiko.
“Oboro! I asked him first. Don’t you know how to respect your turn?!” she stomps her foot on the ground, trying to push the older man away to no avail.
“C’mon Himiko, doesn’t matter who goes first, now… am I right?” he chuckles teasingly, stubbornly standing his ground without moving an inch.
“Just move, you ugly old man!” she whines with a pout, still trying to shove Oboro away.
“Well, since you asked so nicely…” the light blue haired man shrugs with a wicked smile and steps back, watching Himiko wobble forward for the loss of resistance and go flying to the ground.
Her half full cup flies as well, and everyone stares as its trajectory makes it spill all over Keigo’s vest, creating a stain as big as Touya’s head right on the front. A chorus of mixed reactions rises, from big gasps to small chuckles and amused snorts. Touya just stares in shock, mentally wondering what in the world just happened.
“Himiko!” Keigo protests in horror as he stares at his wet clothes. The girl looks at him from the ground, her eyes wide in surprise.
“Hey, why are you yelling at me? It was Oboro’s fault!” she tries to defend herself, pointing an accusatory finger towards the older man, who’s currently bent in half, laughing in delight.
“Shit, sorry Kei. Did you burn yourself?” he asks, trying (and failing) to sound a little apologetic.
“No, it was lukewarm luckily … I still wanna murder you, though.” Keigo groans, touching the stain and getting up. “They didn’t get tea on your clothes too, right?” he asks Touya with a tone way nicer than the one he just used with his older brother. Touya lowers his gaze, rapidly scanning his clothes, but luckily it looks like he was spared by the splashes.
“It’s okay, I’m fine.” he reassures with a little smile, as he lifts his gaze to look at Keigo. Too bad his eyes land on the stain, the wet fabric sticking to the man’s skin, exposing the shapes of his firm chest.
Memories of the night before, when Touya had found himself pressed against that same chest, in a way that made him feel every bit of muscles, come back full force, making him immediately avert his gaze in shame.
Shit, shit, shit…
“That’s good… give me a second, I’ll go get changed real quick and be back, okay?” Keigo whispers, clearly unaware of the utter chaos going on in Touya’s head.
“Kei, if you don’t wash that soon, the stain will never come off.” Shota suggests and approaches them, taking the occasion to pinch Oboro’s ear in punishment. The taller man whines, trying to get away, but to no avail.
“Ugh, fine… I guess I have no other choice then. I’ll go wash it at the lake.” he groans, a few feathers detaching themselves from his wings and flying away. Touya follows them with his gaze, curious, and watches them as they enter one of the small tents and come out a few seconds later carrying a vest similar to the one Keigo is wearing, just of a slightly lighter shade of brown and with black hems around the sleeves.
“Sucks to be you! Have fun with tha- ow, ow! Shota, stop!” Oboro protests when his best friend pinches him harder. At least Keigo seems to take some kind of pleasure in that, because Touya catches him grinning smugly at the scene.
“Be right back, petal.” Keigo whispers in Touya’s ear, taking the garment his feathers had brought him and walking away before the white haired man could utter anything in reply.
Not that Touya was about to, because his brain has completely halted after hearing the nickname.
Petal? Uh??
He remembers Keigo using some flower related nickname the first time they met, when he still didn’t know his name, but since then he had always stuck to calling him Touya. So why...?
“Touya? Hey, Touya!” Rumi catches his attention by snapping her fingers in front of his face and the man blinks a few times before focusing his eyes on her, his mind still a little hazy. Petal..?
“S-Sorry, Rumi… you were saying?” he smiles apologetically at her. The woman is grinning wickedly and her red eyes turn to look rapidly at the rest of her family, before focusing back on Touya’s. The fire user can feel every pair of eyes on him. What is going on?
“I was saying… that maybe you should go with Kei? Y’know, it’s the first time he wanders around the forest at night, that idiot will definitely get lost. But I bet you know this place better than anyone here, right?”
And, as a matter of fact, he does. He did spend a big chunk of his childhood here, and even if he hasn’t come in this forest years, he’s pretty sure he still remembers how to move around it. Still, he doesn’t understand exactly why Keigo would need his help, especially since the man can fly. He could easily fly over the trees and easily find his way back to the camp…
Not that Touya dares to say that out loud. Rumi looks like the kind of person you really don’t want to say no to. Besides, he likes spending time with Keigo, so it’s not like accompanying him is a chore or something. He might as well go.
“Sure, I’ll go. No problem.” he says and gets up, finishing his tea in one gulp. The rabbit woman nods in approval and pushes herself up as well.
“Perfect. We’ll see ya tomorrow, then.” she grins and pats him on the shoulder, this time not as hard and she tends to do. “Kei told us about your plan of still making time to teach him that writing stuff, so you two should head back after he’s done washing his clothes.” she adds after noticing Touya’s perplexed expression.
Right, the writing lessons… he almost forgot about that.
“See you tomorrow, then.” he says with a smile and a nod, turning to look at everyone else. His words are met with a small chorus of ‘goodbye’s, ‘see you tomorrow’s and ‘goodnight’s. With a final wave of his hand, Touya turns on his heels and hurriedly walks away to catch up with Keigo.
Notes:
touya stop being a gay mess mission failed
also, let me use this space to say how shocked i was to see... *checks notes* more than 700 hits since last chapter??? to all the new people to joined me in this crazy journey, hello! hope you like it here and hope to see you stay till the end of the fic :) kudos and comments are really appreciated, i love when people show appreciation to this fic. it's my first time working on a big fanfiction in english, i've always wrote in italian before, so... the support is really amazing. thank you so much :')
i hope you guys liked this chapter and i'll see you all next tuesday with a new update with more gay panic! have a good week everyone! <3
Chapter 16: Chapter 15 - Gardenia
Chapter Text
Gardenia: Secret Love
Luckily, it didn’t take long for Touya to join Keigo: the winged man had just taken a bunch of steps ahead towards the lake before Touya managed to walk up to him.
“Mh? Oh, hey Touya.” Keigo says with a grin, placing the clean shirt over his shoulder. “You’re coming along?”
The fire user can’t help but notice that, this time, Keigo had called him by his name, as always. The memory of a few minutes before, when the other man had used that endearing nickname so nonchalantly is still fresh, and it makes him blush just slightly. He can only hope that, given the faint light provided by the few moonbeams that manage to pass through the tree branches, Keigo can’t notice.
“Yeah, since the others are going to bed, Rumi suggested I accompany you to the lake and then we can go home.” Touya explains with a shrug of his shoulders. Keigo hums and nods his head, that same beautiful smile still on his lips.
“Oh, I can’t wait. I’ve been practicing with those exercises you gave me two days ago, and Shota said my handwriting is starting to look good.” He says proudly, his steps getting a little more upbeat, his wings fluttering behind his back and almost slapping Touya in the face. Surprisingly, being almost hit doesn’t manage to sour his mood, but quite the opposite. He finds the way Keigo’s wings manage to express his feelings just as loudly as his words very endearing.
Still, he takes a small step to the side, just to make sure not to actually get hit by some stray feather.
“Did Shota really say that?” he asks, amused.
“Well, his exact words were ‘now your handwriting looks like the one of a ten year old instead of the one of a toddler’. But you know, with Shota, you need to learn how to interpret his compliments, so I’ll take that as a win.” Keigo chuckles and sends Touya a playful wink. The simple gesture makes the fire user’s blushing come back once again. Can his body stop betraying him already?!
“Are you sure that saying that you write like a ten year old kid is a compliment?” he tries to hide his embarrassment behind a playful behavior of his own.
“Well, considering that I wrote for the first time three days ago, yes!” Keigo nods and crosses his arms against his chest. The still wet tea stain sticks to the curve of his pecs and smears the sleeve of his shirt, but at this point, Touya doubts the winged man still cares. With a gulp, he forces himself to look away. “And even if that wasn’t a compliment, I’ll just take it as one.” Keigo adds. “Life’s too short to let mean stuff bother us. I know I improved, and I’m proud of my improvement. So who cares what others may think?”
Touya looks straight ahead in silence, letting Keigo’s words sink in and, not for the first time, he can’t help but be impressed by the man’s positive attitude. And the annoying voice in his head laughs at him, reminding him how different they truly are, how much better than him Keigo is.
He wishes he too could let all the negative stuff go, just ignore it and be sure of his self worth (the question of whether he actually has some kind of worth lingers in the back of his skull, spoken by that same Enji-sounding voice, no matter how much he tries to ignore it), he wishes he could ignore Fuyumi and Natsuo’s disgusted and apprehensive glances, his father’s annoyed scoffs whenever he steps outside his room, but he can’t. He can’t because he knows, deep down, that they have every right to treat him like they do. He is disgusting, he is cursed. Just because they’re not nice enough to hide their dissatisfaction, he can’t exactly blame them.
I don’t think you’re disgusting or cursed. Mother didn’t think so either.
Shouto’s gentle voice echoes through his head, silencing Father’s. And yes, Shouto always showers with compliments, and reassurances, just like Mother used to when she was alive. They’re the only ones that never make him feel judged, that always make him feel safe.
No, not the only ones…
Touya turns around, observing Keigo’s profile. The man is whistling and humming, mimicking the cries of the nocturnal birds of the forest, flapping his wings and giggling softly to himself every time he hears a bird answer his call.
Yeah, Keigo never judges him either, he’s always been nothing but nice and supportive since the first time they met. And yes, Touya has noticed the way he sometimes eyes his scars, hesitates before touching him, flinches whenever someone handles Touya in a not very gentle way, but he also noticed that his behavior comes from a place of concern and affection, rather than repulsion or, even worse, pity. Keigo is genuine in the way he acts, he’s well intended in his worry and even Touya can see that. And the best part is, he doesn’t do all that out of obligation, like Shouto or Mother would, given the fact that they’re bound to him by blood, Keigo is just… like that. He’s nice and pure hearted, case closed.
“Well, here we are… let’s get this over with.” Keigo sighs loudly when the two of them step into the clearing where the little lake is situated, the gentle sound of water moving back and forth waking Touya from his thoughts. Shit, he was so distracted he barely realized they were approaching this area so quickly.
Memories flood his mind as he takes in the view. Everything looks exactly like it did that last time. It was a night like this one, when he last came to this place. The water of the lake was pitch black, except for that round spot in the middle, where it reflected the white light of the moon, the trees were casting their creepy shadows around the clearing, the wind was making the grass flutter in a way that tickled Touya’s ankles. Yeah, he remembers that night as if it was yesterday, and nothing changed.
Well… almost nothing.
A dark patch of burned ground right next to the lake stands out like a sore thumb in this pristine site, in the exact spot where Touya’s life as he always knew it ended. He knows his fire is strong, but he never thought that the product of his flames would stay in this place even after so many years, as if his favorite hiding spot remained scarred by his curse just like he did, a cruel reminder of the fact that he can only destroy, ruin and incinerate whatever he holds dear.
“Touya?” Keigo’s voice is soft and gentle, almost careful when he addresses Touya, a tanned hand tentatively caresses his arm. “Is everything okay?”
Touya forces himself to take his eyes off the burned grass and he turns to look at Keigo, his golden eyes filled with worry.
“Yeah… sorry, I was just… don’t worry about it, okay?” Touya whispers softly, his hand moving up to touch Keigo’s, still placed right below his shoulder, and squeezes lightly. “C’mon, let’s wash your vest, I can’t wait to go home and see how much you improved with your writing.” he adds after a few seconds, forcing himself to sound as cheerful as he can, stepping towards the lake as he gently tugs Keigo along.
Keigo follows him, but Touya can see from the corner of his eye the way the feathered limbs on Keigo’s back shift slightly, almost in discomfort.
“This is… this is where you… got hurt…” he whispers, making Touya stop in his tracks. “Am I right?”
Touya gulps down his nervousness and slowly nods, keeping his head low. Suddenly, it's very difficult to maintain eye contact with the other man.
“Touya, I–do you wanna leave? We can… find another place to…”
“No, it’s okay. Let’s just… let's get this over with, okay?”
Keigo doesn’t look convinced, but he nods anyway, approaching the lake and kneeling on the shore. His head tilts to the side so he can eye Touya from the corner of his eye.
“Hey, uhm… could you help me with..?” he mutters, pointing towards his back with his thumb. Touya furrows his brows in confusion and approaches him, trying to figure out what kind of help Keigo is asking for. It’s only when he’s barely a couple of steps away from him, that Touya sees it.
Keigo’s vest has a hole on the back, big enough to comfortably accommodate his wings and, right under it, there’s a slit in the fabric, held together by a thin rope fastened with a knot.
“Pretty cool, uh?” Keigo whispers with a slightly amused tone, after a few seconds of silence. “Rumi is very good when it comes to sewing and mending clothes… her mother had a small tailor shop and taught her when she was little. She uses her skills to adjust my clothes to fit my wings.”
“Oh, I see... that’s nice of her…” Touya nods and whispers back with a sincere smile forming on his lips. He approaches and kneels on the damp grass next to Keigo, hurriedly unfastening the knot of his vest. “There.” he says to let the other know he’s done, and moves to the side, watching as Keigo thanks him with a smile and takes his shirt off.
Revealing his torso.
His defined, tanned and very naked torso.
Shit.
That’s an outcome Touya didn’t take into consideration when he agreed to accompany Keigo to the lake to wash his vest. Very stupid of him, considering that now he’s stuck in a situation he definitely isn’t prepared to deal with.
“It’ll only take me a minute.” Keigo dunks his garment in the lake, his hands immediately starting to scrub the stain with experienced quickness.
“You can take more than that.” Touya mutters, his eyes still glued on Keigo’s shirtless figure. After the words leave his mouth, he flinches and cringes inwardly, forcing himself to turn his head to the side and stop ogling. “I… I mean– you can take your time, you know… stains are not to be taken lightly, unless you want your clothes to be ruined and… I’m pretty sure you don’t want that so– be sure to wash your vest thoroughly.” he blabbers, looking at anything except for the other man.
Shut up, shut up, stop talking!
Gods, if he could, he would kick himself.
Fortunately, Keigo doesn’t seem to notice his awkwardness, because he lets out an amused snort.
“Yep, I definitely don’t want that… thanks.” he hums.
The two remain in silence after that, Keigo focusing on his task and Touya on trying to maintain his composure. His traitorous eyes sometimes peek at the man next to him, lured by the fascinating way Keigo’s biceps flex and relax as he works. Touya wonders how it should be considered fair for someone to be so breathtakingly beautiful. How Keigo manages to look like this all the time without the slightest effort is beyond him. He supposes that, even among the ones that seemingly got cursed, the gods have their favorites.
“Hey, Touya?” Keigo’s voice distracts him from his lewd thoughts. “Can I ask you a question? It’s okay if you don’t wanna answer though.” he asks. When Touya turns to look at his face, he finds that Keigo has his gaze fixed on what he’s doing, his golden eyes avoiding Touya’s at all costs. That’s… unusual.
“Sure, ask away.” he gulps nervously. Did Keigo notice he was staring? Is he about to call him out? Say that he’s uncomfortable with the way Touya is looking at him, that he wants him to stop?
“Are you… do you still think that your quirk is a curse?” he asks tentatively, his uncertainty clear in the way he tries to find the right words. Touya freezes, incapable of tearing his eyes off Keigo, and this time it’s not because of his exposed skin. “Again, you don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable, I don’t want to push a reply out of you, it’s just-”
“I do.” Touya interrupts him. A heavy silence falls upon them and the temperature suddenly feels way colder than before. “I don’t see all quirks as curses anymore… not after meeting you and the others.”
“But then why- why is it so different when it comes to yourself?” Keigo sounds almost pained, the damp shirt is now abandoned on the grass next to him, forgotten.
“Because when it comes to my… fire ,” he stops and lets out a troubled sigh, his mouth and mind still refusing to address his flames with the name used by Keigo and the others. “When you spend your whole life believing that you’re flawed and wrong, a curse to your family, to your whole village, that you didn’t die, killed by your own curse, only because the gods didn’t let you, because they wanted you to live longer and suffer for what you did to your own body, it’s difficult to just start thinking otherwise all of a sudden, you know…” he explains, his eyes fixed on his scarred wrists.
“Touya…” Keigo’s voice is heavy with sorrow, and the realization fills the fire user’s chest with pain. He did this to Keigo. He hurt him. It’s his fault if Keigo is sad.
“I’m sorry, I… I know that you don’t approve of this mindset and I’m really trying not to let it influence too much the way I act. I don’t want to upset you, so… just pretend I didn’t say anything, okay?” he shakes his head, mortified.
“I’m not gonna pretend you didn’t say anything, Touya. This is important, okay?” Keigo whispers and takes Touya’s hands in his, forcing Touya to turn his head and look at him. Keigo’s hands are cold, and still damp from washing his shirt, but Touya couldn't care less, not when the man in front of him is looking at him with golden eyes sparkling with determination. “Just tell me one thing. Do I look cursed to you? Do you think I look flawed, or wrong?” he asks, seriously. Touya gulps, feeling his heart skip a beat at the question.
“N-No, of course not. I think you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, actually.” he mutters, his eyes going wide for his own slip up. Okay, that second part was definitely not necessary, although not false. He can only hope Keigo doesn’t get weirded out by his bluntness.
The winged man lets out a soft chuckle, his cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink while his wings puff out behind his back, each feather almost doubling in size and fluffiness the moment Touya’s words sink in.
“Well… thank you.” Keigo whispers with a smile. “And just so you know, the same goes for me. I think you’re really pretty, petal.” he adds, letting go of Touya’s hands so he can, as gently as possible, cup his face between his hands.
Touya can’t even bring himself to be surprised by the nickname anymore, because how can he focus on that when literal madness is happening right here and right now? Keigo is touching his face and it feels, despite the man’s cold hands, warm and pleasant. If it wasn’t for the fact that he’s shocked to the point of almost complete stillness, Touya would’ve leaned into the touch. Keigo is holding his face as if he’s something delicate, something to cherish, his eyes filled with a tenderness Touya didn’t even think could exist, his irises looking like liquid gold. And his lips, oh… his lips curved so beautifully, as he spoke those words.
Pretty. Keigo thinks he’s pretty. Him! Pretty! This must be a dream, there’s no other explanation, because how could someone like Keigo ever look at someone like him and think he’s anything but revolting, let alone pretty ?
He remembers when they first met and Keigo told him he looked fine. And even then Touya was skeptical. But fine and pretty are two different words. The implications behind them are different.
“Yeah, I am pretty…” he whispers, trying to sound playful, but his voice comes out shakier than intended. “Pretty certain you have poor eyesight, Keigo.” he forces a little smile on his lips. A smile that becomes more genuine the moment he sees the offended pout that forms on Keigo’s lips.
“That’s like… the second time you say that about me! I am being serious!” He protests, still holding Touya’s face.
“So am I. Maybe you can ask Chiyo if she can get your eyes fixed?” Touya suggests, still amused by Keigo’s demeanor.
“I don’t need to get my eyes fixed! I already told you, I have the eyesight of a hawk.” Keigo insists, gently squeezing Touya’s cheeks with his palms, making his lips stick out. “And you know… no matter how many times you deny it, I’ll keep telling you you’re pretty, because you are. I’ll keep telling you your fire is just as amazing as you are, because it is. And maybe one day, you’ll start believing me and… well, let’s say that when that day comes, I’ll be the happiest person in this world.” he continues and leans closer, their foreheads softly bumping into each other.
It’s like the world just came to a halt. Keigo’s words hang heavily over their heads as they remain silent. Touya is stuck in his place, completely paralyzed and way too aware of their closeness. He knows Keigo is a touchy guy. He had many occasions to notice that, both when they were alone in his room and when in the presence of the man’s family. Keigo hugs people, touches their shoulders, hands, heads, whatever he can reach, he touches because that’s how he expresses his affection.
Touya knows that this gesture is probably a simple routine for someone like him. But still, he can’t shake off the chills running through his whole body, can’t tear his eyes off Keigo’s lips, because they’re so close, so inviting, and he feels he might be going insane.
Keigo is looking at him too, and maybe Touya is going insane, because for a fraction of a second, it seems like the other man is looking at his lips too, golden eyes lowering just slightly, before moving back up. A warm, shaky breath leaves those pink lips, caressing Touya’s skin and the fire user blinks a couple of times, before leaning back, putting a safe distance between the two of them. When he gently takes Keigo’s wrists in his hands, taking the winged man’s palms away from his face, Keigo blinks too, as if he just woke up from some sort of trance.
“Are you okay?” he whispers softly, looking at Touya with that same affectionate gaze, now mixed with a slight hint of worry.
“Yeah… don’t worry, I’m fine.” the fire user whispers back, gulping down.
Truth is, he’s not fine. He’s everything but fine. He needs to remove himself from this situation, he needs things to go back to whatever they were before they arrived at this forsaken clearance, because his mind is playing tricks on him. He was about to kiss Keigo. He wanted to kiss Keigo. And for some strange reason, it almost felt like Keigo wanted to kiss him too. Which is clearly impossible.
Sure, Keigo told him he believes Touya is pretty, but he probably only said that to make him feel better. And even if that wasn’t the case, finding him pretty and being attracted to him are two separate things.
“If you’re done with your vest, we should go, or else we won’t have enough time to go through your exercises.” he adds and slowly gets up, sending one quick glance in Keigo’s way. Keigo stares back at him, still looking a little lost, before getting up.
“Right, I’m sorry.” he mumbles, picking up his wet shirt and watching as water droplets fall from it. “Maybe I should leave this here to dry… you don’t think someone will steal it, right?” he asks, his usual cheerful tone slowly coming back. It makes Touya relax his shoulders, even so slightly.
“Yeah, don’t worry about that. Most people don’t come here anyway.” he replies. “You can leave it on that rock, so it won’t stay wet because of the morning dew, in a few hours.” he suggests, pointing with his chin towards a smooth rock not too far away from them.
“Good idea…” Keigo nods and does as he is just told, smoothing out all the creases in the fabric with his hands. When he’s finally satisfied with the result, he nods once again to himself and approaches Touya, his wings already fully spread, ready to take off. “Are you ready?” he asks with a smirk.
Touya sighs, his stomach already twisting uncomfortably at the prospect of what it’s about to happen.
“I’m not, but you know I’ll never be, so let’s just go.” he whispers, lifting his arms just enough to make it easier for Keigo to lift him up and the moment he’s secured in the winged man’s strong arms, they’re flying towards Hakata.
Touya closes his eyes, channeling his inner focus to think of anything but the rocking movement of the flight and, before he can realize it, his fingertips are touching his lips. Where the upper lip is smooth, soft and slightly cold because of the wind hitting his skin, the bottom one is rougher, unpleasant to touch and hot, as if the fire that burned him all those years ago is still trapped under his skin, warming it up.
How stupid of him, fooling himself like that. Thinking even for one second that Keigo could ever want to kiss someone like him? That's a complete delusion on his part.
“You doing okay there, petal?” Keigo’s voice distracts him from his self loathing and Touya forces himself to open his eyes to look at him. Golden irises stare back at him. “We’re almost there, just hang on.”
“You’re calling me that a lot, tonight… petal.” Touya whispers, curiosity getting the best of him. He needs to know. “Why is that?”
Keigo smiles sheepishly, his gaze turning to look at the sky ahead of them.
“Promise you won’t laugh at me, okay?” he asks.
“I could never.” Touya replies without skipping a beat.
“Well… you have white hair. And, as I said before, I think you’re really pretty. So you remind me of those white flowers you have on your balcony… the gardenias.” he adds with a hint of smugness in his tone, clearly proud of the fact that he still remembers the name of Touya’s flowers.
Touya is speechless. He just stares at Keigo, dumbfounded. Such a simple reasoning, and yet… it’s enough to make him blush. He can only hope that the other man mistakes the color on his cheeks for a reaction to the cold wind.
“Does it bother you? I can stop if it does.” Keigo adds when he doesn’t get a reply from Touya, his bushy eyebrows furrowing in a concerned frown.
“Don’t worry… it doesn’t bother me.” Touya manages to let out, pressing a hand on his chest. His heart is beating like crazy.
—
“How can I tell if I have a crush on someone?” the words escape Shouto’s lips before he can stop them, his eyes immediately focusing on the bowl of soba in front of him, the food suddenly looking way more interesting than his brother sitting in front of him.
Touya, completely taken aback by the question, almost chokes on his own soba, sputtering and coughing uncontrollably for what feels like hours, before taking a loud deep breath.
“Excuse me, what?” he asks, a little out of breath. Shouto gulps down and lifts his gaze just slightly to look at him. His older brother is staring at him wide eyed, his bowl and chopsticks abandoned on the table. Okay, maybe he should’ve prepared him a little, instead of just dropping the big question on him like that.
“What does it feel like… you know, when you like someone? How can you tell whether you like someone or like someone?” he mumbles, putting emphasis on that second ‘like’, just to make sure to get his point across.
Touya blinks a couple of times, clearly still shocked by the whole situation.
“I mean… are you sure you don’t want to talk to Natsuo about this? I’m pretty sure he’s more experienced than I am when it comes to this kind of stuff.” Touya says as he nervously scratches the back of his head, looking at everything but Shouto, his eyes nervously moving frantically around the room. Who would’ve thought Touya was the kind of person that gets flustered when it comes to love talk…
“I… actually don’t feel really comfortable at the thought of talking to Natsu about this.” Shouto admits with a shrug, moving his chopsticks around his bowl without actually taking another mouthful of soba from it.
“Uh? Why not?” Touya asks, clearly perplexed. Because yeah, Shouto’s relationship with Touya is certainly tighter than the one he has with both his other older siblings, but it’s not like he doesn’t talk about private matters with them either. Fuyumi is always ready to listen to him and provide a comforting hug and a warm drink whenever he feels down, and Natsuo is a lifesaver when it comes to overcoming his shyness and coming out of his shell. But this is different. It’s a Touya kind of matter. It’s the type of thing that he’s certain Touya won’t judge him for. And, as much as he loves his siblings and knows they love him back, he can’t say the same for them.
“Because I’m not talking about a girl.” he finally says, gulping once again, trying to get rid of the sour taste in his mouth, bile rising up his throat out of nervousness.
“Oh…” Touya’s voice sounds surprised, yet extremely soft. “You… like a boy?” he asks carefully, his turquoise eyes trying to make contact with Shouto’s mismatched ones.
“Actually… I think I like two boys.” he admits, fidgeting nervously. That's when he finds in himself the guts to look at his older brother. Touya is staring at him, speechless. A bunch of very long seconds go by without any of them uttering a word. “Please, say something.” Shouto pleads when he can’t take it anymore, snapping Touya out of his pensive trance.
“I… sorry, just- wow. Two boys? Okay, uhm… let’s start easy, okay? Who are they? Do I know them?” he says after clearing his throat, visibly struggling to find the right words.
“Well, you know one of them, Midoriya… I think I’ve liked him for a while now. I like how he makes me feel, nice and warm inside.” Shouto whispers, placing a hand on his chest, feeling under his palm his racing heart. A little smile forms on his lips before he can even realize it. “I like how he gets flustered so easily and he gets so red and… he looks nice, I guess.”
Touya chuckles softly and sends him an amused smile.
“You guess?” he asks, making Shouto blush and avert his gaze.
“Okay, fine! I think he is beautiful. Is that better?”
“Way better.” Touya grins, satisfied, and takes another bite of food. “Who’s the other guy?”
Shouto’s posture relaxes just slightly, the boy feeling way more at ease in front of his brother’s chill demeanor.
“It’s… well you don’t actually know him, but I told you about him a while ago… so I guess you kind of know of him, but not like–” he rambles, trying to take time because, well, this is a big bomb to drop on his brother and he seriously doesn’t know how he’ll take it.
“Sho… just tell me. It’s okay.” Touya nods encouragingly, his lips distending in a smile. The boy takes a deep breath. It’s fine, it’s Touya. Touya doesn’t judge. He never does.
“Katsuki.” he breathes out with a sigh. “The… boy from the quirk user’s group…?” he adds, his tone almost sounding like a question.
Touya drops his chopsticks on the table, the sudden clattering making Shouto flinch in surprise.
“Katsuki? Katsuki as in the blond boy? The explosive boy? That Katsuki?” he asks, his eyes looking so wide that, in another situation, they could almost look comical. Shouto just nods, a nervous smile forming on his lips. Touya runs a hand through his hair, as if trying to collect his thoughts. “Just… okay, not to sound mean, but how ? He’s like… definitely not your type!” he finally says, moving his hands in the air.
“How would you know? You don’t even know him.” Shouto asks, perplexed. Is he seriously that predictable regarding his love preferences?
His older brother blushes, visibly taken aback and opens and closes his mouth a bunch of times, struggling to spit some words out.
“I… I mean, I don’t need to know him! Based on what you told me he sounds completely different from Midoriya, so…” he argues, crossing his arms over his chest, cheeks getting an even darker shade of pink as he turns his gaze to the side. Damn, Touya really is not good with this love talk thing…
“I guess you’re right… they are pretty different…” he admits with a sigh. “That’s why I wanted your advice. How can I tell who I like more?” he murmurs, once again lowering his gaze to look at the food.
Touya hums, scratching his head.
“Well… I guess the only one who can find the right answer is you. I’m no expert when it comes to crushes, let alone about crushing over two people at the same time, so I’m afraid I can’t be really useful, but… I suppose you could spend time with them and try to understand who attracts you the most.” he suggests, lifting his shoulders.
“You make it sound so easy…” Shouto sighs and ruffles his own hair, frustrated.
“I remember reading somewhere that the person you love the most is the one you always search for in a place full of people. Maybe try that?” Touya adds. “Listen, I seriously want to help you out, but I can’t see what goes on inside that two colored head of yours!” he says, jokingly raising his voice and pointing a finger at him. Shouto chuckles at that, shaking his head.
Touya is right, he’s the only one who can understand his true feelings and his older brother can only give a few suggestions.
At the same time, though… is it really worth it, to sort his feelings out? It’s not like he’ll ever do anything about it anyway. He’ll never be confident enough to reveal his crush to Midoriya. As nice as the boy can be, you never know how someone might react in front of an unwanted confession, especially when it comes to people of the same sex.
And Katsuki… he’ll leave Hakata soon. The moment the quirk users leave, Shouto won’t see him ever again.
A dull ache sets deep within him at the thought. Why can’t things stay like this forever? Why can’t Katsuki stay forever?
—
Enji lets out a frustrated snort as he closes the book in front of him on his desk. He should be focused on last season’s reports of the village’s expenses, but his mind can’t seem to be willing to cooperate.
When he had woken up that morning, he had planned, like always, how his day would proceed. Have breakfast with his two sons and daughter, check the reports, write down a draft of a summary of the winter reports, go check how the preparations for the spring festival are doing, come back home for lunch, spend some time with his kids, go talk with the Curse Bearers, come back home, finish working on the draft and write the definitive version of the season summary, havehis scheduled meeting with Chisaki and, finally, have dinner and relax before going to bed. Everything was already organized. It was the perfect plan.
But his day had started with a sour note, when he had set foot in the dining room and had found Fuyumi and Natsuo already waiting for him. When he had asked why Shouto was not there with them, his daughter had informed him that their youngest had, yet again, decided to have breakfast with Touya, in his room.
Enji grumbles at the memory, his brows furrowing. He can’t really blame Shouto for his stubbornness, he’s still a kid, after all. But he does blame Touya for allowing his younger brother to keep doing as he pleases and disrespect Enji’s wishes. One would think that a twenty-four year old man would know better than that, and yet…
I guess there’s no way to teach the selfishness out of someone, no matter how much you do for them…
A soft knock on his door makes Enji lift his gaze and hurriedly open back the report book. Whoever it is, he doesn’t want them to think that he was slacking off.
“Yes?” he calls out. The door slides open and Fuyumi’s white haired head pokes out from behind it, her lips stretched in a soft smile. Enji notices the small wooden tray with a teapot and a cup in her hands. He hadn’t asked her daughter for tea, but it was nice seeing that she had taken her time to still bring him some. “Ah, Fuyumi. Please, come in.” he invites her with a gesture of his hand.
The young woman steps inside the room with a small, yet respectful nod of her head, kneeling in front of her father’s desk and placing the tray on an empty corner.
“I brought you some tea, Father.” she says, taking the teapot and pouring the warm beverage inside the cup, before offering the cup to Enji.
“Thank you.” he says and takes it in his hands, allowing himself to take a small sip, after making sure that the liquid wasn’t too hot. “This afternoon Captain Chisaki will pay us a visit, there’s a few matters regarding the spring festival that we need to discuss.” he notifies her, putting the cup down. Fuyumi lifts her gaze, something shifting behind her gray eyes. “Make sure nothing disrupts our home’s peace as long as he’s here, will you?” he adds, his words heavy with meaning.
Enji doesn’t like speaking Touya’s name out loud, unless it’s strictly necessary, not even in the privacy of his own home. He still resents that boy for everything he put their family through. Still, his bright daughter understands loud and clear the true meaning behind Enji’s words and nods her head.
“Yes Father.” she whispers, before getting up and running her hands over her skirt, straightening the small creases that her kneeling position had created. “I will take my leave now. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important.”
“Don’t worry, dear. I appreciate you coming here and bringing tea.” Enji reassures her with a little smile, watching as she bows at him and walks towards the door. When she’s about to exit the room, he’s reminded of something he wanted to tell her. “Ah, Fuyumi. Before I forget…” he calls out to her, making his daughter turn around to face him, visibly curious to know what her father is about to say.
“Yes, Father?”
“Captain Chisaki asked about you, yesterday.” he says. “He said he’s still interested in taking your hand in marriage, if you’re ready to accept his offer.”
Every trace of color leaves Fuyumi’s cheeks, surprise and shyness clear in her expression, her hands almost dropping the tray.
“He… he said that?” his daughter mumbles, her big eyes looking at him.
“He did.” Enji confirms. “He also said, when I asked him why he’s not pursuing other women, that no woman makes him feel like you do.”
Fuyumi gulps down and looks away, embarrassed by the flattering words.
“That’s… nice of him to say. Thank you for referring his kind words to me, Father. I’ll hold them very dear.” she whispers slowly and bows again. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave now.” she adds politely and walks out, closing the door behind her.
Enji watches as she leaves, a proud smile forming on his lips. Fuyumi is such a good daughter. His sweet Rei taught her well.
He knows Fuyumi is taking her time to accept Chisaki’s proposal because of her sense of duty towards their family. Because she knows her help is needed to make sure their family’s secret stays hidden. But Chisaki is a good man. A little overzealous, yes… but still a good man. And Enji won’t let his precious daughter put her own life on hold for much longer because of Touya. It’s time for his eldest to rapidly, yet discreetly, leave the nest. Where is he supposed to go, Enji doesn’t know. But he can’t stay here any longer.
“Take care of Touya, Enji. Please, even after I’m gone, protect our precious boy.”
Rei words, the last words she ever spoke to him before the terrible illness took her away ring in his mind, making him turn towards the portrait in his study. His beautiful wife looks back at him, unmoving. Her gaze makes him sigh softly. Always so gentle, always so understanding. If she was here, she would understand. She would agree with him.
I kept my promise for long enough, Rei. But it’s time for me to put that aside, so I can properly take care of the future of our kids.
Notes:
enji please, learn how to properly interpret other people's emotions, this is getting ridiculous. also, BE A BETTER DAD
anyway, the other day i noticed something. both christmas eve and december 31st happen to be on tuesday this year so, considering the time zone, i'd find myself updating this fic an hour before christmas AND an hour before new year. as dedicated as i can be, i'd really rather be with my family than be in front of a computer updating a fic, and i guess it's the same for a lot of people so i guess i'll postpone both updates so they'll come out on thursday (basically chapter 20 will come out on december 26th and chapter 21 on January 2nd). i hope this solution can work well with everyone!
once again, i thank you for reading this chapter and i hope to see you next tuesday. if you enjoyed this update you can let me know with a kudo or a comment, or you can come say hi on my strawpage
have a nice week <3
Chapter 17: Chapter 16 - Magnolia
Notes:
i think it's kinda funny how i feel the need to add a trigger warning every time chisaki or enji appear in a chapter but... yeah, chisaki AND enji appear in this chapter... sorry for that
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Magnolia: Natural
When, on the evening of their eighth day in Hakata, Oboro sees Todoroki Enji and a brown haired young man walk through the forest towards the meadow where his family’s camp is situated, he almost falls from his floating cloud because of the surprise. As for now, he’s pretty high up in the sky, so he can’t see them properly, but he can swear the young man is wearing military garments.
“Nope, not a good sign.” he mumbles to himself and starts flying, as fast as his cloud allows him to, towards the camp. “I need to tell Shota.”
He’s not as fast as Keigo, of course (who is anyway?), but it still only takes him a bunch of seconds to reach the meadow and glide towards the ground, jumping off the cloud before it could crash down.
“Shota? Hey, Shota?” he looks around, rapidly scanning the area with his eyes, looking for his best friend. The familiar nest of unruly black hair appears from behind Chiyo’s tent, dark eyes narrowed in confusion.
“Oboro? What’s wrong?” Shota asks, immediately approaching with a serious expression painted on his face. In another situation, Oboro would grin to himself, endeared by the fact that, just by hearing his tone of voice, Shota has already figured out that something is wrong.
“I just saw- wait.” he stops mid sentence, only now noticing the absence of a good chunk of their family. “Where is everyone?” he asks, eyeing the three people, besides Shota, seated around the camp.
“Chiyo and Jin are resting in their tents, Katsuki, Eijiro and Mina went to the lake to wash some clothes and Keigo went to the book shop in the village. Said he wants to buy a book he can use to get better and show Touya his improvements.” Shota rapidly explains.
“Aw, he’s buying a book ? He really is trying his best for Touya, uh? Isn’t he sweet, Sho? Our baby brother is so-”
“Oboro, focus.” Shota interrupts him, placing both hands on his shoulders. His tone is laced with a slight hint of urgency and worry. “What were you saying just now? What did you see that made you come here in such a hurry?”
Oboro blinks and widens his eyes, nodding rapidly.
“Oh! Oh, yeah, that! I saw Todoroki and another guy walking in the forest. They’re coming here, Shota. I think it'll take them... a few minutes at best.” he says, pointing his finger towards the general direction in which he saw the two men approaching. “The other man was some kind of soldier, Sho.” he adds in a whisper, his brows furrowing.
“Why would Todoroki come here? With a soldier, no less.” Shota whispers back, scratching his chin, deep in thought. "We are staying here longer than we usually do, but still it hasn't been that long. It sure is weird..." he adds, his black eyes moving up to focus on Oboro's face. From the corner of his eye, Oboro sees Rumi walk past them and her ears twitch. Suddenly, the woman is approaching them, butting into the conversation.
“Todoroki and a soldier are coming? Hey, you don’t think they found out about Touya coming here, right?” she crosses her arms against her chest. Unfortunately, her tone of voice is loud enough to catch the attention of everyone in close proximity.
“Todoroki found out about Touya?” Ochako turns to look at them from the log she’s sitting on and gasps, covering her mouth with a hand, visibly upset. The pair of socks she was just now trying to mend lay forgotten on her lap, along with a needle and a skein of thread.
“Oh my gods, are they gonna arrest Keigo?” Himiko doubles down and stops playing with her girlfriend’s hair.
“Keigo is getting arrested?!” Jin screeches as his head appears from inside his tent, his gray-blue eyes wide in panic. “That’s horrible! I miss arresting people… ”
“No one’s getting arrested, everyone stay quiet.” Shota orders, massaging his temples with his fingertips.
“We don’t know why Todoroki is coming here, let’s try to stay calm and keep our cool, okay?” Oboro adds, his tone gentler than his best friend's, turning nervously to look at the line of trees surrounding the meadow. They really can’t let Todoroki see them in such a state, that would only make them look suspicious. “Just… let Shota handle things and, for the love of the gods, do not, for any reason at all, say anything about Touya.” he instructs, before looking to the side, searching his best friend’s eyes. Shota’s black eyes are looking at him and the man sends him a thankful little smile, before sucking in a sharp little breath. When Oboro sees the way Shota’s back straightens, his shoulders tensing, that’s when he knows Todoroki and the soldier are here. He turns around, forcing a smile on his face, at least to try and ease the tension in the air for the sake of the youngest members of his family present.
Jin eyes the two men too, before silently hiding back inside his tent. Oboro can't really be upset about that. To be completely honest, he's kinda relieved. Jin is a good man, and everyone in their family would put their life in his hands, but sometimes he struggles a lot when it comes to holding his tongue, especially when under pressure. So the best thing to keep Touya's secret safe is for him to steer away from the conversation.
“Todoroki Enji, sir! What brings you here?” Oboro asks loudly as he waves with his hand towards the two. The village chief blinks a couple of times, almost surprised by the welcoming demeanor, while the soldier grimaces, looking around suspiciously.
“Good evening, Todoroki. Is there anything we can do for you?” Shota intervenes, much more sober and diplomatic. Rumi, still standing next to the two of them with her arms crossed, Ochako and Himiko just observe in silence as the two villagers approach Shota and Oboro.
“We’re just here in the hope of discussing a few matters with your group.” Todoroki replies when he’s finally face to face with Shota.
“A few matters?” the black haired man asks, hiding his hands in his pockets to conceal his nervousness. “That’s fine by me. Do you wanna discuss them out here or would you rather join me in my tent for some privacy?” he offers, twisting his torso to the side, allowing the man to see the tent he was referring to. Todoroki observes the tent for a few long seconds.
“That won’t be necessary, the topic is not one that requires any kind of secrecy.” he replies, moving his gaze back to Shota.
“I must say, you all don’t look like you’re surprised by our arrival. Were you expecting us, by any chance?” the brown haired soldier asks, his yellow eyes still wandering around the camp, observing every single one of them. His intervention makes everyone turn to look at him and even Todoroki looks taken aback, as if he wasn't expecting the other man to say anything at all.
Oboro turns his head almost undetectably, meeting Shota’s gaze. His friend's jaw clenches for a short second and his head has the smallest jerk, one that would look natural to anyone. Well, anyone but Oboro.
To him, the message is pretty clear: do not talk about your quirk.
“Well, we’re used to living in natural environments like this one. The animals of the forest saw you arriving here and their cries let us know. You weren’t exactly being subtle with your steps, you know!” he just says instead, letting out an amused chuckle and leaning forward with his torso, playing it off to the best of his ability. He can hear Ochako and Himiko let out a nervous little laugh from the log they’re still sitting on.
“Now, there is no need to act so suspicious, Captain. We’re here to be good hosts, after all.” Todoroki said, sending a glance at the man standing behind him. “I don’t think you had the chance to meet before, am I right? The man accompanying me is Chisaki Kai, Captain of the armed forces of Hakata.”
“Ah, yeah, I’ve heard about him.” Shota nods curtly, turning to face the young man. “It’s nice meeting you, sir.”
And, as a matter of fact, they all did hear about him, both from Keigo and Touya. Their brother especially, had plenty to say about the asshole who interrupted his, Ochako and Himiko's performance and, in the span of the following days, proceeded to act overly friendly with him in a pretty unsettling way whenever he had the chance. It's good to finally put a face to the name. He looks just as insufferable as Keigo mentioned.
“Otherwise.” the Captain hums, his yellow eyes void of emotions. He definitely doesn’t look that pleased to be there.
He must be that kind of person, uh…
“So you must be that soldier that happens to have a bone to pick with our brother Keigo, right?” Oboro asks with a fake joyful smile plastered on his face, immediately feeling every pair of eyes land on him. Shota’s gaze is burning on the side of his head and he already knows his best friend will chew him out thoroughly for this.
But seeing the way the Captain’s eyes go wide in surprise after being put on the spot like that makes it totally worth it.
“I don’t have a bone to pick with him. He just happened to-”
“You came here to arrest him?” Himiko butts in. Thankfully, Ochako immediately shushes her.
“We’re not here to arrest anyone.” Todoroki interrupts. “As I said, we're here to be good hosts.”
“Yes, you did say that… but we still don’t know what you meant by that, so…” Shota leaves the sentence hanging, nodding his head a couple of times, silently encouraging the man to speak.
“Our annual spring festival is coming in a few days. Since it’s good costume for our village to invite outsiders to join us for the celebrations, it’s only fair on our part to let you all know about the event. We would be honored if you would join us, five days from now.” Todoroki explains.
Oboro sends a quick glance in Shota’s way, his best friend clearly surprised by the offer, before turning to face his other friends. Rumi still has her arms crossed against her chest and a raised eyebrow, just as taken aback as Shota is. Himiko is silently clapping her hands, visibly excited at the thought of going to a festival for the first time in years, and even Ochako has a small sparkle in her eyes at the prospect.
“Unless, of course, you were planning to leave before that day.” Chisaki adds, tilting his head to the side as he looks Shota straight in the eyes. “In that case, we wouldn’t want to delay your departure.”
Oboro can literally feel in his own bones the way his best friend’s shoulders tense as the hidden message in Chisaki’s words settles heavily between them: the faster you leave, the better .
But the truth is, they still haven't thought about leaving yet. Their original plan was to stay for a week or so, buy enough food to last for a couple of months and leave. But with Touya in the picture, things got messy. None of them has found the guts to talk about leaving Hakata in front of him, nor Keigo. They all know it’s gonna happen at some point, but it’s not something they are actively planning.
To be fair, Oboro’s pretty sure Keigo is not the only issue. None of them wants to leave Touya behind. Sure, they just met the guy, but it’s clear he fits right in with them and they all easily grew fond of him and Oboro is pretty sure that the feeling is mutual. The thing is, would Touya leave his home to join them? From what he said about his family situation the nights prior, he seems to actually care for his siblings, and even his father, to some extent (Oboro is still trying to wrap his head around that, not gonna lie). It’s a delicate situation and it can’t be rushed. They need to use all the time they can get.
“Actually, we still haven’t decided when exactly we’re leaving yet, but I can assure you that we’ll-”
“Stay for that lovely festival of yours, of course.” Oboro interrupts Shota with the most cheerful tone he can muster, wrapping his arm around his friend’s shoulder to make sure he stays silent. “I can’t remember the last time our siblings had the chance to go to an event like this one, and they’d definitely love to attend.” he adds, before ditching his happy smile in favor of a pained frown. Time to gather his acting skills. “Besides… the young ones really need a distraction in a moment like this one, since there’s… there’s Chiyo…” he whispers, bringing his free hand to his face, dramatically rubbing the corner of his eye, faking the act of wiping a tear.
Both Todoroki and the Captain stare at him in silence, without reacting to his clear change of tone. A tough crowd uh? He’ll need to be extra convincing, then.
“You see… Chiyo, the old woman traveling with us… she’s currently very sick, the poor thing.” he sighs. “Right, Sho?” he elbows his best friend in the side, waiting for him to say something.
The black haired man sends him a glance, clearly speechless.
“Uh… yeah, she’s… she’s very sick…” he manages to let out, his eyes moving from Oboro to Todoroki and back.
“Yeah, I checked on her just a few minutes ago…” Rumi added, leaving the sentence hanging in favor of shaking her head with a grimace, her bunny ears flopping left and right at the movement. “Leaving the comfort of her bed and traveling around in this condition would be a death sentence for her old body.”
Well, thank the gods someone is able to lie properly. Unlike Shota.
"Oh, our poor sweet Chiyo..." Oboro whispers, bringing a hand to his chest.
“We’re… sorry to hear that.” Chisaki mumbles with furrowed brows. If he’s actually saddened, weirded out or upset by the news, Oboro can’t say. But at least the two of them look convinced.
“We’ll accept your kind invitation. At least the kids will have something to look forward to in these difficult days. After the festival, depending on our friend’s conditions, we’ll figure out what to do.” he says.
“We hope it’s not a problem. We weren’t expecting to stay for so long.” Shota intervenes, sending Oboro a murderous glance. He’s so gonna kill him the moment they’re left alone…
“It’s not a problem at all. Please, take care of your friend’s health for as long as you deem necessary.” Todoroki mumbles, the big man looking almost comical in the way he looks at them with uneasiness evident in his eyes. Chisaki turns to look at the Village Chief, his lips pressed in a thin line. It’s obvious he’s displeased with that decision, but he’s in no place to do anything about it. So he just takes a deep breath and brings his hands behind his back, doing his best to regain his composure.
“Very well. I guess we don’t have anything more to say to each other, then. Shall we take our leave, sir?” he asks Todoroki. The Chief nods and turns to face him, trying to recoil from the situation by clearing his throat and straightening his back.
“Yes, Chisaki, let’s get going.” he says, before addressing Shota. “I’ll see all of you in five days, then. And I wish you the best for your… friend.”
"Thank you for your kind wishes." Shota bows respectfully, the motion revealing the reddened tip of his ears.
Oh, that's not good. He is pissed.
After exchanging their goodbyes, the Village Chief and the Captain walk away, leaving the three of them standing silently as they watch the two disappear behind the line of trees surrounding the meadow.
Oboro barely has time to let out a relieved sigh when he feels a cold hand grasp the nape of his neck, the iron grip making him wince in pain. Somewhere on the other side of Shota, Rumi lets out a yelp, probably managing to dodge the black haired man’s wrath thanks to her rabbit reflexes.
“Now, can you two tell me why the fuck …” the curse word is accompanied by a painful clench of Shota’s fingers. “Did you make that bullshit …” the grips get even tighter. Oboro whines, trying to get free, but to no avail. “Up?”
“Why am I the only one being tortured right now?” the taller man protests, another pained sound leaving his lips when Shota clenches his hand once again.
“Cut us some slack, Shota! We were just buying Keigo some time!” Rumi says with a cheerful tone, loudly patting Shota on the back. The impact makes the man lose his grip on Oboro’s nape, and the man seizes his chance to put a safe distance between himself and his best friend.
Shota furrows his brows, focusing his attention on Rumi.
“Buy Keigo some time for w-”
“Hey, why did I just run into Todoroki and Chisaki and why did Todoroki tell me he wishes a good and fast recovery to my old friend?”
The three of them turn all at the same time, watching as Keigo himself approaches with a perplexed look on his face. He’s holding a book in his hands and, even from afar, Oboro can spot its colorful cover.
“These two idiots just told him that Chiyo is sick and about to die.” Shota scoffs and shakes his head, before walking away. “I can’t deal with this shit right now.” Oboro hears him mutter to himself as he enters his tent, probably to take a nap.
“Keigo, this is great news for your gay ass!” Rumi grins and wraps a muscular arm around the blond man’s neck, making him whine in surprise. “Todoroki said there’s a festival in five days and we’re invited. And now that he’s convinced that Chiyo’s sick, he’ll definitely let us stay for a few more days after the celebration!”
“That way, you’ll have more time to spend with Touya!” Oboro adds before his younger sibling could say anything, matching Rumi’s enthusiasm.
“But… isn’t that great news for everyone? We all like spending time with Touya.” Keigo whispers, looking at them.
“But we don’t have a big crush on him!” Himiko butts in from her seat on the log, her voice high pitched and breathy, almost dreamy.
“And I do?” Keigo lifts one eyebrow, looking lost. The girl sighs and crosses her arms against her chest with a pout.
“You so do!”
“Himiko’s right, Kei… you definitely like Touya. It’s… kind of obvious.” Ochako adds, tilting her head to the side, a small gentle smile forming on her lips as she looks at her older brother. The torn sock is back in her hands and her fingers are rapidly moving the needle back and forth to fix it.
"You guys got it twisted. Touya and I are just friends, I don't-"
"What's going on here?" Mina approaches them with a basket filled with freshly washed clothes, Katsuki and Eijiro following right after, both carrying two baskets each.
"These idiots are convinced that I have a crush on Touya." Keigo replies with a roll of his eyes, his wings fluttering behind his back in fake annoyance.
"Uh? But you do have a crush, Kei. Like, I thought it was common knowledge at this point?" Mina furrows her brows and places the basket down, sitting down on a free log and resting her elbows on her knees.
"Yeah man, you are definitely into him." Eijiro confirms with a nod. "You always sit so close to him and you look at him like..."
"Like that loser baker from the village looks at Carrot Muncher, right there." Katsuki interrupts with a groan, pointing his thumb towards Rumi.
"Ohi! Who are you calling Carrot Muncher, you little fuckstain?" Rumi steps toward the boy, punching her palm in a threatening way. "Also, Shimura is not looking at me in any way, idiot. And even if he was, that's none of your business, you hear me?!"
"Yeah, you say that but he keeps thirsting all over you whenever you go to the village and I bet he keeps giving you free stuff!" Katsuki huffs and places down his own baskets next to Mina's. "And before you can deny, I can see that you put on some weight since we-"
"Okay, that's it you little gremlin." Rumi seethes and rapidly wraps her arm around the blond boy's neck, holding him still.
"Ohi, let me go, old hag, I'm gonna murder you, you-"
"Baaack on topic." Mina sighs and shakes her head, trying to cover the sound of Katsuki and Rumi's bickering with her own voice. "You can't fool us, Keigo. We know you, and we know you like Touya." she says matter of factly with a shrug of her shoulders, her pink curls bouncing on her head at the motion.
“And he definitely likes you back.” Oboro confirms, poking Keigo’s side with his index finger, making him squirm away because of the tickling sensation. Or at least, he tries to squirm away, but Eijiro, who silently moved next to him, tightly holds him still, so Keigo can only wiggle on the spot helplessly, sending Oboro a murderous look.
“I don’t know what you guys are talking about. Touya and I are friends. Just friends.” he protests, freeing himself from Eijiro's hold and stepping away from them.
“But you, like… are always so protective when it comes to him.” Himiko mutters, pointing her finger at him in an accusing manner.
“Yeah, and I have my good reason for that! You guys are always way too rough with him, one of these days you’ll end up hurting him.” he sends Himiko a scolding glance.
“You always smile so hard when he’s around. And you’re always two steps away from him, every second.” Oboro intervenes with a grin.
“And when you’re not two steps away from him, you keep staring at him longingly.” Rumi says, stopping her playfight with Katsuki but still holding him still in her arms.
“To make sure he’s okay and doesn’t feel overwhelmed. Do I need to remind y’all that he spent the last ten years in almost complete solitude? He’s not used to being crowded, especially not by people as loud as all of us.”
“You literally refused to learn how to read for years… but the moment he offered to teach you, you immediately accepted.” Ochako argues with that same knowing smile on her face. That seems to get to Keigo, because cheeks turn visibly pinker.
“Because I…” he starts, before biting his lip. Himiko leans forward, tilting her head to the side, curiosity clear in her yellow sparkly eyes.
“You what?” she asks.
“Nothing. Just… forget it.”
“C’mon, just spit it out, you dumb bird!” Rumi urges him, finally letting go of Katsuki, who sends her a murderous glance and moves to the side with his hands in his pockets. Keigo’s wings wrap around his body, looking to the side to avoid everyone’s gaze.
“It's just... I didn’t… want to look stupid in front of him. Are you happy now?” he just lets out with a sigh, his arms holding the newly bought book tighter against his chest. From one quick glance, Oboro can tell that not even Rumi was expecting this reply, her red eyes wide open in surprise.
“Kei… you’re not stupid.” he whispers and carefully steps closer to his younger brother, but Keigo turns to the side.
“I know I’m not, okay? I know.” his younger sibling huffs and shakes his head to reinforce his statement. “But… damn, have you seen him? He’s like… so smart and awesome. How could I not feel like that in front of him? He knows so many things and always knows what to say, it’s just so easy to grow attached to him. He’s so gentle, and soft spoken, and overall a great person.” he goes on, his wings fluffing up as he starts walking back and forth and his words start getting faster and faster. “He’s a sweet person who went through a lot of shit and still he’s so… good to everyone. He always has nice things to say about his family and even about his shit dad and oh, he’s just… fuck, he looks so…” he groans and looks around, as if trying to find in the air the right word.
“Good?” Rumi suggests, visibly at loss of words in front of her best friend’s outburst.
“Handsome!” Keigo corrects her, his tone almost frustrated. “It’s like… he keeps getting hotter and hotter every time we meet, how does he do that?” he asks, turning to face her. Rumi blinks a couple of times, speechless, before sending a glance in Oboro’s direction, as if asking for help.
“I… don’t know?” she finally lets out, but she sounds unconvinced by her own words.
“Yeah, neither do I!” Keigo exclaims and sits down on the nearest log, right next to Mina. A long, stunned silence falls among them as they stare at him in surprise, the girl tentatively patting his shoulder in a soothing way.
“So… to get this straight… you think Touya is nice… and smart.” she finally whispers, almost carefully. Keigo runs a hand through his messy hair with a sigh.
“Yeah…”
“And you really care about him.” Ochako adds with a reassuring nod.
“Yeah.”
“And you admire him.” Rumi says with a knowing smile.
“Yeah.”
“And you like spending time with him.” Eijiro then says, muffling a small laugh.
“Yeah.”
“And you really want to kiss him.” this time it was Himiko the one who spoke, her tone just as calm and soft as everyone else's.
“Yeah.” the word leaves Keigo’s lips before he can even realize it, his eyes going wide in shock as the realization hits. Everyone just stares in dumbfounded silence as Keigo lifts his gaze, staring into nothing as he wraps his head around his own unexpected confession. “I… wanna kiss Touya.” he whispers to himself.
Well, took him long enough, but better sooner than later…
“I wanna… kiss Touya.” Keigo repeats, just as softly. Oboro feels something brushing against his arm and when he turns, he sees Rumi pressing her shoulder against his, trying to get his attention.
“Should we snap him out of it?” she asks as she eyes her best friend with concern.
“Nah. He’ll snap out of it on his own… maybe.” he hums, tilting his head to the side as he observes his younger brother. “And here I thought he was just hiding his feelings from us. Turns out he was in complete denial.”
Rumi rolls her eyes with a shake of her head, muttering something that sounds very similar to ' fucking idiot '. The two of them observe in silence as Ochako carefully waves a hand in front of Keigo’s face, trying to wake him up from his self induced trance.
“Well… we did what we had to. How things will go from now on depends on him.” she sighs.
A familiar sense of unease forcefully makes its way inside Oboro’s chest, settling right next to his heart, making him feel heavy and nervous. If only it was that easy…
“Not all of it.” he whispers and crosses his arms, mimicking the white haired woman’s pose.
“What do you mean?” she asks with a rise of her thin eyebrow, red eyes looking at him in confusion. A long sigh leaves Oboro’s lips and his eyes fall shut.
“It also depends on whether Touya is willing to give everything up for him.” he replies, the negative feeling in his chest getting bigger now that he voiced his concern out loud.
—
When Kai steps into his chambers, that night, is with a displeased grunt. His meeting with Todoroki regarding the spring festival and the presence of the Curse Bearers took them longer than expected, so the old man offered him the chance to have dinner with them. Which gave Kai the perfect chance to converse with Todoroki Fuyumi and maybe bring up the marriage discourse once again, but the woman politely made sure to avoid the topic, orchestrating the conversation in a way that made it focus more on the festival and Hakata’s politics than anything else. And of course Todoroki let her, yapping away for most of the night, boasting about the preparations for the spring festival, the recent growth of the trading business of the village and the economic advantages achieved by said growth.
Fuyumi listened to her father intently, her eyes sparkling with interest and lips curved in a small smile. The second oldest butted in every now and then, sharing his thoughts about this and that topic, but mostly agreeing with his father. Meanwhile, the youngest just ate his food in silence with what seemed a disgruntled frown on his face.
Sometimes Fuyumi asked Kai questions about his job with the military, feigning interest regarding his duties and plans, but it was clear she was only acting out of politeness.
And yet, it isn’t the complete fiasco that dinner turned out to be that is causing Kai so much distress. He knows he’s playing the long game with that little Todoroki bitch so, as frustrating as it may be sometimes, seeing the way she plays hard to get, Kai knows he’ll get there eventually. He just needs to stay on the old man’s good side, everything else will work out on its own in the end.
No, that’s not the thing making him pace back and forth in his room, making him feel like there’s nothing but annoyance cursing through his veins instead of blood, filling his whole body and making him wish he could rip his own skin off.
“That sly… old… fucker…” he whispers to himself, kicking one of his shoes off the genkan and sending it flying against the wall.
Admittedly, when he agreed to accompany Todoroki to the forest, he was hoping to see Keigo. It’s not like he tagged along for the pleasant company or, even worse, because he actually wanted to see those rejects. He only wanted to see his pretty bird and, when he realized the winged man was not there, he wanted to yell in frustration.
So, to his great dismay, he had to stand there and wait patiently as the old man exchanged pleasantries with the cursed people, inviting them to the festival and, as if that wasn’t enough already, he even had to listen to the stupid sob story about some old hag being on the verge of death. Kai had to bite his tongue to the point it almost hurt to stop himself from saying how much of a good riddance that was to him. One less cursed person in this world could only do good, especially if the Curse Bearer in question happens to be in Hakata, tainting the village with their rotten presence.
But no, he needed to stay put, to remain in Todoroki’s good graces, so he held his tongue and feigned surprise and chagrin at the best of his abilities as that blue haired freak and that awful rabbit woman kept going on and on about their poor old friend who was about to kick the bucket.
And, just when Kai thought that things couldn’t get any worse for his self control, that’s when Keigo showed up, right after Kai and Todoroki left the meadow where the Curse Bearers are currently staying. The winged man was as shamelessly pretty as always, blonde hair disheveled by the wind, and cheeky grin plastered on his face.
When his golden eyes met Kai’s, they grew wide in surprise, and the Captain felt like his evening could finally turn out for the better, but of course the old man had to ruin everything. Before Kai could even open his mouth to utter a single word, Todoroki was already engaging in a clearly fake heartfelt speech about how sorry he was about the old woman being sick and that he hoped that she could have a fast recovery. He then added that, if needed, he could put a good word with the village’s healer to make sure he would sell them all the medicines they could need for a good price.
Keigo muttered a curt ‘thank you’, his eyes locking a couple of times with Kai’s, before resuming his quick walk towards the meadow.
How does the old man keep doing that? Why is he ruining every chance Kai gets to make progress with the Curse Bearer? Of course he doesn’t actually need to ask why, Kai already knows that the only reason why Todoroki always meddles in their business it’s because he’s jealous to his very core, painfully aware of the fact that a beauty like that could never spare him a second glance. What Kai does not understand is why he cares so much. Why is he so set on this? It’s not like he can’t have all the women and men he wants. People die to lie in bed with him. He’s always the one being chased, never the one who chases. So why Keigo? Why is he different?
Is it the fact that he’s so different, his curse making him look somewhat exotic? Or is it the curse itself, the thing that makes him look so desirable? His beauty, in addition to his status as Curse Bearer makes everything feel more exciting, it gives him the appeal of something forbidden, of something that you shouldn’t even spare a second glance at, let alone desire.
Kai shouldn’t be feeling anything but disgust when looking at those vile wings, and yet…
And yet he wants to grab, pull, ruin. He wants to run his fingers through those blood colored feathers, feel their texture under his fingertips, listen to the breathy moans and whimpers Keigo would let out because of him, watch him go crazy in pleasure, until he can do nothing but moan Kai’s name, begging for release.
And yes, maybe this is all just because of the thrill of giving in to his most indecent desires with a man, a man who happens to be part of the scum of humankind, the filthies filth… but more than that he knows there’s something even deeper than that, underneath. The fact that Keigo barely spares him a glance, the fact that he’s always civil and nothing more with him, awakens something feral in Kai’s guts. He can have all the women and men he wants, he knows he can. And yet, he wants the only one that plays hard to get even if he has no right to.
And Kai is willing to play all his cards, in these upcoming five days, to make it happen. He’ll have Keigo in his bed, whatever it takes.
Notes:
idk how many of you checked this fanfiction's playlist on spotify, but as you could probably imagine the scene of keigo realizing he likes touya when talking to oboro, rumi and the others was inspired by "i won't say (I'm in love)" from hercules lol
i just found amusing the idea of keigo being in complete denial and the others being there like "c'mon, you TOTALLY like him!"
i hope you enjoyed that just as much as i did lol
by the way, i wanted to once again thank you guys for the support. this fic always receives so much love with every update and it makes me happy. I'm just so glad that a lot of you guys are sticking around for this fic... thank you so much
ps: mha ended today... it feels weird, a part of me really hoped it could last for a while longer... i won't go on a rant about this ending, but let me just say it was... something
Chapter 18: Chapter 17 - Zinnia
Notes:
i almost forgot i was supposed to update today because i was too busy building my heizou on genshin, this is embarrassing
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Zinnia: Loyalty
Touya is pretty sure that spending so much time near the window, staring at the village as the streets get more and more crowded by the minute, is risky. If Fuyumi could see him, she would definitely reprimand him and make him close the curtains. But Fuyumi is not here tonight. She is somewhere down there, probably getting ready for the musical performance she’s supposed to be part of.
Besides, everyone is too distracted to pay attention to him anyway. Food vendors shout out loud the names of the delicacies they prepared for the occasion. Traveling merchants who came to Hakata for the purpose of selling their goods scream at the top of their lungs, hoping to get the customers’ attention for long enough to convince them to buy something. Street performers, dancers, musicians, shadow puppeteers, jugglers, and even a couple of fire eaters, flash out their talents, putting up a show for the sole purpose of leaving the crowd in awe and getting some silver coins in return. Yes, everyone has better things to do and more interesting things to look at, rather than lift their gaze and notice Touya silently observing from his window, so he can indulge himself a little longer than usual.
“Touya?” Shouto’s voice pulls him away from his thoughts and the fire user turns around to look at his little brother. Shouto is already wearing his formal clothes picked for the occasion, a dark blue nagagi with a black and white belt around the waist and a grayish black haori worn over the silk garment. “Hey… I just wanted to let you know that I’m going out now.” the boy says softly and steps further into the room, looking almost too small in his fancy clothes, despite his not so modest height. How his fifteen year old brother managed to get as tall as him in such a short period of time is still beyond Touya.
“Thanks for letting me know, Sho.” he mumbles and approaches his little brother, fixing for him the neck of his haori with a little smile on his lips. “Did you manage to put your feelings for Midoriya and Katsuki straight?” he asks as he busies himself with the fabric, smothering a non-existent crease on the chest.
“Mh, not yet.” Shouto mumbles, letting Touya fidget with his clothes.
“Well, maybe hanging out with them tonight will help you see things under a different light, don’t you think?” the fire user asks, tilting his head to the side. Shouto lets out a sigh and runs a hand on his differently colored fringe, fixing it as best as he can with his fingers. He has always hated it when the red and the white of his hair mix in the middle.
“I hope so… even though Midoriya is stuck with his family’s pastry stand, so I won’t have much time to spend with him… I’ll probably hang out with Katsuki most of the night.”
“You just try to have fun and don’t fret too much about it. I’m sure things will work out just fine.” Touya does his best to reassure his brother and, by the little smile forming on Shouto’s lips, he can tell that his efforts were not in vain. The kid waves at him and steps out of the room with a ‘ see you later, Tou’ . A few seconds after that, the white haired man hears the sound of the front door opening and closing right back.
Well, here he is. All alone in the house. That's not something that happens as often as one could think, considering that, between Father and his siblings, there’s always someone home. And that's why Touya wants to take this rare chance and make the best of these few hours. He could go into his mother’s room and pray in front of her shrine (which is something he doesn’t get to do quite often, despite his wish to do so, since Father always discourages him from leaving his room unless it is strictly necessary). He could even go downstairs and get some food, eat at a proper dinner table instead of his small desk. Drink something different than tea or water, maybe sneak some sweets and alcohol into his room. He could share them with Keigo tomorrow, when he comes over.
His winged friend didn’t tell him about the festival, but Touya did hear Mina and Ochako talk about it two days ago. Apparently, his father, moved by a sudden wave of altruism, had decided to invite the quirk users to the spring festival and they all accepted the invite. So, even if Keigo didn’t clearly state that he is going to go to the festival instead of having their usual rendez-vous, Touya is not expecting him tonight.
When Touya walks into Mother’s room, the scent of incense is strong and, after closer inspection, he finds an almost finished incense stick placed on a small platter in front of his mother’s portrait. Right next to it sits a slightly bigger plate with Mother’s favorite foods inside.
Fuyumi must’ve come here before leaving for the festival.
Touya kneels before the small shrine, lifting his joined hands in front of his face, his eyes closed and his back straight.
“Wherever you are, Mother, I hope you’re watching over Father, Yumi, Natsu and Sho. We all miss you dearly and miss your bright presence in our lives.” his voice echoes against the walls of the room. “I bet she already told you, but Fuyumi is being courted by Captain Chisaki Kai lately. I think it’s only a matter of time before she accepts to marry him. Even if I don’t particularly like that guy… I hope he’ll treat her kindly, because she deserves it. Natsuo… Shouto told me that he’s working hard to take Father’s place as the next head of the village. Please guide him and make sure he shines brightly as he deserves to. He’s smart and dedicated, I know he’ll be a great Village Chief. And Shouto is growing up so fast, Mother. The other day he came to me and told me he’s having trouble figuring out his feelings for two of his friends. I only hope everything works out fine for him in the end. He’s such a sweet boy, truly a pure soul. He deserves nothing but happiness, so… please watch over him and help him find some peace of mind.” he tells his mother everything that comes to his mind. It has always been like this. When she was alive, Touya could always count on Mother to be there and lend him a listening ear. “Father… I heard he’s being very welcoming with the quirk users. He even invited them to the spring festival. I am glad he’s finding in his heart the kindness to be nice to them. You know, I’ve met them, even if no one knows. They’re good people, they deserve to be treated accordingly. Especially Keigo…” he feels the healthy skin of his cheeks get warmer at the mention of his friend’s name. “I like him a lot, Mother. No, more than that… I love him a lot, Mother.” he lets out and gods , if it feels weird to say that out loud. Weird, but also… freeing. “Please, spare a thought for him. Protect him just like I love him.” he adds, shutting his eyes tighter.
He hopes his mother will listen to him and heed his plea. The thought of Mother watching over Keigo in his stead, even when he’ll leave Hakata and be far away is reassuring, almost soothing. Makes him almost forget the pain of knowing that, the moment the quirk users will leave, he won’t see them (and Keigo) anymore.
When he finally gets up, after spending a few more minutes kneeling in front of the shrine, Touya feels his legs tingle uncomfortably, rendered numb by the prolonged position. He looks at the portrait, beaming sadly at the sight of his mother’s smile, dark grey eyes looking back at him, unmovingly.
“I almost forgot… the rindou blossoms look very promising this year. I bet that when the flowers bloom this summer, they’ll look wonderful.” he whispers with a smile. “I’ll make sure to bring you some, Mother.” he promises and bows deeply for a few long seconds, ignoring the uncomfortable pull of the staples on his back. After one last glance at his mother’s portrait, Touya steps out of the room, directed towards the kitchen for a snack.
Or at least, that’s the plan, because he ends up recoiling in surprise when, as he takes a few steps down the hallway, he sees a red undefined object dancing mid air in front of his face, making an embarrassingly high pitched yelp leave his lips. When he finally manages to focus his eyes on the red little thing, he recognizes one of Keigo’s smaller feathers.
“Uh?” he hums and lifts his left hand, lightly brushing the fingertip of his index finger against the delicate barbs of the feather. The gentle touch makes the feather quiver in the air, and then it floats even closer to his face and tickles the tip of his nose.
The funny sensation makes him scrunch his face and let out a small laugh, trying to escape the feather’s tickle.
“Come on, stop!” he whispers and, as gently as possible, takes the feather by the quill between his thumb and index finger. “What are you doing here, little one?” he wonders almost to himself, twirling the feather between his fingers.
The little plume quivers once again, making Touya let go of its quill and, when freed, the feather flies a couple of times around him, before drifting away, towards the staircase. It then proceeds to stop and wave in Touya’s direction, almost expectantly. “What, you want me to follow you?” he asks and steps closer to it, not really expecting an answer. He has time after all, he can allow himself to indulge Keigo’s feather for a little while.
So he follows the feather downstairs, letting it occasionally brush against his shoulders, cheeks and hands whenever he steps close to it. The feather eventually guides him to the backdoor that leads to the mansion’s garden, that garden his mother spent so much time decorating. Touya still remembers helping her plant her beloved rindou flowers on the lawn and set wherever she asked to white smooth stone tiles to create a small path that crosses the whole area, making it possible for people to walk around the garden without stepping on the grass and the flowers; the path starts from the house and then divides into two smaller tracks, one closer to the mansion, leading to the small stone fountain where their koi carps swim peacefully and the other one leading deeper in the garden, where his mother had a wooden pavilion with a bench set up many years ago, when he was still a child and Natsuo and Shouto weren’t even born yet.
“It’s the perfect place to sit and read a book, don’t you think, Touya? I bet that when you’re older, you’ll love coming here just as much as I do.”
Keigo’s feather caresses his cheek once again and then rapidly floats towards the pavilion, where a grinning Keigo is waiting for him, head tilted to the side as he stares at Touya smugly.
The white haired man stops in his tracks the moment he spots him, his brain halting in front of that majestic sight. He’s so used to seeing Keigo at night, with his features rendered even prettier under the white moonlight, or under blue candlelight that makes his skin look pale and his hair almost silvery. But this? This is a sight that he's certain he will never be able to forget.
After seeing Keigo for the first time, dancing in broad daylight in the streets of Hakata, Touya had known that the winged man shines brighter during the day, with the sun rays caressing his skin, golden light complimenting his golden eyes, tanned skin and blond hair. And yet, he stands corrected, because under the orange and purple rays of the setting sun, Keigo looks even more breathtakingly beautiful.
Not for the first time, Touya wonders how he is supposed to consider Keigo’s wings as a punishment from the gods, when right now, they’re making him look like a divine creature, one you could see in books. Maybe everyone got it wrong. Maybe some quirks are not curses, but blessings, and Keigo is living proof of that. And Touya feels blessed too, only for being able to witness such beauty.
And something in the back of his mind is yelling at him, telling him that he’s staring, he’s been staring for at least a full minute, frozen in place with his mouth agape and eyes locked on Keigo, the blond man probably waiting for him to say or do something. But Touya’s brain is not working properly, too overwhelmed by the sight in front of him.
You really are a goner for this man, Todoroki Touya.
—
Keigo was never a big fan of long silences. But there’s something inherently beautiful in the way Touya silently looks at him, as if he’s drinking him in, as if he just can’t find the words. It makes his cheeks feel hot, probably turning as red as his wings, but Keigo confides that, under the orange sunset light, Touya won’t notice.
After becoming aware of his own feelings for Touya (how stupid he was for not realizing sooner!), Keigo started paying closer attention to how the fire user acted. And, even if a part of him is convinced that Touya feels the same about him, making his heart swell with joy and tenderness, even if most of his family members apparently agree on the fact that Touya seems to be as smitten as he feels, Keigo still wants to be cautious.
The impulsive part of his brain keeps yelling at him to just take Touya, kiss him stupid and beg him to leave Hakata with him and the rest of his family. But the rational part of his brain (and Shota) vehemently disagrees with this idea. Touya is clearly unhappy in his life situation right now, but still, that’s the only life he has ever known. Trying to revolutionize everything he knows, suggesting such a drastic change might scare him and make him shut down completely. And Keigo doesn’t want that to happen. So he needs to be careful, maybe wait for Touya to take the first step. But at the same time, though, they don’t have much time left. The stupid lie about Chiyo being sick can’t last forever.
And sure, he needs to accept that there’s a not too unlikely scenario that Touya might choose to stay here. That Touya would rather stay with his family than leave everything behind to start a new life with Keigo and the others, but… Keigo would rather not think about that.
“You seem surprised, petal.” he says when it becomes clear to him that Touya isn’t about to interrupt the silence anytime soon. That seems to stir the fire user, who blinks a couple of times and approaches him. Now that they’re standing closer, Keigo can see the way the sun makes the steel on Touya’s face shine, looking almost like it’s made of pure gold, and, to his big surprise, the sunlight reveals a detail Keigo never noticed all those times he looked at Touya. There’s a few strands of red hair on his head, almost hidden in the big mass of snowy white. He almost coos at the sigh, the desire to touch those pretty red spots makes his hands hitch.
“I… actually wasn’t expecting you, today. I thought you were going to the festival.” Touya admits, running his hand through his hair.
“Oh, I’m not a big fan of festivals. Besides, you’re way more interesting.” Keigo replies with a smile and a shrug, before gently bumping Touya’s shoulder with his own.
To be fair, that 's only half true. While Keigo does think that spending time with Touya is way better than going to a festival, he still loves attending those and, in a different situation, he would've loved to go to the event with Touya. One day, maybe... after they leave Hakata. Every city, town and village in the country organizes festivals, every year, surely the two of them will have the chance to go to one together someday.
They could walk around, check every stand, buy delicious food, maybe even hold hands…
Keigo smiles to himself, doing his best not to grin too much at the thought. That would be lovely.
The fire user’s cheeks turn almost immediately red at Keigo's previous confession, a few incoherent sounds leaving his lips out of embarrassment.
Cute.
“So, what are we doing today? I don’t think it’s fair for you to once again embrace the role of teacher, since it’s a festive day and you deserve some rest. So no books and no exercises today, we only do what you wanna do, okay?” he adds. “We can stay here, go to the camp and hang out with Chiyo, we can even go to the beach if you want. But I think that, in that case, it would be better to wait a few hours before leaving, just in case. It’s still pretty early to fly around and we'd risk getting spotted.”
“We can… I mean, staying here is fine. I actually was thinking about eating something and then going to my room to relax and maybe get a glimpse or two at the festival.” Touya mumbles as he starts walking towards the house. Keigo follows right after, his wings flapping a couple of times.
“Eat and chill, sounds like a perfect plan to me.” he replies. “Hey, I can go and buy something tasty from the festival. That Shimura guy, the one crushing on Rumi, makes some awesome sweets and I heard he had some cool recipes in store for tonight.”
“Oh, you don’t have to go all the way there.” Touya stops him, moving his hand anxiously. “I mean, if you want to, sure. But we have quite a variety of pastries and sweets here.” he reveals as he steps inside the house. “You know, my sister, Fuyumi… she’s a bit of a sweet tooth, so she visits the pastry shop quite often herself. We can just… help ourselves from her stash.”
Keigo can’t help but smile a little at the offer.
“And she won’t mind at all?” he asks, tilting his head. Touya turns to look at him and, the moment their eyes lock, a sly smirk forms on his lips.
“Who said she needs to know?” he replies, making Keigo chuckle.
Two hours later, they’re sitting at the dinner table, stuffing their faces full of mochis, almond pastries and sweet bread glazed with honey. Everything accompanied by an urn of sweet tasting sake they had stumbled upon the moment they opened the food storeroom.
“And that concludes the story of how Rumi and I met and Shota convinced her to join us.” Keigo ends his story with a little smile on his face and finishes his cup of sake in one go.
“I seriously think you’re messing with me.” Touya mumbles after gulping down the food in his mouth. “How didn’t you realize she was-”
“I’m telling you, that’s exactly what happened. I swear on my wings, petal.” he stops him with a shake of his head, spreading his wings behind his back to reinforce his words. "If you don't believe me, ask her. She loves telling that story anyway."
“Well, let me tell you… that doesn’t make you look very smart, feathers.” Touya points a finger at him with an amused expression on his face. Keigo’s cheeks turn red at that, and it’s definitely not because of all the alcohol he has drowned the past two hours.
“What… what did you just call me?” he asks, surprised. Touya seems to realize what just slipped out of his mouth, his cheeks turning as red as Keigo’s. He swiftly turns to the side and clears his throat, trying to give himself some composure.
Cute.
(Keigo should probably stop thinking about how cute Touya is all the time, but it's not his fault that the man is so endearing!)
“I, uh… sorry, it’s just… you picked a nickname for me, and you use it a lot too, so I thought… I know, it’s stupid. Sorry, it won’t happen again.” he apologizes, visibly embarrassed. Gods, how can someone be so… precious?
“Wait, no!” Keigo whines and leans forward with a pout. “It’s cute, I want you to call me that! Please call me that!” he insists, carefully placing his chin on Touya’s shoulder. Touya scrunches his nose and moves his head away, trying to put some distance between his ear and Keigo’s high pitched wails, but he doesn’t look actually annoyed, so it’s fine.
“Okay, fine! I’ll keep calling you feathers, but only if you stop whining in my ear. Are you happy?” he says as he tries to hide his smile.
Keigo grins widely and straightens his back.
“Very happy.” he confirms with a nod. “What a pair we are, uh? Petal and feathers.” he adds, gesturing between the two of them.
“If you say so…” Touya whispers, his cheeks still tinted a faint shade of pink. Keigo wonders whether he’s still a little flustered from their interaction or if he’s simply a bit of a lightweight.
“Are you sure your family will be okay with all of this?” he points vaguely at the dinner table. “We’re drinking… quite a lot, now that I think about it.” he adds as one of his medium sized feathers detaches itself from his left wing and lifts the urn of sake to weigh it. They must’ve drunk at least half of it…
“I mean, not that I care too much… it’s just a few cups of sake.” Touya mumbles, his brows furrowed and lips pursed in a pout. “They make me stay all day in my room. I can’t even come down here and eat with them, if it weren’t for Shouto I’d be alone all day. I don’t remember the last time I had the chance to drink anything different than tea or water. If Father cares so much, he can buy more sake… it’s not like he doesn’t have the money.” he adds, this time quieter, as if he’s talking to himself. Keigo tilts his head to the side, a little surprised by the small rant. Yeah, Touya often tells him about his living conditions in the Todoroki mansion, but he never sounds annoyed or frustrated. He just speaks of it with a sort of resignation, as if he was saying ‘ that’s just how it goes around here ’. The alcohol is probably loosening his tongue. With a sigh, Touya places his empty cup on the table.
“It must be hard… living like this.” Keigo whispers softly, tentatively placing his hand over Touya’s, watching closely as he lets go of the cup he was still holding, his fingers twitching as if longing to shift and hold Keigo’s.
“I guess… but I can’t really blame anyone but myself for this situation, so…” he shrugs and oh, Keigo definitely disagrees with that last statement, but he lets Touya resume talking. “Beside, it’s not that bad. I mean... boring? Sure. Lonely? A little, yes, but it could be worse. I have Shouto and… and at least I’m not actually dead, so… I can’t really complain, I guess.”
Keigo just stares at him, speechless. That was one of the most depressing things he’s ever heard in his life. And he’s spent the last eleven years living with Shota .
“You know… your life could be better than this, Touya. Being alive and living are… two different things. And trust me, I know that better than anyone.” he gently squeezes the fire user’s hand, his voice coming out a little weaker than intended. Keigo shakes his head, biting the inner walls of his cheeks to snap himself out of it. Now it’s not the time for that. He needs to be there for Touya. This is about Touya. “What I’m trying to say is… if you want, you could-”
The sound of the front door opening makes them both freeze, their eyes widening and their heads turning towards the source of the noise. A little groan comes from the other room, the voice clearly resembling the one of a woman. It must be Touya’s sister.
“It’s Yumi.” Touya confirms, his voice a faint whisper so low that Keigo almost missed it, even with his sharp sense of hearing. “Shit, shit, shit…”
They stay completely still, almost too scared to breathe, listening to Fuyumi walking around the house and then enter her room, closing the door behind her.
“Let’s go, we can’t stay here.” Touya whispers, getting up as silently and quickly as possible. Keigo just nods, detaching a few feathers and using them to clean around the dining room, concealing the traces of their presence as best as possible.
The two of them step out of the room, moving around on their tiptoes, directed towards the staircase. Keigo is praying to every god that comes to his mind that the wooden floor beneath their feet doesn’t squeak like the flooring of her mother’s inn used to do, because if it does they’re screwed. They almost make it to the stairs when they hear the sound of Fuyumi’s door sliding open and Keigo feels Touya’s hand wrap around his wrist and pull him hard.
“Here, quick!” he silently instructs and pushes him inside a room, shutting the door behind him. “Hey… Yumi!”
Keigo stays still, completely petrified as he stares at the door, listening to Touya speak with his sister on the other side of the wall. He quickly opens his wings, using the smaller, most sensitive feathers to detect the vibrations of the two siblings’ voices and make out their conversation.
“Touya? What are you doing down here?” she asks, her tone tense as she takes a few steps, probably towards her older brother. Keigo can’t help but roll his eyes. What kind of question is that? Touya isn’t even allowed to walk around his own home?
“I… wanted to visit Mother’s shrine, have an early dinner and then go to bed.” Touya says casually and Keigo thinks there must be a fund of truth in his words. After all, his feather didn’t find Touya in his room, so he probably did pay a visit to his mother earlier.
“Oh right, dinner! I was supposed to bring you dinner, wasn’t I? Sorry, I totally forgot. I wanted to, but then Father told me that Chisaki… I mean, Captain Chisaki wanted to see me before the start of the festival and lately he's been trying so hard to get me to talk to him alone and I… I guess it just slipped my mind…” Fuyumi blurts out rapidly, her tone still sounding agitated.
“It’s okay, Yumi. I can manage for one night.” Touya reassures her, his heartbeat loud and clear even with the wall separating them, Keigo's feathers twitching like crazy with every beat of Touya’s heart. “So… why are you back so soon?”
“Ah, I needed my bachi .” she replies, the sound of shuffling suggesting that she’s probably showing Touya the little tool used to play stringed instruments (Keigo can only thank Ochako and Himiko for the knowledge, because if it wasn’t for those two shamisen enthusiasts he’s pretty sure he would not have a clue). “I should hurry back now, the performance is supposed to start soon.” Fuyumi adds, her steps getting farther away. Keigo sighs in relief. She’s leaving… thank goodness.
“Good luck with that, Yumi. I’ll make sure to take a look when it’s your turn.” Touya promises, with such gentleness and affection in his voice that makes Keigo’s heart skip a beat.
“T-Thank you, Touya.” Fuyumi mumbles awkwardly. “That’s nice, just… make sure to be careful, okay? We don’t want anyone to see you…” she leaves her words hanging.
“Oh… yeah, right… sorry, Yumi.” Touya mumbles silently. “I’ll… be careful.”
“See you later, Tou.”
The front door opens and closes softly, leaving the mansion in complete silence.
“Yeah… sure.” Touya whispers silently as he lets out a small sigh.
Keigo doesn’t dare to speak, or move yet, the heartbreak in Touya’s voice rendering him unable to do anything. No one deserves to be treated like this. Touya doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. Is this how it always goes in his household? Touya offering his love to his siblings and father and them shutting him down, giving him nothing but cold politeness?
When the door slides open, Keigo almost jumps back in surprise, his eyes shooting up to meet Touya's, but that usual sparkle that he knows and loves in them is not there. It makes his heart clench in pain.
“Petal…” he whispers, but the fire user shakes his head.
“She’s gone now. Come on, let’s not stay in here.” he whispers back, his gaze moving for a fraction of a second towards something behind Keigo’s back, before focusing on him once again.
The gesture makes Keigo instinctively turn his head, to take a look at whatever caught Touya’s attention.
“Sure, let’s… oh.” the words die in his throat when, after turning all the way towards the rest of the room, he realizes what Touya was looking at.
Now that Keigo is actually looking, this appears to be the room of a child. A small, yet comfortable looking futon is placed on a wooden frame. The flooring is composed of tatami tables, instead of simple wooden boards like Touya’s room. Next to the bed, there’s a fancy engraved chest, one of those where you store your clothes. In front of the window, bathed in moonlight, there’s a writing desk, with books, pieces of paper and writing tools. Keigo is about to ask whether this is Shouto’s room, but then his eyes land on something that makes his blood run cold.
In the farthest corner of the room, there’s a small shrine, like the ones Ochako told him about a while ago. Those shrines people build in their houses to pay respect to dead family members. The portrait depicts a young kid, probably a little younger than Keigo's siblings, with snowy white hair and familiar turquoise eyes, adorned by long dark eyelashes. Keigo takes a step towards the shrine, his head tilting to the side in confusion. The resemblance is clear. Even if he’s only looking at a picture, he could recognize those pretty eyes everywhere.
“I… I don’t get it.” he breathes out, his voice sounding weak. Touya, still standing behind him, takes a step forward with a sigh.
“They had to make sure everyone thought I was dead, so they commissioned a portrait and… built this.” he explains with a resigned tone.
“But that’s… petal, there’s… there are offerings here…” Keigo stutters when he notices the plates of food, Touya’s favorite food, and incense sticks in front of the shrine, finally turning to look at the white haired man. Looking at Touya’s shrine while standing right next to him is making him feel sick to his stomach. “Why are they bringing offerings to a fake shrine?”
Touya stands silently, looking at his own shrine with his hands hidden in his pockets, blue eyes staring into similar, but much younger, blue eyes.
“I guess… even if I didn’t actually die… from their perspective they feel like they lost a son and a brother that day.” he says, turning to look at Keigo.
And shit, Keigo wishes he didn’t feel like crying right now, but nevertheless, he can sense his eyes sting and forces himself to look away, fiercely rubbing his arm over his face, wiping every trace of tears.
“That’s… shit, petal, that’s so fucked up, holy shit.” he hisses, wings fluffying up in anger. Touya's warm body steps closer to his, the heat feeling both comforting and grounding.
“Ush, there’s no need to get so worked up over this, Kei- feathers…” he mumbles, and, despite everything, the little nickname manages to make Keigo feel warm all over, his nerves calming down, even so slightly. “I don’t care what they do or bring to this stupid shrine, so you don’t need to care either.” he adds comfortingly, gently taking Keigo’s arm and moving it away from his face, so they could look at each other.
This is crazy, Touya shouldn’t be the one comforting him right now. Keigo shouldn’t be the one feeling upset about this.
“Let’s just leave, okay? We’ll finish eating in my room and we can talk about whatever you want, what do you think?” Touya offers with a little smile, his delicate hand still gently wrapped around Keigo’s wrist.
“Okay…” he just whispers with a nod, letting Touya lead him out of the room and up the stairs.
As Keigo follows Touya around the house and inside the half empty room (that he now supposes was given to him after his fake death in his actual room’s stead) in which Touya lives and spends most part of his days, he wishes he could take his lovely petal and fly away from this house, putting as much distance as possible between the two of them and that horrible shrine.
Notes:
this was such a sad chapter to write... and the next chapters are gonna be sad too ough... i need my next fic to be more lighthearted, i cant take this
(spoiler: her next fic is not, in fact, lighthearted. she is writing it right now. she is constantly on the verge of tears every time she opens google docs)
Chapter 19: Chapter 18 – Red Spider lily
Notes:
hii everyone, i hope you will like this chapter, i think it's one of my favorites, i loved writing every word of it :)
spoiler: there's a kiss ;)
ALSO FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT BECAUSE OF THE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS, I WILL UPDATE NEXT CHAPTER ON THURSDAY 26TH
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Red Spider Lily: Abandonment
“Oi, Half and Half!”
Shouto should probably feel embarrassed at the way his cheeks immediately turn pink when he hears Katsuki’s voice calling out to him, but he can’t bring himself to care as he quickly turns around to greet the blond boy walking towards him.
Katsuki is wearing his usual dark clothes, with his hands, as always, hidden in his pockets. When he stops in front of Shouto, he slowly scans him up and down, before rapidly averting his gaze and looking around with a thin eyebrow raised in confusion.
“Where’s pastry boy? Is he running late or something?” his red eyes focus back on Shouto.
“Actually, Midoriya is stuck at his family’s stand for a couple of hours because his parents need an extra pair of hands to sell their products, but he said that his brother and he are taking turns at the stand, so he’ll join us when Shimura-san goes to the stand for his turn. It won't take more than a couple of hours, I believe.” Shouto explains with a shrug.
The three of them had decided they would meet in front of the Tocho-ji, the temple built many centuries ago in Hakata in honor of the Goddess of Mercy, so they could visit the stands and watch the performers together (Midoriya had thought the temple would be the best meeting place, since that, given its size, it would be pretty easy for Katsuki to spot and reach, even without knowing the various streets and areas of the village. It was actually a pretty smart idea, especially considering that, during the festival, everyone would be outside and the streets would be very crowded. Honestly, Shouto hadn’t even thought of that). But that was before Midoriya found out his help was needed at his family’s pastry shop, of course.
“So now what? We just go without him?” Katsuki grunts with a displeased pout plastered on his face. The sight makes Shouto smile, but at the same time, a bitter taste rises from his stomach and into his mouth, making him almost grimace in displeasure. It’s cute seeing how Katsuki pretends to be nonchalant, while his face shows how much he’s upset because of Midoriya’s absence. But also… is he really that annoyed at the idea of having to spend time alone with Shouto?
“Actually, I was thinking that maybe, we can do something else while we wait for him? You know, the festival is kind of boring before the sunset. All the good stuff happens later tonight. What do you think?”
“What would I know, I’ve never been to a damn festival. If you say that going now would be boring, let’s fuck off somewhere else, then.” Katsuki mumbles and starts walking off, leaving Shouto staring in surprise.
“Where are you going?” he promptly moves forward so he can walk side by side with the boy.
“The fucking beach. It’s not like there’s much we can do around here. Stupid boring village, how can you two losers live here without getting fucking depressed is beyond me.” Katsuki seethes, sending the other boy a dirty glance, as if the fact that he finds the village boring is Shouto’s direct fault.
“Uh, whatever you wish, I guess…” Shouto mumbles. “Do you want to stop by Midoriya’s stand before we go? You know, so we can say hi and take something to eat? My treat.” he offers.
“‘M not hungry yet.” Katsuki replies, a little too quickly to sound nonchalant, and Shouto can’t help but shoot him a questioning glance.
“Is… everything okay?” he asks, uncertain.
Katsuki is, without a doubt, the most complex person Shouto’s ever had to deal with in his life. Sure, most of the time he wears his heart on his sleeve and, even if his mouth says something, his actions and overall body language reveal a completely different story, so Shouto doesn’t easily get intimidated by his (seemingly) unpleasant demeanor. He knows that, even if Katsuki is a little rough around the edges, he’s a good person. But at the same time, it feels like there’s a lot going on in his head, under those spiky blond hair and Shouto, as much as he tries his absolute best, can’t always keep up with Katsuki’s rapid change of moods.
“Fucking course it is.”
“Are you sure? Because you kind of sound… nervous.” Shouto tilts his head forward, trying to take a glimpse at the boy’s face, but the quirk user stubbornly turns to the side, away from Shouto’s questioning gaze. “And I mean… more than usual.”
The more the two of them distance themselves from the busy streets, crowded by festive people going to the main road where the festival is taking place, the more silent the area around them gets, their conversation accompanied only by the sound of birds chirping over their heads, far away crickets singing as one, and the approaching sound of waves crashing against the sand.
“I said I’m fine, you two colored idiot.” Katsuki snaps, his hands digging even deeper into his pockets, his figure getting tenser by the second. “I just don’t wanna go to the damn stand to get stupid food.”
Shouto furrows his brows, lost.
“Is… is this about Midoriya? You looked like… I mean, I thought you wanted to see him, since you asked about his whereabouts, just now…”
“Don’t act like I’m…” Katsuki stops mid sentence and takes in a sharp inhale, before letting the air out of his mouth, as if trying to calm himself down. “Listen, I’m not the fucking problem. I’m not the one making up some fucking lame last minute excuse just to avoid him. He is.” he steps on the sand without much thought, his feet taking him straight towards the shoreline. Shouto stops to take his shoes off instead (these are the fanciest shoes he owns, Fuyumi got them for him for his birthday. He doesn’t want them to get dirty) and, as he takes both shoes in his hand, his eyes stare at Katsuki’s back, trying to make sense of what he just said.
“Last minute excu- Katsuki, Midoriya is not a liar… and I can assure you that he’s not coming up with excuses to stay away from either of us.” he argues, once again approaching Katsuki to be side by side with him. “Midoriya actually didn’t know that his parents needed his help. He just found out this morning and told me after lunch. I suppose he wanted to tell you too, but you stayed in the forest with your friends all day and he didn’t want to come there and bother you.”
“Yeah right, he didn’t wanna bother me. You can say he’s scared shitless of me, I won’t lose sleep about it. ‘M fucking used to it anyway, one more person won’t make a damn difference.”
Shouto can feel something hot burn in his chest, making him curl up his fists in frustration.
“Katsuki, what the…” he barely manages to stop himself from saying the curse word threatening to escape his lips by taking a deep breath. “Midoriya is not scared of you, Katsuki. Why would you even think that?”
“Don’t fucking treat me like I’m dumb. I saw the way he looked at me when we first came here. And when you offered to show me around and take me to the bookstore. He was about to fucking piss himself. Also, he’s always… fucking stuttering and avoiding my gaze and shit. Like… fuck, if he wants me to fuck off he just needs to grow a pair and ask, I’d rather stay with my friends than waste my time with a stupid-”
“For fuck’s sake, Katsuki, shut up.” Shouto hisses, the harsh words successfully shutting the other boy down. The quirk user stares at him with red eyes wide open, clearly shocked by Shouto’s outburst.
Well, he might be a well behaved kid, but he has a breaking point too, after all.
“Yes, Midoriya used to be scared of people with quirks when you and your group first got here. He was scared, like everyone around here is. And yes, he was still intimidated by you when I offered to take you to the bookstore and help you out. And honestly, I am pretty sure your attitude didn’t help that day. But then he got to know you better and warmed up to you, just like you warmed up to him .” he says seriously as he crosses his arms against his chest, his two colored eyes staring down at Katsuki.
“I-”
“I am not done.” Shouto immediately shuts him down, lifting his index finger, his tone dripping ice. “I like you, Katsuki. And I like spending time with you, I really do. But Midoriya is a very important person to me and I won’t let you assume things about him. I know that life must’ve been hard on you. People must’ve been hard on you, because of your quirk. I can only imagine the amount of crap you receive on a daily basis, simply because of who you are. But I can assure you you’re wrong about Midoriya. He might be a bit of a scaredy cat, but he’s a good person. He’s never looked down on you, nor has he ever seen you as anything but an equal to both of us.” he whispers, his tone now softer. “As a matter of fact… he told me he admires you a lot.”
Katsuki’s eyes go wide at that revelation, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink.
“He… he what?” he asks, clearly taken aback by Shouto’s words. “How could..? What did he tell you?”
“That is not for me to disclose, I’m sorry. I already told you enough.” Shouto murmurs and sits on the sand. If his father could see him, he would probably scold him and say something about his clothes getting dirty, but his father is not here and he doesn’t particularly care about dirtying his clothes anyway. “I think you two should talk, you know… I mean, if you really feel like Midoriya is lying to you and secretly fears you, you should tell him. He can reassure you better than I can, after all.” he adds after a long silence, turning to look at Katsuki, the blond boy still standing unmoving next to him. “I care about the two of you, I don’t want things to be… weird. Even if you’re gonna leave soon.”
Katsuki lets out a huff and sits next to him (with much less grace compared to Shouto), his heels immediately digging into the soft sand.
“Whatever…” he whispers, his gaze focused ahead of them, staring intensely at the sea, the calm water turning darker and darker as the sun behind them begins to set.
“Don’t pretend like you don’t care, I know you do.” Shouto whispers back with a small grin forming on his lips.
The reaction is almost immediate. Katsuki’s head snaps to the side, his red eyes sending daggers at him as his ears turn even redder.
“What do you think you know, uh? Fucking smartass, you don’t know shit! Do you want me to fucking blow you to pieces or something?” the quirk user yells, lifting his hand, a small explosion detonating on his palm to reinforce his threat. Shouto can’t stop the little chuckle escaping his lips, as he shakes his head slowly. He cannot help himself, he finds Katsuki’s reactions too amusing, he often finds himself saying stuff for the sole purpose of getting him worked up and getting a reaction out of him.
“Can I ask you a question?” he says, this time with a more somber tone. Katsuki seems to notice his change in attitude, so he lowers his hand and nods curtly. “Are you worried about me being scared of you too? I mean, you’re clearly bothered at the idea of Midoriya fearing you, so… do you feel the same about me?”
“I don’t.” the blond boy’s reply is immediate. “I know you’re not scared of me.”
The way he sounds so certain leaves Shouto speechless. Sure, he’s right, Shouto has never feared Katsuki, not for one second, not even when the whole group of quirk users first arrived in Hakata and he knew nothing about those outsiders. But that’s purely because of his bias towards people born with a supernatural ability, given the fact that his older brother was born with one. But Katsuki doesn’t know that… does he?
“Okay, but how do you know?” he voices his confusion out loud, turning to face his friend. And when he does so, he finds Katsuki’s eyes staring holes into his face, his gaze burning with such an intensity that he can’t help but feel flustered.
“I might not be a bookworm like you or that freckled idiot, but I’m not completely stupid.” Katsuki groans, still maintaining eye contact. “I can imagine the shit you have to go through because of how you look. Your eyes, your hair… You look like one of us. You don’t look… normal .” he spits that last word almost with disgust. Offended by the fact that the concept of ‘looking normal’ exists in the first place. “You know what it feels like, to see the fear, the disdain, the hatred in people’s eyes. You know what it feels like to be on our side. You wouldn’t inflict that on someone else, especially if you don’t have a reason to.” he whispers, his head tilting slightly to the side. “Plus, you’re a brainless empathetic fucker that would gladly give gold to my stupid brother and sisters for no good reason.” he adds, this time his tone a little harsher. Probably his way to ease the tension a little bit.
A little laugh escapes Shouto’s lips, but he still feels pretty tense. Probably the proximity between the two of them, their shoulders practically pressing against one another, is playing tricks on him.
“Don’t say that, their performance was good.” he whispers with a nervous smile.
“Not good enough to deserve gold coins, you two colored asshole!” Katsuki fires back. “That’s what I mean, you… you’re just that good of a person. You do shit like this and see the good in people, even if you don’t know shit about them. And yeah, that’s fucking reckless and you shouldn’t be so trusting, but… I guess that’s also part of your charm, or whatever.” he whispers with a huff. Shouto, blinks a couple of times, perplexed by the words.
“My… my charm?” he asks, furrowing his brows. His confusion makes the blond boy roll his eyes with an exasperated sigh.
“Fucking damn it, is every single Todoroki this fucking clueless?” he whispers to himself, his tone barely audible, before leaning his head forward, his forehead almost touching Shouto’s. “What I mean to say is, you’re not like those assholes that treat us like shit just because we have quirks and I… like that.” he admits, staring seriously into Shouto’s eyes.
The words seem to come out of Katsuki's mouth so easily, meanwhile Shouto’s mind feels embarrassingly empty. He stares at Katsuki with wide eyes and lips slightly agape, his brain desperately trying to process what’s going on. Katsuki’s so close it’s making him feel dizzy, and his tone of voice is much more gentle than usual. And it's not only that, the things he’s saying are…
Is Shouto understanding correctly?
“You… like that?” he repeats, the useless mush in his head that took his brain’s place managing to barely make him blurt out these words with a feeble tone of voice. Katsuki seems to notice his struggle, because one of his thin eyebrows shoots upwards and his lips distend in an amused grin that partially shows his teeth. And seriously, Shouto hates himself for focusing his attention on the other boy’s mouth, because now he’s staring at his lips and he can’t seem to be able to stop.
And maybe his stupid brain is making him imagine stuff that’s not real, because why are Katsuki’s lips suddenly so close, why does Shouto feel Katsuki’s nose gently bump against his, why does he-
Oh…
Shouto hasn’t seen many people kiss in his life. He faintly remembers his parents kissing, when he was a child and Mother was still alive, but those were mere pecks on the lips that lasted less than a second. He, of course, has way more experience with platonic kisses, since Fuyumi constantly showers him with affection whenever she gets the chance, placing kisses on his forehead, cheeks and nose (“That’s what big sisters do, Shouto. Humor me for a while, will you?”), and Touya used to kiss his cheeks a lot too when they were younger and Shouto used to crawl into his brother’s bed whenever he had a nightmare (Touya still kisses his head sometimes, even if he needs to stand on his tiptoes to be able to).
So it’s safe to say that, even if he’s not completely ignorant when it comes to this kind of display of affection, he feels utterly unprepared when Katsuki’s lips gently press against his own, the sensation so soft and warm it makes his head spin. A calloused, yet gentle, hand cups his cheek and shit, Shouto is kissing someone, he’s giving his first kiss and he’s giving it to Katsuki . It feels so surreal that Shouto slowly brings a hand to his thigh and pinches it, just to make sure he’s not dreaming.
But he isn’t.He’s still here, Katsuki is still here, this is as real as it can be, which can only mean one thing: they are actually kissing. Shouto lets himself relax in the kiss, tilting his head to the side, in search of a more comfortable position and a little shuddering exhale escapes his nostrils when the gesture makes their lips fit even better with each other. Katsuki seems to appreciate it as well, if the content hum that leaves his lips is any indicator. The low sound sends shivers running down Shouto’s spine and an urgency he’s never felt in his life forms in the pit of his stomach, his body moving on its own to move closer to Katsuki, his hands gripping Katsuki’s haori and pulling him close.
Shouto doesn’t know how much time goes by like this, with them exchanging kisses while desperately holding each other close, every time one of them pulls away to take a breath, the other immediately chases after him, incapable of resisting the desire to keep the kiss going, but suddenly Katsuki inhales sharply and pulls away, his eyes wide open and alert. A displeased whine leaves Shouto’s lips, his head already leaning forward to catch the quirk user’s lips once again, but Katsuki’s hands (when did they leave Shouto’s cheeks?) take hold of his shoulders, keeping him still.
“Shit, stop Half and Half! Wait a damn second.” he hisses with a hushed voice. Shouto gulps down, trying to focus, but his eyes fall on Katsuki’s lips, rendered slick and red because of their kisses. He half mindedly wonders if his own lips are in a similar state.
“What? Why, what’s going on?” Shouto hums, his voice a little hoarse. Katsuki doesn’t answer, he’s not even looking at Shouto, his eyes unfocused as he nervously stares at something behind Shouto’s back.
Suddenly, Katsuki pushes him back, putting a safe distance between them, and Shouto shivers at the loss of warmth and contact. Katsuki sits straight, facing away from him, his hand rapidly rubbing against his own lips to wipe off the thin layer of saliva covering them.
“Pull yourself together.” he orders hurriedly. “Someone’s coming.”
—
Turns out Touya loves staying in silence with Keigo just as much as he loves talking to him.
After leaving his old room, the two of them had gone back to the dining room to clean up every trace of their presence properly and then they had decided to spend the remaining of their time together upstairs, in Touya’s current room, as they always do. And that’s how they found themself lying on the small futon together, their shoulders touching as they both stare at the ceiling. A single feather is playing with Touya’s fingers, while the rest of them lay in a pile next to the bed (after all, Keigo’s wings are way too big to fit on the mattress, so that was their only option).
The feather twitches in Touya’s hold, breaking free and floating towards the man’s face, before gently caressing his cheek. The soft gesture makes him shiver.
“How are you doing, feathers?” he whispers as softly as he can, his eyes moving to the side to send a look in Keigo’s direction. He tries his best to keep his voice low, since he’s not completely sure Keigo is awake and, in case he isn’t, he doesn’t want to wake him up. The winged man sighs and brings his hands behind his head to use them as a sort of pillow.
“I should be the one asking you that. Your conversation with your sister was…” Keigo lets out another sigh, probably at a loss of words.
“I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m used to all of this, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” Touya reassures him, and he hopes his words sound as sincere as he wishes they were. Truth is, it still hurts. It hurts now as it did ten years ago. “You, on the other hand… you’re not used to that shit.”
“I’m fine too, I promise. I just–” another sigh. “Let’s just talk about something else, do you mind?”
Touya hums in agreement.
“What do you want to talk about?"
“You choose, everything is fine with me.”
Touya hums again, this time in a pensive way, looking for a more harmless topic to talk about.
“You know… Oboro told me how he and Shota met. How the group was born.” he finally whispers, the memory of his first night at the meadow coming back and making him smile.
“He did? And what else did he tell you?” Keigo asks nonchalantly.
“Not much, actually. Just that at first his and Shota’s goal was to find a place where to live peacefully, but then they found you and that you were the first one to join them. And that it wasn’t his place to tell me more about how you came to join them.”
A small laugh escapes Keigo’s lips, making Touya turn his head to look at him, perplexed.
“So he does have a brain up there. That’s good to know.” Keigo whispers to himself, a smile still present on his lips.
“Why? Don’t you want me to know?” Touya asks. Keigo turns to lay on his side, so he can properly look at him.
“It’s not like I don’t want you to know, petal. I mean, you trusted me enough to tell me so much about your past, it’s only fair for you to learn more about mine. It’s just… I don’t know, I guess it’s not the kind of stuff I’d want someone else to tell you.” he explains, resting more comfortably on his side, his right hand still secured under his head and his left now lying on the empty space between them on the mattress. “I could tell you now, since we’re talking about it.”
Touya’s eyes widen in surprise and he turns on his side as well, to better look the other man in the eyes.
“Wait, you want to tell me right now? Are you sure it’s the right time? You just… you know–” he mumbles awkwardly. Keigo smiles at him, but it’s not as cheerful as it normally is. Keigo’s usually sparkly eyes are saddened, almost… detached. “You don’t have to tell me anything, feathers. Just because I told you a bunch of things about me, you don’t have to feel like you owe me anything. You know that, right?”
“I know… and trust me, I’m not telling you because I feel like I owe you. I trust you and I want you to know how life was for me before… before I found my place.” Keigo replies and his left hand reaches forward, gently caressing Touya’s. His fingers, usually warm like the sun, are now cold. “Besides… at this point I think it would be pretty difficult to find a topic to make this night less depressing so, let’s just go all out, don’t you think?” his voice is filled with mirth. For a fleeting second, the familiar spark in his eyes is back, making Touya’s chest feel a little calmer, his heart beating a little faster and his cheeks turning a little darker. Can his crush be any more embarrassingly obvious?
“If you say so.” he clears his throat in an attempt to regain his composure.
“Jokes aside, petal…” Keigo says, his tone once again serious. “Do you wanna know my story?”
Touya gulps down his shyness and finds in himself the guts to look Keigo in the eyes, the serious situation requiring him to act accordingly.
“As long as you’re absolutely certain that you feel comfortable with me knowing… yes, I want to know your story.” he turns his hand in a way that allows him to gently squeeze the winged man’s fingers reassuringly.
“Very well then…” Keigo smiles at him, before turning once again to lay on his back, his eyes staring at the ceiling. Touya remains in his position, wanting to keep an eye on the man next to him. To make sure he’s fine and doesn’t change his mind along the way. “I guess that, for starters, I should say that this is not actually just my story… it’s also, and most importantly, my parents’.” he says with a somber tone of voice. “My mother owns a small inn right outside Oita, a small city in the Kyushu region… or used to own, I actually don’t know if business is going as well as it used to do back then. Anyway, she owned this inn along with her mother and it was always pretty crowded. Oita is a city where merchants come and go all year long, so she had a lot of clients. One of them was my… father.” the last word sounds almost bitter as it leaves Keigo’s lips, as if it physically pains him to say it out loud. “To this day, I don’t know his name. He never told my mom his first name. When he first introduced himself, he only used his last name, Takami. Don’t ask if that was his real surname, I don’t know. But yeah, one day he arrived asking for a room for a whole week. Said he was a traveler, needed to rest before resuming his journey. But, according to what my mother told me, he barely spent time in that room. During the day he was outside, doing who knows what and, after the sun came down, he would sit at the counter of the bar, drinking wine and telling to whoever was willing to listen, stories of all the places he visited during his many travels. And my mom… well, she barely even had the chance to go to Oita, her mother never let her go, so she was charmed by all the stories Takami would tell. When the week passed and it was time for him to go, he promised he would be back. And it was true, a few months later he came back. He kept coming back, leaving after a week and, every once in a while, coming back once again and telling new marvelous stories of everything he saw.”
Touya listens in silence, his eyes fixed on Keigo’s profile. The words now seem to come out of the man’s lips more easily, and he looks almost… peaceful.
“I won’t bore you any longer with useless details, but… my mom fell for him and, the next time he came back after her mother’s passing, she basically threw herself at him. She already had plans, she wanted to manage the inn with him, have a family… I think he was more interested in the sex, so he stayed for a while... but then my mother’s castle came crumbling down when she found out that Takami had a quirk.”
“What?” Touya can’t stop himself from interrupting the story, his torso lifting from the futon in surprise. Keigo turns his head to the side and looks at him, an amused smile adorning his lips as he takes a look at Touya’s bewildered expression.
“You heard me. He had short brown feathers on his forearms. I don’t know if he could detach them like I do with mine or if my mother never bothered to undress him completely when they were intimate, but it doesn’t matter, the damage was already done. She was pregnant and he fled the moment she found out about his quirk, so now she was alone. They say that when a quirk user has a child, the offspring is more likely to be born with a quirk and, sure enough, I was born with my red wings. It was a lot to absorb for my poor mother but…” Keigo’s voice quivers a little, his fists clenching. “She could’ve just killed me, you know, but she didn’t. That man tricked her, she had every right to get rid of me after my birth, especially after seeing that I was not… the normal child she hoped for, but she still took care of me.” he whispers and stops to rapidly rub the palm of his hands on his eyes, in a desperate attempt to keep his tears at bay. “So when I was old enough to walk around without assistance, I started helping her out around the inn. I would clean the rooms after the guests left, use my feathers to carry around heavy things she couldn’t lift on her own, stuff like that. I was hoping that if I proved to her that I was useful, if I helped… she would be glad that she gave birth to me.”
Touya stares at him in horror, rendered completely speechless by how Keigo’s tone is calm and collected as he reveals those sensitive moments from his childhood.
“Feathers…” he whispers hesitantly, ignoring the sting he feels at the corner of his eyes. He won’t cry. He can’t cry.
“As you can imagine, it didn’t work very well. She would get mad a lot, especially when the guests saw me. She said I freaked them out. So I started only walking around at night, using my feathers to check my surroundings and make sure no one was around. It wasn’t ideal and she never explicitly showed me affection, but whenever she walked into a room and saw it was already cleaned up and ready for the next customer she would look at me from the corner of her eye and nod. It always made me so happy whenever she nodded at me. It was as if… she was telling me I did a good job, you know.” Keigo is smiling now, but his lips are quivering and even though his eyes are not looking at Touya, the fire user can see the tears welling in the corners. “I guess I started thinking that things could work out. That after all, she was happy to have me around, that she cared about me. Then one day, when I was ten, she told me I needed to leave and never come back. It was a pretty rude awakening, I cried and begged for what felt like hours but she had… this blank expression on her face, and she wouldn’t look at me. I remember she turned away from me and told me ‘ You are your father’s son after all, aren’t you? Just leave. Go and trick some foolish girl like he tricked me.’ or something like that. At that time I already knew the story of how they met and how I was born, she had already told me many times when I was little, but… I remember feeling my heart break at the thought that she believed I could be like my father. That, no matter how much I wanted to help her, how much I tried to behave… to her I was nothing but a cruel reminder of what that man did to her.” he sighs and sits up straight, running a hand through his hair.
Touya gets up as well, his fists clenched in ill concealed rage. Keigo is the sweetest person he’s ever met in his life and Touya is sure that he was the sweetest child as well. How could his own mother be so cruel to him? After everything he did to please her?
“So… what did you do after that? Did you… actually leave?” he asks, slowly lifting a hand and, as carefully as possible, reaching for Keigo’s shoulder, gently caressing it. Keigo almost imperceptibly flinches at the sudden touch, but then he immediately leans into it, his shoulders relaxing under Touya’s warm fingertips.
“Yeah… her words made me realize that, no matter what I did, she would always resent me for what I was, so I took some clothes and some food and left. Back then my wings weren’t as big as they are now, they couldn't hold my weight for too long, so I barely managed to reach Oita before landing, exhausted. I won’t bore you with all the details of my life lived on the streets… but just know that it wasn’t easy. The food that I brought with me finished in a couple of days and I traded my spare clothes for some apples, but those were gone pretty soon too. Sometimes people who saw me sitting in the corner of the street, begging for money and food would take pity on me and give me some scraps, but most of the time I would go days without eating, so I… started stealing, with the help of my feathers. I’m not l very proud of it.”
“Don’t say that… you did what you had to do to stay alive.” Touya interrupts, his tone gentle, but firm. He doesn’t think anyone could blame Keigo for doing what he did in order to survive. The hand caressing the blond man’s shoulder carefully squeezes it in a comforting way and the gesture makes Keigo turn his head to look at him, their eyes meeting for a brief moment, before the winged man sends him a weak smile and turns back around, his own hand lifting to take Touya’s and hold it, their fingers intertwining. Despite the seriousness of the topic discussed, Touya feels his cheeks heat up.
“Well… it did keep me alive long enough. One day, around two years after I left my mother’s inn, I was walking around one of the busiest streets of the city, the one where most of the merchants and traders made their deals, looking for someone who looked distracted enough to be an easy target. And an easy target I did find.” he says, an amused smile forming on his lips as his fingers absentmindedly play with Touya’s. “At the time, whenever I walked around to steal, I would hide my feathers in a small satchel I brought around with me… you know, to better hide in the crowd. So I approached this guy from behind, ready to try and take whatever I could find in his bag. He was too busy looking around in awe to even notice me, it was almost too easy… when suddenly I felt a hand grabbing my wrist and pulling me away from the guy’s bag. It was the guy’s friend, asked me what I was trying to do, stealing from his friend. I was scared they would report me to the guards and put me in trouble, so I made a feather shoot out of my satchel and used it to wound the guy’s hand. I broke free and ran for it. The guy I tried to rob yelled at me to stop, but I ran even faster.”
“Did you manage to escape?”
"I did… they tried to run after me, but I knew the city like the back of my hand, so it wasn’t too difficult.” Keigo replies with a shrug, his eyes still focused on Touya’s hand. “I spent the following two days hiding in a small alleyway, too scared at the thought of someone recognizing me and bringing me to the imperial guards to arrest me. I remember it was very cold at that time of the year, and I was hungry, I hadn't eaten in days. On the night of the second day, I was about to fall asleep with my wings wrapped around my body and I thought… that if I allowed myself to sleep at that moment, there was no guarantee I would wake up the next morning. But I was so tired that I finally gave in.”
A heavy silence falls between them, Keigo too lost in his own memories and Touya too horrified by the thought of the man in front of him almost dying of starvation at the age of twelve.
“Well, you clearly did wake up, though.” he whispers, desperately trying to ease the tension in the room. Surprisingly, Keigo bursts out laughing at that, and even if it doesn’t sound as cheerful as it usually does, when he turns to look at Touya, his eyes seem to be way more serene than they were just a few minutes ago. Touya considers it a win.
“I sure did. I woke up to someone shaking my shoulder. It was still night, so I suppose just a few hours had passed and when I opened my eyes, I recognized the two guys I had tried to rob. One of them, the one that had been shaking me awake, was standing in front of me with his head tilted to the side, while the other one was crouching at my side holding some bread in front of my face. I was about to run away, but he smiled and told me not to be afraid and to just eat. I was not gonna say no to free food, especially considering how hungry I was, so I complied. As I was eating, the one standing asked me if I had a family, or a place to call home. I told him that I used to, but not anymore. They looked at each other for a few seconds, and then asked me if I wanted to join them.” Keigo continues his story, the smile still present on his lips.
Touya’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Wait, join them ? They… you almost robbed Shota and Oboro?” he asks in disbelief, as an amused chuckle escapes the winged man’s lips.
“Oboro gets robbed way more often than you might expect. He’s way too distracted when he walks around in a new place…” he says in lieu of a reply, grinning mischievously. Touya can’t help but smile back at him.
“Such a crazy coincidence that you guys met like that.” he comments, gently squeezing Keigo’s fingers.
“You know, I think we were meant to meet… every single member of our family, I mean. We all found each other in the craziest ways possible and maybe fate wanted us to be together.” Keigo replies, turning his head to the side, smiling at him. The familiar sparkle in his eyes is back, making the weight in Touya’s chest disappear. Oh, how lovely he is, when he’s happy.
“That’s such a beautiful way of thinking, feathers.” he whispers softly. Keigo’s smile grows wider as he looks at him in the eyes, his whole body shifting so he can turn to look at him properly.
“You know, maybe fate wanted us to find you as well… that’s why I saw you that first night and came back to see you and all of this happened. Maybe it was all… part of a bigger plan.” he says gently, his hands holding Touya’s firmly. The fire user can feel chills forming on his healthy skin the moment Keigo’s right thumb caresses his wrist, lightly gracing against a staple.
“You… what?” he blurts out helplessly, speechless at Keigo’s confession. Keigo just smiles at him, his upper body leaning slightly forward, right into Touya’s personal space.
It kind of feels like that time at the lake, when Keigo pressed his forehead against Touya’s, the feeling of his heart beating like crazy and his thoughts racing messily through his brain are the same as that night, but at the same time it feels… different. Keigo’s eyes are different, the feelings behind them are different. That night, the man was gentle, yet playful, but now… there’s affection in his gaze, and shit, Touya doesn’t want to delude himself into thinking that Keigo’s feelings may have changed since that time, but it sure feels like it.
Yet it’s crazy, it seriously feels crazy, because how could Keigo ever feel the same about him? Why would he ever settle for someone like Touya?
“You could leave this place, petal. You could come with us, see the world, be happy… wouldn’t you like that?” he asks, his tone cautious and, as much as his eyes seem to be filled with fondness and warmth, it’s clear that a slight hint of tension is there, probably fear of rejection.
Touya opens his mouth to answer, but he can’t even produce a single sound. He feels confused, overwhelmed, he doesn’t know what to say.
Join Keigo and his family? Be free to leave this room, at last? That sounds too good to be true, but… leave Hakata forever? Leave his family behind? Leave Shouto behind? The thought makes his heart ache. His little brother needs him. Maybe the rest of his family doesn’t, maybe all of them would be better off without him, but he still loves them. And how could he abandon them after all they’ve done for him throughout the years?
“Petal?” Keigo’s voice snaps him out of his reverie, the worry in his eyes more evident after the long silence.
Touya never gets the chance to reply, because the moment he once again opens his mouth to talk, the faint noise of the front door opening can be heard again. Touya’s head snaps to the side, staring at the closed door of his room, while Keigo’s wings flare open, probably to better listen to the sounds coming from downstairs.
“Is your family back? Maybe the festival is already over?” he asks in a whisper.
“No, it’s too early for that. It’s probably just Fuyumi again. She was wearing some thin clothes, maybe she came to get something warmer to put over her kimono.” Touya whispers back, but the moment he hears feet walking up the stairs, his heart stops.
“Touya? Touya, are you awake?” Shouto’s voice sounds dangerously close, the realization of how screwed they are makes Touya’s blood freeze in his veins.
Fuck.
Notes:
i have been in love with keigo's backstory since forever, I'm so happy to finally share it with you guys! i hope i get to share more about tomie and takami's story and, most importantly, keigo's childhood in a spinoff because, even though there's a few differences compared to the canon dynamic of the takami family, i still wish to explore keigo's background better, to show you guys how he came to be the person that he is. even though he grew up surrounded by a loving family after shota and oboro found him, he's still haunted by his past, after all...
how will this influence his relationship with touya, i wonder...
i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, i'll see you guys next week (one last reminder that next update is on Thursday in case you missed it in the note at the beginning of the chapter) with a new update. i wish a merry early Christmas to everyone who celebrates and happy holidays to everyone else. this week the fic grew a lot and I'm very thankful. every hit, kudo and comment make me incredibly happy. the love you keep giving this fic every week truly is the best gift. thank you!
Chapter 20: Chapter 19 - Primrose
Notes:
i might've forgotten today i was supposed to update because i'm not used to do this on thursday T-T that's why im a little late, i apologize...
BTW THE FIC REACHED BOTH 8K HITS AND 300 KUDOS THIS WEEK! THIS IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER OUGHHH THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! <3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Primrose: Desperate
“You need to leave.” Touya whispers under his breath. His hands, now ice cold because of the panic, squeeze Keigo’s almost painfully. Touya’s eyes are wide open, staring at Keigo with an urgency he’s never seen on his face.
“Petal, calm down. It’s fine, Shouto's a nice kid, and he’s friends with Katsuki. If we tell him that we’re friends and that you met my family, I’m sure he will understand and keep the secret from the rest of yours.” Keigo tries to reassure him, squeezing Touya’s hands back, gathering all of his self control to smile at him, desperate to calm him down. Touya just shakes his head, eyes moving back and forth from Keigo to the door and back, still visibly shaken.
“No, you don’t get it.He can’t find you here.” Touya protests and gets up from the bed, rapidly approaching the window and, with the same urgency, opening it. “Just go.”
“Wait, you don’t think he’s gonna rat us out to your family, right? If he tries to put you in trouble, I’ll-”
“He wouldn’t! Of course he wouldn’t, but still, you should go.”
Keigo gets up and furrows his brows, wings slowly closing around his body as a strangely uncomfortable feeling starts spurting in his chest.
“Then what’s the problem? If you know he’d keep the secret, why won’t you tell him? You think he’s gonna get mad at you for not telling him sooner?” Keigo asks softly. He takes a step towards Touya, eyes fixated on him, but the man is avoiding his gaze now, looking around the room with an uneasy expression on his face.
“No, I…” Touya exhales from his nose, the huff of breath coming out shaky. “You wouldn’t get it, okay? If I told him, he would-”
“Touya? Are you already asleep?” Shouto’s voice is even closer now. By now he’s probably made it upstairs and he’s walking towards Touya’s room.
“Keigo, I am begging you. You must leave, now .” Touya hisses hurriedly, his eyes pleading, as he points a finger towards the window. Keigo takes a step back and his eyes go wide in surprise because of the other man's tone of voice. Realization hits him like a slap in the face and the slightly uncomfortable sensation in his chest is now rapidly turning into a dull pain.
“Touya…” he whispers slowly, forcing himself not to lower his gaze. “Are you… ashamed of me?” he breathes the words out, almost too scared to voice his fear. As if saying the words out loud will make them more real and painful.
Turquoise eyes go wide in panic as the question hangs heavily between them. It’s like the world stops for a few, far too long seconds. But they’re brought back to reality by a light knock on the door. Touya takes in a sharp breath, petrified in his place, but his eyes are still set on Keigo.
“Touya?”
Neither one of them moves. Keigo is just glad Shouto doesn’t have the same enhanced sense of hearing as him, because the sound of his own heart hammering in his chest would be a clear giveaway. A troubled sigh can be heard from the other side of the door and the two men stare at each other in silence as they listen to Shouto walk away, go down the stairs and enter his room. Keigo faintly remembers Katsuki telling him he was supposed to hang out with Shouto and that Midoriya kid tonight during the festival, and probably on any other occasion he would be worrying about what might have happened since the youngest Todoroki came back home so early.
But now there’s a more delicate, and definitely more unpleasant matter he needs to focus on. Katsuki and his overly complicated love shenanigans will have to wait.
“Well? Are you gonna answer?” he urges, his wings wrapping themselves more securely around his shoulders, as if trying to shelter him from the cold he feels, but to no avail. After all, the chill sensation is coming from within, and there's nothing his wings could do to protect him from that.
Touya opens and closes his mouth, speechless, his bottom lip wobbling slightly as if he’s about to start crying. However, not a single tear can be seen in his eyes.
“I- Keigo…” he finally lets out with a shaky voice. And then he sighs, averting his gaze. To Keigo, it feels like getting stabbed.
“Oh gods, you… you are. You are ashamed of me.” he whispers and takes a step back. He hates how pathetic he sounds right now, how feeble and utterly hurt his voice came out, but he can’t help it. “Me, my family… you’re ashamed of all of us.” he presses a hand to his chest, trying to soothe the now unbearable pain he feels in his very core.
“N-No, feathers I’m- I’m sorry, I…” Touya blurts out. He sounds weak, uncertain.
Keigo shakes his head, unable to keep looking at him, the bare sight of the fire user in front of him sending new waves of pain straight to his heart.
“Don’t… don’t say another word.” he whispers and turns away, making his way towards the window, every fiber of his body tense to keep him from falling apart and crying like a little child.
“Feathers, please…” Touya’s voice is shaky, and so is his hand when he reaches for Keigo, tentatively touching his wrist, maybe to stop him. Pretty ironic, since he was just now telling him to leave.
Keigo pulls his hand away so fast it makes Touya flinch and take a step back.
“You don't get to call me that. My name is Keigo.” he whispers, voice filled with venom, and turns his head to the side, sending Touya one last cold glance.
The pain he sees in Touya’s eyes the moment his words sink in is something he’ll never be able to forget, but he can’t bring himself to care, not right now when his own heart is aching and it’s taking everything in him not to show his own pain. He then takes off, not even bothering to check if anyone’s looking in his direction. He doesn’t care about getting caught right now, he only wants to put as much distance as possible between himself and Touya.
Only when he’s finally high up in the sky, his whole body engulfed in the familiar humid sensation of the nighty clouds, that’s when he allows himself to break, fat tears running down his cheeks. How stupid he was, how naive, to believe that he and Touya could see eye to eye. He had convinced himself that Touya could understand their struggle, their pain, since he’s like them.
But being like them and being one of them are two different things and Touya, after spending his whole life surrounded by people who believe quirks are something disgusting and quirk users are worth less than dirt, has probably made this mindset his own.
They say you can’t save someone that doesn’t wanna be saved. Keigo just wishes he could’ve realized that before getting his heart broken by a man he foolishly fell in love with.
With a sigh, Keigo rubs his sleeve over his face, wiping the tears off his eyes, and then he starts descending from the sky, towards his family’s camp. He doesn’t expect anyone to be there, they’re all probably still at the festival, and it’s probably too late for Chiyo to be awake, but still, he doesn’t wanna take any chances.
As expected, when he lands next to his tent, the camp is cold and deserted, the empty logs where they all sit together lay abandoned around the extinguished campfire. Another wave of pain rushes through Keigo’s body, hitting him right in the chest and making him almost wince in pain the moment his eyes lay on the same log where he and Touya always sit whenever the fire user comes to the camp to hang with him and his family.
He needs to do something, he needs to distract himself from Touya’s overwhelming presence that haunts every corner of the meadow. Touya drinking tea, Touya laughing with the kids over something stupid Jin said, Touya discussing poetry with Ochako and Himiko, Touya squealing in surprise when Rumi easily lifts him up with one arm… everywhere he looks, Keigo sees nothing but Touya, and that's enough to make him feel like he’s about to go insane. So he turns around and leaves, venturing deeper into the forest.
Need to find wood for the fire. He tells himself, but the truth is, he’s not in the right state of mind to be there alone right now. So he spends the following hour wandering around, picking every stick and piece of wood dry enough to be used to fuel the campfire and letting a bunch of floating feathers carry the weight, so he can have his hands free to move as he pleases. Oddly enough, the task turns out to be more relaxing than expected, so when he steps back into the meadow, he doesn’t feel as suffocated as he had felt just an hour prior.
But maybe that’s just because he’s too taken aback by Chiyo’s presence next to the campfire to actually focus on anything else. A healthy red flame is crackling in front of her, creating games of lights and shadows on her wrinkled face and the woman smiles at him gently.
“I was just wondering when you would come back, little bird.” she says gently and wobbles towards the closest log with the aid of her cane.
“I was… looking for more wood for the fire.” Keigo replies, standing still in the same spot he stopped when he spotted the old woman. Why does he feel like he needs to explain himself? It’s not like he did anything bad…
“That I can see…” Chiyo deadpans with a raised eyebrow and turns her head to look at the pile of wood Keigo’s floating feathers are carrying a couple of steps behind him. “But you and I both know there was plenty of wood here that could last us for many days. So, you wanna tell me why you still decided to spend a whole hour in the middle of the night to… look for more wood for the fire?” she tilts her head, repeating the same words Keigo used with an amused tone.
The man sighs and lets his feathers bring the wood he just picked next to the pile already present in the camp, before stepping forward and approaching the log where Chiyo is sitting.
“I guess I needed some fresh air… and something to keep my mind occupied.” he hums and sits down next to her, letting the warmth radiating from the fire engulf him.
“I see… is everything alright?” Chiyo whispers and Keigo can feel her gaze on his face, so he closes his eyes, trying to hide the redness in them.
“Not really.” he replies honestly. That woman is way too good at understanding when someone’s lying, so no need to keep up an act. Not that he has the energy for it anyway.
“Is it about Touya?” she keeps going.
“Yep.” Keigo nods slowly, making the ‘p’ sound pop with his lips, in a feeble attempt to lighten up his own sour mood.
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
“Nope.” he says with the same tone as before, once again making a popping sound with his lips. Chiyo lets out a worried hum, her small hand rubbing circles on Keigo’s forearm.
“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” she asks softly. A sad little smile forms on Keigo’s lips and the man finally opens his eyes to look at her. He can feel the inner corners of his eyes tingle and he knows there are new tears forming in there.
“Can you heal heartache too?” he whispers weakly, desperately trying to keep his tone light. The woman looks at him with a pained expression and Keigo hates himself for doing this to her.
“You know I can’t, dear… just as you know that I wish I could.” she replies, her hand still caressing his arm.
“I know, sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood.” he laughs, but it sounds fake even to his own ears. “Can we just… stay here in silence for a while?” he asks as he once again closes his eyes. The hand on his arm moves lower and gently squeezes his hand.
“Of course.” Chiyo confirms and the two of them spend the following hour and a half staring at the fire, every once in a while throwing a piece of wood in it to keep it alive or moving the burning firewood around with a long stick.
When Keigo is about to tell her that she should go to sleep and that he doesn’t want her to stay awake way past her usual bedtime just to keep him company, his wings start twitching, the vibration created by the cheerful voices of his family making his sensitive feathers react almost instantly.
“The others are back.” he whispers and turns his head towards the general direction the voices are coming from just in time to see Mina and Himiko appear from behind the treeline with their arms full of small packages and bags, the two of them chatting cheerfully among themselves.
Given the special occurrence of their family visiting a festival (most of them never went to one their whole life), Oboro had convinced Shota to give every single one of them a few coins to spend however they pleased and, if the smell coming from the items the two girls are holding is any indicator, Keigo can only assume they spent their quote on sweets.
“Hi Chiyo! Heyo, Kei! You’re back already?” Mina asks with a smile as the rest of the family steps into the meadow, everyone with their souvenirs in hand.
“Hi kiddo, did you have fun?” he asks back, trying to avoid the question and, consequently, having to talk about the very sensitive topic that Touya is right now. While Mina starts excitedly listing everything she saw and did at the festival, Shota approaches the campfire with a box in hand and offers it to Chiyo.
“I got you some mochis. Sorry you had to stay here and pretend to be sick.” he mumbles with his usual tired tone.
“Thank you dear, but you don’t have to feel sorry for me, you know. I’ve been to my fair share of festivals when I was younger.” the old woman reassures him and accepts the box with a kind smile.
As his family members keep chatting among themselves, showing off their purchases and laughing happily, the festive mood yet to fade off them, Keigo slowly gets up and starts walking towards his tent, desperately trying to go unnoticed and postpone the necessary talk he needs to have with them the next morning. But of course, things don’t go as he was hoping for.
“Oi, oversized duck.” Katsuki’s voice is so loud that it ends up overpowering everyone’s chatter, every single pair of eyes landing on the two blondes as they glance at each other from the opposite sides of the bonfire.
Keigo exhales through his nose and forces himself to smile.
“Hey Kats, what’s up?” he asks and tilts his head to the side as he digs his hands in his pockets.
“You gotta have a serious talk with your damn boyfriend. I’m tired of bullshitting around and lying to his brother’s face. So he either tells Shouto or I will.” the kid threatens, thin eyebrows furrowed sternly. Everyone seems to tense at those words, but Keigo knows they understand where Katsuki is coming from. For all of them it’s not that difficult to keep quiet, they all pretty much keep to themselves, but to Katsuki, since he’s friends with Shouto, that secret must weigh a lot.
“Hey man, that’s not cool… you can’t just out Touya’s secret like that.” Eijiro intervenes and steps closer to his best friend with a worried look on his face, but the blond kid moves to the side to avoid Eijiro’s approaching hand.
“Listen, you don’t know Half and Half like I do. He’d totally be fine with Touya being our friend and sneaking out to hang out with us. So what’s the deal, uh?” the last part of the sentence is directed at Keigo, red eyes sending daggers at him.
“There is no deal, Kats. Don’t worry, you won’t have to keep the secret much longer anyway. The day after tomorrow, we’ll leave.” Keigo sighs and resumes walking towards his tent. A small cacophony of gasps echoes after his words.
“What?” Katsuki hisses with the sound of small explosions detonating accompanying his question.
“Keigo, what are you talking about?” Shota asks, his tone firm, yet confused.
“Yeah Kei, the fuck? Where is this coming from?” Oboro echoes and Keigo can feel him walk towards him, so he stops and turns around to once again face them.
“It’s been more than two weeks. We stayed way longer than intended and what could be considered polite. Chiyo can’t keep playing sick for long. Tomorrow let’s buy whatever we might need for the travel and the day after, we’ll leave.”
Everyone exchanges glances, clearly weirded out by Keigo’s behavior.
“What about Touya?” Ochako whispers, the only one brave enough to address the elephant in the room.
Keigo takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second so he could channel his last remaining strength not to tear up in front of everyone.
“Touya’s not coming.” he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. “He doesn’t want to.”
Stunned silence follows the shocking revelation.
“Nah, that can’t be right.” Rumi shakes her head, bunny ears bouncing furiously with every movement. “I’m sure he-”
“I was sure too, Ru.” Keigo interrupts her abruptly, his voice coming out a little strained. This conversation is draining him faster than he’d like to. “But I was wrong. About Touya, about what he wants, about… many things. So we’re leaving. And he’s staying. End of discussion.” he says. “Now I’d like to go have some sleep. I’m tired.”
After that, no one else dares to speak, everyone looking at him with eyes filled with perplexion and worry. When the silence extends for more than a bunch of seconds, Keigo takes that as his sign to finally leave and go hide in his tent, immediately shedding every single feather and wrapping himself in his old blanket.
When he hears the hushed voices of his family members talking among each other, concern dripping from their every word, Keigo presses his hands over his ears, as hard as he can. And that’s when he finally, finally, allows himself to break and cry all the tears he’s been holding back for hours.
—
“Come on, tell me what’s wrong.” Touya sighs and puts down his empty bowl, looking at his youngest brother with tired eyes. After Keigo left, last night, he hadn’t slept much… well, actually he hadn’t slept at all, guilt and heartbreak eating him from the inside and making it impossible for him to close his eyes even for a few minutes.
Shouto almost jumps in surprise when he gets addressed, his eyes going wide and his hands tightening their grip on the rice bowl and chopsticks he is holding.
“What… what do you mean?” he whispers meekly, lips stretching in a tense smile that looks more like a grimace than anything. It makes Touya roll his eyes.
“You’re being too quiet. And you’ve been avoiding my gaze since the first moment you stepped in here.” he deadpans. He also heard Shouto come knocking on his door the night before, clearly distressed, but his brother doesn’t know that. After Keigo left, he just pretended to be asleep, feeling too numb to deal with anyone or anything. “So just spit it out. What happened yesterday?”
Shouto gulps down, furrowing his brows with a troubled expression.
“I… I just don’t know where to start…” he admits, placing down his half empty bowl and chopsticks.
“I suggest you start from the beginning, Sho.” Touya comments with a weak smile, trying to ease his brother’s nervousness. Shouto smiles back, his shoulders relaxing just slightly.
“I met with Katsuki yesterday, just like we planned. Since we were supposed to wait for Midoriya, we went to the beach, but… Katsuki was nervous and… I don’t know, I guess we started arguing or something, I don’t know if that could be considered arguing, but we both raised our voices, so I think… we kind of did?” Shouto stops to take his breath. “Anyway that’s not important, the point is that suddenly we were not fighting anymore and he was very close and he said something about me understanding how it feels like for him and his family since people think I have a quirk because of my looks and I kind of felt bad, because he thinks I understand because of that , but it’s actually because of you and… of course I’m not going to tell him about you, I don’t want to put you in trouble, so then he said I’m empathetic and that’s my charm and that he likes the fact that I don’t judge them because of their quirk and suddenly we were kissing? And it was… strange but also good, oh Touya, it was so good! But then we stopped because he heard someone approaching so w-”
“No, no, no. Shouto, stop. Stop.” Touya lifts his hand, desperately trying to wrap his head about the enormous amount of information that spilled out of his brother’s month in the span of less than a minute.
Shouto purses his lips, immediately halting his rambling. A shadow of anxiousness and fear appears behind his two colored eyes and Touya feels his heart clench, realizing that the kid is most likely scared at the thought of his older brother judging him for kissing a boy and enjoying it.
So he takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his white hair. He needs to be collected and deal with this situation properly, for Shouto’s sake.
But still, a small part of him, the overprotective older brother in him probably, really wants to take that little rascal Katsuki and pull him in a headlock. How could he go around and kiss his little brother without even asking Touya for permission?
But that’ll have to wait, he’ll have time to deal with Katsuki.
Probably not, though. You messed everything up with Keigo, remember? What makes you think he would let you near his family again after hurting him like you did?
Touya hates the fact that the voice in his head is right, but he pushes back the stingy sensation he feels at the corner of his eyes and focuses on Shouto instead.
“Okay. I’m not mad, okay? I was the one who told you to figure out your feelings, so it’s okay that you wanted to… experiment. I’m just surprised.” he reassures him. The kid visibly relaxes.
“For real? You’re not angry or… or disgusted?” he asks shyly. Touya shakes his head vigorously.
“For real. So, let me get this straight… Katsuki told you he likes you or something like that, did I get that right?”
“I… guess?”
Touya hums and nods slowly.
“Well, you already told me you like him, so that’s out of the way. So, after that he kissed you and you liked it, yes?”
Shouto’s cheeks rapidly turn as red as the hair on his left side and the boy nods rapidly.
“But… I also feel bad for Midoriya. Even if I kissed Katsuki and I liked kissing him, I still like Midoriya a lot too and- I don’t know Tou, I feel as confused as before.” he admits, his tone low and sad. Touya looks at him, wishing there was something he could do to help his little brother other than talk to him. So he gets up and walks around the table, sitting next to Shouto and wrapping one arm around his shoulders.
The moment their bodies touch, Shouto leans into the half hug, resting his head against Touya’s chest.
“You told me you two interrupted the kiss because someone was approaching. Was it Midoriya?” Touya asks softly, using his free hand to gently card his fingers through Shouto’s hair, an affectionate gesture he used to do a lot when they were younger and Shouto used to sneak into his older brother’s room to cuddle.
“His mother told him that since there weren’t many customers she and Yagi could deal with the stand without his help, so he came looking for us. Katsuki and I just pretended nothing happened, but I felt so bad that after a couple of hours I said I was feeling sick. So I came home.” he explains, letting his eyes fall shut under Touya’s gentle head scratches.
“You know…” Touya whispers softly, looking down at him with a small smile. “You said you feel confused, but to me you don’t look really confused.”
Shouto lifts his head to look at him, his brows once again furrowed, but this time he looks more confused than upset.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that, from my perspective, you look pretty aware of how you feel. You like Katsuki… and you like Midoriya too.”
“Is… is that even possible?”
“Well, it’s happening to you… so I guess it is. Your feelings are valid, Sho. Just because you feel something for Katsuki, it doesn’t make your feelings for Midoriya less valid and the same goes for the opposite.”
The hum that Shouto lets out doesn’t sound completely convinced, but at least the boy doesn’t look as conflicted as he did a few minutes ago, so Touya will take that as a win.
“I guess… I guess you’re right.” his younger brother whispers.
“Of course I am, I’m always right.” Touya replies with a small grin and ruffles the kid’s hair, earning a displeased grunt. “Now leave, I bet you’re dying to spend some other time with your two crushes, so take the tray downstairs and go.” he adds and unwraps his arm from around Shouto’s shoulders, gently pushing him to the side, before getting up and stretching his limbs. The dull pain coming from his scars welcomes him like an old friend.
Shouto stays seated, his eyes following Touya’s every movement in clear confusion.
“Aren’t you going to tell me what’s wrong with you, now?” he asks.
The question makes Touya freeze instantly mid stretch.
“What’s wrong with..? Nothing’s wrong with me, Sho. What are you talking about, what makes you think there’s anything?” he desperately tries to sound nonchalant. Given the way his brother is looking at him, he knows he failed miserably.
“There’s blood on your pillow… you cried.” the kid says matter of factly, tilting his head to the side to point at Touya’s futon.
After a quick glance, Touya can see the little red spot on the pillow and shit, he spent all night furiously wiping his bloody tears with the palm of his hands to avoid dirtying his clothes or sheet, and yet there it is, a single, almost minuscule stain, on the otherwise spotless fabric.
“That’s not- a staple came loose last night.” he lies, pointing at his eye. But it’s such a weak lie, they both know it. A loose staple would bleed much more than that and, even if Touya actually managed to replace it on the spot, his face would still be red and swollen. Shouto lifts his eyebrow skeptically. “Listen…” Touya lets out a sigh, turning his back to his brother. “It’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about that, I’m fine.” he whispers lowly. A soft shifting sound behind him makes him turn his head and Shouto is now standing right behind him with a serious expression on his face.
“Touya… I’m not a kid anymore, if something is bothering you, you can tell me.” he says, taking his brother’s hand and making him turn completely so they can be face to face. “I told you about Katsuki and Midoriya… I trusted you. Can’t you trust me as well?”
The words make Touya flinch and look away.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Sho. It’s just–” he mumbles and sighs again. His voice comes out shakier than intended. “I fucked up. I fucked up so bad…”
“How did you fuck up, Touya? What happened? Please, you can tell me.” Shouto pleads, holding his brother’s hands even tighter.
Touya allows his eyes to meet the kid’s two colored ones, and it’s like a river overflowing. Bright red tears start escaping his eyes and it hurts, crying hurts so much, his burned tear ducts protesting, but the pain is not nearly as severe as the one he feels in his chest for what he did to Keigo, for hurting so badly the person he grew to love so damn much.
Words start spilling out of his lips along with many sobs as Shouto holds him close, rubbing comforting circles on his back. Touya tells him everything from the very beginning: how he saw Keigo dancing that first day and how he was immediately charmed. How Keigo caught a glimpse of him and then came back the next day. Their encounters, the writing lessons, their nightly escapades, the bond he created with every single member of the quirk users’ family and, most importantly, his fight with Keigo from the night before, the way Keigo looked so utterly hurt and disappointed. When he’s done talking, his throat feels dry and both his and Shouto’s clothes are a big bloody mess, but his brother doesn’t seem to care and helps him sit down at the table, still holding him tight.
“That’s… honestly a lot to process. I can’t believe you kept so much from me.” he whispers as he takes a clean napkin and hands it to Touya.
“I’m sorry Sho, I really am. I thought about telling you so many times, but…”
“Don’t apologize, I didn’t mean that in an accusing way. I should be the one apologizing to you. I kept talking about my own issues and I failed to realize you had a lot on your plate as well. I made you feel like there was no place for you to rely on me like I was relying on you.” he clarifies and fills Touya’s cup with the remaining of the tea he had brought for breakfast, the beverage now lukewarm.
“That’s not true… that is not the reason why I didn’t tell you.” Touya admits as he slowly wipes the blood off his face, cringing at the sight of the red napkin. That’s why he hates crying.
“Then what is?” Shouto asks, placing the cup in front him.
“I knew that if I told you about everything that was going on, you would’ve told me… that I should go with them.” he whispers weakly, lifting the cup of tea Shouto had offered him to his lips and taking a sip to clear his sore throat, ruined by the excessive crying and talking.
Because yes, the truth is that he never, not even for a split second, felt ashamed of Keigo, or his family, he never thought Shouto would judge him for befriending them. The thing that was actually holding him back was the fear of his pure soul of a brother telling him that it was okay for him to choose his own happiness. That he deserved to leave to be happy, if he wanted to. But does Touya actually deserve it? Does he deserve happiness?
“Touya, of course I would’ve told you that you should go. But you know, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I love you and I love having you here, but I think you should be allowed to find your own happiness, be it here with us or wherever, with Keigo, Katsuki and their family. If you want to go, I’ll be the first one to help you pack your things and leave this room as discreetly as possible. But if you want to stay, I’ll still be as supportive. And Keigo… well, from what you told me, he sounds like a fantastic person. If you told him you’d rather stay, he’d understand. You don’t need to lose your friendship over this.” Shouto murmurs softly, his eyes never once leaving Touya’s face.
“I want to.” Touya blurts out, leaving his brother perplexed.
“Want what? Lose his friendship?”
“No, I- I want to go, Shouto. I want to be with them, leave Hakata and never look back. I want to see what’s out there and… not be stuck in this room anymore. I don’t want to keep living like this.”
“Then what’s the issue? Why didn’t you just tell Keigo that you-”
“What if I don’t deserve it, Sho? I’m just- just look at me. People already judge them harshly enough, how would they treat them if something like me were to join them? I would only slow them down and be a nuisance to them just like I am for our family and they don’t deserve it. I can’t inflict this kind of punishment on them.”
A heavy silence falls between them, Touya staring at his hands in shame, Shouto silently biting the inside of his cheek.
“You know… I’ve never heard so many absurdities all in one go.” the kid whispers seriously, placing a hand on Touya’s leg, forcing him to look up. “Listen, you stupid older brother. It’s not my place to tell you this, but I’m sure that Keigo and the others don’t see you as a nuisance. And if you’re really that worried that they do, you should ask them. You need to stop underestimating yourself and assume the worst about yourself because, trust me, there’s so much more to you than your scars. You just refuse to see it. If Keigo asked you to join them, it’s because he cares for you and wants you by his side. Just as I care for you. Stop thinking that we can’t decide what’s best for us and accept the fact that you are a lovable person.”
“But I-”
“No buts. You need to talk to Keigo. Tell him what you told me.” Shouto interrupts him with a stern look on his face. “You two need to figure this out, you cannot let this chance of happiness go because of your stupid need to sabotage yourself. After talking this through, decide what’s best for you. And Touya, I can’t stress this enough, for once in your life be selfish.”
“But I’m always selfish…” he mumbles meekly, incapable of finding another retort to shoot his brother’s way.
The boy rolls his eyes, shaking his head. Touya can’t help but think that Katsuki really is a bad influence on him. When did his sweet little baby brother become so sassy?
“Trust me, you are not. That’s what Father wants you to think, but I need you to believe me when I tell you that nothing that you do could ever be considered selfish.” he mutters. “I am serious, Touya. Talk to Keigo. If not for yourself, you need to do it for him."
Notes:
i am a sucker for angst. but oh boy, i miss my two pookies being happy and wholesome together... please talk this out asap :'(
(talking as if im not the one who wrote this, ough)by the way, are you guys enjoying the holidays? even though i'm not exactly christian, christmas is treating me well lol, i'm enjoying the good food :') hope you guys are resting and eating well too
remember, next chapter is coming out on thursday 2nd. you can say i'll see you guys next year lol
i hope you liked this chapter, remember that leaving a kudo or a comment can mean a lot and it's always nice to see what you guys have to say about how the story is progressing.
i'll see you next week!!
Chapter 21: Chapter 20 – Violet
Notes:
these thursday updates are hell, i am NOT used to them and once again forgot that i had to post a new chapter oof-
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! i hope everyone celebrated happily and ate well <3
last week i was thanking you for 8k hits and here i am now, thanking you for surpassing 9k... LITERALLY INSANE?? THANK YOU EVERYONE T-T
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Violet: Honesty
Touya doesn’t really want to delude himself. Realistically speaking, he knows Keigo probably won’t come tonight. Why would he, after all? He believes Touya is ashamed of him and he’s rightfully mad at him because of that. If the roles were reversed, Touya would be mad too. So, even if Shouto had told him to talk to Keigo, Touya isn’t expecting him tonight. He’s not sitting in front of his desk with a book he’s only pretending to be reading, he’s not glancing out of the window every five minutes and he’s definitely not fixing his hair with his fingers in a weak attempt to look more presentable.
He snaps the book closed with a groan and gets up. Who is he trying to fool? Of course he’s hoping that Keigo will come. Because even after what happened the night before, even if he knows he hurt Keigo, he still wishes to see him, even if it’s for one last time, so he can explain himself and make things right between them.
Touya tries his best to silence the voice, his father’s voice, in his head telling him that, by wishing for Keigo to come visit him, he’s being selfish. He hurt him, after all. What makes him think he deserves to see Keigo once again?
He shakes his head. He’s not selfish. Wanting to make things right is not an act of selfishness. Keigo deserves to know the truth and leave Hakata with his heart at peace. Touya doesn’t want him to leave believing that he’s someone to be ashamed of. Touya will never forgive himself if that happens.
And if he actually doesn’t come… well, luckily Touya has a backup plan.
“I don’t think he’ll come, Sho. You didn’t see him, he was so upset. He probably doesn’t want to see me ever again.” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.
“If that ends up being the case, I’ll go talk to him myself.” his younger brother replied without skipping a beat, crossing his arms against his chest with a determined expression. The words made Touya’s eyes widen in surprise.
“You… you what?” he muttered breathlessly.
“You heard me. If tomorrow morning you tell me he didn’t come today, I’ll ask Katsuki to take me to their camp and then I’ll ask Keigo to come and talk to you.” Shouto explained with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’m sure he’ll feel inclined to come since he’ll realize that you told me everything about him. He’ll come here, you two will talk things through, make up, be friends again and everything will be fine.”
“You make it sound so damn easy, Sho.” Touya sighed once again, lowering his gaze.
“It is so damn easy, you stupid big brother.” the kid said with no real malice behind his words. When Touya lifted his head, his eyes met Shouto’s and his brother smiled at him encouragingly. “You can do this, Tou. You just need to be honest.”
And Touya has every intention to follow the advice, even if he realizes that being completely honest means to tell Keigo a lot more than what he revealed earlier to Shouto. Is he really ready to tell Keigo how he feels about him? Would that change things between them? Make them worse?
One step at a time. He tells himself as he presses the palm of his hand against his chest to calm the crazy speed of his heartbeat. He first needs to worry about clearing things up. His feelings are something he can worry about later.
The room suddenly turns pitch black, distracting Touya from his train of thoughts and making him turn towards his nightstand, where the candle was burning just a few seconds ago, emitting its blue light around the small room. He lights a small flame on his palm, just so he doesn’t have to walk around completely blind and his gaze falls on the completely consumed candle, white smoke twirling in the air right over it. Shit, where did he put his candle stash again? He really hopes he still has some candles lying around somewhere, he’d hate having to wait for Keigo in complete darkness. He starts rummaging through the drawers of his nightstand with his free hand, looking for a candle, when a faint knock against his window makes him jump in surprise and almost set a nearby plant (a recently bloomed orchid) on fire.
His head whips to the side, towards the window, and his heart skips a beat when he realizes what caused the sudden noise.
Well, actually… who caused the sudden noise.
Keigo is awkwardly standing on his balcony, his hand still hovering against the glass window, his wings half closed behind his back. He’s looking at Touya with a neutral expression, and the fire user feels like he’s about to faint. Keigo is here, and it feels so surreal that he just stands there, staring at him dumbfounded.
After a few seconds, Keigo points his finger towards the handle of the window, as if asking to be let inside and Touya has to stop himself from slapping his forehead with the hand engulfed by the fire (he definitely doesn’t need another scar), before hurrying towards the window and letting Keigo inside.
“Feathers, oh gods I am so glad you came.” he says as he extinguishes the fire on his palm and places both hands on Keigo’s shoulders. The man opens his mouth to reply, but Touya rapidly shakes his head. He needs to take everything off his chest as quickly as possible, before his newfound courage can fade away. “No wait, let me talk first. I was an idiot, okay? Yesterday I should’ve talked to Shouto, I know.”
“Touya-”
“I don’t even know why I was so scared to tell him. Well, actually I know, but at that moment everything was happening so quickly and I panicked, so I… I fucked up.”
“Can I just-”
“I just want you to know that I don’t feel ashamed. I could never feel ashamed of you. You’re literally the best person I know and if the gods themselves offered me all the gold in the world, if I could tell them a flaw of yours, I wouldn’t be able to reply! Because you’re the m-”
A hand slaps on his mouth, shushing him. Keigo is looking at him with raised eyebrows, clearly uncomfortable. Did he go too far? Did he fuck this up?
“Oh gods, Touya. Can you please hold your horses and let me talk for one second?” Keigo whispers with an exasperated tone, looking at him seriously. Touya gulps down nervously and tries to open his mouth to reply, but Keigo’s hand is still securely placed on his face, so he just nods. Keigo sighs, muttering a soft ‘ thanks ’, before moving down his hand and taking a step back. “You should keep your sappy monologue for later, Tou. You know, for the real Keigo.”
Touya can feel his jaw drop in surprise, making the staples near his mouth itch painfully, so he hurriedly closes his mouth, staring at the man in confusion.
“For the real Ke- feathers, what…?” he mutters, speechless. Now that he’s looking at him, Keigo looks… strange. His posture seems awkward, his wings hang behind his back only half closed, as if he’s not sure what to do with them, his feet stand a little too wide, as if he’s struggling to keep his balance. “Who are you?” he asks, his head leaning forward to take a better look at the, apparently fake, Keigo in front of him. The blond man’s eyes widen for a second, and suddenly he’s stifling a laugh behind the palm of his hand.
“Oh, right… I guess none of us told you, uh? I’m Himiko, Tou!” Keigo (Himiko?) says after moving the hand to the side, revealing two slightly flushed cheeks and a sly grin that definitely doesn’t belong on Keigo’s face. It makes Touya shiver.
“Hi.. Himiko? How did you..?” he whispers incredulously, approaching the man (well, girl) and walking around her a couple of times. It’s uncanny. She looks like Keigo, from head to toe, everything about her appearance is identical to Keigo’s, except for the aforementioned grin that Touya is so used to seeing on Himiko’s actual face.
“It’s my quirk! That’s how, silly!” she says and places her hands on her hips with a proud expression. “I can turn into whoever I want, if I drink some of their blood.”
“You drink… blood?” Touya furrows his brows, unsure of how to react to that piece of information. How did she even find out she had a quirk like that?
“Don’t make that face, it’s weird only if you make it weird.” Himiko reprimands him and jokingly pokes his chest with the tip of her finger. “We’ll have time to thoroughly discuss this later, if you want. But now we gotta go, I don’t have much time before I turn back.” she adds and takes a few steps towards him, her arms outstretched to lift him up. Touya jumps back in surprise, wrapping his own arms around his body.
“W-What are you doing?” he whisper-yells, staring at the girl in shock. Himiko lifts a bushy eyebrow, weirded out.
“I’m taking you to the camp, obviously. You wanna come to the camp to talk things out with Kei, don’t you?”
“Of course I do!”
“And when he takes you to the camp he princess-carries you, right?”
“I mean, yeah but-”
“No buts, then. We’re going.” she interrupts him and steps forward once again, lifting him up in a swift motion and approaching the window. The jump off the balcony is way less elegant and smooth compared to Keigo’s skilled departures. As they rapidly start flying up in the sky, over the clouds, Touya can feel his stomach twist in the most horrible way, so he closes his eyes and desperately tries to distract himself.
“You said you drink blood to turn into other people. Do you drink everyone’s blood?” he asks, nervously fidgeting with his fingers.
“At first, only Ochako’s. I don’t like just drinking blood. I only drink the blood of people I trust and care about. I’ve been dying to ask you if you could give me some, but Keigo forbade me to.” she mutters, clearly displeased. Despite his better judgment, Touya opens his eyes to look at her.
“You wanted… my blood? But you just said-”
“Mhmh, I know what I said.” she nods and lowers her gaze to look at him with a smile. “I like you, Tou. We all do.”
The words come out of Himiko’s mouth so easily, the confession so simple and yet it feels like a huge boulder just fell on Touya’s chest, squeezing it painfully. He likes them all too, of course, but hearing Himiko say that the feeling is mutual it’s not something he was expecting.
“S-So Keigo told you not to ask me if you could drink my blood?” he asks, his voice coming out a little strained because of the wave of emotions that just washed over him. Himiko seems to notice his clumsy attempt at changing the subject and nods slowly.
“Yup! It was last week, I think. I talked to him first, because you know, he knows you better than all of us, so I really wanted his input on the matter. He said that we didn’t know each other that well yet, and he didn’t want you to be weirded out by the fact that I drink blood. You know, Rumi was at first, so it’s cool if you are, I won’t take it personally.” she says, her arms gently squeezing him in a reassuring manner. A gust of wind stronger than the others make her almost lose balance and their trajectory wobbles slightly, making Touya groan because of the rapidly growing sense of nausea.
“I’m not weirded out. Just a little surprised, I suppose.” he admits truthfully. He still wonders how in the world she even found herself craving blood in the first place, when it started happening, but he won’t ask her to talk about things she doesn't feel comfortable enough to share. “And, for the record, I wouldn’t mind giving you some of my blood one of these days, if you really want it.” he adds with a half smile, but he’s pretty sure that it ends up looking more like a grimace. He wonders for how long this awfully turbulent trip is going to last. Himiko’s eyes shine in glee at that, her signature grin appearing once again.
“I’ll hold you to that promise, Touya.” she warns him with a playful tone, before sending him a wary glance. “Are you okay? You look almost… green.” she mumbles.
“Yeah, I’m- I’m fine, Himiko. Just- are we there yet?” he asks and tries to gulp down his nausea, to no avail.
“Uh, almost. Just hang in there for another minute or two, okay?” she reassures him. Touya nods slowly. It feels like an awfully long time, but he doesn't say that out loud. “Woah, Keigo was right, you really can’t stand flying uh?” she whispers almost to herself, before addressing him with her cheerful tone again “Please don’t puke on me.”
“I’ll try my best.” he mutters weakly.
When they finally land, Himiko places him down seated on a rock, and Touya hugs his stomach as tightly as he can, desperately trying to pull himself together and bask in the pleasant feeling of having his feet firmly placed on the ground.
He now realizes that the stakes for his conversation with Keigo are higher than expected. Not only Touya has this only chance to fix their relationship and properly apologize for acting like a fool, but he’ll also need to play his cards right to be on Keigo’s good side again, so he can maybe convince him to give him a lift back home.
As much as he likes Himiko and appreciates her effort to bring him here tonight, her flying skills are in no way comparable to Keigo’s.
“You still with me, Tou?” she asks from above him, her voice back to normal, a clear indicator that, as he was fighting for his life (and desperately forcing his dinner to stay in his stomach), she had switched back to her real appearance.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Himiko. I just need a few more seconds and we c-” he reassures her and lifts his gaze to send her a weak smile. But the words he was just now speaking die in his throat as he only now realizes that the girl in front of him is completely naked.
The realization makes him jerk back, his balance thrown completely off. He falls off the rock he was sitting on and lands, rather painfully, on his back. A pained groan leaves his lips and he clumsily tries to hurry back on his feet, motion sickness long forgotten as he stands with a hand covering his eyes.
“WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!” he screeches breathlessly, pressing his hand against his eyes as hard as possible, the feeling almost painful against the scarred skin under his eyes.
“Uh? Oh yeah, it happens when I transform back. Don’t worry, it’s fine.” she reassures him with a light tone.
“It’s n-not fine! Put something on!” he begs. Gods, he can feel his cheeks’ temperature rise exponentially with every passing second.
“Okay, okay. Don’t worry, Ochako said she left me some spare clothes around here somewhere.” he hears Himiko mutter and walk away, probability to search said spare clothes.
A few, interminable seconds go by. Touya can hear the girl walk around the little space they are standing in, humming a cheerful tune to herself as if the situation is completely normal. And fine, maybe it is… to her. But Touya feels more and more like dying with every passing second, his hand still firmly pressed on his face.
“Are you done?” he asks. Himiko stops singing and sighs.
“Almost… I can’t find them.” she mumbles. Based on her muffled voice, Touya supposes she’s standing a few feet away from him.
“Please hurry.”
“Well, telling me to hurry won’t help me find them any faster, don’t you think?” she sighs. “You could uncover your eyes and help me out, you know.”
A groan escapes Touya’s lips.
“Himiko…” he begs.
“Ah, here they are! Okay, give me just a second!” she suddenly exclaims and Touya doesn’t know if he’s about to die because of relief or embarrassment. “Woah, you have smoke coming out of your ears. Does that happen every time you’re embarrassed or-”
“ Himiko, put your clothes on! ” he hisses, his words a weird mixture of an order and a plea.
“Oof, okay! such a prude…” Himiko whispers to herself. There’s some rustling and finally, finally , the girl tells him that she’s wearing her clothes. Touya removes his hand from his face and turns just in time to see Himiko fix the laces of her shoes, fastening them with expert hands. “Well, that was way more tragic than it needed to be.” she sighs and gets up. “Shall we go?”
Touya gulps, trying to get rid of his anxiety. Now that the motion sickness is gone and the whole clothes ordeal has been dealt with, the nervousness regarding his upcoming conversation with Keigo is back at full force, painfully squishing his insides.
Himiko seems to catch the turmoil behind his eyes and takes a few steps forward, taking his hands in hers.
“Stop overthinking it. Whatever is going on between you two fools, it’s going to be okay.” she reassures him with a gentle smile.
“I don’t know Himiko. I messed up.” Touya admits, avoiding her gaze.
“Oh, we already know that. I mean, when yesterday we came back from the festival, Keigo was a wreck, so we figured that whatever went down with you must’ve been pretty ugly. But you two care about each other a lot, so I’m sure you’ll figure it out, together.” the girl says, softly squeezing Touya’s hands and forcing him to turn to look at her. She’s still smiling at him, and it gives him courage. He gulps down once again and nods his head.
“You’re right. Okay, I’m ready. Let’s go.” he whispers and squeezes Himiko’s hands back.
The girl lets out a little giggle and starts dragging him through the forest, walking down the small path that leads to the meadow. The familiar sound of cheerful chatting makes his heart clench in the most comforting way. He only spent a single night without seeing the quirk users, but he already missed them dearly.
“Hi guys! Guess who’s here!” Himiko announced loudly the moment the two of them stepped into the meadow, immediately drawing the attention of everyone present.
“Oi Touya!” Rumi immediately approaches them and wraps a tanned arm around Touya’s shoulders. “Why so pale tonight uh? The flight with Himiko didn’t do any good to that weak stomach of yours, I bet.” she adds and jokingly pats his chest with her free hand. A few laughs emerge from the people sitting around the fire, and Touya is not sure if they actually sound a little tense or if he’s just too nervous himself and he’s imagining things.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t consider that one of my favorite flying experiences… no offense, Himiko.” he replies a little awkwardly, letting Rumi walk him wherever she pleases.
"None taken!" Himiko laughs and sits next to Ochako on their usual log, leaving a quick kiss on her cheek.
“That bad, uh?” Rumi asks, clearly amused by the whole ordeal. “Want something to drink to ease your sickness?”
“Okay now, it was bad, but not that bad! He didn’t even throw up!” Himiko loudly protests and purses her lips in a fake grudge.
Ochako next to her immediately wraps her arm around Himiko’s waist and pulls her close. The pout on Himiko’s face immediately disappears, replaced by a content smile when her girlfriend rests her chin on her shoulder, their foreheads gently bumping against each other.
“Don’t worry, Rumi, I’m fine.” Touya reassures the older woman with a little smile as he rapidly scans the meadow. No windswept blond hair nor red wings in sight. It makes his stomach drop, but he ignores it. “Listen, uhm… can you tell me where Keigo is? I need to talk to him.” he whispers in a low tone, making sure that only Rumi can hear him.
Her red eyes meet his turquoise ones in a knowing look and, not without a great amount of worry, Touya wonders whether Keigo told her (or the others) the exact reason behind their fight from the day before. Considering that no one is sending dirty looks his way, it’s safe to assume that Keigo, for whatever reason, kept to himself most of the details.
“Yeah, you definitely need to.” she murmurs, removing her arm from his shoulders and taking a hold of his arm, gently pulling him away from the group and standing aside with him to grant them some privacy. Her tone and overall demeanor are firm, but not hostile. Maybe she does know. The thought makes Touya feel increasingly more nervous.
“Did he tell you?” he asks, tense.
“He didn’t want to. But I can be pretty pushy when I need to, so after nagging him all morning, he finally yielded after lunch. He begged me not to tell the others, he didn’t want them to think badly of you.” Rumi explains seriously. Her words make the guilt pooling in his stomach grow exponentially. Even after everything, Keigo still tried to preserve the image of him his family has. “Listen, I don’t know what goes through your little brain, but you need to pull your shit together, you hear me? Because Keigo is such a wonderful person and if you actually-”
“I don’t.” Touya interrupts her immediately, waving his hands in front of him. “It was all a misunderstanding, I- when yesterday Shouto knocked at my door it took me by surprise and everything was happening too quickly and I panicked. I know that is no justification for hurting him, but I need Keigo to know that I feel nothing but affection and respect for all of you. I don’t want him to be upset because of me.” he explains.
Rumi listens to him carefully, her eyes growing thinner with every word Touya speaks.
“I believe you. That’s why I told Himiko she needed to come and fetch you. I wanted to give you a chance to explain yourself and fix your own mess.” she admits with a sigh. “In the past two weeks, Keigo has been happy with you. I don’t want him to lose that happiness.”
“I’ll fix it, Rumi. I promise.” Touya whispers, determination burning hot in his chest. “Tell me where he is… please?”
“We sent him to fetch some roots for tomorrow’s soup. We didn’t want him to see you arrive, he would’ve probably freaked out.”
“Wait, he doesn’t know I’m here?”
The sound of a basket softly hitting the ground from behind them makes both Touya and Rumi turn around, eyes wide in surprise as if they were caught red handed.
“What is he doing here?” Keigo hisses coldly, his eyes staring Touya down with ill concealed resentment behind them.
Well, here’s your answer.
“Keigo-” Oboro stands up and takes a few tentative steps towards his younger brother, but before he can even be at arm's length from him, Keigo turns around and takes long strides towards one of the tents.
“I’ll go wash my clothes.” he announces with that same cold tone, without sparing Touya a second glance.
“I thought you said you wanted to do that after we left tomorrow?” Eijiro asks and furrows his eyebrows, turning to look at his older brother. Touya feels like icy cold water was thrown at him.
“Well, I changed my mind.” Keigo replies and enters his tent, walking right out with another basket, filled with various garments, and then leaves the meadow without anyone trying to stop him.
“You are leaving tomorrow?” Touya asks with panic in his voice, turning to look at Rumi, his hands nervously gripping her shoulders.
“Last night he told us that it was no use to stay any further. We tried to reason with him earlier today but he just won’t budge. Shota said that we’ll have to leave eventually, so since Keigo is being so stubborn about it, we might as well do it now.” she explains, taking Touya’s wrists and gently removing his hands from her shoulders. “Touya, I wish I could tell you that you have the time to work things out with him, but you do not. Go talk to him and fix this mess. Now.”
“How am I supposed to do that in one night? He’s pissed off!” he protests weakly, his resolve rapidly leaving his body. He thought he had time. He thought he could make things right.
“Of course he’s pissed off, you fucked up big time.” Rumi scoffs and crosses her arms over her chest. “Now go, before I kick you all the way to the lake.”
Touya doesn’t need her to say that twice. After taking a deep breath (that unfortunately doesn’t do much to soothe his nerves) he turns to walk away from the meadow and follow Keigo. The heavy gaze of every single quirk user present burns holes in his back, but he tries his best to ignore them. After he’s hidden behind the treeline, he feels his shoulders relax slightly.
Now to the actually difficult part. Talk to Keigo. He wonders if Keigo even wants to listen to him. He can only hope he will.
The walk towards the lake feels painfully long, so when he finally gets there he’s not sure if it’s been just a bunch of minutes or a whole hour. Keigo is kneeling on the lakeside, with his back facing Touya, the basket placed next to him. He’s busy dunking a piece of clothing in the water and rubbing it with his bare hands, but still, his wings twitch and his shoulders tense the moment he senses Touya’s presence.
“If I wanted you to join me, I would’ve asked you to come.” he says coldly, still refusing to look at him. Touya takes a step forward.
“Feathers-”
“Keigo.” the man immediately corrects him, and it feels like a slap in the face.
“Keigo…” Touya whispers meekly as he takes a few steps forward. “Can we talk? Please?”
“I have nothing to say to you.” Keigo hisses.
“Then can I do the talking and you just listen?” Touya tries again, and holds his breath, waiting for a reply that doesn’t come. Keigo keeps his eyes on his task. After a few long seconds of silence, Touya lets out a sigh and takes another step forward, standing a few inches away from the other man. “I talked to Shouto this morning. I told him everything. About you, about me coming here and about your offer to leave Hakata with you.”
“Well, good for you.” Keigo’s words almost take Touya by surprise, not only for the sharp reply per se, but mostly because his tone is… off. As he takes the last steps towards the lake and sits on the grass next to Keigo, Touya tilts his head to the side to look at the man next to him and the sight leaves him speechless.
When he was twelve, Touya broke his arm while playing with Fuyumi. They were running in the backyard right after a summer rain, enjoying the fresh weather and making a mess of their shoes and clothes by stepping in every single muddy puddle they could find. He was trying to catch his sister, and he was laughing so hard his stomach hurt. He was happy. But suddenly, he slipped on a patch of wet grass and fell to the ground. Pain bloomed in his right arm, so sharp and sudden that it punched the air out of his lungs, rendering him unable to cry or ask for help. A few seconds passed, Fuyumi was laughing at him, clearly clueless about the severity of the pain Touya was in. But then she came closer and saw his forearm, swollen and slightly bent in a weird way, and that was enough for her to yell and go call their Mother. Only when Rei approached him and cautiously took him in her arms, Touya snapped out of his trance and started sobbing loudly, the excruciating pain so intense he couldn’t even move his fingers. It took more than two months for his arm to fully heal, even with Rei’s careful tending, and to this day, Touya vividly remembers the painful sensation.
And yet, that was nothing, compared to what he feels right now, staring at Keigo’s teary eyes, his lips pressed in a thin line to stop himself from sobbing. Keigo is crying, and it's all his fault. And the sight is hurting Touya way more than a simple broken bone.
“Feathers…” he chokes on the word, his own eyes burning as he can feel the need to shed his own tears, red and bloody, but he shuts his eyes closed as hard as he can and hugs Keigo close to his chest. The pair of soaking wet pants that Keigo is holding presses uncomfortably against Touya’s stomach, but he can’t bring himself to care as he holds the other man even closer, gently rubbing circles against Keigo’s back and letting him cry.
(Touya carefully avoids the area where the red wings merge with his skin. Keigo told him that’s a very sensitive area for him and he doesn’t want to overstep any boundaries)
It’s your fault. You did this to him. Enji’s voice in his head snarls, causing his insides to twist painfully.
Yes I did, and I will fix it. he replies mentally, shutting down his father’s voice and focusing his attention on the crying man in his arms.
“I hate you so much…” Keigo whispers weakly between sobs, his words a little muffled because of the way his face is pressing against Touya’s chest.
“And you have every right to.” Touya replies when he manages to recollect himself. “You have every reason to loathe me for the rest of your life and refuse to see me ever again. And after tonight I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you wish. But first, I want to explain myself. I want you to know why I did what I did last night because, as much as I know you deserve to be mad at me, I’m-” he stops talking, his eyes opening just enough to let him take a look at Keigo’s messy golden locks.
Come on. Say it. His father’s voice taunts him.
“I’m a selfish person.” he whispers and softly starts petting Keigo’s hair. He can almost imagine Enji nod with his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face. Yes, Touya is selfish. Yes, he can’t let Keigo go without hoping for forgiveness and, maybe, for Keigo to leave Hakata without despising him completely.
“I’m listening.” Keigo mutters, letting go of the pair of pants that fall to the ground with a wet plop , and wrapping his fingers around Touya’s haori instead, as if trying to make sure he doesn’t pull away. Not that Touya wants to, he’d stay like this forever if he could.
“I’m not ashamed of you, Keigo. That’s not the reason why I asked you to leave, nor the reason why I didn’t want to tell Shouto about us.” he whispers.
“What was the reason, then? Because from my perspective it definitely looked like that.” Keigo’s voice is weak and shaky, but at least he’s not crying anymore. It gives Touya a sliver of peace of mind.
“Because I was afraid. The only thing I could think at the moment was that if Shouto knew about how much I care for you and your family, how much I love spending time with you, he would’ve told me that I should leave Hakata with you, even before you could offer.” he admits. Keigo shifts slightly against his chest and when Touya lowers his gaze, he sees that the other man is looking at him as well.
“Is the idea of coming with us really that terrible? You could’ve just told me no, Touya, I would’ve accepted it.” he says. His eyes are still filled with pain and sorrow, shiny because of unshed tears and Touya’s hand itches to touch Keigo’s face, gently brush his fingers against those pretty black marks in the corner of Keigo’s eyes and caress his sadness away. But he can’t so he just clenches his fist to collect himself.
“Keigo, I would love to come with you. I feel honored by the fact that you even offered. I told you, I’m not ashamed. I could never be, you’re the best person I had the chance to meet and I’m lucky to have you in my life, even if it’s only for a few days.” he replies and gently shakes his head. He can see Keigo open his mouth to formulate the very obvious question, so he hurries to explain further. “As much as I love the idea to leave this village behind and start a new life with all of you… I wonder if I actually deserve it.”
“Touya, what is that even supposed to mean? Of course you deserve it!” Keigo protests, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“You say that now, but… Keigo, have you seen me? It’s only a matter of time before you and the others realize how much of a nuisance traveling with someone like me can be. I’ll only slow you down and make things even more difficult for you guys and I don’t want to hold you back.” he whispers, and closes his eyes, resting his chin on Keigo’s head, his hand still running through the soft golden locks.
There’s a long silence and Touya almost wonders if Keigo fell asleep on him, but suddenly the winged man’s hands are pressing gently on his chest, putting some distance between them.
“You know what I think, Touya?” he asks, his tone serious. He doesn’t even let Touya open his mouth to formulate a reply, before continuing. “I think you’re just finding excuses because you don’t wanna admit you’re scared.” he points a finger against Touya’s chest, locking him in place with a stern glance. “You spent the last ten years alone, barely leaving your room, and now you’re so used to being mistreated and tossed aside by your family that the idea of leaving scares you. The mere thought of your life being anything different than pain and solitude terrifies you. And, to be fair, I get it, leaving everything you know behind to start a new life is not easy, but you don’t have to lie to me to look noble or some shit like that.”
Touya flinches at Keigo’s choice of words and lowers his gaze.
“That’s not-” he tries to say, but he can’t finish the sentence. Is Keigo telling the truth? Is he actually scared? Maybe that would explain the uneasy feeling he’s been stuck with since the first time Keigo offered him to leave Hakata with him and his family.
“Did you even consider my offer? Even for just one second, did you let yourself dream to have a better life with me… with us ?” Keigo asks, this time his tone softer, almost pleading. Touya forces himself to lift his gaze and return his gaze.
“I did.” he admits and gulps down the uncomfortable feeling in his throat. “Is… is your offer still valid?” he whispers after mustering all of the courage left in his body. Keigo shakes his head with a bitter smile.
“That depends on whether you’re willing to actually take it into consideration.” he picks up the pants from the ground between them, resuming the task he was working on before Touya’s arrival. “I don’t expect you to give me your answer right now, of course. But we can’t stay here forever, Touya. You need to make up your mind and make your decision aware of the fact that once you’ve decided, there’s no turning back.”
“How can I take my time to think about it? You’re leaving tomorrow.” Touya protests weakly, the reminder of the quirk users’ impending departure sending painful shivers through his whole body.
“I’ll talk with Shota. I’ll explain the situation. But we can’t wait more than a day or two. Chisaki approached him and Oboro yesterday during the festival. He can’t wait for us to leave and the excuse of Chiyo being sick can’t last forever. We’ve never stayed for so long in one place, we need to go.” Keigo explains, his teeth nervously biting his bottom lip.
“Okay, so one or two days it is. I’ll think about it. For real, this time.” Touya promises as he watches the man put the soaking wet pants to the side and take a vest from the basket, dipping it in the lake.
“That’s good to hear.” Keigo replies, his attention now fully on the clothes. “You should ask Himiko to take you home.” he adds after a few seconds, leaving Touya dumbfounded.
“What? But why, are you-”
“I’m not mad at you if that’s what you’re asking. Not anymore, at least. I appreciate you coming here and explaining yourself, but regardless of your intentions, you hurt me, Touya. And I need time to… be alone. Can you understand that?” Keigo asks, his wings wrapping once again around his shoulders, a gesture that Touya now knows means he’s upset.
“I- sure.” he nods his head. “I’m sorry Keigo. I really am.”
“I know you are, it’s okay.” the reply comes almost immediately, and suddenly a red feather is brushing against Touya’s cheek, an affectionate gesture that makes him lift his head. Keigo is looking at him, golden eyes shining prettily, while a small sincere smile distends his lips.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head for me, okay? You need time to think about what you gotta do with your life and I need time away from you.” he says bluntly, but with the smile still present on his face. “But that doesn’t mean things aren’t okay between us.”
“So we’re fine?” Touya asks hopefully, leaning forward with a smile of his own forming on his face.
“We’re fine.” Keigo repeats with a nod, tilting his head in a way that makes him look a hundred times cuter (how that is even possible, Touya doesn’t know).
“Will you come tomorrow night?” he asks, uncertain.
A soft kiss is placed on his cheek, right where healthy and scarred skin meet and his heart almost stops in its tracks, before starting to beat way faster than normal. Did Keigo just… kiss him?
Sure, it was just a kiss on the cheek, but still, it wasn’t like the very few kisses Mother (the only one who would kiss him after his incident) would give him when she was still alive. She would always kiss his forehead, hands, and his cheeks too, but she would always be very careful to only kiss spots where his skin wasn’t scarred, maybe too afraid to hurt him.
But here Keigo is, kissing his scarred skin so nonchalantly, as if it’s normal. As if he’s not disgusted.
“As always.” Keigo replies with a soft smile. “Now go and let me wash these clothes in peace, petal.” he adds with a playful tone, the use of the little nickname sending a pleasing warmth through Touya’s body.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, feathers.” he whispers, touching the place where Keigo’s lips kissed with the point of his fingers. His skin feels like it’s tingling in the most beautiful way.
—
Enji can’t hold back this any longer. He needs to have this conversation and he needs it now . It took him a while to gather his thoughts and find the right words, but now he’s ready.
Yesterday, instead of going to the festival, and attending the celebrations with his family and people, he spent hours in the deserted temple, praying to the gods to give him the wisdom and strength he needed to go against his beloved wife’s dying wish and tell Touya that he must leave the village. And the gods heard his plea. He’s ready. And he’s going to talk to Touya, right now.
Finally, after twenty-four years, Hakata will be free from its curse.
He leaves his room, sliding the door open as silently as possible. One may think that confronting Touya in the middle of the night is unwise, but Enji knows his son, and talking to him now, when the rest of their family is asleep, will put him in a position that doesn’t allow him to replicate and have one of his outbursts. Maybe, if he’s lucky enough, Touya will accept to leave immediately, taking advantage of the pitch black darkness of the night. It’ll be easier for everyone if he leaves without saying useless farewells, after all (and it will also be easier for Enji to convince Shouto that Touya left of his own accord. Better spare their youngest the pain of knowing that it was Enji’s idea all along).
When Enji steps inside the storage room that serves as Touya’s space, he takes a few moments to look around. It’s been a while since he was here for the last time, and this place hasn’t changed very much. The desk, the one Enji himself brought here himself seven years ago when Fuyumi told him Touya needed a surface where to eat and write more comfortably, is still in the corner of the room. The chest containing the clothes Touya uses, the ones Natsuo outgrew when he was seventeen, is still near the futon. The flowers, the same flowers his beautiful Rei grew and cherished more than anything, are still decorating the room, placed here and there following some flower arrangement rule Enji doesn’t care enough to know.
“Wake up, Touya. We need to talk.” he whispers, shaking his head as he steps forward and approaches the futon where the young man is sleeping.
When he’s close enough to the futon to take a proper look at the man sleeping in it, Enji stops in his tracks, blood going cold in his veins. The body he thought was under the covers, is actually a pillow. Touya is not in his bed.
Did he sneak out? How many chances are there that he decided to leave for good without Enji needing to talk to him? Very few, considering that all of his personal belongings are still in the room. Where is he? Is this the first time he sneaked out? How did he do it? For how long has this been going on? Does anyone know? Did someone see Touya wandering around?
Too many questions race around Enji’s brain, rendering him more and more enraged. He angrily leaves the room, stomping towards his own bedroom.
He thought Touya could behave, but apparently, his rotten son couldn’t even stay put. Always an inconvenience, since the day he revealed himself for what he truly is: a selfish cursed child.
Enji enters his room and wills himself to stay calm. No use to get all worked up now. He’ll deal with Touya tomorrow.
Notes:
you thought you saw the drama? the real drama is about to happen, everyone...
friendly reminder that from next week we're going back to the usual update schedule, so i'll see you next tuesday (thank god). if you liked this chapter consider leaving a kudo, or a comment, they're always super appreciated and always make me happy :')
see you next week!
Chapter 22: Chapter 21 - Peony
Notes:
TW // EXPLICIT MENTION OF BLOOD AND SLIGHT VIOLENCE (TOUYA LOSES A STAPLE. BE MINDFUL OF THAT)
there we are with a new chapter, back to our usual schedule! life is back to normal :')
i changed my username, i hope you guys still recognize me lmao
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Peony: Bravery
(tw: blood, violence, physical abuse, touya loses a staple)
- - -
Touya is used to skipping meals. Sometimes Fuyumi is too lost in her own thoughts and forgets to prepare the extra plate for him. Eventually, she remembers and brings him some fruits or some bread and dried meat, so it’s okay. It’s not like he’s ever experienced real hunger anyway.
Besides, it’s not something that happens very often.
But today something must be off. It must be at least three hours past lunchtime, but neither Fuyumi nor Shouto have brought him anything to eat all day. His stomach is starting to rumble unpleasantly, and he’s growing more and more restless. Maybe he should go downstairs and get something himself? He’ll probably get yelled at by Father, but at least he’ll have something to put in his stomach.
With a sigh, Touya gets up from his usual reading spot near the window and approaches the door, placing his ear against it to listen carefully for any noise or voice coming from the rest of the house. He knows better not to leave his room unless he’s completely certain there’s only his family at home and not any guests. Chisaki, for instance. He's been spending a lot of time in the Todoroki mansion, lately. According to what Shouto told Touya, the Captain is being really eager regarding the topic of the wedding and Touya doesn’t know how to feel about it. That’s his little sister Chisaki is trying to put his grubby hands on, after all! But at the same time, Touya never really had the chance to play the part of the protective older brother (unless you take into consideration those times when they were kids and Tenko would try to court Fuyumi with flowers and sweets), so he’s not sure if he’s allowed to feel annoyed by Chisaki’s behavior. Given the situation, Natsuo should be the one to take care of that, but based on Shouto’s considerations, their brother doesn’t seem to care particularly about the way the Captain is breathing on Fuyumi’s neck (“ He’s too busy hanging with his friends and being obnoxious ” were Shouto’s exact words).
The door to Touya’s room slides open abruptly and the fire user almost jumps back in surprise at the motion, his eyes going wide when he realizes that the person standing outside his room is not Fuyumi nor Shouto, but his father.
When was the last time he saw Enji? Touya doesn’t remember. Probably even before Mother died. Aging really took a toll on him, if the sparse grey hair peeking among the red strands is any indicator. Touya is pretty sure that he can see wrinkles on his father’s cheeks and next to his eyes that weren’t there before. But maybe that’s because of the serious expression on the man’s face.
“Were you going somewhere, Touya?” Enji asks as he steps into the room, his tall and imposing frame making the space look even smaller than it actually is. It makes Touya take a step back.
“Actually, I was hoping to go downstairs to get something to eat. Fuyumi forgot to bring both breakfast and lunch, so I-”
“She didn’t forget. I forbade her to bring you any food today.” his father interrupts him and Touya furrows his brows, perplexed.
That’s… odd. He knows he’s far from being considered Father’s favorite child (honestly, he’s not even sure if his father still considers him one of his sons), but this feels sudden and completely nonsensical.
“I… I don’t understand, Father.” Touya mutters sincerely, his eyes meeting Enji’s, two pairs of turquoise eyes meeting for the first time in years. “Why would you do that? Is something the matter?”
Enji scoffs, averting his gaze almost immediately, probably the sight of his oldest son making his stomach turn in rage and disgust.
“Where were you last night, Touya?” the man asks, bringing his hands behind his back and taking a few steps towards the window. Touya turns to look at him, and watches his father as he moves the curtain to the side and stares outside the window, seemingly calm.
On the contrary, Touya feels his heart drop to his stomach and quickly jump back up, beating fast. Is that a trick question? Why is Father asking him that? Did he hear something? Did he see him sneak out with Himiko last night? Did Shouto tell..? No, Shouto would never rat him out to their father, but… what if?
Panic rises in his throat, rendering Touya incapable of speaking or moving. What does Enji know?
“Well? I’m waiting for an answer.” Father says, still gazing outside the window, his tone so calm it sends chills down Touya’s spine. He can feel the heat building up under his skin, smoke begging to escape his body through the gaps between his scarred and healthy skin, but he forces himself to stay calm and his heart to slow down. He can’t give himself away so easily, he needs to calm down.
“I… was here in my room, Father. As always.” he whispers. A little bit of pride fills his chest when the words leave his mouth, his tone steady and certain. No one can ever guess he’s lying. Unless…
“Cut the crap. I came here last night, you were not in here.” Enji spits out, turning around to face him. His face is red, his voice now filled with ill concealed rage. “So, Touya. I'm giving you one last chance to talk. Tell me where you were last night.” he takes a step towards Touya, his stature and angry aura making Touya feel as small and scared as he used to feel when he was a kid. Memories of Enji scolding him whenever he lost control of his quirk and burned something fill his mind and the desire to curl in a little ball and cry, begging his dad for forgiveness, is strong.
But he stands tall, albeit a little intimidated.
“I left the house… I exited through the back door and spent some time in the garden for some fresh air.” he says. The lie rolls on his tongue and out of his mouth easily, without a second thought. He won’t put the friends he grew so fond of in trouble if he can avoid it. His father is his problem and his alone. “But it’s okay, no one saw me… and even if they did, I was careful, I covered my face, even if someone did see me in our back garden, they would’ve mistaken me for Shouto, so-”
“What made you think that you were allowed to leave this room, let alone the house? And for what? Fresh air?” Enji scoffs, angered. “There’s plenty of air in here. You do not leave this damn room, Touya. I thought this was clear.”
“I just wanted to-”
The brain works in strange ways, sometimes. Touya is pretty sure he registers the sharp, sudden sound of the slap and the faint sound of a staple falling on the wooden floor before he can even process the pain in his cheek. But then the pain comes and it’s a burning pain. The one that makes your lip wobble and your eyes sting.
Father just slapped him so hard his head whipped to the side, and Touya just stands there, dumbfounded, with blood dripping down his face, gushing out of the rip in the flesh the missing staple opened.
“Now listen very carefully, you spoiled brat. I don’t care what your reasoning was, you are not allowed to leave this room. I thought that after your mother’s death, you would've finally left your selfish tantrums behind and started behaving, but apparently, I was wrong. So let me remind you once again. You are dead. Everyone thinks you’re dead and everyone will keep thinking you’re dead. Do dead people go outside for fresh air?” he whispers slowly.
Touya doesn’t reply, his brain barely registering the words his father is speaking. He can only focus on the staple on the ground. It’s like his eyes can’t see anything else but the small piece of metal, rendered red by the drops of blood covering it.
A strong hand grabs the front of the vest he’s wearing, pulling him closer to Enji’s body and shaking him a couple of times. The motion makes a new wave of pain bloom in his cheek, more blood dripping down his face, but he doesn’t bother wiping it.
“I said, do dead people go outside for fresh air? ” Enji hisses angrily, his every word filled with venom as his ice cold eyes stare holes into Touya’s face. The fire user forces himself to look at the man in front of him.
“No sir.” he whispers, his voice coming out as a mere whisper, sounding as empty as he feels.
“Exactly. You better keep that in mind.” Father replies and lets go of his shirt. Only now Touya notices the blood smearing Father's hand. He wonders if it got dirty the moment he slapped him or if the blood dropped from Touya's face onto his palm while he was grabbing his son's shirt.
Touya watches silently and motionlessly as Enji leaves the room and closes the door behind him. He doesn’t know for how long he stays still, standing in the middle of his room, with blood dripping down his chin and landing on his clothes, but suddenly he lifts a hand to his face, fingers delicately grazing against the line of staples on his cheek, looking for the spot missing one. Nothing. He then touches the undereye area and that’s when a sharper stab of pain makes him wince. His middle finger graces against the small hole in the healthy skin created by the staple.
Suddenly, bloody tears start dwelling in his eyes, and before he can even try to pull himself together, he’s crying, tears of blood mixing with the blood coming out of the wound on his cheek and making an even bigger mess on his face, clothes and floor, but he doesn’t care.
He doesn’t know whether he’s crying because his face hurts or because of his father’s words. Maybe it’s both. But he doesn’t care about that either.
—
“Are you going to meet Touya later?” Shota asks as he puts all the dirty bowls and utensils they used for dinner inside a basin full of soapy water. Keigo turns his head to look at him, his hands vigorously scrubbing the old battered pot Katsuki cooked their dinner in.
“Yeah, I promised I would. I'll finish with the dishes and go.” he nods slowly, averting his gaze from his older brother’s face and focusing on the pot, his lips twisting in an irritated scowl when a very persistent stain refuses to come off the base, no matter the force of his scrubbing. “We’re fine now.”
“You keep saying that, but I can’t help but worry, you know. He hurt you once, he can do it again.” Shota whispers calmly, taking the pot from Keigo’s hands and starting to deal with the stain himself. It only takes him a few firm strokes to successfully clean the item. Keigo can’t help but roll his eyes with a pout.
“We fight sometimes too, Shota. Everyone in this family does, every once in a while, and we still make up right after… why would my fight with Touya be any different?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m not saying it’s different, it’s just… I can see you like him a lot, and I don’t want you to get hurt. You’re my little brother after all.” he adds after a few seconds a small smile forming on his lips as he gently bumps his shoulder against Keigo’s.
The sight of Shota smiling makes Keigo’s lips distend in a smile of his own. It’s not every day that you see Shota smile, so it’s always a welcomed sight.
“Hey now, don’t grow all soft on me like that, Sho. You wouldn’t want to steal Oboro’s role as the sappy one of the bunch, uh?” he teases, reciprocating the shoulder bump with a slightly rougher one, his smile morphing into an amused grin.
“Don’t be a dick, I was trying to be nice.” the older man grunts and rolls his eyes, but Keigo can see right through his act.
“Thanks Sho. But seriously, I can deal with Touya on my own, I‘m not a kid anymore, you know.” he whispers, his tone more serious this time .
“I know.” Shota sighs and shakes his head, putting the now clean pot to the side and taking a bowl, starting to wash that as well. “But to me, you’ll always be one. That’s the downside of being an older brother I guess.”
“Meh…” Keigo shrugs and smiles. “I don’t think it’s a downside. It means that you care.” he whispers and smiles softly.
“Well, look who’s acting all sappy now.” Shota deadpans, eyebrow raised slightly, the tease clear in his tone and expression. He skillfully avoids the shove coming his way by moving one step to the side. “If you need to go, just go. I can take care of these last few dishes on my own.”
Keigo has to physically restrain himself from flying away at the speed of light after hearing those words.
“No, it’s okay… I wanna help you.” he says, taking a pair of chopsticks and dunking them in the water a couple of times, before scrubbing them with a damp cloth.
“Keigo, you’ve been flapping your wings like an idiot since the moment I mentioned Touya.” Shota sighs and side eyes Keigo’s red wings, which, true to his words, are currently flapping and twitching behind the man’s back. “You’re dying to see him. Go.”
And well, Keigo doesn’t need to hear that twice. He rapidly puts down the chopsticks and the wet cloth, drying his hands on his own shirt, before lifting himself a few centimeters in the air with a big grin.
“You’re the best, Shota.” he smiles.
“Yeah, whatever. Are you two gonna come here later or should we just go to bed?” Shota asks as he keeps working on his task.
“I mean, I suppose we’ll come? We always do.”
“Well, send us a feather and let us know.”
“Will do! See ya!”
After that last exchange, Keigo shoots up in the sky, a sense of anxiety and excitement forming in his stomach and making him giddy. The day before he was extremely pissed at Touya, but after their talk and a good night of sleep, he felt as if all of his rage was gone. Even Rumi agreed that Touya’s intentions seemed genuine, after convincing him to tell her everything he and Touya talked about.
“But if he pulls a stunt like that again and hurts you one more time, I’ll break every single bone in his body!” his best friend had said, much to Keigo’s horror.
And sure, the fear of Touya deciding to stay, even after their talk, is still present in Keigo’s heart, but he does his best to ignore that. He wants to be positive about this whole ordeal. After all, he trusts Touya, and he knows he’ll pick what’s best for him.
The flight towards the Todoroki mansion feels shorter than usual, maybe because Keigo is too lost in his own thoughts to actually focus on where he’s flying, but when he finally makes it to Touya’s house, he lands on the rooftop, letting his feathers roam around the area, carefully listening for sounds that don’t belong to nature. As always, no one’s around. The coast’s clear and he can safely hop on the balcony and enter Touya’s room.
A part of him can’t help but feel relief at the thought that this is probably gonna be the last time he sneaks inside the Todoroki house like this. As much as he loves spending time with Touya (and he really loves spending time with Touya) the constant fear and the constant feeling of anxiety whenever he enters and leaves through the window, always scared of someone spotting him, is something he won’t miss, whether Touya decides to leave with them or stay.
When he lands on the balcony, he finds the window already open and his brows furrow slightly as he steps inside. Touya always keeps the window closed.
Weird..? he thinks to himself, moving the curtain to the side and closing the window behind him. The sight in front of him leaves him frozen on the spot.
Touya’s room is a mess. The candle that usually lights up the area with his comforting blue light, lays on the nightstand, turned off. Thankfully Keigo’s hawk eyes allow him to see just fine in the dark. Clothes, books and other personal effects are scattered around the floor, a broken vase lays next to the writing desk, with soil dirtying the wooden flooring. A small plant with thin leaves and small indigo flowers lays there in the mess.
But what scares Keigo the most are the stains of blood scattered around the room, bloody handprints impressed on the surface of many pieces of furniture and the futon. The same futon Touya is sitting on right now, his head lowered and his white hair covering his eyes. Even from a distance, Keigo can see traces of red on his face.
“Oh my gods, petal…” he whispers weakly, taking a few steps towards him. Touya flinches slightly, almost scared by the sound of Keigo’s voice, and the blond man can’t help but wonder for how long his petal was there, alone and in the dark. “What happened here? Are you okay? C’mon let me see your face.” he pleads and takes the last few steps needed to reach the futon and kneels in front of it. With all the gentleness he can muster in his tense and scared state, he brings his hands to Touya’s jaw, carefully lifting his face up so their eyes can meet.
Touya’s left cheek is swollen, the healthy skin red and sore, the scars dark and covered in dry blood. The metal staples holding the skin of his left undereye together are almost completely red and look on the verge of coming off. His eyes are red, and wet, probably because of a long crying session. Keigo holds his breath, his heart aching at the sight. Who did this to his petal?
“Petal, can you tell me what happened?” he asks again, his thumb gently caressing the scarred skin of Touya’s right cheek (unless he’s completely sure that doing the same on the left side won’t hurt Touya, he doesn’t dare to move his left hand). Touya’s eyes fall shut, his head tilting to the side and leaning into the soft touch.
“My father came into my room last night. He didn’t find me, so he…” Touya leaves the sentence hanging, the words coming out weak and choked.
“Did he hit you?” Keigo asks slowly, even though the answer is quite obvious.
Todoroki Enji, you sick bastard…
“I didn’t tell him I came to the camp to meet you, I didn’t- I didn’t want to put you in trouble.”
“Petal, right now I couldn’t care less about being in trouble with your asshole father. Gods, look what he did to you…” Keigo hates the way his voice sounds weak and in pain.
Fuck, he needs to pull himself together, Touya needs him.
“A staple came loose.” Touya sighs, his fingers gently gracing over the skin of his undereye.
“Is that why there’s so much blood around?” Keigo asks.
“I was looking for a spare one. I keep some around here somewhere, but couldn’t find any. I had to put the old staple instead.” Touya explains. The way his tone sounds almost completely detached sends shivers down Keigo’s spine.
“Is that a safe thing to do, petal? Will you be fine?”
“Yes, I sterilized it with my fire before putting it back, so it should be fine.”
Keigo just nods, his right thumb still gently rubbing circles on Touya’s face. The fire user looks a mess, Keigo doesn’t have the heart to pick him up and take him to the camp, it’ll probably overwhelm him. He sends a quick glance around the room, before letting out a sigh.
“How about we stay here for tonight, uh? Just like the old times. What do you think?” he offers with a weak smile, planting his forehead against Touya’s.
“ The old times ?” Touya repeats, his tone regaining a little spark of life. “Last time we stayed here all night it wasn't even two weeks ago, feathers… and we also stayed here alone the day before yesterday.”
Keigo grins at Touya’s snarky comment.
That’s my petal.
“Well, to me it feels like it was ages ago.” he playfully fires back. “So what do you think?”
“Sounds good to me.” Touya nods, the faint trace of a smile makes the corner of his lips pull slightly upwards and Keigo feels like a weight was lifted off his stomach.
“Good, good.” he whispers. He immediately puts his plan into motion. A small feather shoots out of the window, swiftly flying towards the forest to notify his family of the change of plans. Many other feathers start flying around the room, lifting up everything that was knocked down during Touya’s frantic search for the spare staples.
“What are you doing?” he whispers, tilting his head to the side to get a better look at the feathers swiftly roaming around the room.
“Well, I’m tidying up, of course.” Keigo replies, using a feather to lift the pot and put back the soil and the plant in it, before placing the vase back on its original spot, on top of the dresser. “So, what do you wanna do? We can do whatever you want.”
Touya remains silent for a long time, observing the feathers cleaning up his mess, a medium sized feather even fetching a piece of cloth he had left on the ground and using it to scrub every trace of blood off the floor and furniture.
“Can we… just lay on the bed and stay in silence, like the other day?” he whispers after a few seconds of what seems to be careful consideration.
Keigo smiles at him, the remaining feathers on his wings coming off immediately and flying neatly towards the nightstand.
“Lay in bed in silence it is.” he agrees and flops down onto the mattress, immediately searching for the most comfortable position, before settling for his usual ‘laying on his right side’ position. From the corner of his eye, he notices a small smile forming on Touya’s lips as he lays down as well. The moment Touya is settled, Keigo wraps his left arm and leg around his body, pulling him into an embrace.
Touya freezes, clearly surprised by the act.
“What- what are you doing?” he asks, his body temperature rising slightly. Keigo needs to stop himself from cooing, endeared by Touya’s flustered reaction.
“Looking for a comfortable position. You’re warm and nice to hug.” he replies truthfully. From his position, he can see Touya’s cheeks turn an even darker shade of pink, but eventually he turns on his side as well, so he can better fit against Keigo’s chest. “This is nice…” Keigo hums and closes his eyes, resting his chin on Touya’s shoulder. He breathes in, enjoying the now familiar and comforting scent of flowers and fire. He allows his mind to wander, hugging Touya a little tighter. Holding Touya in his arms, breathing in the sweet smell of his skin, falling asleep and waking up next to him, every day of their lives? He could get used to this.
“Yeah, it is.” Touya nods, his fingertips tracing circles on the back of Keigo’s hand, the same hand resting on Touya’s stomach. The gesture makes goosebumps form on his skin.
“Petal… I know you said you didn’t want to talk, but there’s something I need to say. Can I?” Keigo whispers, keeping his eyes closed and tone gentle and collected. Touya just hums, allowing him to speak. “You’re aware you can’t keep living like this, right?” he asks softly, moving his hand so he can place it on Touya’s, their fingers intertwining. “After what your father did to you, all because you told him you left the house-” he hesitates, taking a deep breath. “Listen, I don’t want you to feel pressured, but I need to be honest with you, I- I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself if I leave you here.”
Silence falls between them, only the faint sound of feathers cleaning the last remains of the mess in the room to be heard. Then, Touya takes in a shuddering breath.
“I want to come with you. I really want to, feathers.” he breathes out, his hand gently squeezing Keigo’s. Keigo can feel the ‘but’ coming, so he remains silent, waiting for Touya to regain his thoughts and find the words. “But I keep thinking about my siblings…”
“If they truly love you and care about you, they’ll understand why you need to leave and that you deserve a better life than this one.” Keigo gently interrupts him and opens his eyes. “I have siblings too, you know. Even if we don’t share blood, I consider them my family. And if one of them told me they need to leave us in order to be truly happy, I’d be hurt, of course, and I’d miss them like crazy. But I’d let them go.” he explains. “When you truly love someone, you let them go, if it means it’s the best thing for them.”
After that, none of them utters another word, just laying in bed in silence like they had originally planned. Keigo lets his head rest on the pillow, never letting go of Touya. He can almost believe that the man in his arms is asleep, if it isn't for the fact that he can sometimes hear him let out silent sighs and feel Touya’s hand give his own an occasional gentle squeeze. Keigo lets him deal with his thoughts. Only the gods know how much Touya actually needs it.
It’s when the first light of dawn can be seen through the window and the time for Keigo to leave arrives, that Touya finally breaks his silence.
“I’ll be able to send them letters, right? And we could… come back to visit, sometimes?” he asks, turning around in Keigo’s embrace to look him in the eyes.
It takes Keigo an embarrassingly long time to process the words, but he blames the sleepless night.
“You mean..?” he asks, feeling his chest swell with hope. Touya nods slowly, a tired smile stretching his lips.
“Yes. I want to leave Hakata… with you.” he nods.
Keigo needs to refrain himself from letting out a sound that can definitely wake every single person in the house. So he settles for an excited little squeak (he didn’t even know he could make those!) and presses his forehead against Touya’s, hugging him tight.
“Thank you thank you thank you!” he whisper-yells, rolling on his back and making Touya land helplessly on his chest. Touya lets out a surprised little sound, which he immediately muffles with a hand over his mouth.
“I should be the one thanking you, feathers.” he says after moving his hand to the side.
“I promise you won’t regret this, petal. We’ll make you so happy, every day of your life.” Keigo says seriously, their eyes locking. Touya’s smile disappears, his eyes going wide as his careless expression is replaced by a surprised one. Keigo knows Touya can probably see the seriousness and intent behind his eyes, as he tries to convey all the feelings he’s storing in his heart through his gaze. “I’ll make sure you start living your life to the fullest.”
“I know you will.” Touya replies, his turquoise eyes shining like precious stones as softness and affection fill them. Keigo smiles at him, holding his breath. They are so close, their lips are so close, it’d take a mere seconds for him to lean forward and kiss Touya, claiming that mouth as his own and showing the other man just how dear he is to him.
But no, not now. There’s time for that. Plenty of time. There’s no imaginary hourglass, counting the seconds they have left together anymore. They have their whole life ahead of them, so there’s no need to overwhelm Touya with too many emotions.
“I need to go now.” he says instead, placing Touya back on the futon and getting up. “The sun is rising already and soon everyone will be awake.”
Touya sits up and looks at him as Keigo rearranges his feathers on his back. A couple of them fly out of the window, as always, to make sure no one’s around.
“I’ll see you tonight then? When are we leaving?” Touya asks. The words make Keigo’s heart skip a beat.
We…
“I’ll have to talk with Shota, but I guess tomorrow morning. You have some sleep and then prepare a bag with all the things you want to take with you. Tonight I’ll come and fetch you. Does that work with you?”
“Y-Yes, it’s… it’s perfect.”
Touya looks nervous, but sure of his choice. Fierce determination burns behind his eyes, just as hot as his flame.
“Will you tell your father? About you leaving with us?” Keigo asks, suddenly feeling tense at the thought of Touya facing the oldest Todoroki. Will the Village Chief hurt him again the moment he finds out about Touya joining the quirk users?
“Yes, I don’t want to just disappear from my family’s life, you know. I’ll talk to him and then explain the situation to my siblings. Hopefully, they’ll understand.” Touya explains, nervously rubbing his palms on his thighs.
“I’m sure they will. Do you want me to be there when you talk to your father, just in case?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Touya shakes his head, getting up and offering him a smile. “Besides, I bet you and the others will have a lot to deal with in preparation for the departure, so just take care of that. I’ll take care of dear old dad, okay?”
Keigo tilts his head to the side, smiling back.
“Okay then. I trust you.” he accepts. “But he better not touch you again.” he takes a step forward, leaving a kiss on Touya’s cheek. The feeling makes his heart flutter, and he has to use every ounce of self control he has to step back.
Later. he tells himself. We’ll have time for that later.
“I’ll see you tonight, petal.”
Touya is red in the face, just like he was the night before when Keigo kissed his cheek. Will he keep getting so flustered every time Keigo kisses him? He can’t wait to find out.
“See you tonight, feathers.” Touya clears his throat, trying to play it cool despite his blatant display of embarrassment. It makes Keigo chuckle.
When he leaves the room through the window, not after checking the surrounding area with his feathers one last time, Keigo immediately shoots high in the sky, letting out an excited little scream, hopefully muffled by the clouds he was flying over. Things are going exactly as he was hoping they would go.
The next time he sees Touya, he will be a free man. And they’ll leave this hellish village for good, together.
The thought makes him giddy. Things can’t get any better.
Notes:
ohhh i love it when things go well, everyone's happy, the story is basically finished and- wait, what do you mean there's still eight chapters left??? oh no...
Chapter 23: Chapter 22 - White Rose
Chapter Text
White Rose: Innocence
“So, you’ve finally made up your mind? Are you… going to leave with them?” Shouto whispers, sitting cross legged on Touya’s futon as he follows his brother with his eyes. Touya neatly folds a pair of pants and places it over a cotton cloth already covered in clothes, books and other personal belongings.
“Yeah, but don’t worry. I’ll make sure to send you lots of letters… and to come back to see you, whenever it’s possible.” he replies, turning to face his younger brother.
It’ll be strange to be away from home, but most importantly it’ll be strange to be away from Shouto. As much as he tries to not pick favorites among his younger siblings, his bond with Shouto has always been way deeper than the one he has with Yumi and Natsu and he already knows that his youngest brother is the person he’ll miss the most once he leaves Hakata.
“I know you will. I’m happy for you, Tou.” the kid replies, taking one of the books Touya had placed on the cloth and turning it in his hands.
“Happy for me? Wow, here I thought my own brother would cry and beg me to stay, whining that he would miss my presence too much!” Touya snickers playfully and takes the book back, sending Shouto a glance. The boy furrows his brows and pouts, tilting his head to the side.
“You know I’ll miss you, you don’t need me to say it out loud.” he mutters. “But even if I’ll miss you, I don't want to tell you to stay, I was the one telling you that you should go in the first place.”
Touya shakes his head, wrapping his arm around Shouto’s neck and ruffling his hair with his free hand, ignoring the whines of protest coming out of the kid’s mouth.
“I really hope you learn how to understand sarcasm better when I come back, dummy.” he whispers with no real malice, finally letting Shouto go. The moment he’s free, his younger brother starts fixing his two colored hair with a displeased grunt.
“Keigo is a bad influence on you, you used to be less annoying.” he mutters. Touya would feel almost offended, if it wasn’t for the fact that he knows that Shouto is not actually serious.
“Oh, really now?” he asks, rolling his eyes. He focuses his attention back on his stuff.
He didn’t pack all of his clothes and books, of course, that would take too much space and he doubts he’ll need all of them anyway, so he opted for a couple of warm outfits for the colder seasons and four normal ones, carefully picking the most comfortable ones. The quirk users travel a lot by foot, so he needs to be able to move freely, after all. For the books, he only picked five, the ones he liked the most and the one he used to teach Keigo how to read. How could he leave that one behind? That small volume is filled with so many nice memories, after all. He then packed a small satchel filled with spare staples (he found them earlier that morning, in the back of a drawer), bandages and all the herbs and salves he uses to care for his scars. Keigo did say, a while back, that Chiyo’s quirk allows her to heal wounds, but Touya doesn’t want to depend on her too much.
“I think this will be enough.” he says and picks up the four corners of the colored cloth, lifting them up and expertly knotting them together with the help of a rope, forming a makeshift bag to carry on his back.
“Are you leaving tonight?” Shouto asks, eyeing the bag.
“Most likely, yes. Keigo said that he needs to confirm with Shota first, but he’ll probably pick me up tonight and we’ll leave tomorrow morning.” Touya nods, lifting the bag and securing it over his back, to make sure that the weight rests comfortably on his shoulder.
“Have you talked with Father about it yet?”
“Not yet, I was about to. I’m not sure how he’ll react to the news, honestly. I tried to play it cool with Keigo, but I’m honestly a little worried, especially with everything that went down yesterday evening.”
Silence falls between them, Touya still fussing over his bag, Shouto biting his bottom lip with a troubled expression.
“Touya, I-”
“You’ve already apologized, Sho. It’s fine.”
When earlier today Shouto came into his room with the breakfast tray, his eyes were filled with tears. He then proceeded to apologize profusely to Touya for everything that went down yesterday. Apparently, their father had forbidden the kid from visiting in the morning, claiming that he needed to talk to Touya and would bring him his food himself.
“I should’ve realized that something was up with him offering to bring you your meal, he has never brought it in all these years. Instead I just believed him and left all day to stay with Katsuki and Midoriya…” Shouto whispers, his head lowered in shame and guilt.
“And I’m glad you did. You would’ve ended up in that mess, so I’m relieved things went as they did. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” Touya reassures him with a smile, kneeling in front of his brother.
“But he hit you!” Shouto protests, his two colored eyes filled with worry and regret.
“Yes, but now I’m fine. See, it's already healing.” Touya tilts his head to the side, showing his cheek. The scar under his left eye is still a little swollen, but it’s almost unnoticeable. The same can't be said about the healthy skin of his cheek, covered in a blue-ish bruise. “Besides, I want you to use every chance you get to be with Katsuki and Midoriya, especially since we’re leaving so soon.”
Shouto rubs his eyes with the back of his hand, forcing his tears to stay at bay, before looking at his older brother.
“Midoriya asked me to meet with them today… Katsuki told him about them leaving, so Midoriya wants the three of us to spend all day together.” he says, his tone now calm and collected, more like his usual self.
“That’s good. Does Katsuki know you know?” Touya asks, sitting on the futon next to him.
“About you leaving, you mean? I don’t know, I think he does. I didn’t tell him, we didn’t get any chance to be alone just the two of us, but Keigo probably told him, because yesterday he kept sending looks my way.” Shouto replies with a shrug.
“Mhh yeah, Keigo definitely must’ve told the others… so, what are you three going to do today?”
“I don’t know, Midoriya said he wanted to plan everything, but… are you sure you don’t want me to stay here? It’s our last chance to be together before you leave.”
Touya lets out an overly exaggerated gasp, bringing a hand to his chest.
“And make you miss the chance to have your last romantic date with Midoriya and Katsuki? No way!” he teases, an amused grin forming on his lips when he notices the blush forming on Shouto’s face. “Besides, right now I want to look around to make sure I took everything I need, talk to Father and then get some rest. I didn’t get any sleep even after Keigo left, so I’m exhausted.” he explains truthfully, his tone now more serious.
“Wait, you want to talk to Father now? But he’s not home.” Shouto mumbles, his brows once again furrowed. The words make Touya turn around to look at the kid, taken by surprise.
“What? Where is he?”
“Said he had some stuff to take care of. I think he was telling Fuyumi when he’s coming back while we were having breakfast, but I wasn’t really paying attention. You can ask her.”
“I guess I’ll do that. You go and have fun with Katsuki and Midoriya, okay? I’ll see you tonight for dinner.” Touya gets up, ready to step outside the room, but Shouto gets up as well, taking him by the sleeve.
“Touya, wait. Before I go, I have something for you.” he says and starts digging into his pocket. Touya furrows his brows, perplexed and curious.
“Uh? What is it?” he asks. His younger brother finally takes his hand out of the pocket, holding a small satchel.
“Here. You’ll definitely need it more than I do.” the kid says, placing the object on Touya’s palm. The motion shakes the satchel and the sound coming from inside is definitely telling.
“Money?” he whispers, opening the satchel and looking inside. There’s various silver coins inside, and even a few golden pieces. “Sho, are you crazy? This is an insane amount of money, I can’t accept it.”
“You can and you will. I was saving to get you something nice for your birthday, so consider this an early present.”
“My birthday is in nine months and a half.”
“That’s why I said early present.” Shouto shrugs and looks at him. “Listen, I seriously won’t need it. You and the other quirk users, however, will. So you either accept it, or I’ll give it to Katsuki. And he’ll probably try to blast me away for it, so… your choice.”
Touya looks at him, still shocked by the whole situation, before letting out a groan.
“The choice is between accepting the money or letting Katsuki murder you? That's not fair, you know?” he whispers, closing back the satchel and putting it on the table, next to the makeshift bag he had prepared for his departure. "You're impossible, kid."
“I love you too.” his brother fires back, making Touya roll his eyes.
“Just go meet with your friends, brat. I’ll see you later.”
“See you later, Tou.”
As Shouto tries to leave the room, Touya can’t stop himself from ruffling his hair once again, grinning to himself as he hears the kid’s groan. Shouto mutters some light hearted insults at him and walks down the stairs. A few seconds later, the faint sound of the front door opening and closing reaches Touya’s ears.
He smiles to himself and shakes his head, opening the cloth bag and putting the money Shouto had given him inside. He didn’t want to say it out loud, but the thought of money didn’t graze his mind, not even for a second. But of course, having money on him will help greatly, both himself and the rest of the group of quirk users, so Shouto’s gift really is a godsend.
When he’s done fixing the bag, it’s time for him to go and talk with Fuyumi. The house is silent, given Enji’s absence, and Touya steps into the kitchen, looking for his sister. When he can’t find her there, he leaves the room and looks around. Is she still in her room? It’s already late in the morning, maybe she’s in the library studying, or in the music room, practicing with her shamisen. As Touya decides to go and check both rooms, he ends up finding Fuyumi next to the front door with her outdoor clothes and shoes on. She has her back turned towards him, and she seems to be busy trying to fix her hair up using one of Mother’s old hairpins, a silver one with an intricate design depicting a flower with a jade stone in the middle of it. Touya remembers fondly the day Mother bought that piece of jewelry. It was Fuyumi herself who helped their mother pick that specific pin.
“Do you need help with that?” he asks and takes a step forward. Fuyumi flinches and turns around, visibly startled.
“Oh, Touya…” she says and brings a hand to her chest, a little smile forming on her lips. Her white hair with red streaks falls messily around her face, making her look more like the kid she used to be a few years ago instead of the woman she is now. It makes Touya feel somewhat nostalgic. “You scared me.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” he apologizes truthfully and gently takes the hairpin from his sister’s hand. “Let me do it.” he says and places his hands on Fuyumi’s shoulders, making her turn around once again.
“You’ve always been more skilled than me when it comes to this kind of stuff…” Fuyumi mumbles a little awkwardly, letting Touya run his fingers through her hair a couple of times, just to make sure there are no knots in there.
“I liked watching Mother do your hair. I guess I picked it up from that.” he replies, placing the pin between his lips to free his hands and lift Fuyumi’s hair up, twisting it expertly. “Where are you going?” he asks after taking the pin in his hand and piercing through his sister’s hair with it.
“The Iida’s invited me over for lunch and afternoon tea. They invited the Yaoyorozu’s, the Kamihara’s and I think some other families too. Since Father, Natsu and Sho all have their things to do outside the house today, I decided to accept the invite. I don’t remember when I last had the chance to eat out with friends, honestly.” she whispers, nervously touching her head to feel Touya’s progress on her hairstyle.
“I’m glad you did, you deserve to have some rest too, Yumi.” he says softly, once again making his sister turn so he could check her hair from the front and fix her fringe. “Where did Father and Natsu go?” he asks. Their eyes meet for a second, but Fuyumi immediately averts her gaze, looking at her hands instead of Touya’s face.
“Natsu was invited to a hunting trip outside the village by his friends, he’ll probably be back in the early afternoon, but he said they’ll stay out to get some drinks together, so I shouldn’t expect him for dinner. Father had some business to attend in a nearby village. Something regarding trading our village’s seafood in exchange for spices, I’m not sure. He said he’ll be back before dinner, maybe a little after sunset.” she explains. Touya nods absentmindedly, still focused on his sister’s hair. So he’ll have some time to stay at home on his own, visit Mother’s shrine and have some sleep before having his talk with Father, good.
“I see.” he whispers and takes a step back, checking Fuyumi’s hairstyle one last time. “There you go, all ready to go. Have fun, okay?” he smiles warmly. His sister touches her fringe, smiling shily.
“Do I look nice?” she asks, her fingertips grazing against the jade on the hairpin.
“Nice? You look more than nice, Yumi. You’re beautiful.” he whispers softly, his older brother instincts kicking in as he steps forward to give his sister a hug.
“I-” Fuyumi clears her throat awkwardly and takes a step back towards the door. “I should probably get going. I really don’t want to be late.” she whispers. Touya stops in his tracks, trying to ignore the way his heart aches at his sister’s silent refusal.
“Oh… yeah, sure. You’re right, sorry. Yeah, go and… I’ll see you later, Fuyumi.” he whispers, stepping away from the door to avoid the chance of someone passing by and getting a glimpse of him. Wouldn’t that be pretty ironic? Having someone finding out about him the day he’s supposed to leave for good?
“Bye Touya.” Fuyumi waves at him, her eyes never meeting his, and she steps outside, leaving him alone, standing awkwardly on the genkan.
The mean voice in his head laughs at him.
They won’t miss you, you know that? They’ll barely notice that you’re gone.
Touya clenches his fists.
That’s not true. I know they will miss me. Just as much as I will miss them.
—
When Touya wakes up, he tiredly rubs the sleep from his eyes, hissing when his finger touches the still sore spot on his face where his father hit him the day before. The room is submerged in dark orange light, signaling that it’s already late in the evening, the sun almost completely set. There’s just half an hour left at best before the day ends, making room for the night.
I slept more than expected… he thinks to himself and gets up, stretching his limbs to properly wake himself up. He ignores the familiar pain of the staples pulling his skin and leaves his room. According to what Fuyumi told him in the morning, Father should be home by now, or very close to being home. That’s why Touya decides to get himself something to eat as he waits (he did skip lunch, after all, he can as well have an early dinner and save Fuyumi the trouble of cooking an extra portion for him, tonight).
He starts opening the various cabinets of the kitchen, looking for something easy to make and that he actually feels like eating (so basically anything that doesn’t contain any kind of seafood), as his mind starts wandering. He’s still a little worried about telling Father everything about Keigo and the others. He just hopes that if the man wants to take his anger out on someone, he does so on just Touya, leaving the other quirk users alone. He will never forgive himself if his father decides to do something rash that ends up hurting the quirk users or putting them in any kind of trouble.
After closing the last cabinet without finding anything particularly tempting to eat, Touya lets out a sigh and approaches one of the tall shelves in the room, where a bowl filled with fresh fruit rests. He easily takes the basket and picks one of the best looking plums inside, eating it while standing on his feet. He doesn’t want Father to find him sitting at the table, he can barely stand Touya roaming freely around, let alone sit at the dinner table.
The sound of hooves tapping on cobblestone makes him lift his head and look out of the small window of the kitchen just in time to see his father walk his horse, a beautiful and elegant animal with deep brown mane and black legs, across the path leading to their family’s stable. Touya watches him in silence through the window, observing his lips moving, probably as he whispers praises to his horse, and his heart clenches a little.
With everything that went through in the last ten years, it’s easy to forget that that man right there is his father. The same man who used to teach him economics, politics and good manners. The man who put so much faith in him when he was a kid. And now Touya is about to talk to him, to tell him he’s going to leave their hometown once and for good. Despite everything, he wonders if Enji will miss him just like Touya knows he’ll miss his father.
Well, no need to think about that right now. He first needs to explain the situation to him, and to do that Touya needs to be focused on what exactly he’s supposed to say. He had tried to prepare a speech or something like that, but all of his attempts sounded stupid to his own ears. So he simply decided he’s going to improvise.
He takes one last bite of the plum in his hand, wrapping the pit in a napkin and throwing it away, before straightening his back, ready to face his father, whom he watches walking towards the mansion, when a sudden movement catches his eye. Touya furrows his brows and steps closer to the window to get a better look.
What happens next only lasts for a few seconds at best, but to him, it feels so much longer than that. A figure wearing a dark cloak and a kasa hat that completely covers their face appears from behind the stable, their attire making them hard to spot in the darkness. The person swiftly approaches his father, his back still turned at the stranger and unaware of their presence. The horse lets out a neigh, front legs kicking the door of its cubicle, as it is probably startled by the swift movement of the stranger approaching Enji, the noise created by the animal so loud that even Touya hears it through the window. His father turns around, probably to see what the fuss is about, and that’s when it happens.
It’s quick, cold blooded, horrifying.
The stranger stabs Enji straight in the abdomen, and Touya feels like the air was violently punched out of his lungs, as he staggers closer to the window and watches in horror his father’s eyes go wide in pain and disbelief.
“D-Dad…” he whispers weakly, still shell shocked. His body almost moves on its own, the fire within him burning hot in fear and rage as he runs as fast as he can towards the backdoor that leads to the stables.
I’m coming dad. Is the only thought that his frantic mind can formulate as he slams the door open and looks at the two men just a few steps away from him. His father is pressing a hand over his wound, face paler than it has ever been, while the stranger towers over him, his arm lifted to inflict another wound.
“You stay the fuck away from him.” Touya spits out with rage, making both of them turn to look at him. He still can’t see the face of his father’s attacker, the hat hiding most of it, but he does see the person’s lips twisting in a confused, yet enraged, scowl. Touya grits his teeth and approaches threateningly, tongues of blue fire forming on his fingers. And he lets them dance on his palms, fire easily forming on his skin, because his fire reacts to his emotions and now he’s enraged, he feels angry like he has never felt before in his life. “I said to stay away from him.” he hisses and sharply lifts his left hand, palm facing outwards, sending a small, yet scorching hot, flare towards the intruder. Not enough to kill or seriously injure, but enough to hurt and hopefully scare them away.
The person instinctively lifts a hand to protect themselves from the attack, and a pained groan leaves their lips, making them take several steps back.
“A curse…” a male voice whispers angrily and before Touya can react, the man is running away, straw hat still hiding his identity. Touya’s first instinct is to run after him, to stop him and make him pay for this, but the strangled cry of pain that leaves Enji’s lips makes him flinch and immediately approach his father.
“Dad, it’s okay, he’s gone now.” he whispers and, in a second, he’s by his father’s side, holding him and helping him lay down in a way that slows down the bleeding. “It’s okay, I’m here.” he feels his eyes sting and presses his hand over the wound, the feeling of slick blood gushing out of it and onto his palm and fingers makes his stomach twist. Is this how Enji felt when he found Touya in the forest, his body completely covered in burns and blisters?
He shakes his head. He can’t think about that now. He needs to focus on keeping his father awake.
“Keep looking at me, dad. Please, don’t close your eyes, I’m sure Yumi or… Natsu, or Sho…” he gulps down, forcing his tears not to escape his eyes. “They’ll come and help out. So stay awake, okay?” he whispers, his voice shaky and filled with fear.
Enji’s eyes, so similar to Touya’s, are wide in fear, as the man’s hand presses on his wound along with Touya’s but his pressure is getting weaker and weaker by the second and his gaze is becoming unfocused.
“T-To…” he manages to mutter, before letting his eyes fall shut, losing consciousness. Panic is all Touya can feel as he uses his free arm to weakly shake his father, trying to get him to open his eyes again. His ears are ringing so loud he can’t hear anything but the sound of his heart hammering in his chest, the loud noise of the horse still banging against the stable door and the sound of foreign voices approaching the mansion go unheard as Touya’s complete focus is on the man in his arms.
“Dad? Dad! N-No dad, you need to wake up! Wake up, please!” he yells frantically, a few tears managing to escape his eyes and fall on Enji’s face, staining the man’s pale face with tiny red dots.
The voices that Touya was too worried to notice are now close and loud around him, and suddenly he feels people getting closer to him, to his dad, they’re all talking together, making it almost impossible for him to understand them in his shocked state.
“What’s going on here? Somebody try to calm that horse down!”
“Is someone injured? Go call a doctor.”
“Is that Todoroki Enji?”
“Who’s that holding him? Is it his son Natsuo?”
“That doesn’t look like Na- oh gods, look at his face !”
“It’s a monster! A monster attacked Todoroki!”
More people get closer, trying to get a closer look at Touya and his father, still huddled on the hard floor, and Touya can only hold him tighter, trying to shield Enji with his body to the best of his abilities.
“Stay away from him, don’t hurt him, don’t hurt him…” he whispers desperately, pressing his hand over the stab wound even harder. His words go unheard over the many voices speaking over him.
“What is going on here? C’mon folks, make room, quickly.” a new voice, loud and clear over the noise, makes Touya lift his head in time to see Chisaki Kai make his way through the crowd, probably to assess the situation and offer help. He stops a few steps away from Touya and Enji, staring down at the two with yellow eyes filled with confusion. “What- you..?” he whispers, his eyes going a little wider when the realization hits. “Todoroki Touya…”
The words make everyone still for a long moment.
“Touya? Isn’t that the name of..?”
“Todoroki Enji’s firstborn…”
“I thought he died in that cursed fire…”
“Everyone, stay calm. A person is wounded here. There’s a more urgent matter to take care of.” Chisaki turns around sternly, immediately shutting down all the chatter. “Did someone call the doctor already?” he asks, his eyes scanning the presents. Only now Touya actually notices the sheer amount of people standing in the small space of their stable, crowding the area and making him feel almost like a trapped animal. Someone mutters some words of confirmation to Chisaki, making him nod. “Good.” he says and once again turns to face Touya. “Touya. Is it really you?” he asks. The fire user can only nod numbly, staring back at him and still holding Enji as if his own life depends on it. “I don’t know what happened to you, or why you’re here. But it’s okay, we’ll help you and the Village Chief. He’s gonna be fine.” he promises.
“The doctor is here!” a woman’s voice yells and the crowd splits once again, allowing a tall man with well kept blond hair to approach and kneel next to Touya and his father. The doctor lifts Enji’s hand and presses two fingers on his wrists, feeling his pulse.
“He is very weak, his wound needs to be treated immediately.” he says worriedly, turning to look at Chisaki, his eyes not even for one second meeting Touya’s, even with the two of them standing a few inches away from each other.
“I see.” Chisaki nods. “Somebody help the doctor and bring Todoroki inside.” he orders and turns towards the crowd. Immediately, two men in uniform step forward and approach cautiously, taking Enji away from Touya’s hold and, followed by the doctor, bringing the wounded man inside.
Touya remains kneeling on the ground, following his bleeding father with his eyes as he’s taken away from him. He can feel many pairs of eyes on him, faintly hears the whispers and mutters resume, but he ignores them.
“See? Everything is going to be just fine.” Chisaki’s voice is the only one clearly making it through the fog in Touya’s brain, so he turns his head to look at the man, like a lost child looking at a trusted person. “I’m sure the doctor will be able to heal our beloved Chief just fine.” he adds. With a reassuring smile, the Captain takes a step forward and pulls down his right sleeve, before offering Touya his hand to help him stand up.
It was only a split second, but Touya saw it. He clearly saw the reddened skin of Chisaki’s arm, covered in familiar looking blisters. The same blisters that used to cover Touya’s own arms when he was a child and started burning himself because of his fire.
It doesn't take him much to put two and two together. The pieces click together in his brain in an instant.
Rage fills his chest and mind once again, replacing the numbness that followed the sheer panic that previously took over him, and he fixes his eyes on Chisaki’s face.
“It was you. You attacked him.” he seethes, not as loud as he wishes to, but the intent behind his tone is obvious for the man in front of him. The shift in the Captain’s eyes is clear as day, as they immediately turn cold and calculating.
“Touya, what are you saying? I know you must be scared, but you’re-” the man says calmly, his tone still identical to the one he had until now. Still keeping up with the act for the rest of the people present. The moment he takes a step forward, Touya loses it, fight or flight instinct kicking in in an instant.
This is the man who tried to murder his father. The same man who spends time in his home, sometimes even eating dinner with his family. The man who’s trying to marry Touya’s sister .
“Take another step and I’ll fucking end you.” he threatens as he gets up on his feet, angry fire engulfing his hands the moment he steps towards Chisaki, the threat of another burn enough to make the Captain back off. The flames start consuming his sleeves, revealing more of his scarred arms for everyone to see, and suddenly panic starts rising once again among the people crowding the stable, the word ‘curse’ jumping from mouth to mouth, almost in a chant.
“Hey, what’s going on here? Let me through, why is everyone…” Natsuo’s voice is loud and clear and it makes Touya instantly avert his gaze from Chisaki’s face to meet his younger brother’s eyes instead. Natsuo steps forward, next to the Captain, his panicked eyes rapidly scanning Touya, his clothes drenched in blood, the fire still covering his hands and the bloodstain on the ground under his feet.
“Natsu, I-” Touya wills himself to put out the fire. He needs to tell his brother what happened, he needs to warn him and let him know what kind of deranged freak is standing right next to him. To his surprise, the panic in Natsuo's eyes is quickly replaced by something that could only be described as pure fury.
“What have you done?” he whispers angrily, his dark grey eyes are cold and angry and are staring Touya down in a way that makes him freeze in shock. If eyes could kill, he’d be instantly dead. “Touya, what have you done?!” he repeats, this time almost yelling, fists clenched and shaking by his sides.
“Well, I believe it’s pretty obvious what just went down. This Curse Bearer clearly attacked Todoroki Enji.” Chisaki butts in before Touya could even try and start explaining what actually went down. “Todoroki Touya tried to murder his own father.” he says, loud enough for everyone to hear. Shocked whispers echo around the stable.
“What? You lying bastard, it wasn’t me.” Touya grits his teeth and points a finger at Chisaki. “It was you who did it. I saw you, you would’ve killed him if I didn’t-”
“Arrest him.”
Natsuo’s words feel like a slap in the face, managing to silence Touya instantly. He turns to look at his brother, dumbfounded.
“Natsu…” he whispers. This is wrong. This is so wrong.
He kind of suspected that Natsuo resented him because of his curse, especially after he overheard that conversation his brother and father were having a couple of weeks ago, but this? This can’t be happening.
“It would be my pleasure, Sir.” Chisaki nods, before sending a glance towards the crowd. It only takes a small movement of his hand for a few of his men to step forward and approach them. “How about his curse? Won’t he try to kill me and my men?” he asks, still addressing Natsuo, talking about Touya as if he wasn’t even present.
“He won’t.” Natsuo says seriously, his eyes never leaving Touya. “And if he does… you can kill him.” he adds.
This is a nightmare… it must be…
“Will do.” it’s Chisaki’s curt reply. The sharp, cold tip of the Captain’s sword lightly brushes against Touya’s neck, threatening to cut the skin.
“Natsuo, what the fuck. You need to listen to me. It was him. You know I would never hurt any of you.” he hisses. Strong hands, belonging to the soldiers Chisaki had summoned, grab him by the shoulders and roughly bring his hands behind his back. His body aches at the sharp angle his shoulders are twisted, but he keeps looking at his brother.
“Do I know?” Natsuo asks darkly and moves to the side, allowing the men to push Touya towards the exit of the stable. And just like that, they’re in the middle of the main street, two of the men holding Touya’s hands behind his back and Chisaki still holding the sword to his throat, to make sure he doesn’t try and burn any of them.
A mix of emotions races through Touya’s head, making it impossible for him to react in any way. He’s worried for Enji, scared for himself, angry at Chisaki, disappointed at Natsuo. What are they going to do to him? If his own brother doesn’t believe that he’s not the culprit, who will?
“Woah there, no need to shove, sir. Why are there so many people around here, what’s the commotion all about? Whats’ going on?” a painfully familiar voice pulls Touya out of his thoughts.
No… not him, please…
His head whips to the side, his eyes immediately meeting Keigo’s. The winged man is standing a few steps away, his arms filled with bags. Rumi, Eijiro and Himiko are there too. They probably were buying the last few things they needed before leaving Hakata.
“Move out of the way.” Chisaki orders, the tip of his sword never leaving the skin of Touya’s neck. “This Curse Bearer is being arrested for attempting to murder his father, our beloved Village Chief. We caught him red handed, next to Todoroki Enji’s unconscious body.”
“Touya? What..?” Keigo blinks, his eyes moving from Touya to Chisaki and back, visibly lost. And Touya… Touya is praying, begging every single deity that comes to mind to please make Keigo believe the lie and just walk away
Leave. Please feathers, leave, don’t you get yourself into this mess as well, I’m begging you…
“Wait! Don't arrest him, he didn’t do it.” Keigo steps forward, golden eyes shining fiercely as he faces Chisaki. Rumi eyes him with concern, taking hold of his arm and pulling him back.
“Kei…” she whispers, visibly tense, but Keigo shrugs her off easily and takes another step forward.
“He didn’t do it. I did it.” Keigo announces seriously.
Touya is certain that the shocked expression Chisaki is displaying is mirrored on his own face, because what the fuck? Why would Keigo..?
His eyes go wide in shock and fear.
To protect me. He’s lying to protect me.
“Keigo, don’t! That’s not true, he didn’t do it!” Touya protests, trying to free himself from the strong grasp of Chisaki’s men, but to no avail.
“I’ve been visiting the Todoroki mansion for a while now. Me and Touya are friends. When I found out that his father hit him yesterday, I lost my cool. So I decided to kill him. For what he did to Touya.” he says, the lie easily rolling on his tongue.
“Keigo!” Rumi straight out yells her best friend’s name, her tone clearly distressed. Eijiro and Himiko just stand there in silence, both their eyes wide open in horror. “Keigo, what the fuck are you-”
“I can’t let Touya pay for something I did.” the winged man turns to face the woman, clenching his fists.
“What seems to be the problem here, Captain?” Natsuo approaches the small group, sending a quick glance in Keigo's way, before focusing back on Chisaki. The brown haired man looks back at him, his lips twisted in a displeased grimace.
“Nothing, Sir. This Curse Bearer-”
“It was me! I attacked Todoroki.” Keigo repeats, this time facing Natsuo. “I used one of my feathers. I sharpened it and used it as a weapon. I wanted Todoroki to pay for what he did to Touya, so I attacked him. You should be arresting me, not Touya.”
The look on Natsuo’s face can only be described as blind rage. He looks like he’s a second away from wrapping his hands around Keigo’s neck and choke the life out of him. Touya swears it feels like everyone can hear his heart beating wildly in his chest, terrified.
“I told my father that letting you freaks in our village would only bring us trouble. I wish he would have listened to me.” Natsuo seethes, pointing a finger at Keigo, before turning around, walking towards the mansion. “Arrest him, Captain.” he orders, his voice as cold as ice.
“Wait, but-” Chisaki stammers, still shocked by how the situation turned out. “Sir, what about your- I mean, the other-”
“You mean Touya?” Natsuo asks, stopping in his tracks and turning his head to send a look at the Captain. “You can let him go. I’ll deal with him personally.” he whispers darkly, before disappearing behind the Todoroki mansion’s front door.
Touya watches as the soldiers let him go, approaching Keigo. Rumi tries to stand between them, shielding her friend with her own body, but the blond man stops her.
“You stay out of it.” he says seriously, but the way he’s subtly begging Rumi with his eyes doesn’t go unnoticed by Touya.
When the guards start dragging him away, Keigo turns to face Touya, a little smile pulling at the corners of his lips, once again trying to comfort him, despite everything.
“Keigo, you can’t do this, you know you didn’t-”
“It’s okay, petal.” Keigo interrupts him with a shake of his head. He’s still smiling. “It’s okay.” he repeats, his tone soft and comforting, like it always is.
Touya can only watch as Chisaki and his men take Keigo away, the feeling of utter helplessness and dread making his whole body ache, more than it has ever done in his life.
Notes:
it's 2am, this update was supposed to come out four hours ago but ao3 was down. at first i thought "meh I'm just gonna update tomorrow" but i was dying to share this chapter with you so i decided to wait for ao3 to come back to life lol
sooo, a lot happened, a lot still has to happen, i hope you're ready. things are bad... and they'll only get worse
i'll see you guys next week, if you liked this chapter consider leaving a kudo or a comment, they're always super appreciated. hope you have a wonderful week <3
Chapter 24: Chapter 23 - Orange Lily
Notes:
i'm gonna be honest with you all... this chapter contains one of the first scenes i created in my head when i first thought of this fic and i really like how it turned out.
you are allowed to swear at me in the comments, i think i deserve it lol
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Orange Lily: Hatred
When Touya steps inside the Todoroki mansion, he does so with a newfound rage boiling in the pits of his stomach. He finds Natsuo in the kitchen, sitting in front of the table with his clenched fists resting on his knees and a dark expression painted all over his face.
Just when Touya is about to address him, his brother lifts a hand, shutting him down immediately.
“Don’t you say a word.” he orders, his tone ice cold. It makes Touya feel even more enraged.
“Since when you’re the one ordering people around, here?” he hisses, walking into the room to better look at his brother.
“Since my father is on his deathbed, fighting for his life after a Curse Bearer tried to kill him.” only now Natsuo turns his head around to look at Touya, dark grey eyes rendered red by unshed tears.
“I’m telling you, it wasn’t him. And it wasn’t me either.” Touya says seriously. Natsuo scoffs and stands up, his taller (and way more muscular) body towering over Touya’s, but the older man stands his ground, never looking away.
“Oh yeah? And who was it, uh?” he asks, tone laced with mean sarcasm. As if he doesn’t believe a word Touya is speaking.
The sound of the front door opening, frantic rummaging around on the genkan and then hurried steps distract them and they both turn just in time to see Fuyumi stopping next to the kitchen door, freshly shed tears wetting her cheeks. Her hair looks like a mess, ruffled by the wind, the pretty hairdo Touya fixed for her earlier today completely ruined. The moment she sees the blood staining Touya’s clothes a gasp leaves her lips, which she immediately covers with her hand.
“Is… is it true? Father was..?” she whispers weakly, her breath a little short, probably after running all the way here from the Iida’s residence. Natsuo steps forward, opening his arms to offer a reassuring hug to their sister. Fuyumi immediately throws herself at him, burying her face in her younger brother’s chest, little sobs shaking her shoulders.
“Mister Hakamada is in his room with him right now.” he replies, softly patting Fuyumi’s head as he slowly rocks from side to side, the motion probably a weak attempt to calm her down. Touya feels something ache deep within him. More than anything, he wants to approach them, join their hug, give and seek comfort with them. He too is scared for their father, he too doesn’t want him to die. And yet…
“We should go to him. There must be something we can do, Natsu.” Fuyumi whispers weakly, lifting her face to look at Natsuo.
“The doctor is doing his absolute best to take care of him, Yumi. I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do but wait here and hope.” he replies softly, guiding her towards the table and helping her settle in front of it, his hands never leaving her shoulders.
“Actually, there is something we could and should do right now.” Touya interrupts, crossing his arms against his chest. The gesture makes the vest, still covered in fresh blood, stick to the skin of his chest and abdomen, and he inwardly cringes at the feeling, but his expression remains neutral. His younger siblings turn to look at him, Fuyumi blinking her eyes as if she totally forgot Touya was there in the first place.
“What are you talking about?” she asks, wiping her tears with a silk handkerchief Natsuo just offered her.
“Take care of the actual culprit who attacked Father.” Touya replies seriously, his eyes shifting to look at Natsuo instead. “You’re the one who ordered Keigo’s arrest. You can also exculpate him.”
“Are you being serious right now, Touya?” his brother literally hisses, eyes sending daggers in Touya’s direction. “Father is risking his life. We don’t even know if he’ll make it. And all you worry about is that- that Curse Bearer?” he asks with a slightly raised tone, pointing a finger at Touya. “Do you even care that Father was attacked? Because I’m starting to believe that maybe you organized his murder with that disgusting-”
“Natsu!” Fuyumi yelps, a new wave of tears forming in her eyes. “Touya wouldn’t- he could never…” she whispers. Touya can feel the dull pain in his jaw caused by the way he’s gritting his teeth too hard, but he doesn’t care.
“I worry about Keigo -” he whispers, putting as much emphasis as possible on the winged man’s name. “Because the real culprit is still on the loose. And he might try hurting Father again. He might try hurting you, Fuyumi, and even Shouto, as well. Don’t you get it?” he asks, exasperated.
“And who’s the real culprit, uh? Do tell me.” Natsuo says defiantly, his features sharpening as he stares Touya down.
“It was Chisaki. I saw everything from that same window.” Touya says, pointing at the window with his finger. “He attacked Father from behind like a coward. And he would’ve stabbed him again if it wasn’t for the fact that I was there to stop him.”
“Chisaki? Captain Chisaki, the one person who’s taking care of the protection of the whole village? Seriously Touya? That’s the person you decided to pick to defend your little cursed friend?” Natsuo lets out a cold laugh, shaking his head sharply. Fuyumi turns to look at him, her teeth digging into her bottom lip in a clear display of worry.
“I didn’t ‘decide to pick’ him, Natsuo. He’s the one who did it. Go talk to him and look at his damn arm, I burned him when I stopped him! He tried to frame me because he knew everyone would believe him rather than me, and then Keigo got stuck in this mess too. But it wasn't him. It was Chisaki. He did this.”
“Do you expect me to believe that a random burn on Chisaki’s arm, that he could’ve gotten while on the job, is your proof? Be serious, Touya.”
“Natsu, what if Touya is right, though?” Fuyumi interrupts them before their discussion can get worse, her hands squeezing the handkerchief so hard her knuckles have turned white. “What if it was actually the Captain who hurt Father?” she whispers worriedly, her eyes meeting Touya’s for a second before once again avoiding his gaze.
“That’s insane, Yumi. You cannot fall for this. Chisaki is a trustworthy person, you and I both know it. Touya is just trying to take a Curse Bearer like him out of trouble, and blaming a respectable man in the process.” Natsuo says seriously, his eyes never leaving Touya.
His words make a new wave of anger wash over Touya, his body moving forward before he can even realize it, ready to punch some sense into his younger brother.
“Why are you being so fucking stubborn, you stupid-”
“I think you should go, Touya.” Natsuo stops him, his words so sudden that they effectively manage to freeze Touya in place, brows furrowed and lips pursed in a displeased scowl.
“Are you seriously sending me to my room like a fucking scolded child?” he hisses, clenching his fists. His burning hot rage is met with Natsuo’s ice cold stoic anger.
“No, I’m sending you away from the village.” his younger brother says as he stands up.
His words are enough to make Touya flinch, genuinely surprised.
“What?” he whispers, speechless.
“You should just leave Hakata.” Natsuo reiterates, lifting his chin up to make himself look more assertive. “I've always known Curse Bearers only cause trouble and bring misfortune wherever they go. I tried to tell Father multiple times, but he was dead set on keeping an old promise he made before Mother died. But you’ve been nothing but a nuisance for this family and this village and look at what’s happening now. Father is dying and you don’t even care.”
“Natsuo…” Fuyumi whispers, her tone almost desperate. “You cannot take this kind of decision without Father knowing. Maybe we should just-”
“As long as Father is unwell, it is my place to take care of our family and village.” Natsuo interrupts her, sending her a sharp glance, before once again turning to look at Touya. “Just go and join those Curse Bearers. They’re the only ones you actually care about anyway, am I right?”
A long and tense silence falls in the room, the two brothers looking at each other with rage filling their eyes. It hurts. Even though Touya had already decided to leave Hakata, it hurts knowing that Natsuo, his own brother, doesn’t want him here anymore. He was hoping that whatever misunderstanding there was between them, they could work it through before Touya’s departure. But unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“Fine. But you are making a mistake, Natsu.” he finally whispers with a sigh, turning his back to his siblings and walking towards the kitchen door. “I just hope it won’t be Shouto or Yumi to pay the consequences of your actions.” he adds, before leaving the room and climbing up the stairs.
His bedroom is covered in almost complete darkness without any candle spreading its light in the small space, but Touya doesn't bother lighting up any, the few moonbeams peeking through the window will do. He opens one of the drawers of his dresser, fetching a new set of clothes and immediately takes off the vest and pants covered in Father’s blood. From an empty vase in the corner of the room, he takes out his shoes, the ones Keigo had gifted him, the mere sight of them making his chest ache. With a small nod of his head, he takes the dirty clothes, the shoes, and the bag he had prepared that morning, putting the pair of shoes inside his bag so he could have at least one hand free to move as he pleases.
He turns to send one last look at his little room. This place is familiar and safe… but also filled with a myriad of awful memories. The few happy moments spent here with Shouto and Keigo being the few exceptions, a bunch of little stars in an otherwise pitch black sky.
The time for goodbyes is over. He needs to hurry.
As he closes the door behind him, he can hear the muffled voices of Natsuo, Fuyumi and the doctor Hakamada speaking in the kitchen.
“I cleaned the wound and stitched it to the best of my abilities. He’s out of danger for now, but only time will tell us if he’ll be able to…”
Touya shakes his head and keeps walking, going down the stairs and further and further away from the room where the three of them are talking. He stops on the genkan, putting the shoes on and then, after taking one deep breath, he opens the front door and steps outside, leaving his house once and for all.
It feels… freeing, in a way. His mind brings him back to that time, all those days ago, when Oboro told him his and Shota’s story. He wonders if that’s how they felt, when they left their home for good. He wonders if they also felt like a weight being lifted off their shoulders.
Well, I’ll have time to ask them. After we leave this wretched place.
When he walks through the village towards the forest, he feels many pairs of eyes following him, hushed whispers being spoken behind his back, everyone looking utterly terrified at the mere thought of making eye contact with him. But he doesn’t pay them any mind. He lowers his gaze and looks at his hand. He’s still holding his bloody clothes. For some reason, he didn’t want to leave them behind. It felt wrong.
He sets his hand alight without a second thought, blue fire rapidly catching on the fabric and the sound of scared yelps and startled screams almost makes him grin. He clenches his burning hand around the clothes until they’re turned to dust.
Determination burns in his chest hotter than the fire he created.
I’m coming for you, feathers.
—
There is a very small possibility that Keigo didn’t thoroughly think this through.
But in his defense, he didn’t have the time to rationalize and reflect on what he was about to do. He saw Touya being taken away by guards, a sword pointed directly at his neck, and he was already acting.
He let the three men lead him away until they reached a big building that he could only guess was the village’s military headquarters. He remained silent and obedient, following his captors inside the area of the building where the prison was and only pretended to fight back when the two unnamed guards blocked him in place with chained handcuffs sturdily stuck on the floor and then locked the door of the cell he was thrown inside.
As he sends dirty looks at the two guards standing next to the cell door, Keigo immediately kneels down, pulling tentatively at the chains, trying to figure out if there’s any chance that he can pull them off the ground if he uses enough strength. Unfortunately, they seem to be more secure than he previously thought. It’s fine, he’ll just need to use his brain instead. Luckily Jin taught him how to pick locks when he was seventeen, so the handcuffs and the cell’s door are not an issue. He’ll just need to use his feathers. But not now, now it's too soon. Better give his captors a false sense of security, first.
So now we wait. He thinks to himself, trying to find a more comfortable position, but with the chains keeping his arms spread and pulling at his shoulders at every movement, it’s no easy task.
But it’s nothing that he cannot endure. He just needs to wait for a little while, just for a few hours. The moment the moon it’s high in the sky and the guards are asleep, he’ll make his great escape and join his family. Shota will probably choke him to death, but at least Touya is safe. Keigo will gladly accept any kind of punishment his older brother will inflict on him after all of this is over, as long as Touya is not in harm’s way.
The sound of steps approaching from down the hallway makes Keigo’s wings twitch, and he instinctively closes them around his shoulders as best as he can, his eyes focusing on the almost complete darkness of the dungeon to see who is actually coming his way. Whoever it is, is holding a torch, the light almost blindingly bright, making it difficult for Keigo to recognize the body shape of the person, let alone their features.
And yet, he’s not at all surprised when the person stops next to the cell and his eyes finally get accustomed to the light, allowing him to recognize Chisaki.
The two men guarding his cell immediately stand with their backs straighter in the presence of their Captain. The brown haired man’s eyes almost sparkle when they meet Keigo’s, the way he intensely looks at him is so unsettling that Keigo feels chills forming on his skin.
“Captain.” one of the men says respectfully, receiving just a nod in return.
“Nishiya, Mizushima. Go and guard the front door, I need to interrogate this Curse Bearer.” Chisaki’s orders curtly, his eyes never leaving Keigo’s.
The two guards give an affirmative reply and hurriedly walk away, leaving Keigo and Chisaki alone. The moment the sound of their steps is too far away to be heard, the Captain lets his cold demeanor melt away, making space for a pleased smile. He hums to himself, stepping closer to the cell door, observing Keigo with the same expression of a cat that just caught a bird. Such a literal metaphor, but also very fitting.
“Well, here we are, Keigo. It’s nice to see you again. Should I make a joke about birds being meant to be kept in cages or do you want me to skip that?” he asks with a tone that could only be described as cordial, but mocking at the same time.
“Yeah, I’d rather you skip that bullshit, thank you very much.” Keigo fakes a smile, making sure to reciprocate the use of false courtesy to the Captain. Somehow, the disrespect only seems to amuse him, if the little chuckle Chisaki lets out is any indicator. He takes his sweet time, stepping towards the wall next to the cell and placing the torch he was still holding on a metal sconce.
“As you wish, little bird. But I must say at least this much: you have no idea how many times I fantasized about seeing you all tied up for me, but this…” he pauses for dramatic effect, vaguely gesturing towards the handcuffs. “Isn’t exactly what I had in mind. Not that I’m complaining, you do look lovely right now.”
An intense sense of nausea fills Keigo’s stomach so quickly he doesn’t even have the time to try and hide the disgusted expression that forms on his face. Against his better judgment, his wings spread open and a single feather shoots rapidly towards the man’s face, but just as fast, Chisaki lifts an arm to cover his face, the sharp tip of Keigo’s feather burying itself in the thick leather sleeve of the Captain’s uniform.
“Don’t even try, dear. I came prepared.” he says with a shit eating grin plastered on his face. “Try pulling a stunt like that again and Todoroki Touya is dead, understood? I gave my men precise orders, if something happens to me here, they’ll go look for Touya and arrest him too. How does that sound, hm?” he adds, almost lightheartedly, pulling the feather out of his arm protector and twirling it between his fingers. The words make Keigo freeze in place, wings still open and feathers ready to attack. His reaction seems to amuse Chisaki, if the little chuckle he lets out is any indicator. “So it really is him… who could’ve guessed…” he whispers, almost to himself.
“What are you talking about?” Keigo hisses angrily, forcing himself to close his wings and relax his feathers, rendering them at least slightly less sharp. Chisaki averts his gaze from the feather he’s still holding in his hand and looks at Keigo with that same unsettling smile.
“The day of the festival I was hoping to see you. You know, offer you something to drink, show you around, maybe even take you somewhere more private.”
The nausea comes back in full force, but Keigo wills himself not to react.
“A real gentleman…” he just says with a tone laced with sarcasm.
“Well, but you ruined my plans that night. You didn’t show up. I even asked your worthless friends where you were, but they told me you were staying in the forest… to take care of that sick old hag.” Chisaki completely ignores the comment, deciding to continue his story. Keigo curls his hands into tight fists, the way the Captain is talking about his friends making his blood boil, but he keeps his cool.
Touya… you need to stay calm, or else he’ll hurt Touya.
“But suddenly, there you were. As I kept supervising the festival, I saw you, sneaking out of the Todoroki mansion, uncaring of all the people who could’ve seen you… I almost thought I was just seeing things.” Chisaki shakes his head, smiling.
Keigo can feel his heart drop to his stomach. That time he was so angry after his fight with Touya that he didn’t even bother to check if someone was looking. He just flew out of the window and left as quickly as possible, so Touya couldn’t see the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.
“At first I thought you went there to steal. No better occasion to steal valuable stuff from someone’s home than when they’re not there, right? But I decided to keep my doubts to myself, maybe wait and see if Todoroki Enji would mention any missing items in the house. But he didn’t say anything, he kept acting like nothing happened. I was at the point I was trying to convince myself that I actually just imagined seeing you there, maybe I was just tired… but the next day, as I was coming back here after spending a night out, I saw you again. You were, stupidly enough, sneaking in there a second time.”
Keigo feels confusion forming in his mind, his lips almost opening to protest because no, the day after the festival he didn’t visit the Todoroki mansion, he…
Himiko…
That day he didn’t go there. Himiko did, to take Touya to the camp and help them work things out. Chisaki must've seen her, but of course, he couldn't possibly know that.
“Then why didn’t you arrest me back then? You witnessed me committing a crime, after all.” Keigo asks slowly, still trying to understand where this is all going.
“Because that’s when I realized, you were visiting the Todoroki mansion in secret, your friends were covering for you and, coincidentally, Todoroki Enji wasn’t at the festival either. The answer came to me pretty easily. You were going there to see him.” the Captain reveals, before letting out a long, humorless laugh. “I couldn’t understand at first. It was driving me fucking insane, you know?” he goes on between deranged giggles, his hand running through his hair and pulling them just slightly. “What could someone like you even see in someone like him ? Why would you even dignify him with a glance, let alone your body? Especially when you could’ve had me !” Chisaki’s voice is louder now, almost a yell when he makes it to the last word, which is accompanied with a strong slam of his palm against the bars of the cell. It makes Keigo unintentionally flinch, startled by the sudden gesture. “Turns out you weren’t going there for Enji. Oh no, you were there for the son, the son everyone thinks is dead. Or well, thought , actually. I’m afraid that by now everyone in Hakata knows about him being alive.” he sighs after regaining his composure.
For the first time in his life, Keigo finds himself completely at a loss for words. He can just glare at the man in front of him, feeling utterly disgusted. The Captain looks back at him, tilting his head to the side. He looks amused, but somehow… bored? It’s clear that he was expecting some kind of reaction from him. More rage, maybe even insults.
“But I guess everything makes sense now.” he whispers after the long silence, shrugging and taking a few steps away from the cell. “It’s only natural that two monsters would end up attracting each other.”
This time Keigo’s self control is not strong enough to stop him from lashing out, his arms tugging roughly at the chains keeping him in place, teeth bared in rage.
“Touya is not a monster.” he hisses angrily, his eyes sending daggers at the man standing in front of him. “You are.”
The insult doesn’t seem to disturb the Captain as much as Keigo thought, the man just lifts his head and lets out another humorless laugh.
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am. But whose fault do you think that is?” he whispers when he’s done laughing.
“What the fuck are you talking about, uh?!” Keigo groans, displeased by the condescending tone the other man is using. When Chisaki lowers his head to once again look at Keigo, there’s something deeply disturbing in his pupils, a vicious glow bordering on psychotic.
“You made me like this. The thought of you spreading your legs for Todoroki Enji, giving him what you refused to give me, was driving me insane.” he reveals, leaning against the bars with both hands. “So I decided to kill him. Before meeting you, I was willing to wait, you know. Wait for his daughter to stop being a stubborn bitch and fucking marry me. But your arrival changed everything. So I decided to anticipate the inevitable.” Keigo feels sick to his stomach to the point he feels unable to utter a single word. “Todoroki Touya’s interjection was a surprise, of course, but I could’ve turned that to my own advantage as well. The perfect scapegoat for the perfect plan, if you allow me to say so myself.”
“You are fucking crazy.” Keigo whispers slowly, the words finally coming back to him. Even if he knew for certain from the start that Touya wasn't the one who attacked Todoroki, having not only the confirmation that he was indeed innocent, but also that he was framed by the real culprit, the very man standing right now in front of Keigo, makes his blood boil.
“I am crazy about you.” Chisaki’s response comes out almost immediately, his tone sounding so deranged that it once again sends shivers down Keigo’s spine. “Too bad I can’t say the same about you, though... I bet you’ve been spending a lot of time in that house, right? With Touya.” the way he whispers the name almost sounds like an insult. “What was the appeal, I wonder. What made you come back every time? I’m sure it wasn’t for his looks, so what was it? Is he fun to be around? Did you feel bad for him? What made you so willing to risk it all for him? Was the sex that good or did you simply feel pity for that sorry excuse of a person?” he questions, his wicked smile replaced by a more neutral expression. If it wasn’t for the absurdity of the situation he’s in right now, Keigo would almost believe that the man is genuinely curious about his answer. The sudden change in behavior made Keigo almost ignore the insults Chisaki is throwing in Touya’s way. Almost .
“Don’t you dare speak of him that way. Touya has more beauty and charm stored in a finger than you have in your whole body. Unlike you, he’s a nice, respectful person. You don’t get to say shit about him, you hear me? You don’t.” he seethes. The strain on his arms and shoulders is starting to be too much to bear, the uncomfortable position the chains are forcing him to maintain is making his body ache, but he can’t bring himself to pay that any mind when he slowly stands up to properly look Chisaki in the face without the height difference. “You might have a fancy uniform… a status, a whole army at your command and slightly above average looks. But that means nothing. You’ll never be half the man Touya is.”
“That’s very brave of you to say. Especially considering that your life is hanging on a very thin thread that I happen to be holding in my hand.” Chisaki whispers very slowly, his words reverberating in the space between them. Keigo tries his best not to look affected by the threatening implications behind that sentence, but he can’t help but gulp down, nervously. Judging by the grin forming on the Captain’s lips, he must’ve noticed.
“Your little threats don’t work on me.” he lies shamelessly, but it feels weak to his own ears.
“Threats? I am not threatening you, I am simply stating a fact.” Chisaki replies with a shrug, taking a step back to put his right hand in his pocket, looking for something. “I’ll tell you more, not only it’s not my intention to threaten you, but I was actually hoping to offer you… a deal.”
Confusion forms on Keigo’s tense expression, making him furrow his brows, head tilting to the side.
“A deal? What kind of deal?” he asks. Chisaki smiles, apparently pleased by Keigo’s interest and finally pulls his hand out of his pocket, revealing the thing he was hiding in there. It’s a metal ring, with a bunch of keys hanging from it. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what they’re for.
“A deal for your freedom, of course.” the Captain replies, shaking the keys in his hold, making them jingle. Keigo follows the motion, his body tensing just slightly. That is his one way ticket out of this shithole. But why would this piece of shit offer him an easy way out so lightheartedly? Especially after confessing he was the one who attacked Todoroki.
Maybe…
A newfound wave of anger washes over him, making him clench his teeth in irritation.
“If you’re about to ask me to blame Touya for what you did in exchange for my freedom, you can shove those keys right up your sorry ass, you bastard.” he hisses furiously. “I am not gonna sell him out to you.”
“Hey now, calm down. There is no need to cuss me out. That’s not what I want to ask you.” the Captain lifts his other hand and waves it slowly, as if he’s trying to shush him.
“Then what is it?”
Chisaki grins, that deranged sparkle is back in his yellow pupils as he fixes his gaze on Keigo and slowly picks one of the keys, the bigger one, using it to open the door of the cell and step inside.
“Give yourself to me. That’s all I ever wanted, after all.” he whispers with a velvety voice, leaning forward with his upper body and stepping into Keigo’s personal space. “Have sex with me. And you’ll be free. I’ll tell the Todoroki’s that I questioned you, but your story didn’t match with the wounds on Todoroki Enji’s body or some type of shit. You will be able to leave this village for good with your happy group of Curse Bearers and we’ll never see each other again.” he goes on, his lips almost touching the shell of Keigo’s ear. “It’s only fair, don’t you think? As I already told you, it’s only because of your indifference that I did what I did to Todoroki Enji. This could be your way to atone for your-”
Chisaki doesn’t get the chance to finish the sentence. A long, sharp feather lightly presses against his jugular, not hard enough to cut, but enough to create a small indent in the bare skin of the man’s neck.
“I’d rather rot in this prison for the rest of my fucking life.” Keigo says very slowly, hoping that he was able to express every ounce of anger and disgust in every single word he just spoke. Chisaki doesn’t move a muscle, clearly taken aback by the blade threatening his exposed throat that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
“You reckless idiot.” he whispers breathlessly, slowly stepping back, away from the feather. The moment the man has taken a few more steps back, as far away as the little cell allows him to be, Keigo deems himself satisfied and lets the feather fly back to its place. Right there where it was just now pressing against Chisaki’s skin, there’s a thin red line. “You really love that disgusting freak that much?” he adds, his time more angrily. He’s visibly losing his cool, but Keigo has no intention to back down.
“I do.” he replies without skipping a beat. “But don’t give him too much credit, Captain. It’s not because of him that I’m rejecting you.” he says and leans forward, his golden eyes cold as a mocking smile forms on his lips. “As a matter of fact, I loathe you way more than I love him. So you can only blame yourself for this situation.”
His response clearly upsets the Captain, who was probably expecting things to go his way. Too bad that he didn’t take into consideration the fact that Keigo actually has some self respect.
It takes a whole minute of silence for Chisaki to regain his neutral expression, but when he does he clears his throat and steps out of the cell, closing it behind his back and taking the torch back from the sconce.
“Well, if that’s your final decision, I guess I have no choice but to make you pay for your crime… you confessed publicly, and you claimed to have premeditated this… you’ll be most likely sentenced to death first thing tomorrow morning.” he explains with a sigh, feigning sadness over the matter. The amusement in his eyes, however, can not be concealed.
“So be it.” Keigo replies with a scowl. Not that he’s particularly worried. He can easily leave this cage, he only needs Chisaki to finally leave. When tomorrow morning they’ll come to kill him, Keigo will already be gone with his family.
“I shall take my leave, then. Enjoy your last night on this Earth.” Chisaki bids his greetings, walking away.
But after a few steps, he stops and turns around, humming pensively.
“What?” Keigo asks, irritated.
“I was just thinking… you’re no normal prisoner. You have a curse.” the Captain whispers, approaching him once again. “A curse that could be really useful to flee this place, no less.” he adds. The words make Keigo’s heart drop to his stomach, but he maintains his expression neutral.
“So what are you gonna do? Send someone to keep me company all night? I won’t mind having someone to talk to, Captain.” he taunts, lifting his chin to try and look cockier than he actually feels.
“Mh, interesting suggestion, but I have a better idea.” Chisaki replies, once again fetching the keys from his pocket and opening the cell. He very slowly walks inside, but instead of stopping in front of Keigo like he did just a few moments ago, he walks around him, stepping behind him. Keigo’s feathers twitch like crazy, trying to sense what the man is doing there.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asks, trying to turn around, but the chains keep him stuck in place. His head whips to the side, looking at Chisaki the best he can and what he sees are yellow eyes, shining sinisterly under the fire light.
“Making sure you don’t leave this place, of course. You shouldn’t have shown me the extent of the versatility of this curse of yours.” the Captain taunts him with a chuckle. “Try and do something funny, and not only Touya, I’ll make sure that every single one of your cursed friends gets slaughtered. Understood?” he whispers.
Keigo doesn’t reply, but suddenly there’s heat threatening his sensitive feathers, and for the first time since he got here, he starts feeling actual fear, his wings pressing desperately against his back, trying to escape the uncomfortable sensation.
“W-Wait, stop…” he yelps, trying his best to get away, eyes wide in fear. His heart is beating so hard and so fast he feels it in his ears, every nerve of his body screaming at him to do anything to get away. But with everything the man just confessed, Keigo now knows that Chisaki is truly deranged, his threats are not empty promises. Hurting him would only bring trouble to his family.
“Oh, now you’re begging for mercy, uh? I must say, you sound lovely when you’re desperate… but it’s too little and too late, I’m afraid.” Chisaki clicks his tongue mockingly. “Honestly, this is quite fitting, if you ask me. I’ve never liked your wings anyway.”
With that last cruel remark, Keigo feels his hair being grabbed and pulled back by the Captain’s free hand, keeping him still. A little pained grunt escapes his lips, but he knows the worst is yet to come. Tears fill the corner of his eyes, and he does his best to keep them in.
This is happening, and he can only wait and clench his eyes, trying to brace himself from the upcoming pain.
But no amount of bracing could’ve possibly prepared him for the intense wave of pain that harshly hits his wings and back, instantly spreading to his whole body.
The moment the first, external feathers start burning, Keigo feels his mouth part and an ear-splitting scream escapes his lips.
Notes:
i told you i deserved the insults T.T
Chapter 25: Chapter 24 - Lotus
Notes:
highlight of the chapter: rumi basically calling touya a twink
ALSO THANK YOU FOR 400 KUDOS
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Lotus: Far From The Ones You Love
“And you fucking let them take him?!” Oboro finds himself basically screaming, his eyes wide in distress as he stands in front of Rumi, the woman fearlessly standing her ground in front of him.
Oboro was about to finish packing Shota’s stuff (he was too busy helping the others to actually remember to take care of his own things. Luckily, Oboro was always ready to lend a hand) when Rumi, Himiko and Eijiro arrived at the meadow, the two kids a panicked mess, telling something about Keigo getting arrested. Oboro had barely made it out of the tent and Shota was already doing damage control, asking Chiyo to stay with the two scared kids while he talked with Rumi to better understand what in the world happened during their visit to the village.
So here they are now, in Shota’s tent, right after Rumi’s brief recount of the facts.
“You know him better than I do, man. He started claiming he was the one who killed Todoroki before I could even do anything. There was that fucking creep Captain and a few armed men there, plus a whole lotta people. What was I supposed to do in that situation, uh? Fight all of them and risk Himiko, Eijiro and I getting arrested too? I would’ve done that if I was on my own, but I couldn’t put the kids in harm’s way, you idiot!” she protests fiercely, pointing her finger at him.
Oboro scoffs and turns away, running a hand through his hair and trying to silence the frustrated voice in his head telling him to rip a few locks off his scalp. One day. They only had one more day to spend in this village and they could’ve left. Things needed to go smoothly for just one more day, less than twenty-four hours.
And yet things just went horribly wrong. Keigo was arrested, accused of attempted homicide.
His little brother is in danger, and he feels utterly lost and, most importantly, useless.
“You did the safest thing, Rumi. Calm down.” Shota interveins, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. “You too, Oboro. We won’t be able to fix this if we don’t keep a cool head, okay? Keigo needs us and fighting amongst each other won’t do any good, do you understand me?” he lectures them, but they all know his words are mainly directed at Oboro.
Oboro takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself enough to speak civilly.
“You’re right. I’m sorry Shota.” he whispers with a sigh, before looking at the woman. “You too, Rumi. Screaming like that wasn’t nice, nor necessary, sorry.” he adds, earning a curt nod.
“Yeah, you’re fine, whatever.” Rumi uncrosses her arms and nervously shakes her hand. “What are we gonna do now?”
Oboro immediately turns to look at Shota, waiting for him to reply. It feels unfair to expect him to come out with a solution off the bat, but he feels too out of it to actually be able to give proper input anyway.
“Honestly, I don’t know either.” Shota sighs, moving his fringe off his face with a rapid movement of his fingers. “We could try to explain the situation to that Captain, but I don’t think he would believe us anyway. He didn’t seem very enthusiastic to be in our presence that time he came here with Todoroki, he probably wouldn’t particularly value our word. Besides, clearing Keigo’s name would once again make Touya the primary suspect. Which would totally make Keigo do something rash again.” he mutters lowly, letting out a frustrated groan. “That idiot…”
“I think it would help if we knew what actually went down. If only we could get a hold of Touya…” Oboro whispers as he sits down on the small futon. “Maybe I could go look for him? Going to the village doesn’t feel safe right now, but if I use a cloud to-”
Ochako’s head appears from a small opening in the tent’s entrance, her brown eyes reflecting the same worry Oboro sees in Shota and Rumi’s eyes and is pretty sure lingers in his own eyes as well.
“Touya… Touya is here. He just arrived.” she says hurriedly, leaving just as fast as she appeared. Rumi lifts a thin eyebrow and shrugs.
“Well, that definitely makes things way easier.” she says and steps out of the tent, followed closely by Shota. Oboro is the last one to leave the tent, his eyes scanning the camp the moment he’s outside.
Both Himiko and Eijiro are sitting closest to the fire, each of them with a steaming cup of what Oboro could only assume is tea in their hands. Chiyo is standing in front of the two kids, resting her hand on her walking stick, her brows furrowed in concern. Mina, Ochako and Jin are all standing next to Touya, bombarding him with questions that he’s trying to answer to the best of his capabilities.
A little shadow of anger starts blooming in Oboro’s chest before he can even stop himself. Did Touya actually hurt Todoroki and let the blame fall on Keigo? He feels awful for even considering the idea, but in his defense, his little brother is in danger, for fuck’s sake!
“Don’t jump to conclusions. Let’s see what he has to say.” Shota whispers next to him, his best friend almost reading his thoughts, as always.
Oboro only nods, not trusting his voice to come out as calm as Shota’s, so he silently follows him, joining the rest of his siblings standing in front of Touya.
“What the hell happened, Touya?” Rumi asks the moment she steps next to him. “I tried to talk to you after they took Keigo away, but you literally bolted back into your house.”
“Did you actually kill your father? I bet you did! Good job! ” Jin pats Touya's shoulder.
“What is gonna happen to Kei? Is he gonna spend the rest of his life in prison?” Mina whispers, nervously fidgeting with her hands.
“Everyone, let’s all leave Touya room to talk, okay?” Shota intervenes, his authoritative tone making everyone stop talking. Turquoise eyes meet black ones and only now Oboro realizes how pale Touya looks, how wide his eyes are, how clearly distressed he is and he once again feels bad for his initial anger. “Touya, tell us what happened. From the start.”
It takes Touya a bunch of minutes to tell the whole story, starting from when he saw a figure approaching Todoroki and attacking him to when Keigo was arrested and he doesn’t spare much details, recounting his suspects regarding Captain Chisaki and how he was basically set up by the man. As he keeps talking, Chiyo, Himiko and Eijiro approach them to listen to him as well.
“So… so I guess it’s fine, then?” Mina says, eyes wide in worry. “If you didn’t do it, and Keigo didn’t do it, can’t we just explain the situation to… well, I don’t know, someone! You said it was your brother who ordered to arrest Kei, if we tell him that Keigo's innocent he’ll understand!” she nervously stomps her foot on the ground.
“You think I didn’t already try that? Natsuo won’t listen to me, he’s convinced Chisaki would never do something like that.” Touya replies, seriously.
A long silence looms over them as they all look at each other.
“So what do we do now? We can’t just leave Kei here.” Himiko whispers slowly, fidgeting with one of the sleeves of her kimono.
“And we can’t let that Captain get away with this.” Eijiro adds with clenched fists, earning a few nods from the others.
“We need to go there and- and help Keigo break out.” Oboro suggests, turning to send a quick glance in Shota’s direction.
“But we’re talking about Keigo, if there’s someone among us who can actually manage to break out of prison unscathed, it’s him. Maybe if we wait a little before bursting there?” Ochako suggests shyly.
“Not to undermine Keigo’s skills, but Chisaki is completely deranged. He almost killed my father, we don’t know what else he is capable of doing.” Touya shakes his head at her. “Oboro is right, we need to go there and help him ourselves.
“But how?” she asks, her teeth digging into her bottom lip, a gesture that Oboro knows indicates she’s scared.
“Of course we need a plan. Let’s improvise .” Jin mutters in a soft voice.
“There’s ten of us, and they have an army, even if we do find a good plan, how do we make it work?” Mina intervenes, looking at Jin next to her.
“Maybe with a little help?” an unknown person speaks from behind them, making everyone turn at the same time towards the source of the voice.
Katsuki is walking rapidly towards them, his expression filled with worry and fury, followed closely by two boys that seem to be around his age, one of them a little shorter, with dark green curly hair, freckles and green eyes and the other more peculiar looking, his hair splitting evenly in the middle, red on one side and white on the other, his eyes double colored as well, one blue and one dark gray. Given his appearance, it doesn’t take a genius to recognize him as Shouto, Touya’s younger brother, the one Katsuki had told them about more than once. The other kid must be Midoriya.
“Shouto!” Touya is the first one to speak up, immediately stepping towards his sibling, eyes filled with confusion and worry. “What are you doing here?” he asks.
“I went back home with Katsuki and Midoriya and found Fuyumi and Natsuo there. They told us that one of the quirk users tried to kill Father and that you came here, so we all came here as well.” he explains, his tone quick, yet practical and clear. “Touya, was it..?”
“Keigo, yes.” Touya confirms, nodding his head. "They arrested him.”
Shouto just hums, turning to look at Katsuki, the blond kid standing next to the green haired boy with his arms crossed tightly against his chest and an expression that screams murderous intents. Midoriya is also looking at Katsuki, his lips twisted in a worried scowl, but his eyes send a few rapid glances in Touya’s way every so often. Not that surprising, considering that he thought Touya was dead, but at the same time he doesn’t look that shocked, so Oboro assumes that Shouto and Katsuki must’ve explained Touya’s situation to him as they came here.
“Do we have an idea of who’s the damn fucker that framed Kei?” Katsuki asks curtly.
“According to Touya, it was the Captain. He was the one who attacked Todoroki.” Shota replies. The words make a little yelp escape from Midoriya’s mouth.
“Captain Chisaki? He was the one who attacked the Village Chief? But that’s- that can’t be.” he whispers, uncertain, before rapidly turning to face Katsuki, his face getting all red in embarrassment. “O-Of course I’m not saying that your friend did it, Kacchan! It’s just- he’s the Captain of the armed guards of the village, he has always been nothing but trustworthy and- I mean are you sure..?”
“Touya saw him, kid. We still don’t know what his motives were, but that’s not important right now. Our top priority is to take Keigo out of there as soon as possible.” Shota replies, crossing his arms. “But we need a plan. Mina has a point, we’re definitely outnumbered and we can’t just act recklessly.”
The sound of small explosions makes everyone startle in surprise and turn to look in Katsuki’s direction, the kid standing with one hand raised and smoke coming out of his palm.
“As if their numbers mean shit to us, Shota. We have our quirks, we can easily take care of those damn fuckers.”
“That is a suicide mission, you idiot kid. We gotta take Keigo out of this mess, not ending up in a bigger mess ourselves.” Rumi hisses, sending him a dirty look. Katsuki is already opening his mouth to bark out a snarky remark, but Shouto raises his hand, politely shushing him.
“If I may speak.” he says calmly. “I think that rescuing Keigo won’t be as difficult as you imagine. As for now, almost every single soldier in Hakata is busy patrolling the village instead of guarding the headquarters like they usually do. Seeing them all in the streets, fully armed was out of place, that’s the main reason why the three of us immediately went back to my house when we came back from the beach, we were trying to figure out what was going on.”
“And what is going on?” Touya asks, tilting his head to the side.
“Apparently Natsuo was the one who gave the order. He’s afraid you guys might try to attack the village or curse it or something like that, I don’t know. He won’t tell them to attack your camp directly, because Fuyumi forbade him. She said that for all they know, you guys didn’t do anything wrong, so it wouldn’t be fair to do you any harm. Also, it was Father who allowed you to stay, and she doesn’t want Natsu to go against his decision. So basically the military is just there to prevent you from approaching their headquarters.” the kid explains.
“That does make things a lot easier, actually.” Shota whispers, humming to himself deep in thought. “They are focusing most of their forces away from the place where Keigo is being detained because they are taking for granted that the only way for us to get there is by walking.” he adds, turning to send a glance in Oboro’s way.
“But they don’t know that that is far from the truth.” he replies, a small grin forming on his lips despite everything going on.
“If we manage to get at least one of us inside, it’ll be easy to render unable to fight whatever little amount of guards are in there and save Keigo.” Rumi smirks and hits with a punch the palm of her left hand, red eyes sparkling at the prospect of a fight.
“Okay, but who’s gonna go in there? And how?” Eijiro whispers, running a hand through his black hair, his frustration evident in the way his fingers clench around the strands of hair, pulling them slightly.
“Maybe…” a weak, uncertain voice makes everyone turn to stare at Katsuki’s green haired friend, the kid’s face covered in a deep red color because of his clear embarrassment.
“Midoriya, you have a plan, right? What is it?” Touya’s brother whispers, stepping a little closer to his friend. Katsuki gently nudges him with his elbow, making the kid wince in surprise.
“C’mon, spit it out.” he orders, his tone harsh, but not as harsh as Oboro is used to. That, added to the soft nudge, makes the man tilt his head to the side, perplexed. When did Katsuki become so damn gentle ?
“I was thinking… that even showing yourself around the military base would attract attention and eventually make it basically impossible to enter, let alone escape with your friend. Because, let’s face it, as for now you are all considered a threat.” Midoriya, mumbles as he holds his chin between his thumb and index finger.
“Okay… so how do we make ourselves look not like a threat?” Mina tilts her head to the side.
“It all depends on your acting skills. But mostly on Todoroki’s acting skills.” Midoriya replies, turning his head to the side to glance at his other friend. Shouto’s eyes grow bigger in surprise when his name is mentioned, the kid sheepishly pointing a finger towards his own chest, perplexed.
“Me?” he asks, as if he didn’t hear correctly.
“You could pretend to be turning your brother in. Go there with him and tell the guards outside the headquarters that you know for a fact that he had a role in the assassination attempt and that you want him arrested. You are the son of the Village Chief, they’ll believe you.”
“I don’t like this plan, I don’t want Shouto to get into any trouble. If something goes wrong, things will backfire terribly for him.” Touya stops him, crossing his arms against his chest.
“We’re out of options though.” Rumi reminds him. Shota nods his head a couple of times.
“Touya, I understand your concern, but Rumi’s right. I don’t like the thought of having a kid take part in something so dangerous either but-”
“I want to do it.” Shouto interrupts, his two colored eyes staring into Touya’s with confidence. “It’s not as dangerous as you’re saying it is, I don’t even have to walk in there. I’ll hand you to the guards and leave right away.”
“But-”
“I’m not changing my mind.” the kid insists, serious. “Keigo and I are not friends, but he’s important to you. So I will do this.”
Everyone is looking at Touya, the air so tense you could hear a pin drop. The two brothers stare at each other for what feels like ages, when finally Touya lets out a defeated sigh.
“Fine. But after that, you’re going straight home.”
—
Touya can’t believe they’re actually doing this.
The rope around his wrist hangs loosely against his skin, not nearly tight enough.
“Sho, you need to tighten it, it needs to look legit.” he reminds his brother, watching as the kid expertly wraps another piece of rope around Rumi’s wrists, knotting it with fast fingers.
In the end, they had decided that she would come too, both her and Touya acting like Shouto’s captives.
“ No offense, but how do you plan to take care of the guards once you’re in there, scrawny boy? Clearly burning the place down is not an option, with you and Keigo still inside, and I seriously doubt that you’d be able to land a punch on anyone with those skinny arms. I told you, we need to put some meat in that body of yours! ” she had told him.
As embarrassed as Touya feels, he knows she’s right. Using his flames in a closed space is not the smartest idea and hand to hand combat is definitely not his forte.
Shota seemed to be of the same idea, since he just nodded and told Shouto to tie her as well.
“But your scars… I don’t want to hurt you.” Shouto whispers and, once he's done with Rumi, walks back in front of Touya, his face full of concern as he starts fidgeting with the knot.
“It’s fine, I’ll burn the rope off once I’m in anyway. Don’t worry about it.” he said reassuringly. Once Shouto ties him properly, he forces himself not to wince in pain at the feeling of the rough rope pressing uncomfortably against his skin.
“We’ll follow you from above using Oboro’s clouds. Once Rumi has taken care of the guards, you two go look for Keigo, we’ll look for an opening to let you out discreetly.” Shota reminds them and helps Mina climb on a cloud.
“Remember, try and stay on the northern side of the building, no one ever goes there, so it should be pretty safe for you.” Midoriya suggests shily. Shouto turns to look at him.
“You’re going home now?” he asks his friend. The kid shakes his head vigorously.
“I was actually thinking that I could stay here and help dismantle the camp?” he says, turning to look at Shota, as if he’s asking for his permission. “I suppose you’ll need to leave as soon as possible after you come back, so I just want to help however I can, if that’s okay?” he adds, gulping nervously, suddenly looking very self conscious.
“We could use another pair of hands.” Chiyo says and steps next to the kid with a smile.
They had decided that it would be better for her, Jin, Eijiro and Himiko to stay back and get everything ready for their departure. In the worst case scenario, they’ll have to run away with who knows how many guards on their tail, so being ready to leave is the smartest thing to do.
“It’s settled, then. We’ll see you soon.” Shota nods and turns to face Touya and Rumi, the two of them still adjusting the ropes around their wrists to make them settle more comfortably against their skin. “You two be careful. And Rumi-” he adds with a warning tone.
“Yeah, I know, nothing reckless! I promise.” the woman says with a grin. It’s evident by his expression that Shota isn’t fully convinced by the promise, but he lets go with a sigh, before climbing on his assigned cloud and telling Oboro to take flight.
Touya watches as the clouds carrying their friends fly higher in the sky until they perfectly blend with the rest of the real clouds decorating the night sky.
“We should go as well.” Shouto whispers and takes the two ends of the ropes binding Touya and Rumi in his hand, waiting for the two of them to actually start walking so he doesn’t end up pulling them. He’ll have to, when they eventually make it to the village, since he’ll have to pretend that he captured them, but as long as they are alone, it’s clear that he doesn’t want to hurt them.
The three of them start hurriedly walking through the forest, every single second crucial for the success of their expedition, but the moment they start approaching the end of the tree-filled area, Touya starts feeling a whole bunch of ugly emotions settling in his guts, giving him anxiety. The fear of the plan failing, of losing Keigo, of one of them getting hurt, of literally anything going wrong is torturing him, along with the sense of fear and shame at the thought of parading in front of the whole village with his hands tied and head hanging low.
He already walked through Hakata less than half an hour ago, but he was alone, with long strides and his head held high, the anger and determination burning hot in his chest probably making him look more intimidating than he’s ever done in his life. Now he doesn’t feel intimidating. He feels weak, pathetic and terrified. Not a great combo.
“Why did Shota tell you not to do anything reckless?” he whispers and turns his head to look at Rumi, asking her the first thing that came to his mind so he could distract himself from his nervousness.
“Oh well, y’know… sometimes, when we go out for drinks, we end up stumbling upon some drunk weirdos that think it’s funny to throw words at us. Insults, curses, shit like that. And most of the times things end up escalating.” she explains and chuckles calmly. “I never say no to a good ol’ brawl, especially if the assholes deserve to be humbled.”
“Oh.” is the only thing that Touya manages to say, looking at her with wide eyes. He has always known that Rumi is a little rough around the edges and doesn’t shy away from showing her affection with gestures like light punches, pats on the back and, when it comes to Katsuki, headlocks, but he really can’t bring himself to picture her straight up punching people.
“Y’know, I think I’m the main reason why Shota never wanted us to go out for drinks since we came here. He was too scared I would cause trouble and that would’ve had us all kicked out of the village.” Rumi goes on, still with her cheerful tone, and Touya can’t help but wonder if she’s really as calm as she’s letting on. “And of course we couldn’t let that happen. Not until Kei hadn’t managed to convince you to join us.”
Something shifts in Touya’s chest, a dull, yet pleasant, kind of pain blooming in his heart. They really wanted him to join the family. They really care for him. It’s a strange feeling, almost foreign after so many years of loneliness and neglect. And yet…
“I bet that after everything that went down tonight, you’re all thinking that it would’ve been better if you were kicked out.” he sighs. He barely manages to finish the sentence when he gets shoved to the side by Rumi’s shoulder, the hit not too hard, but enough to make him almost lose his balance.
“Don’t say shit like that, moron.” she huffs, her red eyes staring him down sternly. “Listen, I can’t speak for everyone, because I’m not in their head, but we like you. Honestly, I’d be happy to call you my brother. And Keigo… I know him better than I know myself, he’s my best friend. And he looks at you like you hang the stars in the sky. You’re allowed to think I'm exaggerating if you wish, but I saw his eyes when he stepped forward to defend you, earlier. To him, it was worth it. You’re worth it.”
Touya stares at her, dumbfounded by the speech.
“He- really?” he mumbles. He can feel his cheeks heating up so he turns to the side, trying to hide his embarrassment.
“Yeah, really. So get it into that thick skull of yours.” she replies with another impatient huff.
“We almost made it to the village.” Shouto warns them, his tone neutral. Touya isn’t sure if he managed to hear what Rumi and him were talking about, but if he did, he is pretending he didn't. The sentence is enough to make the two of them drop the conversation, falling into a somber silence.
As Touya expected, the walk of shame through Hakata is painfully long and humiliating, so he does his best to keep his gaze down, avoiding to look at all the people still hanging outside, probably to gossip about what happened in the late evening.
Unfortunately, avoiding glances can’t save him from hearing all the stuff being whispered around them, the words ‘curse’, ‘monster’ and ‘fire’ traveling fast from mouth to mouth. He feels the rope pulling him twitch, and when he lifts his gaze to glance at Shouto, he sees his brother’s shoulders trembling, his frame getting more and more tense as the whispers being exchanged around them get harsher. Touya can even feel Rumi gently brush against his side, to silently give him support, and he appreciates it.
For the rest of the walk, he focuses on the reassuring feeling of Rumi’s body next to his, so much that he manages to tune out all the voices and, when they come to a stop in front of the military base, the sound of the loud and clear voice of a soldier addressing Shouto, almost comes as a surprise.
“Todoroki Shouto.” the man says, bowing respectfully in front of the kid. “What is the meaning of this? Why did you bring these Curse Bearers here and why are their hands tied?”
“My brother Natsuo told me what happened to our father and told me that he had made the difficult decision to send our older brother away for the safety of the village. However, when I went to the forest to bid him farewell, I heard him talk to this woman about the attempted murder of Father. They are the winged man’s accomplices and I want them arrested.” Shouto says coldly, the prefabricated lie that Midoriya suggested to him while they were preparing their plan, sounding awfully convincing now that the kid was saying it out loud in front of the soldier.
The man gasps, easily falling for the trick, as his eyes go wide at the revelation, before he clears his throat and regains his composure.
“I see how it is. I’ll bring them to the Captain right away.” he nods. “But I have to ask, how did you manage to apprehend them? I saw the flames this man can create with my own eyes, they easily scorched a stone wall, I can’t imagine what they can do to a person.”
Touya would probably feel sick to his stomach at the insinuation that he would try to hurt Shouto with his fire (but again, it’s only fair for the man to believe that, since Shouto told him that he set up his father’s murder), if it wasn’t for the fact that this was not part of their plan. They weren’t expecting for someone to ask questions, they thought that the moment Shouto explained the situation, he and Rumi would be brought inside without a second thought.
“He can’t control his curse.” Shouto blurts out, a little quicker than what would be considered acceptable, but the soldier doesn’t seem to mind or notice. “He can’t use his fire as he pleases. He tried to attack me when I caught them, but I stopped him before he could even muster the smallest flame. And for the other one… well, she’s just a woman.” he adds, his tone now sounding collected and casual, more like his usual self. “It wasn’t that hard to deal with her.”
If Rumi’s quirk was fire, like Touya, she would have flames coming out of her ears by now, because Touya can feel the ill concealed rage coming off her at those words, even if she knows (hopefully) that Shouto is not being truthful.
“Well, I’m glad you could stop them before they could try and hurt our beloved Village Chief again. I’ll bring them inside, you should go back home now. I’m sure your family must be worried.” the man encourages him with a nod, taking the two ends of the ropes Shouto was handing him and pulling Touya and Rumi forward for good measure. Touya barely manages to stifle a groan, while Rumi lets out a hiss, even though she sounds more angered than in pain.
“I will. Thank you for taking good care of Hakata and our safety.” Shouto bids his goodbyes with a polite bow, his fists clenched hard on his sides.
“It’s an honor to serve and protect our home. Have a good night, Sir.” the soldier replies respectfully, as he opens the door behind him. Touya barely manages to send his brother one last glance before being pulled inside and the wooden door is once again closed, blocking the view.
“Nishiya, what’s going on?” another soldier approaches with a hand resting on his sword, hanging on his side.
“The Chief’s youngest son was here just now. Turns out these two are behind the Chief’s attempted murder too.” the first man, Nishiya, says curtly, sparing his colleague all the other details he asked Shouto about.
“So the Chief's oldest son really was the one to blame, after all.” the unnamed soldier muttered, his expression cold and disgusted as he studied Touya’s face.
“Are you actually surprised, Mizushima? The Captain was right about them. We should’ve never let cursed scum inside our precious vil-”
He never gets to finish his sentence. Before any of them could react, small tongues of fire erupt from Touya’s wrists, disintegrating the ropes binding him and, without a second thought, he lounges forward, landing a punch on Nishiya’s face, making him stagger back with a pained groan.
“Rumi.” Touya whispers hurriedly, using the tip of his finger to burn the rope around the woman’s wrists without hurting her and she grins sadistically, stepping forward before Mizushima could react and hitting him with a well placed kick that sends the man flying, hitting the wall behind him with a loud thud and falling to the ground, unconscious.
“Well fuck me, who would’ve thought that you had such a mean left hook in you, Touya?!” she barks out a laugh, jumping towards Nishiya and hitting him with a punch of her own, way stronger than Touya’s previous one. “I must say I’m impressed!”
“Not the time, Rumi!” Touya reminds her, approaching Mizushima’s body, just to make sure the man is actually out cold. After making sure that the woman is not looking his way, Touya frowns in pain, rubbing with his right hand his aching knuckles.
“You fucking-” Nishiya hisses angrily, turning around to try and take out his sword to attack Rumi, but she’s way faster than him, twirling on her feet and, in the blink of an eye, she’s standing behind him.
“Hush, the grown ups are talking.” she scolds and elbows the soldier on the back of the head, watching him fall face first to the ground. “That was easier than expected. Let’s go tell the others we’ve taken care of these idiots and then let’s go find Kei.”
Touya turns to face her, still feeling tense.
“Shouldn’t we make sure there aren’t more of them around here first?” he asks, still following Rumi as she starts walking around.
“I have the sense of hearing of a rabbit, Touya. If anyone in a three kilometer radius even does as much as dropping a pen, I will know.” she reminds him, pointing her index finger at the long bunny ears on her head. Suddenly she stops walking and turns to the side, the aforementioned ears twitching a couple of times. “Here, come with me.”
Touya gulps and follows her obediently through a poorly illuminated hallway, at the end of which there’s a medium sized window, blocked by iron bars. When the two of them make it to the window, Touya glances down. They’re a few meters above the ground.
Rumi sticks her arm outside, snapping her fingers a couple of times, before retracting her limb inside. A few seconds go by, then the faint sound of steps can be heard, and then silence again. Suddenly, Mina’s cheerful smile appears from the other side of the window, her pink curls bouncing on her head as she tilts it to the side.
“That was fast, Rumi!” she says, kneeling comfortably on one of Oboro’s clouds. “How many?”
“Just two, you’ll find them unconscious on the other side of this hallway. Just go straight, you can’t miss them.” Rumi replies, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Okie dokie, let me melt these bars real quick and we’ll take care of that.” the girl replies, a thick layer of acid forming on her palms as she easily starts melting the iron. Touya makes a face, disgusted by the sour smell of the material melting under the influence of the acid, as the faint sound of barely perceptible grunts makes it to his ears. Mina lowers her gaze, looking at something on the ground, before snickering a little. “Hey Touya, Katsuki wants to know if Shouto is okay.” she whispers, still working with her hands on the bars. Touya blinks a couple of times, a little taken aback by the question. He still needs to wrap his head around whatever his brother and Katsuki have going on.
“Yes, he’s fine, he went back home.” he just shakes his head and replies, watching as Mina echoes his words, probably referring them to the blond kid.
“Stop wasting their time and tell them to go and find Kei!” Shota’s low hiss can be heard even from where Touya is standing, without Rumi’s enhanced hearing.
“Shota said-” Mina started, moving to another bar to melt that one as well.
“Yeah, we heard him.” Rumi nods and starts walking away, followed closely by Touya. “We won’t be long.” she adds. “You have any idea where the prisons are?” she asks him, nervously looking around.
“If I remember correctly, on the other side of the building, this way.” he replies, taking the lead. A small flame engulfs his palm, and he uses it to make light and have a better look around. They walk in complete silence, to allow Rumi to detect any noise. Touya can almost feel his heart beat wildly in his chest, his worry making him feel sick.
Where are you, feathers? he thinks desperately, stopping in front of a locked door. He remembers this door, he remembers when he was a kid and Father brought him here, to show him where Hakata’s soldiers train and live.
“What’s behind that door, daddy?” a four year old Touya had asked, pointing his chubby finger towards the big door.
“That’s not a place for you to see, Touya. That’s where we put the bad guys.” Enji had replied, taking his son in his arms.
He shakes his head, chasing the memory away. Now is not the time to reminisce about old times when Enji still saw him as a son.
“Here.” he just says, approaching the door and pushing it. Luckily, he finds it open (as much as he knows that Rumi can easily kick it down, and he can burn it just as easily, he still rather they remain unnoticed).
The moment they walk through the door, they find themselves in a long and dark hallway, even darker than the one they were going through just now. After taking a few steps forward, Rumi lets out a little gasp.
“I can hear him.” she says, turning to face him. There is something dark in her gaze, something that makes Touya’s skin crawl in fear. Why doesn’t she look relieved? She must notice the silent question he’s asking her, because she hurriedly averts her gaze, looking straight ahead, into the pitch black part of the hallway that Touya’s flames can’t reach. “He sounds in pain… and I smell blood.”
Notes:
another cliffhanger oop- sorry everyone
-5 chapters and i'm so excited for what's to come, i hope you are as well!
before i forget, just letting you know that i currently have my twitter profile locked because someone decided to go and report for violent speech a bunch of old tweets of mine (all of them were about mha characters, mind you), so in order to avoid being reported again, i decided to go private for a while. for this reason i won't be accepting new followers until i go back public, i hope you understand. if you need to say something to me, you can still find me on my other platforms (i always link my strawpage in the author's note) or you can leave a comment here. hopefully, this weirdo will get bored and leave me alone -.-
enough about that, i hope you enjoyed this chapter, i tried to make it a little less heavy, compared to the previous ones (i love drama, but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH), i'll see you guys next tuesday, have a good week! <3
Chapter 26: Chapter 25 – Edelweiss
Notes:
idk how to make a trigger warning about this chapter without making major spoilers but, uh... violence and death, i guess?
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Edelweiss: Power
Rumi’s words echo loudly in the hallway, bouncing on the walls as if she yelled. Touya feels like a bucket of icy cold water was thrown at him, the cold seeping through his clothes and skin, until it reaches his very core.
Keigo is in pain. He’s probably hurt.
We’re late… I’m late… he thinks, agitated.
The pain of the fire burning the skin of his hand is enough to ground him and help him snap out of his self deprecating spiral. It’s not too late. If Keigo is alive, then it’s not too late.
“Follow me.” he whispers, bolting forward, flame burning wider and hotter, enlightening their surroundings. Rumi is immediately by his side, ears standing alert on her head and eyes open wide, looking around frantically.
“Touya wait, don’t be rash!” she tries to stop him, sounding and looking clearly distressed as she's trying to make sure there’s no one around, but Touya doesn’t listen to her, his mind focused on one thing and one thing only.
Find him.
“There’s no time for caution, Rumi.” he hisses hurriedly, his heart jumping in his chest when his own ears detect the faint pained groan coming from a few cells ahead of them. He starts running a little faster, every second feeling awfully long. “We need to-” the words die in his mouth, his body immediately frozen in place when he turns to check a cage and sees him.
Keigo is lying face down in the dirty cell, his body twisted in an unnatural position because of two chains around his wrists locking him in place. His eyes are closed, the only detail showing that he's not completely unconscious is the way his lips move slowly, but without emitting a sound.
But the worst part is his back.
It’s red, covered in blood and blisters, every single inch of exposed skin is covered in painful looking burns. Almost nothing remains of Keigo’s wings, the red little nubs on his back almost completely undetectable among the red color of the blood and wounds. Remains of burned feathers lay scattered on the dirty floor, the once red soft plumes now destroyed, rendered brown and black and completely unusable.
“Oh gods…” Rumi whispers, her voice coming out frail, choked by unshed tears. The fact that not once since the first time he met her Touya has ever heard her sound so weak, is just an additional punch in the gut for him.
Keigo’s head shifts at the sound of the woman’s voice, revealing another big burn on his neck and cheek, his whole body tensing and twitching, probably because of the pain caused by the movement. A weak wheeze escapes his lips and his eyes try to flutter open, but remain closed.
The choked breath leaving Keigo’s lips is enough to snap Touya out of his stupor. His right hand, the one free of fire, immediately reaches for the door of the cell, tugging it with a little more strength than necessary, but to no avail. As expected, it’s locked.
“Rumi, go look for a torch, hurry.” he orders, engulfing both palms in scorching hot blue flames and, as he hears the woman hurry away to fetch what he asked for, he starts melting the bars of the cell enough to open a big enough gap to allow them inside easily. His fingers sting, and so do his palms and wrists, his skin hurting from the prolonged exposure to heat, but luckily, his worry and heartache do a decent job at numbing the pain down, urging him to go on until his task is done.
“T-There, I found one, Touya.” Rumi’s voice arrives from behind him, the woman probably keeping a safe distance between herself and the molten iron pooling at Touya’s feet.
“Good, give it to me.” he says, letting go of what remains of the cell bars and willing the fire on his hands to die out completely before he approaches Rumi and takes the torch, turning it on with a finger. Once again, blue light shines in the otherwise dark hallway.
“Fuck, Touya are your hands okay?” Rumi says, worriedly eyeing the state Touya’s hands are in. The fire user lowers his gaze as well, his throat feeling painfully tight the moment he sees the newly burned skin of the back of his hands, the purple marking that once stopped around the wrist now made it almost to the knuckles.
“I’m fine, it’s nothing.” he shakes his head, and it’s not even a complete lie. It’s not like it hurts. Not more than usual anyway. “Let’s go help Keigo.” he adds as he places the torch in a sconce on the wall and enters the cell through the hole he created, careful to step around the melted iron on the ground and to dodge the still hot bars so he doesn’t singe himself. “Come here. Be careful.” he tells Rumi and immediately kneels in front of Keigo the moment he’s inside the prison.
“Shit, he’s gonna be fine, right?” Rumi asks worriedly, joining him inside and eyeing with concern the state Keigo’s back was in. Touya doesn’t want to be pessimistic, but he can’t lie to her either. As a person who has dealt with burns since he was a little kid, he knows how tricky wounds like these can be. He knows Chiyo has some kind of healing quirk, but he doesn’t know the extent of her healing abilities, and if these wounds get infected Keigo can really risk his life.
Who did this to you..?
Touya gulps down his worry, clenching his teeth to ground himself. He needs to act and be quick.
“I don’t know. But the more he stays here, the fewer chances he has.” he replies, taking one of the chains around Keigo’s wrists and pulling it tentatively. “Can you break these? I don’t want to try and melt them, I could end up hurting him.” he asks, lifting the chain to show it to Rumi. The woman takes it in her hands, careful not to pull on Keigo’s arm.
“Give me a minute.” she nods and holds the chain more securely in her hands, the muscles of her arms and shoulders flexing as she tries to loosen the chain links enough to free Keigo. Despite her caution, the movement must’ve stirred the blond man in some kind of way, because he lets out a pained whine, his eyes falling shut as he weakly tries to move away, but it only ends up hurting him even more, leaving him breathless. “Fuck, shit- sorry Keigo, fuck I’m s-so sorry…” Rumi whispers desperately, her eyes filled with unshed tears.
Touya just stares down at Keigo helplessly, his hands shaking on his thighs.
Do something. Anything…
He slowly lifts a hand, placing it on Keigo’s head. His hair feels weird under his touch, probably damaged by the heat, but Touya ignores it, gently caressing the man’s head, trying to calm him down.
“Shh, it’s okay feathers. It’s going to be okay, Rumi is just helping you.” he whispers in his ear. Is Keigo even conscious enough to hear him, through the delirious fog of pain? He really hopes so. “We’re here to help you. Everything is going to be fine, please hang in there.”
Keigo’s head shifts against his palm, the movement so minimal and difficult to notice that Touya almost thinks he imagined it. His lips move once again, but this time a faint word manages to come out of them.
“Pe…tal?” Keigo whispers, his eyes still closed, his voice weaker than it has ever been. It almost makes Touya cry. If it’s because of the relief of seeing Keigo conscious or for all the worry and fear hanging heavy over his shoulder, Touya doesn’t know.
“Y-Yes feathers, it’s me, I’m here. I’m here, okay? So it’s going to be fine.” he replies, still caressing the blond locks with all the care and gentleness he can muster. The sound of the chain dropping to the ground almost makes him flinch, and when he turns to look at Rumi, he sees her busying herself with the other chain, ready to free Keigo’s other arm as well. “Rumi is here too, feathers. Just give her a few more seconds and she’ll free you, okay?” he adds, deeming it better for Keigo if he just keeps talking to him, at least to reassure him and try to keep his mind off the pain.
“It would’ve been better if he was out cold.” Rumi whispers, her voice a little strained because of the fatigue. “This must be torture for him.”
“It would’ve changed nothing. Even if he was unconscious, what we’re about to do would have woken him up anyway.” Touya replies, removing his hand from Keigo’s head and hurriedly taking his vest off. The cold air of the cell immediately laps at his naked arms, the only clothing covering his upper body a thin sleeveless cotton shirt, but he ignores the discomfort in favor of focusing on his task. With the help of his teeth, he rips one of the sleeves of the vest off, twisting it in his hands.
“Why? What are we about to do to him?” Rumi asks, finally freeing Keigo from the second chain and carefully placing his arms in a more comfortable position, which makes the blond man once again let out an agonizing whimper.
“Feathers, can you open your mouth for me?” he whispers to Keigo, his thumb gently pressing against his chin to help him out. “There you go, good job.” he adds, placing the piece of fabric in the man’s mouth, making sure it doesn’t fall out. “Listen feathers, you’re about to feel a lot of pain. I know it’s scary, but I promise you’ll be fine. This fabric in your mouth is going to help you not to hurt your teeth and tongue, so bite it as hard as you can.” he instructs, speaking as slow and clearly as he can, hoping that Keigo is listening.
“Touya.” Rumi calls out, her voice tense. Touya sighs and stands up, his legs feeling numb even if he only spent just a few minutes on the ground. He approaches a bucket filled with water and dips the vest inside, carefully soaking it with the fresh, clean liquid.
“I have some ointments and bandages at the camp, they’ll help keep the burns clean as Chiyo heals him. But we need to take him there first, and to do that, we need to keep his skin protected as much as possible.” he explains, taking the soaked vest out of the bucket and approaching Keigo with the dripping clothing in hand. The prospect of what he’s about to do is making his hands shake, but he bites his tongue and places the vest over Keigo’s back.
The blond man’s reaction is immediate, a strangled scream of pain escapes his throat, thankfully muffled by the cloth between his teeth. Rumi winces, as if she can feel her best friend’s pain as well, and takes his hand, whispering reassuring words to him just like Touya was doing just a few moments before.
“You need to go and bring Ochako here.” Touya whispers, his mouth twisting at the sight of red spots forming on the fabric covering Keigo’s back, blood mixing with water and forming abstract shapes on the wet vest. “If she uses her quirk on him, it’ll be easier to move him and take him back to the camp.”
Rumi lifts her gaze from Keigo’s back and looks at Touya, hesitation evident in her gaze, the thought of leaving her best friend’s side almost painful, but after a few seconds of intense staring contest with Touya, she nods and gets up, ready to sprint out of the cell and back to where the rest of the quirk users are waiting for them.
But she doesn’t make it that far.
Touya whips his head to the side when he hears Rumi gasp and stop in her tracks, his eyes immediately finding Captain Chisaki Kai standing in front of what remains of the prison’s bars, blocking the way for the woman. His sword is out, pointed at Rumi’s neck, the sharp point almost gracing the skin. One sudden movement and the Captain could easily slit her throat.
Shit.
Touya grits his teeth, still crouching next to Keigo, ready to attack Chisaki in order to protect both his wounded friend and Rumi. When did Chisaki arrive? Was he attracted by the sound of Keigo’s screams? How did Rumi not hear him?
“I must say, I was expecting you freaks to come here to play heroes and try to save your little friend.” The Captain says with a mocking tone. “That’s why I told my men to go and patrol the village. I suppose that if you two made it this far, you must’ve outsmarted them. Congratulations.” the little bow he makes is taunting, it makes Touya’s temperature rise, but he maintains his expression neutral. “But this is where your little expedition stops.”
Rumi turns to send Touya a quick glance, rage sharpening her features. Anyone would probably feel terrified in her situation, with a sword ready to cut their throat, but not her. She’s angry. Her eyes are yelling at him, urging him to throw an attack at the Captain, and Touya gulps down nervously.
If I miss him, he’ll kill you. he thinks, trying to convey the message with his face, but Rumi's expression seems to sour even more. It’s like she’s telling him to just do it, and he knows she’s not exactly wrong. If he doesn’t do something, Chisaki will kill all three of them.
With a defeated sigh, Touya makes up his mind. Before his eyes could even leave Rumi’s, his body is already moving, torso twisting away from Keigo’s figure lying on the ground and left hand shooting a fast, yet strong, blast in Chisaki’s direction, hitting him straight in the chest and sending him flying against the wall.
“Touya, let’s go!” Rumi almost yells, bolting towards Keigo and lifting him up in her arms, trying to avoid touching the sore spots on the man’s back, but to no avail. The moment Keigo is being moved from his spot on the ground, another pained sound leaves his lips, face pressing against Rumi’s shoulder.
Touya rapidly gets up, his eyes now locked on Chisaki, the man groaning in pain and annoyance as he presses a hand against the wall, clearly still conscious.
He came prepared this time. Touya notices, eyeing the pieces of armor covering his chest and arms.
“Touya, what’re you waiting for? We gotta go!” the woman repeats, this time managing to make Touya turn to face her. A big chunk of her long white hair is missing, burned by Touya’s attack, the left side of her hair now barely reaching her shoulder, but at least her body doesn’t seem to have suffered damage.
“No, you go. Find the other and take Keigo to Chiyo. I’ll keep him occupied.” he says, his tone leaving no room for discussion. “We’ll never be able to leave without being noticed if this fucker is after us, so I’ll stall him.”
Rumi is staring at him in shock, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times, clearly displeased by Touya’s intentions.
“But-”
“Rumi, get Keigo the fuck out of here, now !” he snarls angrily, once again bringing his full attention to Chisaki, the man now slowly getting up. Touya can hear the woman let out a displeased huff, still not fully convinced by the situation, but eventually, she turns around and jogs away, Keigo held safely in her arms.
“If you think I’m letting you-” Chisaki hisses and picks up his sword, ready to run after them, but Touya moves faster, placing himself in front of him and sending flames behind his own back, forming a wall of fire that separates him and the other man from the rest of the hallway.
“If you think I’m letting you walk past me and hurt them, you’re way more delusional than you look, Captain .” Touya interrupts, spitting the last word as if it was an insult. Blue flames burn hot behind his back creating lights and shadows on the walls and Chisaki’s face, making the man look somewhat deranged. Or maybe he actually is, Touya is not sure.
“You sure are a thorn in my side, Todoroki Touya. Who would’ve thought that a dead man could be such a nuisance?” the Captain says with that same mocking tone, sword hanging loosely in his hold. Everything in body language is screaming confidence. As if he doesn’t actually consider Touya a real threat.
“And who would’ve thought that the head of the military force of Hakata would end up being its biggest traitor?” Touya shoots back, his taunt making a quick flash of anger appear on the other man’s face.
“A traitor? I’m not a traitor. Every single thing I did was to keep Hakata safe.” he growls, stepping forward. The hold on his sword tightens, ready to strike, and despite himself, Touya steps back, a wave of fear forming in his chest.
He might have a quirk, but Chisaki is a trained soldier who knows how to fight.
Meanwhile he needs to be careful every time he uses his fire, or else he might seriously injure himself. Touya can’t actually say, without any shade of doubt, that he’s the one with more chances of making it out alive between the two of them.
“Todoroki Enji is nothing but a self indulging bastard who allowed those freaks to set foot into our beloved village for the sake of his own lust and personal interest. He deserved to die. If not for that, for keeping a Curse Bearer hidden inside his house for ten years.” Chisaki keeps going, getting closer and closer.
Touya takes another step back, the fire burning behind him feeling hotter the more he approaches it. With clenched teeth, he lifts both hands, sending his flames to stop Chisaki from approaching further. The soldier lifts his arm, stopping the fire with his arm protection, but the attack does arrest his advance, making him stop a few feet away from Touya.
“You had no right to do what you did to him. You’re cruel, and crazy.” Touya whispers, stopping the fire coming out of his palms, maintaining his expression neutral despite the pain he feels from the heavy usage of his quirk.
“Cruel and crazy, you say?” Chisaki asks with a blood chilling laugh. “Maybe I am. Or maybe I’m just the only one willing to do whatever it takes.” he adds, this time with a calmer voice, but despite his tone, his body moves so fast Touya can barely perceive the motion.
The Captain extracts a knife from a sheath on his side and, in the blink of an eye, throws the weapon towards Touya.
The fire user can’t even dodge, the sharp object burying itself in his shoulder, making him stagger back and fall, his left hand instinctively pressing against the wound, the pain so intense it empties his mind in an instant.
He lets out a pained cry, his sight fogging because of the tears forming in his eyes. He tries to focus on the silhouette of the man towering over him, but the shape is barely recognizable.
“Look at you, ready to die just like your father was supposed to. Too bad no one’s going to come here and save your ass, right?” Chisaki mocks him with another laugh, once again walking towards him. Touya groans and lifts himself on his elbows. With a shuddering breath, he grips the dagger by the handle and pulls it out of his shoulder, the feeling of blood gushing out of the wound and running down his arm making him wince.
“I don’t need no savior to-” the words die in his throat, swallowed by a pained groan when Chisaki grazes the tip of his sword against the wound, before threatening Touya's exposed throat with it.
“You don’t get to talk unless I allow it, understood? You are nothing. You are a filthy Curse Bearer, not even a human being.” the Captain says seriously, lifting Touya’s chin with his sword, careful not to cut him yet. “You have no idea of how pissed I am that I didn’t get to see the spark of life leave your father’s eyes. I've been waiting for that moment for so long, and yet you ruined it for me. So now I’ll kill you instead. I suppose that’ll do.” he whispers, tilting his head to the side with a fake cordial smile on his lips. "Any last words?" he asks.
Touya lifts his chin, trying not to look as pathetic as he feels, lying on the dirty floor with a pained expression and bleeding shoulder.
"At least I got to keep you away from Keigo." he says. The two of them stare at each other with hatred, but for some reason, Touya's words manage to make a sparkle appear in the Captain’s eyes, the smile on his lips morphing into something more sinister and deranged.
“Keep me away from him, you say? Are you really that naive, Todoroki?" he mocks with a shake of his head. "Don't make me laugh. Here I was, almost expecting you to thank me! After all, I did a really good job with that little bird of yours.” he grins, his yellow eyes never leaving Touya’s. “I must admit that without those ugly red wings, he looks way more fuckable, don’t you think?”
The words take a while to register, the pain in his shoulder making Touya’s mind work slower than he’d like to admit, but when they do sink in, he can almost physically feel something inside of him snap.
“You… did that to him?” he whispers slowly, his body temperature increasing. The metal staples on his body heat up slowly, stinging painfully, but he can’t bring himself to care. “It was you who hurt him?”
Realistically speaking, he knows he shouldn’t be surprised. Chisaki is the same person that attacked his father with murderous intents and tried to frame Touya for it, so the thought of him hurting Keigo is not too far fetched. But seeing him brag about it, saying so casually that he thinks he did ‘a good job’ is what sends Touya over the edge.
Pure unadulterated anger fills his chest and, before Chisaki can spit out a snarky remark, Touya lifts his hand, gripping the sword’s blade, fire covering his whole arm and hand. He feels pain bloom in his hand, the sharp edge of the sword cutting his palm, but he ignores it, forcing his fire to burn even hotter. A little sadistic smirk forms on his lips when he notices the horrified expression on the Captain’s face as he realizes his sword is melting under the unyielding fire Touya is releasing. He lets go of the weapon, stepping back as he watches Touya discard what remains of the sword, throwing it to the side and slowly getting up.
There are many instances in which Touya saw fear in someone’s eyes when looking at him. When his quirk first manifested, when he was playing with Fuyumi. Any time he had one of his outbursts when he was a kid. When his siblings saw his scars for the first time. That same evening, when people crowded his house’s barn and saw him, and successively when he walked down the streets of the village towards the forest. And yet, he never felt nothing but horror and disgust at the realization of being something, some one , to be scared of.
But not now.
Right now, standing in front of Chisaki, the man who hurt his father and Keigo, who proudly did so and was ready to kill him, Touya feels euphoric. He feels powerful.
Chisaki tries to run away, like the coward he is, but Touya is faster, his left hand shooting a fire attack and forming another wall of flames behind Chisaki’s back. Trapping him. The Captain yelps and stops in his tracks, turning to face Touya, his eyes wide open in horror.
It makes Touya grin even more, the staples on his cheeks pulling uncomfortably, but he ignores it.
“Now tell me, Captain. What’s stopping me from doing to you the same thing you did to Keigo?” he says coldly, stepping closer and closer to the man; watching, not without a little spark of enjoyment, as Chisaki steps back and looks around helplessly, searching for a way out.
Despite everything, Touya finds it a little surprising how easy this is turning out to be. He kind of expected Chisaki to have more tricks up his sleeve. If he actually was expecting the quirk users to come and try to save Keigo, why did he only bring his sword and a single dagger with him?
He probably felt overly confident… he's not so smart, after all…
“You can’t!” the Captain almost yells, still staring at Touya in fear, before trying to regain his composure. He smiles, even though it looks more like a grimace than anything else. “I mean, you could . But what would Keigo think about you if you did?” he asks, tilting his chin upwards with fake bravado.
Despite himself, Touya stops in his tracks at the mention of Keigo, his fists clenching on his sides. Chisaki notices and his grin gets a little bolder, taking Touya’s hesitance as a sign to keep going.
“He told me you’re not a monster, you know. Very fervently, too. Don’t you want to prove him right? Show him and everyone that you’re not the monster everyone expects you to be?” he asks, raising his voice more and more by the second.
Touya turns to look at the cell, the floor still covered in red stains, Keigo’s blood forever imprinted on the wooden tables of the flooring. He can almost see and hear him, crouched on that floor, with chains holding him down, while he tells Chisaki that Touya’s not a monster. His beautiful features twisted in anger, his pretty golden eyes shining brightly as they always do when he’s mad, his fists clenched tightly.
Keigo, his wonderful Keigo, the one that since the very first second, only saw the good in Touya, the one that went beyond his awful exterior and found the person within. Of course, even in a dire situation like the one he found himself in (“ Because of you. ” the self deprecating part of him makes sure to remind him), Keigo would argue for Touya’s sake, defending him against anyone and everyone. That’s just the kind of person he is.
And yet…
“You think that inverse psychology would work on me?” he says, shaking his head mockingly and turning to once again face the Captain. The smile that just a second ago was reigning on Chisaki’s face immediately disappears when he hears Touya’s words, the realization that his last desperate plan didn’t turn out how he was hoping for sinking in. “I’d rather be a monster… and live the rest of my life as a monster… than let someone like you stay alive and get to see the light of day again.” he hisses, venom dripping from every word he speaks.
He stops in front of Chisaki, looking him dead in the eyes. Smoke is coming out from the seams of his skin, but he ignores it, his left hand lifting quickly and grabbing the man by the neck, fire erupting from his fingers the moment they come in contact with Chisaki’s skin. The man screams helplessly, his hands instinctively trying to grab Touya’s arm, so he covers that in flames too, watching with amusement how the Captain’s hands and arms, despite the armor protecting him, catch fire.
“So die, Chisaki Kai. If it’s you the one I’m killing, I’ll gladly live with the burden of being a monster for the rest of my pitiful life.” he whispers, willing his body to give everything he’s got, blue fire engulfing Chisaki’s whole body and greedily consuming it, until he’s not screaming anymore.
It’s almost fascinating, watching a man that caused so much pain die. Touya has to remind himself that his body is also suffering the consequences of the prolonged use of his quirk. His arms, chest and face itching and burning painfully for the proximity to the burning corpse. So when he can see the white of Chisaki’s bones peek under the carbonized pieces of skin left of him, he forces his flames to die down, letting go of the corpse and watching what remains of it fall messily to the ground.
With a sigh, Touya lowers his gaze to look at his hands, the once healthy skin covered in new burns and the scarred skin of his forearms looking a few shades darker than usual. He slowly tries to turn his arms to better inspect the state they’re in, but a jolt of pain in his right shoulder makes him wince.
Right, the wound. He’ll have to take care of that, eventually. But first he needs to leave. Rumi must’ve found the others by now, and they are probably taking Keigo to the camp, so that Chiyo can take care of him. Considering what Touya knows about the woman’s quirk, she could probably fix his shoulder pretty easily, but for now, he’d rather have her focus her attention on Keigo’s burns.
The walk through the deserted military base towards the window where he and Rumi met Mina earlier feels way longer than before, maybe because now he feels tired, and in pain and all the adrenaline that was rushing through his body before is now long gone. So Touya finds himself letting out a sigh of relief when he reaches the end of the corridor and spots the window (while planning their escape with Midoriya, back at the camp, the kid had deemed this particular window the safest for them to tamper with without being spotted, hence becoming their designated enter and exit point).
A thick rope is hanging down the side of the building, tied securely to what remains of one of the bars of the window and Touya touches it, perplexed. The quirk users had Oboro’s clouds, and Ochako’s floating quirk, why would they need a rope to escape?
“What’re you looking at? Hurry up and come down already!” Katsuki’s familiar voice comes out in a hiss, his tone as angry as usual, and Touya looks down, surprised, his eyes meeting the kid’s. Katsuki is standing right outside the building, with his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face, staring at Touya expectedly.
They left it for me… they wanted to be sure that I could safely climb down.
The realization hits, making his heart feel a little warmer, and with a tired smile, Touya climbs out the window and lowers himself to the ground with the help of the rope, turning to face Katsuki. The boy looks at him for a long moment, probably taking in his pitiful state. Touya doesn’t need a mirror to know he must look awful, covered in blood (both his and Keigo’s), ash and fresh burns, but Katsuki doesn’t say a word.
“Are you okay?” he just asks, feigning nonchalance, but Touya can hear the slight concern in his mumbling tone.
“I’m fine, don’t worry.” he replies, pressing his palm against the wound on his shoulder. “Why are you here?”
Katsuki shrugs, averting his gaze to look at the deserted alley they are standing in.
“We were all waiting for you inside, when Rumi arrived in a rush holding an unconscious Keigo in her arms and said that Oboro and Ochako needed to help her take Keigo to the camp as soon as possible. She also said you were staying back to stall that creepy soldier guy. Shota told Mina and I to go back to the camp as well while he waited for you here, but I wanted to stay too.” he explains curtly. Touya can’t help but notice that his shoulders are slouched, and there are two huge dark shadows under his eyes. The poor kid must feel exhausted from basically being forced to pull an all-nighter, but he still wanted to make sure Touya was okay. If he didn’t know Katsuki any better, Touya would’ve hugged him.
“And where’s Shouta now?” he says instead, leaning with his back against the building.
“Somewhere, waiting for Oboro to come back and pick us up. It’s not like we can walk around freely, there’s still a shit ton of guards on the streets.” he replies and sighs. “You look calm. I suppose that Captain is not coming after us?” he whispers, side eyeing Touya with a hint of concern in his red eyes.
Touya turns to look at the window, forcing himself to stand upright and take a few steps towards the kid.
“He is not. He’s dead.” he whispers back.
He doesn’t know what kind of reaction he was expecting from him, but Katsuki just hums, letting Touya’s words sink in.
“Not a big loss. He deserved to die.” he finally replies after a bunch of seconds of careful consideration. The fire user nods, glad that the two of them can agree on this.
Silent steps approach from behind and the two of them turn at the same time to see Shota walk up to them, eyeing Touya with concern.
“Are you okay? Rumi said you burned yourself pretty badly in there and now I see you’re bleeding as well, what the hell happened?” Shota asks, his eyes moving rapidly over Touya's figure, as if he is unable to decide whether he should focus on his wound, his burns or his face.
“There was an issue, I took care of it. Don’t worry too much about it, I’m fine. I’ll explain everything later.” Touya replies with a reassuring shake of his head. He’s too tired to recount everything that happened in the few minutes he was alone with Chisaki over and over again, so he’d rather do it once, when he’s at the camp with everyone. “Is Oboro here yet?”
“Not yet, but he should be here any minute now.” Shota replies, accepting Touya’s attempt to change the subject.
“Good, I won’t need more than a couple of minutes.” he nods and turns towards the building. After taking a deep breath, Touya cups his hands and creates a medium sized flame in them, staring at the blue color of it with focused eyes.
“To do what?” Katsuki asks before Shota can even open his mouth, but Touya doesn’t reply, still giving his undivided attention to the flame.
After a few, silent seconds, the fire turns red, just like a normal flame, and both Katsuki and Shota gasp in surprise at the change.
Touya remembers a time when he was young, and his fire was not blue. He once read somewhere that when fire burns very hot, it turns white, so he kind of figured out that, if his fire is blue, it’s because it burns even hotter than white fire. It didn’t take a genius to understand that, since his fire turned blue when he reached his teenage years, his quirk had grown up with him over the years. Eventually, a couple of years ago, he re-learned how to create regular flames, but he never actually bothered to do it often, because it required a lot of concentration and self control.
“To make sure everyone is too busy to care about us leaving the village.” he finally replies, throwing the red blaze towards the building, the wooden parts of the structure immediately catching fire.
“But why not just use your own fire?” Katsuki insists, the kid staring at the now burning headquarters. Somewhere far away, someone is yelling, probably to alert everyone of the fire.
Touya lets a small flame dance on his palm, before closing his hand into a fist, extinguishing it.
“It’s too recognizable. This way, everyone will think this was an accident and Touya wasn’t involved.” Shota says in Touya’s stead. “Right?”
Touya just nods, turning away from the fire he started and facing the two quirk users.
“Let’s go wait for Oboro.” he says, stepping deeper into the alley, lifting his gaze towards the sky in search of a moving cloud.
The three of them fall into a comfortable silence, that only lasts for less than a minute, when Oboro actually arrives and starts bombarding them with questions, fussing over Touya’s wounds and telling him over and over how worried he was for him.
Touya smiles to himself, letting the older man talk his ears off, and as they get higher in the sky, he sends one last glance at the burning building. From this high up, he can see people as small as ants running around the military base, throwing water on the fire and trying to subdue it, with mediocre results. It makes him smile.
Go to hell, Chisaki. Not even your ashes deserve to remain on this Earth.
Notes:
bye chisaki! ough, good riddance, i hated every single scene that slimy fucker was in...
thankfully, the major drama is over and the remaining chapters will give us time to breathe, i think we all need it (but more than anyone, DABIHAWKS NEED IT)
fun fact, when i was writing wprf i had a whole plan in mind: write the whole story, post it and write a new story in the meantime, so when i was done with this fic, i could immediately start posting the new one. and yet here i am, four chapters before the end and I'm not even HALFWAY THROUGH the new story! that's on me for slacking off, i guess... i need to step up my game!
anyway, that's enough chitchatting, i hope you guys liked this chapter, thank you for all the support, every hit, kudo, comment, bookmark and subscription fills me with joy and I'm truly thankful. thank you for giving white petals, red feathers a chance!
i'll see you next tuesday, i hope you have an amazing week!
Chapter 27: Chapter 26 - Iris
Notes:
there was a whole bunch of kudos and hits this week, omg... hi everyone and thank you for 13k hits! i know I'm repeating myself often but it's always a surprise, seeing how much love this story gets with every update! thank you thank you thank you!
this chapter is all about goodbyes (and soon it will also be our time to say goodbye... wdym there's only three chapters left oh my god........)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Iris: Good News
Touya is pretty sure he must’ve dozed off sometime during the ride on Oboro’s cloud, because he faintly remembers sitting cross legged on the soft cotton-like material of the cloud, thinking that it was the most comfortable thing he has ever sat on and, even if he kind of recalls hearing Oboro and Shota talk next to him, his brain didn’t catch half of what was being said.
After what feels like the blink of an eye and yet many hours at the same time, Touya feels Katsuki calling his name and telling him to get off the cloud.
The camp has been completely dismantled while they were away, all the signs of its presence now gone as if it wasn’t ever there in the first place, the only thing still in place is the campfire, its fire lighting the otherwise dark meadow.
“They’re here!” a voice that Touya recognizes as Himiko’s yelps from the distance and he turns just in time to see the girl run towards them, followed by Ochako, Mina, Eijiro, Jin and even Midoriya, the six of them all looking both tired and worried. Touya blinks a couple of times, willing his own tiredness to leave him alone and steps off the cloud, carefully standing on his shaky legs, all four of his limbs feeling a little numb from the way he was previously sitting on the cloud.
“Where’s Keigo?” he asks before any of them can open their mouths and start bombarding him with questions.
“He’s in the wagon, with Chiyo and Rumi, they’re taking care of his wounds. They looked bad, but Rumi said you told her to use some kind of ointment and Chiyo said that Keigo will be fine with the proper care and a lot of rest, but… t-they really did look bad.” Eijiro is the one who replies, his voice attempting to remain calm, but his eyes are red rimmed, the kid probably holding himself from crying so he doesn’t end up upsetting Mina further than she already is, the girl silently wiping her eyes and cheeks with the hem of her sleeve.
“Touya, are you okay? We were so worried…” Ochako whispers, her eyes, much like Eijiro’s, filled with unshed tears.
“We heard screaming coming from the village.” Midoriya adds, immediately stepping closer to Katsuki the moment the blond kid gets off the cloud, green eyes rapidly scanning him from head to toe, probably to check whether he’s fine.
“Touya made sure to create a distraction to allow us to leave discreetly.” Shota replies, immediately walking towards the wagon. “Jin, we need the horses, let’s not waste any second. I want to get out of this hellhole as soon as possible.” he adds, his tone rendered harsh by worry, fatigue and probably frustration too.
“Just give me a couple of minutes. I’m too tired to do it, do it yourself. Wait, sorry Shota, I didn’t mean to say that. Yes I did! ” Jin mutters, the two contrasting sides of his personality coming out and making him argue with himself under his breath as he approaches the front of the wagon.
A brown, muddy substance starts coming out of his palms and leaking to the ground, slowly taking the form of a life sized, breathing horse.
Despite the amount of thoughts going through Touya’s head, he can’t help but observe in fascination how the sludge morphs into the shape of the four legged animal and then more and more details appear, forming a horse that anyone could mistake for a real one.
Jin had explained to him how Double, his quirk, works a while ago during dinner, showing him how he could recreate any object as long he knew the exact measurements and how said object was made. Touya had observed in wonder how the older man had used the brown mud coming off his finger to create a tea cup identical to the one he was holding in his other hand, and Touya had taken it and turned it in his hands, surprised by the fact that it didn’t just look real, it felt real as well.
“ Jin can duplicate living beings too. That’s how we manage to carry our wagon while we travel, he creates horses that do the job for us. ” Keigo said with a smile.
“ Wait, so you could even duplicate a person? Like, for instance… if you took my measurements, could you create another me? ” Touya asked, eyes wide in wonder, as he handed back the fake cup to the blond man, but to his surprise, Jin’s expression soured in an instant.
“ I could, yes. But I choose not to. You see, my doubles are identical to the original in every aspect, even when it comes to personality. But they’re way weaker, of course. ” he replied, easily breaking the fake cup with his hand. Touya winced, scared that the sharp edges of the broken object would hurt the man but, to his surprise, there was nothing but brown mud on Jin’s palm. “ When I create the double of a person, even just breaking a bone would be enough to destroy them. And even if I know that they’re just a mere copy and they’re not actually real, I don’t like seeing my friends disappear. That’s why I never create doubles of other people. Just objects, or animals. And myself, if I really need to. ” he explained calmly. Touya could only blink, somehow a little creeped out by the lack of jokes or conflicting sentences being muttered under Jin’s breath.
“ Why is it different for yourself? ” Touya kept questioning, too curious to just let the topic go. “ Don’t you feel bad when you see your own clone disappear? ” he asked. He would surely feel bad if he was in that same situation.Jin barked out a laugh and crossed his arms against his chest.
“ Well, of course I do! But it’s different with myself. As long as I know I’m the real one, it’s fine even if I see my doubles disappear. ” he chuckled, pointing his index finger against his temple and tapping it a couple of times with a smile. “ But maybe I’m not the real me… of course I am! I’m definitely not… ” he started mumbling to himself, his usual antics suddenly back. The little self dialogue made Keigo laugh and Touya couldn’t help but be mesmerized by that pretty sound.
“So you’re leaving right now?” Midoriya’s voice distracts Touya from his reverie, bringing him back to the present. He turns around, watching him as he speaks softly with Katsuki, big green eyes filled with ill concealed sadness.
“Yeah. That’s the safest thing to do.” Katsuki replies, trying to sound nonchalant, but his twitching bottom lip and stiff shoulders clearly show how affected he actually is.
“I-I know, it’s just- I wish Todoroki was here too. You know, to say goodbye.” the shorter kid sighs and lowers his head, upset. Touya actually finds himself sharing the sentiment. He too wishes Shouto was here, so he could properly say goodbye to him.
“Touya, Katsuki, the wagon is ready.” Oboro says and approaches the two kids, placing his hand on Katsuki’s shoulder. “We should go now.”
Midoriya fists clench on his sides, his eyes filled with tears ready to spill as he looks Katsuki in the eyes.
“I- I’ll miss you a lot, Kacchan.” he whispers, forcing his lips to turn up in a smile that ends up looking more like a grimace than anything. Katsuki grunts and turns his head to the side, sniffing.
“It’s not like we’ll never see each other again. We could always come back. I mean, if we happen to pass by… or whatever.” he mumbles with a shrug.
Touya manages to stifle a little laugh. It’s weird to see Katsuki, usually so loud and straightforward, act so tame when facing the other boy.
“Let’s give them some space, yeah?” Oboro turns to face Touya and winks at him, making Katsuki’s ears turn a little red in embarrassment. “We already put your stuff in the wagon, you can go and sit with the girls on the roof.” he tells Touya, guiding him towards the vehicle.
“I can walk, I’m fine.” Touya replies and stands a little straighter, trying to hide his tiredness. It’s not like he’s the only tired one, so he doesn’t want to be treated any differently.
“No you can’t, you have a hole in your shoulder.” Oboro reminds him, eyeing his stab wound with concern. The mere mention of it, makes the wound throb and Touya has to repress a wince of pain. “We’re just gonna move for a few hours, enough to put a safe distance between us and the village, then we’ll stop to have some rest. So go sit on the roof and let Mina fix your shoulder, we’ll have Chiyo have a look at it after she’s done with Kei, alright?” his tone is gentle, but firm. Like he’s telling Touya that there’s no way he can change his mind about it. So he just sighs in defeat. After all, his shoulder actually does hurt a lot.
“Fine, I’ll just-”
“Wait! Don’t go, wait!” a labored voice comes from behind the treeline, and the small group turns at once just in time to see Shouto run in their direction, with red and white hair ruffled messily on his head and a small bag behind his back. Touya immediately takes a step in his direction, eyes going wide in surprise.
“Sho, what- what are you doing here?!” he asks, placing his hands on Shouto’s shoulders, staring at his younger brother as he pants breathlessly after his run. The kid takes a deep breath and lifts his head to look at him, immediately noticing the wound on his shoulder.
“Oh gods, what happened? Who hurt you, are you okay?” he asks in a rush, his hands instinctively approaching the wound, but he doesn’t touch it. Touya forces a smile, using his left hand to ruffle his brother’s hair, messing it more than it already is.
“It’s nothing, Sho. Chisaki just wanted to leave one more scar on your brother’s body, but I’m fine. I took care of him.” he says, trying to sound cheerful, despite the seriousness of the situation. “He won’t try to hurt any of you again, okay? You, Father, Yumi… and Natsu too. You’re all going to be fine.” he promises, looking his brother in the eyes.
Touya still doesn’t know exactly why Chisaki thought that trying to kill his father was a good idea. Sure, he said he did it because he let the quirk users inside the village, but that man was clearly insane, so he can’t be sure about what his actual reasoning actually was. But if he is sure of one thing, it’s that he feels way more at ease at the thought of leaving Hakata knowing that he won’t be a threat to his father or siblings anymore.
“Touya, I want to come with you.” Shouto’s words are firm, just like his two colored eyes as he stares at Touya intently, not an ounce of doubt in his expression. Touya is pretty sure that if it wasn’t for the staples keeping his face together, his jaw would’ve dropped to the ground from the shock.
“What?! Absolutely no, you’re not.” he replies just as firmly, taking a step back to better look at his brother.
“Why not? I don’t want to stay here with Father, Natsuo and Fuyumi, they always treat you poorly and they literally kicked you out! I want to come with you!” he insists with a frown.
“Touya, what's going on here? We need to leave as soon as possible.” Shota approaches them and sends a quick questioning glance in Shouto’s way.
“It’s nothing, Shota… my brother just came to say goodbye.” Touya reassures him with a tight smile, before turning once again to glare at Shouto. “You can’t come with us, Sho.” he repeats.
“Why not, though?!” the kid insists, stomping his foot on the ground, a little habit that Touya recognizes as his own as well.
“Because-” he hesitates, running a hand through his hair. “Well, because you don’t have a quirk, that’s why.” he blurts out. He mentally kicks himself.
Seriously? That’s the weakest excuse ever, you could’ve come up with literally anything else!
He decides to blame the exhaustion for his slow thinking.
“Do I need to have one to come with you?” Shouto immediately asks, turning to look at Shota with an inquiring look. The man’s eyes go wide, visibly surprised from being put on the spot like that.
“I- I mean, not exactly, but-” he mumbles hesitantly.
“See?!” Shouto turns to face Touya and crosses his arms with a triumphant expression.
“Why would you encourage him?” Touya sends a quick glance in Shota’s direction and sighs, but the man just shrugs. “Listen Sho, you can’t just leave our family like that. Is this why you have a bag with you? Did you sneak out? They’re going to worry themselves sick about you, don’t you get it?” he says seriously, trying to talk some sense into his younger brother.
As much as Touya would love for Shouto to join him, he can’t just take his brother away from their home and family. Their siblings would be heartbroken, and Father too. Touya can’t do this to them, he doesn’t want to be so selfish.
“No, you don’t get it. Now that everyone knows about you, they’ll start thinking I am cursed too. They already suspected it before, but now they’ll be sure of it. And that’s not the kind of life I want to live. I mean yes, I want to join you because I care about you and I want to be with you, but this- this is not just about you, it’s about me as well.” he says seriously, his eyes never once leaving Touya’s.
And well… that’s a point very difficult to argue with. Touya has never felt the judging stares of the so-called ‘normal people’ on him (today marks a pretty obvious exception), when he was a kid no one ever suspected he had a curse. But Shouto, with his eye catching appearance, could never consider himself as lucky. Even Himiko confessed that, when she first saw his brother, she suspected that he had a quirk. And now Touya realizes that, with his own secret being out, it will be really easy, especially for the more skeptical people, to start distrusting his family, Shouto in particular.
“I know what you’re thinking and I’m not trying to blame you, Tou. It’s just that, as much as I like it here, I feel like I’m not as happy as I wish I was. I know that even if you tell me to stay, I’ll just end up leaving anyway, sooner or later. And I’d rather come with you now than leave alone in the future, so… please?” he whispers pleadingly. Touya stares at him for a long moment, before letting out a sigh.
“What about Father, Fuyumi and Natsuo? Did you at least talk to them? We can’t have them come after us, Sho, we’re already in deep trouble as it is.” he says in one last, weak attempt to talk his brother out of this.
“I left them a letter. A really long one. I think they’ll understand. And if they don’t, that’s on them.” he replies promptly, fixing the strap of his bag on his shoulder. Touya lets out another sigh, before turning around to face Shota, his eyes silently asking for permission. The man looks at them for a long moment.
“Kid, you’re aware that by coming with us and associating with us, you’ll be treated accordingly, right?” he asks seriously, his eyes staring Shouto down, but the kid doesn’t shy away.
“I know. I can take it.” he replies curtly. The two of them look at each other in silence for what feels like an insanely long amount of time. Finally, Shota shrugs in response and turns around, his eyes immediately searching for Oboro’s, his best friend now standing a few steps away, probably because he wanted to leave Touya and Shouto some privacy.
“What do you think?” Shota asks, putting his hands in his pockets.
“Well, we’re taking a Todoroki with us, we might as well take two.” Oboro replies with a shrug of his own and a playful smile forms on his lips. “Besides, I really like the idea of keeping one of the two guys that managed to bring out Katsuki’s soft side.” he adds with a chuckle.
“Oi, what the fuck is that supposed to mean, uh? Do you wanna die?!” Katsuki immediately snarls at Oboro, the tip of his ears looking as red as cherries.
“That’s settled, then. Welcome on board, kid.” Shota says and gently pats Shouto on the shoulder, the gesture enough to make an excited smile appear on Shouto’s lips.
“Thank you, Sir.” he says politely, bowing respectfully.
“Drop the formalities. It’s just Shota, okay?” the man replies, walking back to the wagon, Oboro following right after.
“Oh, y-yes Si- Shota… yes, Shota!” Shouto stutters, clearly not used to the informality of calling an older person by their first name. The sight of his embarrassed little brother is enough to make Touya chuckle.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” he reassures him, gently ruffling his hair. He’s about to tell Shouto to come and join the rest of the group when Midoriya and Katsuki walk up to them, the quirk user with his hands hidden inside his pockets and a neutral expression on his face, while the green haired boy looks troubled, his big eyes lowered to the ground and his hands unable to stay still, as he fidgets nervously.
“So, you’re leaving too, Todoroki?” he whispers softly, finally lifting his gaze enough to meet Shouto’s two colored eyes with his own. Shouto’s smile is gone just as quickly as it appeared on his face, his brows furrowing and his eyes filling with guilt.
“Midoriya.” he lets out, stepping towards the shorter boy. “Listen, I-”
“You don’t have to apologize. I get it.” Midoriya interrupts him, taking Shouto’s hands in his. “I always saw the way they looked at you. I never said anything because you always said it didn’t bother you, but I’ve always known that it must’ve hurt you, to some degree.”
Shouto bites his lip nervously, averting his gaze. Touya can see the little shine in his eyes and he knows his brother is fighting back the tears.
“It’s just- I don’t want you to believe you’re not enough of a reason for me to stay. If things were different, I’d stay, seriously. But-”
“But you want to be with your brother.” Midoriya ends the sentence for him, a little smile forming on his lips, despite the tears welling up in his eyes. “I don’t resent you, Todoroki, if our roles were reversed, I would do the same.” he chuckles and rubs his sleeve over his face, wiping his tears. “It’s fine! You and Kacchan will see lots of beautiful places, and you can send me letters telling me all about them.” he adds, pulling both Shouto and Katsuki in a bone crushing hug.
The two boys at first freeze at the motion, clearly taken by surprise, but then they both melt into the embrace.
Shouto smiles softly and rests his chin on Midoriya’s shoulder, hugging him back just as fiercely, while Katsuki stands a little awkwardly, his ears redder than Touya has ever seen them and his hand on Midoriya’s head, slim fingers carefully petting the boy’s curls.
“Besides…” Midoriya speaks again, his voice coming out a little muffled from the way his face is pressed against Katsuki’s chest. “When I get older and leave Hakata to travel and see all the many different places in Japan myself, we can meet and travel together.” he offers, a little sheepishly, stepping back from the hug to better look at the two boys. “If- if that’s okay, of course.” he adds, visibly flustered, this time addressing Shota.
The man raises an eyebrow at him, but then he just shrugs and climbs on the perch of the wagon, taking the horses’ reins.
“Hey, not to ruin the moment or anything!” Mina calls out from the roof of the wagon, her elbows resting on her crossed legs. “But it’s gonna be sunrise soon and we seriously need to leave before they realize we have Keigo with us.” she says, pointing towards the general direction of the village with her thumb. “Also, Touya is still bleeding, so if he doesn’t want to faint from the blood loss, he better bring his ass up here and let me take care of that wound.” she adds with a roll of her eyes.
“Come on Mina, don’t be tragic. You know it’s not that bad.” he mumbles, approaching the wagon. As he climbs up, he does his best to hide the pained expression that forms on his face from the strain, just to save that little bit of dignity that he still has.
“No, I don’t know ! I would, if you’d let me at least inspect your shoulder.” she huffs. Touya sits cross legged next to her.
“Inspect it as long as you wish, then…” he tells her with a soft smile, the girl immediately starting to fuss over his wound. Touya turns his head to send a quick glance in his brother’s direction, watching as he and Katsuki exchange their last goodbyes with Midoriya. The three kids look particularly emotional, but Shouto and Katsuki seem to be holding up better than Midoriya, his eyes still filled with tears.
“Life can really be unfair sometimes.” Mina grumbles without real malice in her tone. “How come Katsuki managed to win over not one, but two hotties?”
“Why are you talking as if you’re not in a happy, long and healthy relationship, uh?” Himiko butts in with a snicker, softly caressing Ochako’s cheek with the tip of her finger. The brown haired girl must’ve dozed off sometime when Touya was talking with Shouto, and now she’s lying next to them with her head resting on her girlfriend’s crossed legs.
In that moment, Midoriya takes a step forward and, before Shouto or Katsuki can react, he kisses both of them on the cheek, Katsuki first and Shouto right after. The two of them remain frozen in place as they watch their friend run away and wave his hand. Even from afar, Touya can see the redness forming on his brother’s cheeks and on Katsuki’s ears.
He finds himself snickering at the sight. That Midoriya kid just gained a few respect points from him, because that little stunt definitely took a shit ton of guts.
“That doesn’t change the fact that Katsuki is a short tempered goblin and still somehow bagged two hotties.” Mina replies with a huff.
“Should I remind you that one of the two hotties in question is my brother?” Touya interrupts jokingly, tilting his head to the side. A little hiss leaves his lips when the girl starts dabbing his shoulder with a cloth to clean it from the blood.
“Oh shut up, as if you don’t know that your brother looks awesome.” she scoffs, once again rolling her eyes.
“I think it’s a family thing.” Himiko mumbles with a pensive expression. “Remember when we saw their sister playing the shamisen at the spring festival? She was very pretty too.” she adds with a nod of her head. “Touya, you three are all super hot, but you don’t look like your dad, like… at all. You must’ve taken from your mother, right?”
Touya’s eyes go wide in surprise, turning to look at Himiko so fast he feels his shoulder ache in protest.
“Us… three ?” he asks, perplexed.
“Yeah, you’re totally a ten! If you were a few years younger you could’ve totally been my type.” Mina confirms as she starts dabbing his shoulder with another cloth, this one covered in some kind of substance that Touya supposes must serve to clean the wound to prevent infections. It stings against his skin, but he’s too focused on the conversation to care.
“First of all, that’s a weird thing to say.” Himiko says, pointing a finger towards her friend. “Second of all, again. I feel the need to remind you you have a boyfriend.”
“What we’re trying to say is-” Mina grins, ignoring the blonde girl’s comment. “You’re very handsome.”
Touya eyes the two girls with skepticism, one of his eyebrows shooting upwards.
“Oh, c'mon Touya. You don’t actually think Keigo is the only one who finds you hot, right?” Himiko asks, sarcastically lifting her own eyebrow and mimicking Touya’s expression. Before he can even utter a word, Mina hits the girl with her elbow, sending her a murderous glance.
“Himiko! Shh!” she hisses. The blonde girl gasps and covers her mouth with both hands, her eyes open wide.
“I didn’t say anything!” she blurts out rapidly.
Touya stares at them, unsure of what to do or say. The mere mention of Keigo’s name is enough to bring all his fear and anxiousness back and he wonders how things are going inside the wagon, whether Chiyo’s quirk is enough to heal Keigo completely and whether he’ll be fine.
Sometimes no news is good news… he tells himself, willing his heart to slow down and his chest to stop aching.
But as his bad thoughts start leaving his mind, making room for more neutral ones, Touya feels his cheeks start heating up.
“You don’t actually think Keigo is the only one who finds you hot, right?”
What did Himiko mean by that? Did Keigo say something about him to them?
And, most importantly, what did he say to warrant such a comment?
—
The next few hours go by in a blur. After Mina told him she was done cleaning and bandaging his shoulder, Touya remained seated on the roof of the wagon, watching the three girls nap around him, Ochako still resting with her head on Himiko’s legs, Mina somehow managing to close her eyes and doze off while sitting straight and Himiko with her whole upper body resting against Touya’s uninjured shoulder.
He remains silent, not to disturb them, but wide awake, the tiredness in his body and mind outweighed by the fear of someone from the village coming after them to take Shouto back home, or worse, Keigo back to prison. That haunting thought keeps him awake, his head turning back towards Hakata every five minutes or so, just to make sure. The movement makes Himiko hum in her sleep a few times, and at some point she even wakes up and lifts her head to look at Touya with tired and confused eyes, but he just shakes his head and pats her hair, telling her to go back to sleep.
When Shota stops the wagon to inform everyone they’re stopping to rest, the sun is high in the sky and Touya can barely see the shape of Hakata’s outside walls on the horizon. Seeing the village so far away actually helps him calm his nerves just a little, but not completely. Deep down he wishes they could continue distancing themselves from the village for a little longer, just enough to render it completely impossible for them to spot it, but realistically speaking he knows it’s not possible. Everyone is exhausted and, just like the girls sleeping next to him, the others need to rest as well.
Still, Touya can’t help but turn to look back once again. Hakata stands proudly in the distance and, maybe Touya is mistaken, but he swears he can still see smoke still rising from behind the walls.
Seeing his village like this, knowing that he’ll probably never come back, evokes in his heart a strange sense of nostalgia, despite everything. With everything that went down in the last twenty-four hours, he didn’t even have the time to properly realize that he left his home for good. He knows, deep down, that he’ll somehow miss the safety and predictability of his daily life in the village, but at the same time, he’s perfectly aware that he made not only the right choice, but the only one available to him.
“Touya.” Shouto calls his name and Touya lowers his gaze to look at his younger brother standing next to the wagon, waiting for him to join. Touya gently lifts Himiko’s head from his shoulder and carefully helps her lay down, before lowering himself on the ground and standing next to Shouto.
“You’re holding up okay?” he asks, placing his hand on the boy’s head in a reassuring gesture.
“I’m fine, how about you?” Shouto whispers tiredly.
“I’m fine.” Touya replies, before looking around. They’re in the middle of a wide open field, not too far away from the road. The sun is shining hot over their heads and the wind blowing is pleasantly fresh, making the grass under their feet move in waves. A beautiful landscape overall, but it makes Touya raise an eyebrow anyway. Compared to the meadow in Hakata’s forest, this place doesn’t look like the perfect spot to set camp.
“I know what you’re thinking, it’s not ideal.” Oboro appears next to them with an apologetic smile. “But we’re just stopping for a day, tomorrow morning we’ll resume moving forward.”
“Where are we headed?” Shouto asks, looking up at the taller man with eyes full of curiosity. Oboro smiles at him, wrapping his arm around the kid’s shoulders.
“Who knows… not too far, considering that Keigo will probably need some time to recover. Shota was thinking about going south, towards Satsuma. We went there once, they mostly let us be, so it’ll probably be fine.” he explains, before patting Shouto’s shoulder. “Anyway, Jin’s doubles are taking care of the tents and we still have some leftover firewood, so it won’t take long for the camp to be all set. Of course we’re not going full out for just one night, but still. Also, you two don’t have a tent yet, but we can get you one as soon as possible, when we reach the nearest city. In the meantime you can use Keigo’s? You’ll have to squeeze a little, but I can assure you two people can fit just fine. But if you want to sleep more comfortably I guess we can find another solution? If that’s the case, I can share with Shota, I don’t mind. He doesn’t mind either, but he likes to pretend otherwise because complaining is his favorite hobby, but don’t tell him I said that. I guess that’s settled then, you two can have mine and Keigo’s tents, I’ll go tell Shota we’re sharing his tent today.”
Shouto turns around to look at Touya, visibly lost, and it makes him smile fondly. His brother never met Oboro before today and he’s probably not used to the frantic and slightly confusing way the older man is capable of jumping from one topic to the other, but Touya is sure Shouto will get used to it in no time, just like he did.
“Oboro, it’s fine, there’s no need to fuss so much about this, we don’t mind sharing. Right Sho?” Touya stops the man before he can leave and sends a smile in Shouto’s way.
“Uh, right! We don’t mind.” Shouto nods rapidly, bowing politely, his eyes a little wide because of how flustered he feels.
“Perfect! I guess I’ll go tell Shota that, then!” Oboro nods with a smile and starts walking away, easily dodging every single Jin scattered around their half build camp, so he doesn’t disrupt their work.
Touya is about to ask Shouto if he wants to go and see if they can lend them a hand, when he hears Rumi’s familiar voice groaning from behind him. When he turns around, he sees the woman standing right outside the wagon, stretching her limbs with tiredness showing all over her face and body language. Her usually lifted ears are hanging low on her head, almost blending in with her hair. Her eyes lack that usual spark and look even emptier because of the dark circles around them. Her clothes and hands are covered in dried blood. Her lips look red and swollen, probably for how many times she bit them out of stress.
Overall, she looks at least ten years older than she actually is because of exhaustion and worry alone.
“You look awful.” she says with no real malice after noticing Touya staring at her, her lips distended in a too weak smile, but it manages to make Touya smile too.
“Look who’s talking.” he replies without skipping a beat, before turning to pat his brother on the back. “Hey Sho, why don’t you go and join Katsuki? You should ask him to introduce you properly to the others.” he suggests. Luckily, the kid seems to immediately read the room and simply nods, rapidly squeezing Touya’s hand, before leaving to join the blond boy. The moment they’re left alone, Rumi walks up to him, her shoulders slouching slightly as she pulls her kimono tighter around her body, as if to shield herself from a non-existent cold wind. “How is he?” he just asks.
“He’s responding well to the treatment, or at least that's what Chiyo told me. At some point he woke up and started crying, saying stuff like we shouldn’t have saved him and that he didn’t want you to die. I tried to reassure him, but he had a bad fever and was clearly delirious, so I doubt he heard anything of what I told him. He’s out cold now, which I’m pretty sure is a blessing, considering what his back looks like.” she says and lets out a long sigh, shaking her head.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“I doubt it. Chiyo kicked me out because it’s not like I can do much for him in there, and neither can you. We can just… wait, I guess.”
Touya sighs and lets his head fall backwards, shutting his eyes in a weak attempt to calm himself. He never felt this useless in his life and he absolutely despises it.
“I’m sorry. You know, about your hair.” he says after a while. It feels almost comical, apologizing for something so trivial in a moment like this, but he’s hating the silence just as much as he’s hating not being able to help Keigo in any way, so he just lets his tongue loose. Even Rumi seems to find the situation amusing, if the chuckle leaving her lips is any indicator.
“Seriously, you’re worrying about that? It’s fine.” she reassures him. “I was thinking about cutting it for a while anyway, it was starting to get in the way too often.”
“You want me to take care of the other side as well, then?” he asks with a small smile on his lips, opening his palm and letting a small flame dance on his skin. It stings, the overuse of his quirk still putting a toll on him, but he doesn’t let it show. Rumi lets out a snort, this time way more heartfelt.
“No thank you, I’ll cut the other side like a normal person should!” she replies, overdramatically moving away, putting a small distance between them. The two of them laugh and, even if it’s just for a few moments, Touya feels a huge weight lifting from his shoulders. “When she gets a moment, you should ask Chiyo to check you as well.” Rumi speaks up again after a few seconds, her tone more sober. “Your burns. It looks like they got worse.”
With a low hum, Touya lowers his gaze, just enough to look at the burns covering a good part of the back of his hand and knuckles.
“It’s fine, it doesn’t even hurt.” he replies.
“It’s not just your hands. Your face too.” Rumi insists, sounding worried.
“I promise I’m fine, Rumi. I want Chiyo to focus on Keigo, I’ve been dealing with my burns for years, you guys don’t need to worry about me, okay?” he tells her, but his fingers instinctively reach for his face, cautiously feeling the skin of his cheek. True to Rumi’s words, he can feel the roughness of the once healthy skin, now covered in burn scars just like the rest of the lower side of his face.
“You really don’t get it, uh?” she sighs, this time her voice coming out softer and slightly amused. “I thought that what we did tonight was enough of a demonstration, but apparently it wasn’t clear enough, so let me spell it for you: you’re one of us now. There’s no ‘ don’t worry about me ’ bullshit, we all worry about everyone. So shut up and let us worry, get it?” she nudges him with her shoulder, before walking away towards the rest of the group.
Touya rubs his shoulder, even though the hit didn’t actually hurt that much.
It’s weird, thinking that these people care about him. That they genuinely want him to be okay and happy. That they consider him one of them, despite knowing him for barely a couple of weeks. And yet that’s the truth, they keep proving it to him every time they get the chance.
It makes Touya smile.
I guess I’ll just have to get used to it.
“Rumi.” he calls, watching the woman spin around to look at him.
“What?” she asks. Touya considers dropping the topic. With everything that went down tonight, Rumi probably has other things to worry about. But maybe he should ask for that exact reason. Maybe everyone is too tired and too shaken up to focus on something so trivial.
He steps forward, so he can talk to Rumi without having to raise his voice. He doesn’t know if she wants the others to know.
“Will you be okay? You know, about Shimura.” he murmurs. He doesn’t know exactly what went down between Rumi and Midoriya’s older brother. Shouto told him about Shimura’s awkward courtship and Rumi sometimes bragged about it when Touya joined the family at night. But whether things were starting to get serious between them or not, he’s not sure.
“Ah, are you seriously thinking about that?” she chuckles and shakes her head. “It’s just a fling, Touya. You have no idea how many broken hearts I left behind in the past year since I started traveling with this bunch of weirdos. One more on my list won’t make a difference for me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Totally! I’m fine, Touya. Promise.” Rumi nods. “But hey, thanks for asking.” she pats his back again, before walking away. Touya lets her, still not fully convinced. He doesn’t know her that well to know whether she’s being truthful or not. He’ll definitely need to talk about this with someone more knowledgeable when it comes to her. Shota, maybe. Or Keigo.
Touya sighs, turning his head to look at the wagon.
One problem at a time…
Notes:
okay, i promise i'm not crazy and i didn't change twice's quirk related trauma for no reason, there is a very precise explanation that will be provided to you when i'll post the spinoff. i don't remember if i ever mentioned this, but i want to write (maybe when i take breaks from the fic I'm currently working on) a little fic in which every chapter tells the story of how every member of the quirk family happened to join their group, starting from shota and oboro to rumi. so i hope you guys might be interested in that!
once again, thank you for your support, consider dropping a kudo if you haven't already, your comments are always the highlight of my week and really push me to do better and write more, so thank you! i'll see you guys next week with a new chapter, bye! <3
Chapter 28: Chapter 27 – Yellow Camellia
Notes:
the burn was slow... but it's finally burning. it only took us 28 chapters.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Yellow Camellia: Longing
Just like Oboro had told them, the next day they pack everything up and resume their travel to Satsuma, in the Southern part of Kyushu, only stopping twice a day, once at midday to consume their meals and then around an hour after the sunset so they could sleep at night.
The more the days go by, the more Touya is convinced that he can definitely get used to this lifestyle, even though he often finds himself lagging behind during the longer traits, his body not accustomed to the intensive strain of the long hours spent walking under the sun.
Of course Rumi, after noticing his tired expression on the first day, didn’t miss the chance to tease him for it (“ I told you we need to put some muscles on those bones, Touya! ”), but at least, despite the pain he felt in his legs the first few days, Touya can now safely confirm that he feels his stamina slowly getting better.
His still aching shoulder doesn’t help, but Touya would rather suffer in silence than expect special treatment or ask Chiyo for help. She’s too busy taking care of Keigo, she doesn’t need the extra workload.
Unlike him, Shouto got accustomed to the nomad lifestyle right away, his tireless younger brother always ready to jump up on his feet, might it be to help out the others with anything they might need or resume walking, without ever breaking a sweat.
Touya finds himself looking at him often, his heart swelling with pride. If asked, he wouldn’t know how to properly explain this feeling, but since leaving Hakata, Shoto looks… better. His eyes seem to shine brighter, his smiles look more genuine, and the long hours spent walking under the sun made his cheeks and bridge of his nose tint of a youthful and healthy shade of pink. Most importantly, he looks way more at ease, the time spent with the quirk users really helping him get out of his shell, and every time Touya sees the kid talk with the others, play around with them, offer to go and fetch firewood or rocks for the campfire, or even help Jin whenever he goes hunting, he thinks to himself that he’s so glad that he allowed Shouto to leave Hakata with him.
But for some reason, Shouto’s drive to lend a hand to whoever might need it seems to annoy Katsuki, the explosive kid always trying to one-up Shouto with every task he does.
Like tonight, for instance.
The group had stopped to eat dinner and rest for the night and, as Oboro, Touya and Ochako set up the firewood to safely light up the campfire, Shouto approaches them.
“Hey Tou, remember that lake we passed earlier, right before stopping for the night?” he asks, running a hand through his fringe to move the hair away from his eyes. Touya sends him a quick glance and lets out an affirmative hum, before focusing back on placing the rocks on the ground in a way that doesn’t leave any gaps. “Shota said I can go and fish before dinner. Eijiro said he feels like fish, and we’ve never had it since we left Hakata, so I might as well kill some time, try and get some and make the best of it. Can I go?”
Touya does his best not to groan in annoyance at the thought of having fish for dinner, just thinking about the pungent smell of it makes his stomach twist in disgust, but he focuses on replying to his brother instead. He can endure one night of eating fish, it’s not a big deal.
“You don’t have to ask for permission, Sho, of course you can go. Just don’t go there alone, ask Katsuki or someone else to come with you, okay?”
“I’ll go ask Katsuki, then. I’ll see you later.” Shouto replies, a bit too quickly to sound nonchalant, but Touya ignores it, just shaking his head and watching as his brother hurriedly leaves and approaches Katsuki. The two are too far away for Touya to hear their conversation, but he can see Shouto talk to him for a few seconds, before Katsuki is raising an eyebrow and one of his signature explosions comes out of his right palm.
“Uh?! Why did Shota ask you to go and fish? I bet I can fish better than you! Let’s go to the damn lake, Half and Half, I’m gonna show you I can catch more fish than you!” he yells loud enough that probably everyone heard him clearly.
Ochako lets out a sigh and smiles, turning her head to look at Oboro.
“Remember when you said that Shouto brings out Katsuki’s soft side?” she asks sarcastically, but with no real malice behind her tone. It makes Oboro burst out laughing and he almost falls backwards, catching himself just in time with a cloud.
“Well, I guess that not even that kid can make miracles happen…” he replies and sends a glance behind his back, watching as Shouto and Katsuki, each one of them with a fishing pole in hand, walk away from the camp and towards the lake.
Touya chuckles under his breath, listening to the conversation between the two of them. Overall he’s glad Shouto is getting along with the rest of the group, and considering how things are going, he can’t possibly ask for more.
Except, of course…
“Do we have any more clean bandages?” Chiyo’s voice is enough to make him jump on his feet, turning to look at the old woman with eyes wide open. She just stepped outside the wagon, her weight resting on her cane, and she’s looking around as if she doesn’t have a worry in the world.
How she manages to always look so composed and unbothered will always be a mystery to Touya.
“We should have a few left if I remember correctly.” Shota turns to look at Chiyo as well, approaching the woman with a concerned look on his face. And it’s not just him. Everyone seems to be frozen in place, staring at her expectedly. “In case we don’t, we can ask Jin to make some more, how much do you need?”
“Wait, I have some. I have some in my bag.” Touya blurts out, immediately approaching the spot near the campfire where all of their bags were placed after they stopped for the night. “There.” he takes the bundle of white cloth from his bag and hands it to Chiyo, watching as the woman inspects it carefully. “Is it enough?” he asks.
“It is. Thank you.” she replies after a few more pensive seconds, walking back towards the wagon with the bandages in her hands.
“W-Wait, wait a second!” Touya calls her and rushes forward, stopping the woman just before she makes it back inside the wagon. “How is he? Can I- can we come see him?” he asks, words coming out of his mouth a little faster than what would be considered nonchalantly.
“You cannot. I’m sorry kid.” she simply states, walking around him and climbing inside the wagon. Touya decides to ignore the fact that, despite his twenty-four years of age, she seems to enjoy calling him a kid whenever she has the chance. He’ll have to deal with his wounded pride some other time.
“Why not? Please, can’t you at least tell me a little more than that?” he begs as he follows her, almost tripping over his own feet in his hurry. “Please.” he repeats.
“He’s fighting a bad infection right now. Nothing serious, but he’s a little feverish and it’s better to keep the inside of the wagon as clean as possible, that’s why I’m not allowing anyone inside. Besides, he’s exhausted. My quirk doesn’t just heal a person’s wounds, it makes their body heal itself faster than it would normally take. And that requires a lot of energy, so the poor thing is basically asleep most of the time.” she explains with a sigh. “You need to trust me on this, Touya. Keigo is in good hands, and soon he’ll be back to his usual happy, annoying self.”
Touya remains silent for a few seconds, letting the words sink in, before asking the question that has been tormenting him since the first time he saw the state Keigo’s back was in.
“What about his wings? Are they healing as well?”
“That I don’t know. They look like they’re recovering, but I can’t say for sure whether they’ll grow back just like they were. He has lost some feathers in the past and they grew back in a week or two, but considering that the extent of the loss is not like anything that I’ve seen before, I’m afraid only time will tell.”
The revelation is like a huge burden placed on Touya’s shoulders. He can physically feel his body slouch under the weight of it. There’s a chance that Keigo’s wings will not grow back to what they used to be, and he can’t help but feel that, indirectly, this is all his fault.
I should’ve done things differently. I should’ve stopped him from taking the blame and getting arrested, should’ve gone to the military base immediately instead of going to the forest first, I wasted too much time and-
“You know, he asks about you a lot.” Chiyo interrupts him mid-thought, her tone as tranquil as always, but her eyes are odd, as if she’s carefully studying his reaction.
“He… he what?” Touya’s eyes widen in surprise at the revelation.
“When Rumi first brought him to me, he was barely conscious, but kept saying that he didn’t want you to die. Rumi tried to tell him that you were fine, but Keigo wasn’t nearly coherent enough to understand her. And even in his sleep, he calls your name often. Earlier today he woke up and asked if we had left Hakata and if you were safe with us. He refused to go back to sleep until I reassured him you were fine.” she sighs and shakes her head. “You young people are so melodramatic…” she huffs with a roll of her eyes (but Touya is pretty sure he can see her trying to hide a tiny smile), before stepping inside the wagon and covering the entrance with the old tent for privacy.
It takes Touya a couple of minutes to finally manage to step away from the wagon and join Oboro and Ochako back to the campfire, the two of them carefully placing some vegetable skewers over the flame to cook them.
Internally, Touya cheers at the sight. Eating just vegetables for dinner is not exactly ideal, but at least he knows he won’t have to go to bed hungry, or worse, he won’t have to eat just fish for dinner. The thought makes him look forward to dinner, his stomach grumbling at the prospect of the upcoming meal.
“Hey, what’s with the long face? Is everything alright?” Ochako asks, stopping in the act of piercing a piece of eggplant with a skewer. Her brown eyes send a quick glance towards the wagon, and they immediately fill with worry. The question immediately distracts Touya’s mind from the food and brings it back to Keigo.
Keigo, who is recovering. Keigo who, despite his condition, is asking about him.
“I’m fine, everything is fine.” Touya replies hurriedly, eager to calm the girl down. She must think that Chiyo gave him some bad news. “Keigo is recovering well. He’s just a little feverish now, but he’s fighting it off just fine.” he reassures with a smile. Ochako visibly relaxes and her lips distend in a cheerful smile.
“We need to celebrate, then.” she hums happily, resuming her previous task of preparing the skewers, and putting them on the fire.
Oboro says something about Keigo being too stubborn to die, making Ochako laugh, but Touya is not listening. His mind is too busy sorting all the thoughts running through it, his heart doing strange flips in his chest.
Before leaving Hakata, he never gave himself even the smallest fragment of hope that Keigo could feel anything but platonic affection towards him, but the last two days really changed a lot for him. Everyone seems to be talking about him and Keigo like they are, as a matter of fact, a couple: Himiko saying that Keigo thinks he’s attractive as if it’s a known fact and now Chiyo admitting that Keigo has been asking about him and worrying for him? Is it so wrong that he’s starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, he has a chance?
The mere thought makes him suppress a chuckle, the healthy skin of his cheeks feeling hotter than usual and he just knows that he’s blushing, but hopefully, no one will notice.
Touya has spent his whole life convinced that just being himself is a selfish act on his part, his family was always sure to remind him of that. But his family was wrong in so many ways, so maybe they’re wrong about this too? Because for once, Touya doesn’t want to hide his feelings deep down, doesn’t care about rocking the boat and, most of all, he’s tired of not being perceived. He wants to face Keigo, look him in the eyes and tell him how dear he is to him. He wants to tell Keigo that he’s unable to see a future for himself without him. That he flew into his life and now Touya wants to keep him close and never let go.
He hears the sound of laughter and he turns around in time to see Katsuki and Shouto walk towards the campfire, both of them with bags filled with fish and, weirdly enough, with ruffled hair and flustered cheeks. He notices that he’s not the only one staring, which makes the two kids look even more flustered.
“What are you looking at, uh? You want to die?!” the Katsuki yells at no one in particular, but that only makes the others laugh more.
Shouto kneels next to Touya, handing Oboro the bag with his game.
Only now that his brother is so close to him, Touya notices the way his lips look red and swollen. Oboro seems to notice as well, letting out a low snicker.
“Oh, to be young and in love…” he sighs jokingly, taking the first fish from the bag and, with the help of a small knife, he starts gutting it. Shouto’s cheeks turn just as red as his hair and Touya smiles to himself, averting his gaze and turning to look at the wagon.
I’ll tell him. When he gets better and recovers completely… I will tell him I love him.
—
A week.
It’s been a week since the night he managed to talk with Chiyo about Keigo’s conditions and Touya feels like he’s going to explode. Six days ago they stopped right outside a small city in Kumamoto and made use of the clearing not too far away from it to set up a proper camp.
“ We’ll probably stay here until Keigo is well enough to walk. Ochako can’t keep carrying all of our stuff with her quirk, we need the wagon. ” Shota had said, before leaving for the city to fetch some bandages, a whole bunch of herbs Chiyo had told him she urgently needed and, most importantly, food and drinking water.
So here they are, finally spending some peaceful days resting their bodies, but most importantly, their minds. Touya can literally see, day after day, the gloominess leaving the faces of everyone around him and, with each and every day of rest, he can feel his own tension slowly melt away just like snow under the sun.
That leaves only one little detail bugging him: Keigo.
These last few days, Chiyo has been coming out of the wagon more often, giving everyone updates on how Keigo is doing: based on her words, he’s recovering steadily and, even if there’s still no certain answer regarding what will happen to his wings, she had revealed that she had spotted a few small feathers on Keigo’s back.
But that’s not the reason why Touya is feeling so restless. More like because he still hasn’t had the chance to talk to Keigo face to face. Chiyo is still forbidding everyone from entering the wagon (“He’s still recovering from the infection and, even if he wasn’t, he’s asleep most of the time anyway.”) and Touya feels like every day that goes by without confessing his feelings to Keigo is taking away a little bit of his sanity.
How he even managed to keep his feelings for himself all that time before leaving Hakata is a mystery, because now he feels like he can barely hold still.
With a sigh, Touya turns around on the thin mattress of Keigo’s tent, silently watching Shouto sleep soundly, lips slightly open and faint snoring sounds coming out of them.
Lucky… he thinks, wishing that he too could finally doze off and sleep, but tonight it looks like he’s unable to.
With a half choked groan, Touya gets up and silently leaves the tent, closing it up as quickly as possible, so the chilly air of the night doesn’t get inside. If he’s going to spend the whole night awake, he might as well go outside and get some fresh air, instead of tossing and turning inside the tent for hours and risking waking Shouto up.
While standing outside, he can hear the sound of everyone else sleeping in their own tents, from the almost perceptible huffs of breath of the girls to the loud snoring coming from Jin and Oboro’s tents.
Touya turns to the side, his eyes immediately locking on the wagon. He knows that now that Keigo is doing better, Chiyo has started going back to her tent to sleep, so actually there’s nothing stopping him from sneaking in there and staying with Keigo for a little while. And he can almost feel his body move in that direction, but he averts his gaze and forces himself to walk in the opposite way, towards the almost extinguished campfire. As much as he wants to see Keigo, he knows he needs to rest and Touya doesn’t want to disturb him. Plus, Chiyo would probably kill him if she found out he went against her precise orders, so he just settles for sitting next to the fire and looking at the sky above him.
It’s a cold night, colder than what someone could expect in the middle of the spring season, but luckily, thanks to his quirk, Touya can deal with cold temperatures just fine.
As he stares at the cloudless sky, mentally counting every star he sees in a weak attempt to finally be tired enough to sleep, he asks himself if this really is his life now. If every day is really going to be like this. Living day by day, never knowing what the future has in store, but facing everything that comes his way with people that genuinely care for him and that he cares about just as much. It’s been a week already, and yet, Touya finds himself struggling to wrap his head around the concept. He still can’t believe he gets to be this happy. It makes him wonder what he has done in his life to deserve such a blessing.
A muffled yawn coming from behind him makes him avert his eyes from the sky and turn around to see where the sound came from, and when his gaze locks on the man standing next to the wagon, a hand placed against the flank to maintain his balance and the other lazily scratching his cheek, Touya feels as if the air was just punched out of his lungs.
Keigo doesn’t look bad, but he doesn’t look well either. He’s pale and thin, more than he’s ever been. He’s not wearing a shirt, but his torso, neck and shoulders are completely wrapped in bandages, protecting his skin from the cold. There’s dark circles under his eyes, he’s probably way more tired than he actually looks, but still, he’s standing there, alive. And he’s looking at Touya, his golden eyes filled with the same surprise that Touya himself is feeling right now. The surprise of someone wondering why they're not the only person awake this late at night.
Before his brain could even realize it, Touya is jumping on his feet and rushing to Keigo's side, offering his hand to help him stand. Keigo takes a step forward, his own hand lifted, as if aching to touch Touya’s, and when they do touch, the fire user feels like every inch of skin, from his fingertips to the tip of his toes, is crawling in excitement.
“Keigo, what are you doing out there? Chiyo said you still need to rest, she wouldn’t even let us in to see you.” he blurts out worriedly. “Are you okay? You want me to call her? Oh gods, she’s going to be so pissed if she finds you out here…” he keeps going, scanning Keigo from head to toe, the blond man’s hand tightly secured in his hold.
Touya had spent the last few days picturing in his head how his first encounter with Keigo would turn out. He was even rehearsing what he was supposed to tell him, how to confess his feelings to him. And yet, now that he has the very man he’s head over heels for right in front of him, he can’t stop thinking about Chiyo, of all people.
“I’m fine, I just needed to get some fresh air. I don’t even know for how long I’ve been staying in there, but I’ve been doing nothing but sleep and eat, I felt like I was going insane.” Keigo whispers, his voice coming out a little lower and rougher than usual, his throat probably still a little sore because of the fire. “Let’s go sit next to the fire, do you mind? I’m freezing.”
True to his words, Touya can see the chills covering Keigo’s arms (the only part of his body except for his face exposed), but still he eyes him worriedly, unsure if letting the man roam freely around the camp in the middle of the night is the best thing to do, and Keigo seems to notice the concern in his eyes, because he shoots him the best smile he can muster.
“Petal, I’m fine, I promise. I can walk just fine, it’s just a few steps.” he reassures, but it’s still not enough to put Touya’s heart at ease, so he lets out a sigh, his smile looking more playful. “Would you feel better if I let you hold me as we walk so you can make sure I won’t fall?”
Touya bites the inside of his cheek, considering the offer, before slowly nodding and holding Keigo’s hand more securely in his.
Turns out, Keigo actually doesn’t need his aid to walk, the man slowly, yet steadily, making it to the sitting area next to the campfire and sitting on the ground without breaking a sweat.
“I-Is everything okay? Does anything hurt?” Touya asks apprehensively, crouching next to him to take a better look at his expression, in search of any sign of discomfort.
“Yeah, it’s fine, don’t worry.” Keigo nods slowly, before turning to look at him and smiles, patting the ground next to him, inviting Touya to take a seat. He immediately complies, before pointing a finger towards the weak flames of the campfire and reviving them with his quirk, making them burn higher and warmer. He once again turns to look at Keigo, to make sure he’s okay, and he sees him close his eyes, relaxing his shoulders when the warmth engulfs him. “Yeah, that’s better…”
“Chiyo’s going to be mad at you, you know. She wouldn’t even allow us inside the wagon because you were fighting an infection, if she finds out you came out here, she’ll kill you and also me for helping you.”
Keigo lets out a chuckle, shaking his head.
“Chiyo worries too much. She has been a doctor for too long.”
“Which means you should probably trust her judgment.”
“No, it means that she tends to be a little too overcautious sometimes. I’ll be fine.”
Touya lets out a sigh, but he can’t help but smile at Keigo’s carefree tone. He missed it. He missed him.
“Are you always this stubborn?” he asks.
“I am. But I try to give my very best when I’m with you.” Keigo shoots back with a smirk.
“Well, don’t expect me to protect you from Chiyo’s wrath tomorrow, this is all on you.”
“I can deal with her. You know, she won’t ever admit it out loud, but I’m her favorite.”
“I have my doubts about that, but okay.”
Touya’s snarky remark is enough to make Keigo start laughing, his hand immediately covering his mouth to muffle the guffaws escaping his lips, worried that he might end up waking someone up. It makes Touya chuckle as well, even if it’s actually because Keigo’s laugh is simply too contagious.
When their laughter dies out, the two remain silent for a few minutes, both enjoying the calmness of the night and basking in each other’s presence.
“So, how’s the free man's life treating you? Are you settling in well?” Keigo whispers after a while, sending an amused smile in Touya’s way.
“I am, actually. Everything’s so different from how it was in Hakata, but I’m… really happy now.” Touya replies truthfully, taking a stick from the ground and using it to move around the firewood in the campfire and keep the flames alive. “I really need to thank you, Keigo. For helping me take that step. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve probably stayed there for who knows how long, and you… gave me somewhere to belong.”
Keigo chuckles softly at that, his cheeks turning a cute shade of pink under the blue firelight.
“You make it sound like I did something huge. I just offered you a chance and gave you a little push. But you took it, petal. You made them love you and created a place to fit in among us for yourself. Don’t give me too much credit, yeah?”
“I just feel like you did so much for me since the first day we met. And all I did for you was put you in a huge mess that almost cost you your life. I’m truly sorry, Keigo… for everything Chisaki put you through.”
Keigo lightly shoves him to the side with his elbow, making Touya almost lose his balance.
“Are you seriously apologizing for that? Petal, you’re not responsible for the things that sicko did to me, and you’re not responsible for me deciding to take the blame for what he accused you of. And I’m sure everyone around here will tell you the exact same thing.” he says seriously, his eyes full of determination as he stares Touya down. “And I’ll tell you more, I am totally convinced that Rumi and Shota will beat the shit out of me the moment Chiyo tells everyone my burns are fully healed.”
Despite himself, Touya can’t help but let out a small amused snort at the idea, because yes, he’s pretty sure that Shota and Rumi (and probably the others too) will rip Keigo a new one for throwing himself in harm’s way like that.
“I guess I’m just upset you had to suffer so much and I couldn’t do anything to help you.” Touya sighs again, putting the stick down and turning his head to the side, avoiding Keigo’s eyes.
“It was my choice, petal. A reckless choice, sure, but mine. I don’t regret what I did, so you shouldn’t either.” Keigo asserts, placing a hand on Touya’s knee to soothe him. “Now can you please stop moping and calling me by name? It feels like you’re mad at me or something.” he adds after a few seconds, this time his tone more playful and gentle. It makes Touya smile and once again turn to face him.
“I could never be mad at you, feathers.” he whispers.
In that moment, it feels like something switches in Keigo’s expression. He looks him in the eyes, a glint of something flashing in his golden irises and suddenly his smile grows bigger, so much that his teeth are showing.
“That’s good to know.” he whispers back, leaning forward with his upper body and invading Touya’s personal space. His warm breath escapes his lips in a huff, caressing Touya’s skin and making his heart skip a beat.
The two of them stare at each other in silence for what feels like hours, before Keigo places his forehead against Touya’s as gently as he can , his lips still smiling, but his eyes now revealing a slight hint of doubt. “Are you gonna run away this time too?” he asks. He’s trying to sound amused, but he’s not very convincing.
Touya may be a little clueless sometimes, but he’s not completely stupid. He knows what’s happening and he knows what Keigo is implying. He remembers the first time they were about to kiss, back at the lake. He remembers the ugly feeling of anxiety, the fear that he was misinterpreting Keigo’s signals and could potentially ruin their newly born friendship.
But many things have changed since then. Touya feels like it’s been months since that night, and yet it’s only been a little more than two weeks. And even if he is still unsure of what he could’ve possibly done to deserve this, he’s now realizing that maybe Keigo feels about him just as strongly as Touya himself does. As crazy as it might sound.
Touya has spent his whole life convinced that hoping for a little bit of happiness for himself was selfish. He’s doing his best to unlearn that mindset. He wants to be happy and most importantly he wants to make Keigo happy. He wants them to be happy together.
So he just lets his worries and fears go, shutting his eyes and closing the gap between his lips and Keigo’s, his heart beating so hard in his chest it feels like it’s about to explode. His first instinct is to inwardly cringe at the thought of Keigo feeling the weird texture of his scarred bottom lip, so he remains completely still, too scared to move even just an inch.
The wait feels infinite, and he feels like breaking the kiss and running away, because fuck, why did he kiss Keigo first? He should’ve waited for him to do the first move, he should’ve given him the chance to-
In that moment Keigo sighs against his lips, both his hands immediately cupping Touya’s cheeks and his mouth gently kissing him back.
It’s like feeling one of Katsuki’s explosions right into the deepest pit of his stomach. Keigo kisses him with care and affection, but at the same time hastily, as if he needs it more than the air he breathes. And Touya realizes he feels that same urgency, his body aching to be closer to Keigo’s.
You’re alive and you’re here with me… his mind keeps repeating over and over like a chant, the words echoing in his brain and making him even more desperate for Keigo, feeling like he could literally go insane if he spent even one second away from him.
His left hand approaches Keigo’s face a little awkwardly, unsure of what it’s safe to touch and what isn’t. Probably sensing his struggle, Keigo lets out a little chuckle that almost breaks the kiss, taking Touya’s hand in his and placing it on his cheek, before resuming kissing him, now a little more boldly.
When Touya feels Keigo’s tongue and teeth gently tease his bottom lip, he doesn’t manage to suppress a small moan, but the sound gets immediately silenced by Keigo deepening the kiss. The feeling of Keigo’s tongue sneaking into his mouth, finding his own tongue and slowly dancing with it, is enough to kick every single thought out of Touya’s head, the only coherent word his cloudy mind can form right now is mine .
“Petal…” Keigo’s voice is weak, the man clearly out of breath when he breaks the kiss, and when Touya opens his eyes, he can see the way his lips are red, swollen and wet. The sight is so sinful it makes his blood rush downwards, and Touya can only hope that the darkness of the night is enough to conceal his arousal. “Petal, let’s go to the wagon.” Keigo whispers, his lips latching onto Touya’s jaw and starting to leave a trail of small open mouthed kisses on every inch of skin they can reach.
Notes:
i know i'm a bad person for ending this chapter like this, lol please don't hate me too much T-T hopefully next chapter will be worth the wait, but in the meantime OUGH LOOK AT MY DEAR DABIHAWKS, SWEET LITTLE BABIES, FINALLY THEY CAN EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS, NO MORE UNRESOLVED ISSUES, NO MORE WEIRD CAPTAINS AND VILLAGE CHIEFS MAKING THINGS MESSY, IT'S JUST THEM AND THEIR FAMILY OOF!!
like always, thank you for the hits, kudos, the nice comments, strawpage messages, every little thing pushes me forward and motivates me to do better with my next stories. i know i can be a little repetitive, but i really am grateful. lately I've been feeling a little under the weather both because of my personal life and twitter shenanigans, but coming here and seeing your support always cheers me up. thanks a lot :')
i'll see you next tuesday, i wish you all a wonderful week! <3
Chapter 29: Chapter 28 - Sunflower
Notes:
i'm pretty sure that the ending of last week's chapter made it pretty obvious, but just to be sure... THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SEX. INTERCOURSE. COPULATION. FORNICATION.
if you don't like stuff like that, consider skipping the scene altogether, even though you will miss some very important bonding moments between toukei. just letting you know.
for everyone else, enjoy the dorkiest smut I've ever written. i love these two idiots
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunflower: Passionate Love
Touya’s pretty sure that Keigo just said something, but his brain seems to be too foggy to properly comprehend anything but the feeling of hands caressing his shoulder and sides and lips kissing whatever they manage to reach.
“W-What?” Touya forces himself to focus on what Keigo is telling him, but it’s not an easy task when those skilled lips can’t seem to be able to stay more than half a second without kissing some part of him. Now, for instance, they’re slowly moving towards the neck and gods, Touya has to physically stop his eyes from rolling to the back of his skull. It should be impossible to feel so overwhelmed just by receiving kisses, but in his defense, everything about Keigo is enough to overwhelm him.
“Let’s go inside the wagon.” Keigo repeats, finally putting a stop to the sweet torture and lifting his head enough to look Touya in the eyes.
It takes Touya’s brain a few more seconds to finally understand the words Keigo just spoke, but when it does, he can feel his heart flip in his chest and then rapidly fall to his stomach.
Inside the wagon? Both of them? Does that mean that he wants to..?
One simple glance at Keigo’s eyes is enough to clear any doubt, the intent behind those golden irises too evident to be mistaken.
Shit.
Oh shit.
Another rush of blood travels shamefully fast towards his groin area, and fuck, Touya is not prepared for a situation like this. Definitely not prepared.
“W-Wait, you- are you saying-?” he gulps, his eyes wide in shock.
“Only if you want.” Keigo nods, his gaze unwavering.
“I do, but your burns, are you sure you’re-”
“Petal, you’ve seen it for yourself, I’m fine, I promise.” Keigo interrupts him, before placing a chaste kiss on Touya’s lips. “But after almost dying, spending the last week in pain and barely conscious and having too many awful nightmares about Chisaki killing you in front of my eyes, I need to have you with me. I need to feel you’re alive, and with me.” he whispers seriously, and Touya feels his heart ache because of Keigo’s barely hidden pleading tone.
Because the truth is, he’s been feeling the same. Maybe it’s because he didn’t get to see Keigo at all since he helplessly watched as Rumi took him out of that bloody prison cell, so he never actually got to see him alive and well before tonight, but he as well feels that desperation, that urgent need to be reassured that this is not a dream, that Keigo is truly with him. So…
“Do you need me to carry you?” he asks, gently caressing Keigo’s upper arms. He tries to sound confident, yet reassuring, but to his surprise, Keigo lets out a chuckle.
“ Can you carry me?” he asks, lifting one eyebrow with amusement written all over his face.
“Hey, it’s been just a few days, but Rumi’s been keeping her promise. She’s making me eat as much meat as humanly possible. Also, I’ve been helping around the camp a lot. I’ve definitely put on some muscles.” he protests, but his tone is lighthearted and both of them smile at that. Keigo lets out a hum, running a finger from Touya’s shoulder and down his upper arm, feeling him.
“Mh, I can tell.” he grins in appreciation. “Well, if that’s the case I’d love to be carried, thank you.”
Touya feels his lips distend in a grin of his own, Keigo’s cheerfulness as contagious as always, so, as carefully as he can, he places his hands under the blond man’s thighs, pulling him close and lifting him up, their chests pressed against each other.
“Woah-” Keigo gasps, his eyes going wide and cheeks turning red. “You really can carry me, uh…”
“I told you, Rumi is making me work on my muscles.” Touya smiles and leaves a small kiss on the tip of Keigo’s nose, carefully making his way towards the wagon. His still recovering shoulder throbs at the strain, but he does his best not to show it. He doesn’t want Keigo to worry.
After climbing inside the wagon, Touya carefully puts Keigo down in a sitting position and looks around. The inside is more spacious than he previously thought, but considering that its main purpose is to store the whole group's possessions and supplies, it makes sense. Currently, there’s not a lot of stuff inside, just a futon for Keigo to sleep on and a whole bunch of bandages, bowls and jars filled with herbs and ointments that exude a pungent, yet familiar smell.
His observations come to a sudden halt when two hands grab him by the haori and pull him down, his lips clashing against Keigo’s in a needy kiss that makes him hum in approval. There must be something addictive on Keigo’s lips, because Touya really can’t imagine a future in which he doesn’t get to kiss them all the time.
The same hands that were just now pulling him close by gripping his clothes are now working their way towards the rope holding his haori closed, tentatively moving to undress him. Goosebumps form on his skin as it gets exposed, making him shudder.
“What happened to your shoulder?” Keigo asks, immediately stopping in the act of taking off the piece of clothing when his eyes spot the bandages wrapped around Touya’s left shoulder.
Shit.
“It’s nothing, feathers.” he says, trying to soothe the man by gently rubbing his arms with his fingertips.
“If it’s nothing, why is it bandaged?” Keigo insists, lifting his eyebrow. Touya lets out a sigh, accepting the fact that Keigo won’t let go until he knows what is wrong with his damn shoulder.
“Chisaki hit me with a knife, the fucking bastard. But it’s nothing, barely a scratch. Mina took care of it and I’ve been cleaning it and changing the bandages twice a day, so don’t worry about it, okay?”
“That sicko stabbed you?” Keigo lets out a strangled yelp, his eyes going wide in horror. “Please, tell me you at least told Chiyo.”
“Of course I didn’t tell Chiyo, she’s been busy taking care of your burns and I didn’t want to put another weight on her. It’s not like it’s a bad wound, I can barely feel anything anymore.” Touya reassures him, placing a small kiss on his forehead. “Don’t think about it, okay?”
Keigo looks at him for a bunch of seconds, pouting.
“You should seriously worry more about your own health. You know that, right?” he whispers, making Touya snort in an attempt to stifle a laugh.
“Says the one that should be at bed rest right now.” he retorts, lifting an eyebrow. Keigo sends him a sheepish grin at that.
“I guess we’re both very stupid, uh?”
“I guess we are.”
After that, they decide to drop the topic and resume from where they stopped. Keigo goes back to his previous task of undressing Touya and, the moment the garment is off, leaving the fire user’s upper body exposed, Touya sucks in a breath, arms instinctively twitching and brain screaming at him to cover up.
His arms and chest are covered in scars and staples, pale, soft skin clashing with deep purple, rough scarred tissues. Part of him, the irrational side of his brain, is telling him to hide, that he’s hideous, that Keigo would never want to look at someone like him, that Keigo could never find him attractive.
But he immediately shuts his irrational part down. Keigo is better than that, he’s better than anyone he’s ever met and yes, Touya might be awful to look at, but he knows Keigo doesn’t care about any of that. Keigo chose him, Keigo is kissing him and touching his body like it’s the most precious thing and Touya can’t help but sigh blissfully at the gentleness of his fingertips.
“My petal… so perfect…” Keigo breaks the kiss and whispers against his lips, sending goosebumps all over his skin.
Perfect.
That word never came to his mind whenever Touya looked at himself in the mirror, but when he opens his eyes he sees the affection and unadulterated adoration filling Keigo’s eyes, his heart starts beating faster because yeah, he believes him. Because how could Keigo be lying if his eyes look so sincere? He must be telling the truth. Touya must be perfect.
“Petal? Touya, is everything okay?” the same eyes that were looking at him so lovingly just a few seconds ago, are now filled with concern, a soft hand gently cups his cheek. “Why are you crying, petal? Do you want to stop?” Keigo asks worriedly, wiping a bloody tear with his thumb.
“No, I-” Touya stops and presses both palms on his eye sockets to stop the traitorous tears from escaping. “It’s fine, I was just- I was thinking I’m lucky, you know.” he admits, moving his hands from his eyes after a few seconds and allowing himself to look at the wonderful man sitting in front of him. Keigo’s worried expression melts in a second, replaced by a tender smile.
“That makes two of us, then.” he says and leans forward for a kiss, which Touya gladly returns. “Are you sure you don’t wanna stop?” he asks again, once again breaking the kiss and lightly pressing his thumb against Touya’s bottom lip.
Touya takes Keigo’s hand in his and kisses it.
“I’m sure.” he pulls him closer by the hips, their bodies pressing against each other perfectly and Keigo visibly relaxes, allowing himself to resume what seems to have become his new favorite hobby, kissing Touya’s neck.
Gentle, yet hasty, hands push Touya’s shoulders, making him lay down on his back, but his own hands grip a little tighter Keigo’s hips, pulling him along. Short huffs of breath escape his lips as he feels warm lips move lower and lower towards his chest and his fingers twitch nervously, desperate to touch, hold and mark every inch of Keigo.
“What’s wrong? You’re too tense.” Keigo whispers against his skin, gently nibbling and sucking on a patch of skin right above his left nipple.Touya gulps helplessly, trying to gather his thoughts enough to form a coherent answer.
“I don’t… know where I can touch you…” he manages to let out breathlessly. Which is true, no matter how lost he is in what they’re doing and how good Keigo’s mouth on his skin is making him feel, a good chunk of his mind is still focused on the fact that Keigo is covered in fresh burns and that he might accidentally hurt him if he’s not careful.
Despite his worry, Keigo lets out a small chuckle, taking Touya’s hands in his and kissing both of them.
“You could start from here.” he suggests, bringing Touya’s hands to his pecs.
The contact makes Touya’s cheeks turn red, his fingertips carefully feeling the texture of the bandages covering Keigo’s chest, stomach doing a flip when he recognizes under his thumb the presence of one of Keigo’s nipples. The simple touch is enough to make Keigo shudder, eyes closing and teeth digging into deliciously red and slick bottom lip. It makes Touya grin mischievously.
“As you wish, feathers.” he mutters, starting to tease the little nub with his fingers, soon finding the other one and reserving for it the same treatment. The little gasps and whimpers escaping Keigo’s lips with every pinch and flick are like a drug for Touya, who just observes with devoted attention every little reaction of the wonderful man lying on his chest.
“Fuck, petal…” the words escape Keigo’s mouth in a hiss after a particularly mean pinch on his right nipple and suddenly he start squirming on Touya’s lap, sending a new wave of pleasure straight to his groin. Touya manages to choke the moan threatening to escape his lips and lifts his head just enough to look at whatever Keigo is doing, his eyes going wide when he sees him in the act of taking off his pants.
This is happening. Shit, it’s actually happening!
Touya observes in silence, mesmerized by the awkward, yet cute, way Keigo wriggles out of his pants, by the round shape of his ass sticking out, almost taunting him and begging him to grab it, by the pants being thrown somewhere to the side, knocking down some of the bottles lined up next to the futon.
“Can you pass that bottle, petal? The one next to your head.” Keigo sits up, pointing at something, and Touya just nods, his hand tentatively feeling the area next to his head, but his eyes and mind focused on the ethereal beauty towering over him. His eyes land for a second on the pretty curve of Keigo’s erection, but he swiftly lifts his gaze, focusing on the man’s face instead.
Damn it, he has seen his own dick plenty of times, how comes that seeing Keigo’s feels so much different? And why does it look so… good ?
“Are you embarrassed?” Keigo asks with a chuckle, tilting his head to the side as his golden eyes shine in the darkness of the wagon, almost predator-like. His hands take a hold of the hem of Touya’s pants and slowly start pulling them down. If Touya didn’t feel like dying a few seconds ago, he certainly does now that his painfully hard dick is exposed and his pants thrown away, probably with the rest of his and Keigo’s clothes.
“I’m not…” Touya mumbles, but as he does so he feels his cheeks burn in shame, his free hand immediately shooting upwards to cover his reddened face as his other hand finally finds the bottle Keigo had asked him to fetch, passing it to the blond man.
“Aww petal.” Keigo coos, clearly endeared, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on Touya’s exposed forehead, the gesture so simple, and yet enough to make his heart flip in his chest. “It’s okay to be a little shy, this is your first time after all.” he goes on, gently taking Touya’s hand away from his face and looking him in the eyes, golden irises meeting turquoise ones. There’s fondness in Keigo’s eyes, mixed with a slight hint of mischief, as he lowers his torso to be face to face with Touya. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that everything goes smoothly and that you’ll remember tonight for the rest of your life.” he whispers, warm breath caressing the shell of Touya’s ear and making him shiver.
“The- the rest of my life is a really long time.” he whispers, trying to play it cool, but he doesn’t do a really good job. Gods, he feels like his face is on fire. Metaphorically, of course, but still.
“Don’t underestimate how good of a lover I am, Todoroki Touya.” Keigo replies with a grin, lifting his upper body once again and uncapping the bottle with a small pop . His tone is lighthearted now, in a clear attempt to ease Touya’s nerves and the fire user smiles at him, grateful.
“Should I remind you that it’s just Touya now, feathers?” he asks with a raised eyebrow and a half smile. The implication behind his words make Keigo smile even harder, his pretty eyes shining, filled with raw emotion.
“Right. Just Touya.” he repeats in a whisper, his tone soft.
Touya is pretty sure that the act of dropping his last name is important to Keigo just as much as it’s important to him. It’s like a silent promise of complete acceptance of their lifestyle, a way to officially sever the ties with his old life and embrace the new one. The one in which they can be together without having to hide.
The two stare at each other for what feels like an eternity, before Touya lifts himself on his elbows, eyeing the bottle in Keigo’s hands.
“So, what’s that for?” he asks curiously. Keigo looks at the bottle in his hand as well, tilting it slightly to the side.
“Oh, it’s an oil Chiyo is using on my scars. I think it keeps the skin hydrated and prevents it from cracking, or something like that. I don’t know, I wasn’t completely awake when she explained, so I don’t remember.” he replies with a shrug, pouring some of the liquid on his fingers and rubbing them together to properly cover them in it. The sight makes Touya frown.
“And we’re using it now for..?” he mumbles, leaving the sentence hanging for Keigo to complete. Keigo looks at him and lifts his brows.
“Well… I don’t know if you ever, uhm… experimented on your own, but let’s just say that this…” he says, showing his slick covered fingers. “Will make things go much smoother.” he explains.
It takes Touya a few embarrassingly long seconds to put two and two together, but when he does, his eyes go wide and lifts himself further, sitting up and finding himself face to face with Keigo, their noses almost bumping.
“Wait, you mean- wait, is this even safe? I mean, is it safe to put… you know, inside?” he asks, taking the bottle from Keigo’s hands and eyeing it with distrust. His expression must look funny, because Keigo starts giggling like a little kid, taking back the bottle and kissing Touya’s worried pout away.
“I’m pretty sure that if it’s safe for my scars, it’s also safe for my ass, petal, don’t be paranoid.” he whispers gently, but Touya’s frown deepens. At this point he’s just arguing for the sake of it, they both know it, but he’s still not quite ready to let go.
“I’m not being paranoid, you’re just being reckl-mh…” he never gets to finish that sentence because warm lips press against his own, efficiently silencing him with a kiss. Once again Touya finds himself being gently pushed back, his back pressing against the mattress as he lays down with Keigo lying over him.
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head, petal. I promised I would make everything go smoothly, right? So trust me and let me take care of everything.” he whispers between kisses, his greedy mouth not giving Touya any chance to respond, but it’s not like he can complain about it. Kissing Keigo is maybe the best thing he’s ever experienced in his life, and he can’t seem to get enough of it.
Being the smartass that he is, he still tries to talk back, but whatever retort was forming in his mind gets hastily thrown out the window the moment he feels a warm, oiled palm wrap around his erection and slowly start moving.
Shit. SHIT.
Touya needs to focus on not cuming on the spot, the surprised moan that threatened to escape his lips gets choked by Keigo’s relentless kisses, the blond man still refusing to stop kissing him even if he’s using one hand to massage Touya’s dick and, judging by the soft squelching sound, the other to prepare himself.
“Fuck, feathers…” he manages to gasp between kisses, his hands moving to carefully grip Keigo’s hips to keep him balanced, a gesture that earns him an appreciative hum.
They don’t know how much time goes by, both of them lost in each other in a way that makes it feel like time is passing very slow and very fast at the same time, but suddenly a groan coming from outside the wagon makes them both freeze, eyes going wide as they listen carefully for any sign of someone being awake, too scared to even let out a single breath.
They remain as still as a couple of weird-posing statues for what feels like hours, no sounds other than the usual snoring coming from the outside, until they finally deem it safe to relax. As they look at each other, noticing the panic and tension in each other’s expression, they can’t help but start laughing, although making sure to keep their voice low.
“That was scary… but also weirdly exciting.” Touya admits with an amused hum, lifting one hand to caress Keigo’s cheek.
“Who could’ve thought that you had a thing for exhibitionism. That’s good to know.” Keigo replies with a smirk, the hand still wrapped around Touya’s erection twisting in a delicious way that makes the fire user gasp out a startled moan. “Are you ready?” he asks, his voice now more serious.
Turquoise eyes stare intently into golden ones, Touya’s heart beating so hard in his chest it feels like it might explode. This feels crazy, being able to be with Keigo, to touch him, and Touya wonders if this is just a dream, scared to suddenly wake up in the small tent next to Shouto and realize that this never happened. But Keigo’s cheek pressed against his palm is real, his warmth is real, the way their breaths mix together is real and Touya knows he’s ready. He’s ready to be even closer with Keigo. The man he fell for.
“I’m ready.” he nods, his breath shuddering as he watches the way Keigo’s eyes seem to soften, his body shifting to align their hips together. Despite wanting to maintain eye contact with Keigo, Touya’s eyes fall shut the moment he feels the blond man lower himself on his dick, engulfing it with his heat.
It’s like the world just stopped. Touya can feel his whole body tingle with arousal as Keigo lowers himself more and more and more, inch after inch, until he’s completely inside, Keigo’s firm ass resting on his hips.
“Fuck…” he lets out, voice a little chocked, every ounce of self control telling him not to move, even if he wants to, mindful of the fact that, despite everything, Keigo is still recovering and being jostled too much could hurt him. So Touya stays still, waiting for the man on top of him to move and find his own pace. He forces his eyes open, desperate to see Keigo right now, and the sight is nothing short of divine.
Keigo is absolutely mesmerizing with his eyes closed and lips parted, brows furrowed in pleasure, hair a mess and cheeks flustered. The defined muscles of his arms and lower abdomen twitch for the strain of the position, the open palm of his right hand is resting on Touya’s chest, right where the heart is, to keep his balance. When Keigo’s eyelids slowly open, allowing Touya to look him in the eyes, the two of them smile softly, both their chests rising and falling rapidly and their breath short, but without even having to say a word, Touya holds Keigo’s hip more firmly, helping him lifting himself up and then descend again on his length.
Touya lets Keigo dictate his own pace, supporting him in every movement and moaning under his breath for the pleasure running through his body, burning hot, hotter than his own flames.
“Petal- so good… so full…” Keigo moans, his eyes falling shut once again. “Please… petal, please …” he adds right after, his voice getting a little breathy as he begs and shit, if Touya thought that Keigo couldn't get any hotter when he saw him lowering himself on his cock, now he stands corrected, because this is more than he could’ve ever imagined.
“Please what?” he asks, his thumb rubbing small circles on Keigo’s hip bone. “Tell me what you need, feathers, it’s okay.” he whispers, his voice sounding just as desperate as he feels right now. He realizes that more than feeling pleasure himself, he wants Keigo to feel pleasure, he wants to see the man on top of him completely ruined and, most importantly, he wants to make Keigo feel good .
“You can move… please, move.” Keigo opens his eyes and looks at him. “I want to… feel you.”
Touya nods eagerly, holding Keigo’s hips more securely in his hands. If Keigo wants him to move, it’s okay, right?
“Okay. Okay, I can do that.” he confirms, nodding his head once again. “I got you, feathers.” he adds. This time, when Keigo moves to lower himself on his length, Touya meets him halfway, lifting his hips and digging himself again in that delicious heat, the act making them both moan in pleasure.
Their pace is irregular and unsynchronized, and Touya doesn’t fail to notice the way Keigo’s brows furrow every time there’s a thrust that hits him a little harder than the others, but the way he keeps whispering praises and moans with every breath he takes is making Touya’s heart swell in ways that he didn’t think were possible. Everything about this is messy and far from ideal, and yet Touya has never felt this happy.
And he knows that he and Keigo have a lot to talk through, both of them were too lost in their own desperate need for closeness and intimacy that rushed straight to bed together without even having the chance to properly discuss their feelings, and the thought makes a bad taste form at the back of his mouth because what is the meaning of this? Are they on the same page or one of them is going to be hurt tomorrow when the sun rises?
I love you. I love you, I love you, I…
“Love you.” Keigo gasps the words more than speaking them, as if they spilled out of his lips without him realizing. It makes Touya’s eyes widen in surprise, his hips almost faltering mid trust for the shock. “I love you so much, petal… my petal…” Keigo keeps repeating, almost like a prayer, his movements getting faster and more erratic, almost desperate, and Touya matches the speed, feeling just as desperate.
“I love you too, feathers. Gods, I love you…” he finds himself saying the words out loud, because keeping them to himself feels too wrong.
He pulls Keigo close by wrapping one arm around the base of his back, still making sure not to touch any of the bandaged spots on his body, lifting his torso up with the aid of his free hand. Their chests press against each other, their lips brushing but never actually meeting for a kiss, both of them too busy muttering loving words to each other to kiss.
The new position seems to help Touya push himself deeper than before, making the act much more pleasurable for Keigo, if the high pitched gasps and moans leaving his lips are any indicator. With every thrust, Keigo’s hole twitches around Touya’s length, driving him dangerously fast towards his peak.
“Feathers…” he manages to let out with choked voice, his eyes falling shut.
“Come for me, petal… it’s okay, I got you.” Keigo’s lips gently press against his temple, free hand digging into Touya’s hair and pulling it, making him tilt his head upwards. With the new angle, Keigo is free to leave open mouthed kisses all over Touya’s exposed throat, teeth, tongue and lips, torturing the scarred skin in the best way possible.
With a few more thrusts, Touya reaches his climax, pulling Keigo impossibly close and biting his lip as hard as possible to stop himself from moaning too loud. Simultaneously, he feels warm strings of liquid dropping on his stomach and he doesn’t need to look down to know that Keigo came as well, his dick slowly starting to soften between them.
It takes Touya a few minutes to regain complete control of his body and mind after the orgasm, but when he finally does, Keigo is lying on his stomach next to him, with his head resting on Touya’s uninjured shoulder. A blanket has been placed over their bodies and only now Touya realizes how cold he feels, his arms covered in goosebumps. He instinctively wraps his arm around Keigo’s body, pulling him close and slightly raising his body temperature, so he could keep both of them warm. If the pleased hum that escapes his lips is any indicator, Keigo seems to be really appreciative of the heat.
“So…” he says after a few seconds, his fingertips gently caressing Touya’s chest. “Are you still out of it?”
The question makes Touya snort, albeit a little weakly.
“Not sure. Think I might need a few more minutes to recover.” he replies. He hears Keigo click his tongue.
“Only a few more minutes? Mh, I guess I haven’t fucked you hard enough.” he hums shifting forward to place a chaste kiss on the fire user’s cheek.
“Trust me, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t possibly be able to do that even if you tried.” Touya deadpans, lowering his gaze to send a glance in Keigo’s way, but his messy blond hair completely covers his face from sight.
“I told you I wanted to make sure you would remember tonight for the rest of your life.” he lifts his head to finally look Touya in the eyes, golden irises sparkling in amusement.
“You sure did, feathers.” Touya whispers, making Keigo grin, clearly satisfied. He smiles fondly, gently patting the birdnest (ironic, isn’t it?) that Keigo’s hair is. The sight of the man in front of him so clearly content and carefree making his heart beat a little faster. Which reminds him… “You said you love me.”
Realization flashes over Keigo’s face, his eyes now less sparkly and more focused. Still, his lips distend in a smile.
“I did.” he confirms with a nod, once again placing his head on Touya’s arm and lying more comfortably on his stomach. He seems to struggle for a few seconds with finding a comfortable position, but considering the state his back is in, it’s not surprising. “So did you.” he says lightheartedly.
Touya lets out a sigh. Talking about feelings with Keigo right here and right now, both of them completely naked and still a little giddy after what Touya could only consider the best (and only) sex he’s ever had in his life, feels surreal, and yet it’s happening.
“What I meant is, did you mean that, like- as a friend or..?” he asks, inwardly cringing in embarrassment.
To his surprise, Keigo starts laughing, his body shaken by so many giggles and wheezes that at some point Touya swears he sees him wince in pain.
Well, at least he’s not mad?
“Oh gods, petal. Listen, this might surprise you, but usually I don’t have sex with my friends.” Keigo says with a smile when his laughter finally dies down. The bluntness of the statement makes Touya blush, for whatever reason.
“That’s not- I didn’t mean that you- I mean, I know th-” his erratic words come to a sudden halt when soft lips press against his own, successfully shutting him up. He closes his eyes, letting himself get lost in the kiss which, unfortunately, ends way too soon for his liking.
“I know what you meant. So let me be as clear as I can possibly be.” Keigo whispers against his mouth, before lifting his head to look him straight in the eyes. “I love you, Touya. I love you in the sense of a person being romantically in love with another person. I want to be with you for as long as possible. I want you to keep teaching me how to write and read, and I want to keep taking you for late night flights. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together and I especially want to have sex with you many other times. I want to say you’re mine and I want to be yours as well. Definitely not as a friend.” he says, a seriousness in his voice and expression that is completely new to Touya. “Did I make myself clear?” he adds with a tilt of his head, this time sounding more playful. Still, it makes Touya gulp.
“Yes sir.” he whispers. The fingers that were gently caressing the healthy skin of his chest twitch slightly and Keigo’s hand moves down, sneaking under the blanket.
“ Sir , uh? If you call me that again I might seriously consider another ro-”
“Me too.” Touya blurts out, taking Keigo’s hand and stopping him in the act of caressing his hip.
“You too what? Want a second round?” Keigo tilts his head to the side with a perplexed smile.
“No, I- wait, yes, that too, but I meant, I love you too. And I want to be yours.” he mumbles, his cheeks feeling embarrassingly hot. He feels dumb, Keigo just made a wonderful, heartfelt speech, while he barely managed to stutter two half coherent sentences, and yet Keigo is looking at him with eyes full of affection and excitement, as if Touya just recited to him the most beautiful love declaration of all time.
“Well, that settles it, then.” Keigo nods, leaving a peck on Touya’s lips. “I’m yours, you’re mine. You’re stuck with me now, petal.” he smiles widely, his forehead gently bumping against Touya’s.
“I can’t say that I mind that.” he replies, pulling Keigo close and kissing him properly. The gesture seems to surprise the blond man, making him hum lowly as Touya playfully nibbles at his lower lip. “So, what were you saying about that second round?” he asks, faking an innocent expression.
Keigo lets out a little chuckle and, before Touya can even realize it, he has once again climbed on top of him, each knee placed on the sides of Touya’s hip and lips firmly pressed on his neck.
As Keigo starts sucking on the skin of Touya’s neck, making his eyes roll to the back of his head, Touya can’t help but wonder, not for the first time, what he did in his life to deserve such a blessing.
—
When Touya wakes up the next morning, it’s with the annoying feeling of something hard tapping on his hip, trying to nudge him awake. It makes him groan and try to turn to the other side, but there’s something big and warm pressed against his body that’s making it impossible.
“Sho, leave me alone…” he mumbles, still half asleep, firmly pressing his eyes closed, desperate to stay asleep a little longer.
“Ah! You sure wish it was your brother instead of me, you stupid boy! You should thank the gods I found you and not that poor kid, I wouldn’t want him to witness his older brother in such a state even if someone offered me a hundred towers of gold!” the voice scolding him is definitely not Shouto’s, and the realization makes Touya jump up on the mattress, suddenly very awake. When he sits straight, his eyes are met with Chiyo’s, the older woman staring him down sternly, her walking stick pressed on Touya’s hip.
Her harsh gaze and face scrunched in anger is enough to make him shiver. Keigo, still lying on his stomach next to him, keeps sleeping, blissfully unaware of the situation the two of them are in. Last night, after that infamous second round, the two of them had fallen asleep without even realizing, holding each other and whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears, lulled by the muffled snoring sounds of their family and the far away cries of the nocturnal animals.
“Chiyo…” he says, his voice coming out a little hoarse (mainly because he just woke up, but he fears all the moaning and groaning from the night before is also partially to blame). He clears his throat. “I can explain-”
“Can you? And here I thought that your clothes scattered all around the wagon were enough of a self explanation.” she retorts, interrupting any attempt of excusing his presence in the wagon. Her words remind him that he’s currently naked, the only thing stopping the woman from seeing anything below his belly button is the thin blanket covering his and Keigo’s lower body.
Instinctively, Touya grabs the hem of the blanket, pulling it up to cover his chest, but by doing so he ends up uncovering part of Keigo’s naked ass, the man still in deep sleep. Both Touya’s and Chiyo’s eyes fall on the exposed body part, and Touya thinks that he should probably cover Keigo and save his modesty, but at the same time he knows that he has to make a choice. It’s either his chest or Keigo’s ass.
The choice is painfully obvious.
Sorry feathers.
The blanket stays up.
“Listen, I know you said we couldn’t come here yet, but I swear it wasn’t planned. It’s just that last night I couldn’t sleep and I went outside to get some air, and Keigo came outside too for the same reason, then one thing led to another and-”
“Oh, stop it, I don’t need you to explain yourself, I’ve always known that this boy thinks more with his libido than with his brain.” she annoyedly points towards Keigo with her walking stick, moving around the wagon and taking the bottle of oil they used the night before. “I was just hoping you would be the smart one in the couple.” she adds, before muttering something about the bottle being half empty.
“C-Couple? That’s- that’s not, we’re not-”
“You're not?” she once again interrupts him. “Seriously? He bedded you and didn’t even bother making things official before? That scoundrel…”
“Chiyo listen, I really appreciate how you want to defend my virtue right now, but please, can you leave so I can put some clothes on?” Touya begs more than asks, his fingers twitching around the blanket, still being kept stubbornly over his body.
“Your clothes will have to wait, I need to talk to you. I wanted to wait for Keigo to recover before bringing up the topic with you, but since he’s feeling well enough to go against my precise orders, I might as well tell you now.” she says, taking her walking stick away from Touya’s hip and placing it on the ground, resting both hands on it.
“What are you talking about?” Touya asks, furrowing his brows in confusion.
“When Keigo first brought you to us, he asked me if there was something I could do about your scars.” she says calmly. The words already make Touya’s heart fall to his stomach. “And the answer is that yes, my quirk would allow me to heal your scar enough to ease most of your pain and make them disappear almost completely. But the process requires at least a few months. As you know, my quirk uses the person’s own energy to heal the body and healing you all in one go would drain all your energy and kill you. So we never told you about it.” she explains.
Touya listens carefully, his eyes going wide.
“Wait, so you mean that..?” he whispers, feeling out of breath. The elderly woman nods.
“I mean that now that you joined us and time is not an issue anymore, we could start scheduling some healing sessions for your scars, if you wish.” she finishes the sentence for him, her index finger tapping on her walking stick. “Again, it won’t make them disappear completely, even if treated tempestively my quirk can’t heal skin tissues as damaged as yours, but it can visibly improve their severity and make sure you won’t need the staples anymore. Also, it will significantly decrease the chances of getting infections. Keigo told me you were worried about that.”
Her words are followed by silence, Touya still staring at her as if she just grew a second head.
“I-” he finally manages to let out, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what to say.” he admits.
“You don’t have to say anything. Take your time to think about it.”
Think about it? What even is there to think about? Touya used to dream about a day like this. A life without staples, looking almost normal? Feels like a dream to him. He can finally become someone that can walk around without being called a monster. He won’t have to feel pain whenever he stretches his body more than his staples allow.
He turns his head to look at the man peacefully sleeping next to him and gently runs a hand through messy blond hair.
I can finally be someone you won’t be ashamed to have by your side-
Suddenly, a sharp jab of pain hits him straight on top of his head, making him wince and turn around, just in time to see Chiyo lower her stick with a stern look on her face.
“Why would you do that?” he asks as he rubs the sore spot on his head, his eyes and voice expressing just how betrayed he feels for being hit by the same person who just offered to heal him.
“Because I know exactly what you were thinking just now, so I decided to beat some sense into you.” she shoots back, as if it’s the most obvious reply in the world. “Listen Touya, I know it might seem like an obvious choice, but it’s not an easy process. You will be tired all the time for all the duration of the therapy. It will hurt, especially when we’ll start removing the staples and your tissues will have to relearn how to hold up without the additional assistance. And him?” she points her stick at Keigo. Almost as if he knows he’s being mentioned, the man lets out what seems to be the weird mix between a hum and a bird sound. “He will like you either way. So think about it, make your decision by taking into consideration just what you think it’s best for you, for once.”
The solemnity behind her speech makes goosebumps form on Touya’s arms, so he tries to laugh it off, scratching his neck.
“You say ‘for once’ as if I didn’t already do that when I decided to leave Hakata and come with you guys.” he mutters with a smile.
“Yeah, and it was the right call, wasn’t it? So start doing it more often.” Chiyo says and lets out a sigh. “I’ll leave for now, but I still have to check on Keigo’s back, so you have five minutes to get dressed and leave this wagon, then I’ll come back here and kick you out myself, whether you have your clothes on or not.”
If it was literally anybody else, Touya would’ve taken the threat as a joke. But considering Chiyo’s expression and the fact that she literally just hit him with her walking stick just because she felt like it, he can’t take for granted that she’s just messing around.
“Yes Ma’am.” he mutters, intimidated. Seemingly satisfied with his response, the woman nods and leaves the wagon. The moment he’s left alone with the sleeping man (Seriously, Touya is surprised by how deep Keigo’s sleep is. Does he normally sleep so soundly or is it caused by Chiyo’s treatment? He’ll have to ask him), Touya gets up, picking up his clothes and starting to put them on.
He feels gross, all the sweat and… other kinds of body fluids are sticking to his skin even after the night of sleep and he can’t wait to walk to the nearby lake and give himself a good scrub. Of course, before he can do that, he’ll first have to endure a walk of shame from the wagon to his (actually, Keigo’s) tent, which he’s not exactly looking forward to. Based on the noise and voices he hears coming from outside, it’s safe to assume that everyone must be awake.
“Where you goin’?” Keigo’s voice comes out as a low, sleepy rumble, and when Touya turns around to look at him, he feels the urge to kiss him stupid.
He has his face pressed in the pillow, cheek squished in the cutest way possible against it, eyes only half open and a tired little smirk on his lips as he is clearly checking Touya’s half dressed body out.
“I’m going to take a bath. I feel gross.” he replies, sitting down next to Keigo as he puts his shirt on. The blond man immediately takes the chance to shift on the mattress, using Touya’s thigh as a pillow instead, resting his chin on it. His little smirk has now morphed into a full grin.
“ You feel gross? I’m pretty sure I was the one who had his ass filled to the brim with-”
“Ew, don’t you finish that sentence!” Touya exclaims, scrunching his nose and pressing his palm against Keigo’s face to shut him up. Despite his protest, though, he still lets out a laugh. Keigo is laughing too, even if it comes out a little muffled because of Touya’s hand still covering his mouth. He gently wraps his fingers around Touya’s wrist and moves his hand away.
“Ow petal, why are you being such a prude right now? You weren’t so disgusted by my dirty talk when I was riding your-”
Touya’s other hand swiftly shushes him again.
“I swear I’m going to kick you!” he chuckles with no real malice, getting up and fastening his belt to keep his haori safely wrapped around his upper body.
“You can’t, I’m still recovering.” Keigo sing-songs, once again pressing his face in the pillow. “Also my ass feels sore.” he hums. “And cold.”
Touya is about to retort with something smart, but he gets interrupted by a yell coming from outside the wagon.
“Two minutes!” Chiyo warns him. With a chuckle, Touya takes his shoes and leaves a quick kiss on Keigo’s lips.
“Trust me, feathers. Soon your sore, cold ass will be the last of your worries.”
Notes:
sooooooooo... here we are. only the epilogue left.
it only took us 28 chapters and more than 160k words to get to this point but WE GOT DABIHAWKS LOVEMAKING. and i loved writing it. smut with feelings is always more fun for me to write, but also much more challenging. i hope i didn't let you down with this chapter and that it was worth the wait.
fun fact, at first the scene with chiyo and touya was supposed to be a short flashback in the epilogue, but the more i wrote it, the more i realized that i wanted to give more space to this funny little dynamic between the two of them. I'm honestly happy with how the scene turned out, i think it balances out the sappy smut pretty well lol
let me know with a kudo or a comment what you think, your feedback is always much appreciated. i once again thank you all for the support, 15k is crazy for me.
i will see you next tuesday for our last update, i hope you have a wonderful rest of the week! take care <3
Chapter 30: Epilogue – Lily of the Valley
Notes:
so this is it, uh... last chapter. i feel like there's a lot i wanna say, and yet i can't find the words. maybe i should leave you to the chapter and we can chat in the notes later, yeah? i'll see you there
I'm gonna drop a little surprise in the author's space at the end of the chapter, so be sure to check it out please!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Lily of the Valley: Sweet
Touya is used to waking up with arms and legs tightly wrapped around his body and feathers stuck in his hair and clothes. It became a routine for him: wake up, open his eyes, untangle himself from his boyfriend’s bone crushing hold, shake the feathers off his body, get out of bed, leave the tent.
Not today, though. Today, after waking up and opening his eyes, he realizes that there are no limbs holding him in bed, nor feathers to shake off. He yawns and turns around on the mattress, sending a sleepy glance at Keigo’s side of the futon and, as suspected, he finds it empty, safe for a small note placed on the pillow.
As he frees himself from the ungodly amount of blankets that somehow ended up wrapped around his body (Keigo is way too sensitive to cold temperatures, and constantly demands to have too many blankets on their bed, despite having a boyfriend who can literally radiate warmth), he takes the piece of paper from Keigo’s pillow and reads it, lazily rubbing the tiredness from his eyes.
I left with Shota, Jin and Chiyo to buy some groceries. I'll try to buy something sweet for you when Shota is not looking.
I love you.
Touya lets out a chuckle, staring fondly at the little flowers and hearts that Keigo drew all over the small note. He rolls on the mattress, deciding to stay in bed for a few more minutes, taking all the time he wants to study the three simple sentences his boyfriend wrote him. Everything is written in hiragana (Keigo still struggles a lot with kanji), some characters look a little wobbly and there’s a small scribbled spot next to the “I love you”, almost as if Keigo tried to erase something by rubbing the charcoal pencil on it. After closer inspection, Touya recognizes the kanji for ‘love’ hidden under the messy lines.
It’s such a small thing, but it makes him smile, hugging the note close to his chest. Keigo really tried to show off and write one of the kanjis Touya had shown him recently, but even when he failed at replicating it, he still made sure to use hiragana to tell Touya that he loves him.
“Love you too, feathers.” he whispers to himself with a smile.
When he’s done inspecting the note, he finally pulls himself up, putting his shirt on and leaving the tent, ready to start his day.
He stretches his limbs, arching his back and lifting his arms over his head, breathing in the wintery early morning chill. Even if it’s been a while, he’s still not used to the complete lack of pain or discomfort when he stretches and moves his body as he pleases, but he welcomes the feeling every day with a smile.
“Well, look who’s finally gracing us with his presence!” Eijiro calls out the moment he spots Touya outside his tent.
“Oh, give me a break, it’s not that late in the morning.” Touya bites back with a sleepy grin, putting Keigo’s note in his pocket and walking towards the boy. As he stands closer to Eijiro, Touya feels the little sting of his wounded pride as he’s once again reminded of the fact that a kid who was once slightly shorter than him is now looking down on him, thanks to the six extra centimeters that he gained over the years, but he pushes the thought at the back of his mind. He started coming to terms with the fact that the boys, his own brother included, went through a growth spurt a year ago, surpassing him in height (without taking his pride and feelings into consideration).
But at least he’s still taller than Keigo and their latest addition, so he can consider that a little win for himself.
“Well, you’re still the last one to wake up, everyone is already up and working.” Ochako’s voice comes from behind him, making him turn around to look at her, but when he does so, he sees two identical brown haired girls with big round eyes and pink cheeks, both of them carrying what seem to be two weightless buckets of fresh water each, so now Touya is not sure if the person who spoke to him is the real Ochako or Himiko in disguise.
“Get off his back, everyone! Don’t you know that our poor Touya is working hard every night and cutting his sleep short to keep a horny bird warm?” Rumi basically yells from the other side of the camp, too busy keeping the fire under the boiling pot of food alive. “Every winter, same story, the temperatures get cold and Keigo gets desperate for some action to fight the cold off his body. Touya needs to get all the sleep he can, whenever he can!”
Every member of the family within earshot starts snickering at Rumi’s words, meanwhile Touya’s cheeks rapidly turn a deep shade of red.
She’s right of course, Keigo does get way more touchy when he’s cold, and when Keigo gets touchy, they end up having sex more often than not. Still, he’d rather not have his private business being yelled like that in front of everyone.
From the chorus of laughs and giggles emerges a single disgusted groan, and Touya turns just in time to see Shouto, sitting not too far away from Rumi, stopping in the act of chopping chives to send the older woman a glance.
“Yeah, thanks Rumi but can you please not talk about my brother’s sex life in front of me? I’d rather not throw up right after breakfast.” he deadpans with a lifted eyebrow. His tone and expression are not enough to intimidate the woman, who lets out a little laugh at Shouto’s words.
“C’mon, it’s not exactly a secret that those two get freaky way too often. They don’t really try to be subtle.” Mina intervenes with a shrug, the girl sitting comfortably next to Rumi as she mends a torn sock. “Seriously Touya, I think I speak for everyone when I say that you do a very bad job at keeping Keigo quiet.”
“I’m surprised you never heard them, man.” Eijiro sits next to Shouto, stealing a piece of carrot the other boy had already sliced and eating it before Shouto could stop him. “I didn’t know you were such a heavy sleeper.”
Shouto opens his mouth to reply with something snarky, but he gets quickly interrupted by Oboro, the older man appearing behind him, seated with his legs crossed on one of his clouds. Between his legs there’s a wooden basket filled, judging by the smell, with fish.
“Oh, he’s definitely not a heavy sleeper. He’s just too busy at night to notice what goes on in other people’s tents.” he hums in a sing-song voice, raising his eyebrows a few times. The cheeky grin plastered on his face is enough to make everyone understand immediately what he’s suggesting, much to Shouto’s dismay.
“Who would’ve thought that the Todosibs had such a high sexual drive.” Rumi chuckles, making the kid’s cheek turn impossibly red. Touya lets out a sigh, deciding to come to his brother’s rescue.
“Whatever goes on in Shouto’s tent at night is not something that I want to imagine, so you guys better drop it or I’ll burn your asses.” he threatens lightheartedly, blue flame flickering on his palm for a few seconds. The empty threat makes the others laugh, but thankfully it makes the conversation shift to something more innocent.
As he absentmindedly listens to Himiko (now back to her usual appearance) telling them about the pretty bird she saw as she and Ochako were going to the river to fetch some water, Touya decides to approach Shouto and sit next to him, taking a knife and helping him chop the vegetables in front of him.
“How the fuck did you manage to chop these chives so bad? They’re all fucked up.” he reprimands him, lifting the badly cut chives to better look at them. When a few seconds go by and the only answer he gets is an unimpressed glance and a shrug, he sighs and starts working on the chives with his own knife, trying to fix them as much as possible. “You should be thankful Katsuki is not here to see this, he would’ve probably yelled at you.”
“You know that I don’t particularly mind him yelling at me. Besides, it’s not like he actually means it, so it’s fine even if he does yell at me.”
“I’m still baffled by how docile that boy can become when it comes to you.” Touya hums, impressed. “Speaking of which, where is he? Still asleep?” he asks.
“Nope, he woke up a few minutes before you. He left a while ago to go take a bath in the river. Said he felt all sweaty and gross.” Shouto replies, taking a new carrot and starting to peel it carefully.
The faint sound of Oboro and Rumi’s words from before echo in Touya’s mind, making him frown.
“Do I want to know why he felt ‘sweaty and gross’?” he asks carefully. Shouto remains silent for a few, painfully long, seconds.
“You do not.” he finally says and that’s enough to make Touya shiver in disgust, the thought of his innocent (well, not so innocent, apparently) little brother doing the same things that Touya himself does with Keigo regularly is enough to make him almost gag, so he’d rather focus on something else.
That’s how he finds himself looking at Shouto from the corner of his eye.
His brother has grown a lot. When that happened, he doesn’t know. But now that Touya is looking at him, really looking at him, he barely recognizes the kid that four years ago told him that he wanted to leave Hakata for good with him. He’s a nineteen year old now, basically a man, with bigger shoulders, deeper voice and sharper features. He’s not the shy, soft spoken kid he used to be. Spending time with Katsuki really made him come out of his shell, and befriending Keigo, Himiko, Eijiro, Rumi and Jin surely contributed a lot. It makes Touya smile. When he first agreed to take Shouto with him and the rest of the group, he was scared that he would regret pulling his little brother away from the rest of their family, but turns out that it was the best choice for Shouto. He’s a brand new person compared to four years ago, but Touya wouldn’t exchange this Shouto for anyone else in the world.
“Touya?” Shouto is eyeing him with a raised eyebrow, confusion evident in his eyes. “You’re staring at me.”
Touya shakes his head and averts his gaze, focusing once again on the chives.
“Sorry, I was just thinking.” he admits, smiling softly.
“About what?”
“You know, stuff. Mostly you and… home.”
Shouto doesn’t reply right away, but Touya can feel his gaze on him, heavy with meaning.
A little while after they had left Hakata, Shouto came up with a way to keep in contact with Izuku. Shouto would send him letters, letting the other kid know where they were headed next, so Izuku knew where to send his reply. It was thanks to this little system that Touya and Shouto managed to stay up to date with the aftermath of their departure and, most importantly, with the wellbeing of their family.
Thankfully, no one in Hakata suspected that the fire that burned down the military base was a deliberate act, but they did manage to blame the quirk users and the “bad luck” they supposedly brought upon the village. Everyone mourned the death of Captain Chisaki, everyone was desperate because of the loss of such a good soul and fair man (Touya could feel Izuku’s sarcasm and resentment even through his written words). After rebuilding the military base, Natsuo deemed Kamihara the best person to fill the empty spot of Captain of the armed forces of Hakata.
But as much as Touya and Shouto were curious to know what was going on in their village, the most important thing to them was knowing if their father survived Chisaki’s attack.
And Izuku let them know that, thankfully, he did. It took him a few months to completely recover and leave the house, but when he did manage, he seemed to be as good as new. Whether he realized that the man who attacked him was Chisaki or what Touya did to protect him, Izuku didn’t know, so he couldn’t tell.
But he did reassure them that Touya’s flowers, the gardenias on the balcony of his room at least, looked healthy and taken care of.
Even Keigo was glad to hear that.
“We’re already home, Touya.” Shouto reminds him, his tone soft.
And yes, they are. They truly are. Touya wouldn’t give this up for anything else. He would never go back. But still, Hakata was home for a very long time. In a way, it’ll always be home, right?
“You know what I meant.”
“Of course I know. Let me guess, are you having second thoughts because you can’t stand the idea of me having an active sexual life?” the small attempt to ease the somber air between them doesn’t go unnoticed by Touya, Shouto’s little grin making him smile as well.
“Quite the opposite, actually. I was thinking that I’m glad that you came along.” he admits, gently shoving Shouto to the side with his elbow. “Even though I’m not exactly thrilled at the idea of my little brother having not one, but two boyfriends putting their hands all over him.” he adds with an amused smile.
“Shut up.” Shouto laughs. This time it’s his turn to shove his brother, albeit a little stronger than necessary, given his massive size. Touya has to flap his arms helplessly for a second just to keep his balance and prevent himself from falling to the side like an idiot.
“In all seriousness, at first I was worried you would feel out of place and regret coming along. Since, you know, you don’t have a quirk. But you managed to fit right in, and made them all love you… some more than others.” he whispers, lowering his voice as he speaks the last sentence.
“Will you ever let them catch a break? Katsuki said he’ll blast you if you keep playing the part of the jealous big brother.” Shouto snickers softly, putting the knife down and stretching his arms and back with a tired hum.
“Oh, I’d love to see him try. And what do you even mean with ‘playing the part of the jealous big brother’? I'm not playing the part, I am jealous, they took my sweet little Sho away from me!” Touya lets out an overdramatic whine, wrapping his arms around Shouto and putting all the weight of his body on him, making his brother lose his balance and both of them end up falling to the ground. Shouto groans annoyedly, trying to shove him away.
“Touya, come on! Move!” he protests, but Touya pretends not to hear him.
“Katsuki has some nerve, threatening to attack me for simply doing my duty as an older brother! As if his small fireworks could have even the slightest chance against my fire.” he mumbles, feigning a threatening tone as he raises his body temperature just enough to make Shouto feel it, but without actually hurting him or himself.
Shouto manages to push Touya off him, flicking him on the forehead with an annoyed pout on his lips.
“Don’t say stuff like that, he might actually try to fight you to assert dominance and I’d rather not have one of my boyfriends burned to a crisp.” Shouto scolds Touya with a sigh, but the fire user can see the ghost of a smile threatening to form on his brother’s lips, so he knows that he’s not actually mad.
But before he could even try and form a sarcastic retort, a familiar cheery voice distracts him, making both him and Shouto turn to the side to see Keigo flap his wings, hovering a few centimeters over the ground as he carries a heavy looking box, Jin and Chiyo walking a few steps behind him.
“Hello everyone!” Keigo greets the whole group, holding that last syllable for a few seconds, before landing with a graceful hop and placing the box next to the fire. “We bought a shit ton of meat, so if we want it to last, we better start cooking!”
“Speaking of burned boyfriends- ouch!” Shouto protests when he gets slapped by his brother on the back of the head for his comment.
Before meeting Keigo, Touya read a lot about love. And as skeptical as he was back then, he failed to understand how it is possible for a person to love someone for years like it's the very first day. Now, four years after meeting Keigo, he understands the sentiment of those poets he used to read about in the silence of his room. Because the feeling of his heart almost stopping at the sight of Keigo is the same as it was that very first time he saw him dance in the streets of Hakata. Or maybe it’s even stronger than back then, because the absolute affection and devotion he feels for Keigo now are the product of the years spent together and the knowledge that they’ll be together for many more years to come, hopefully for the rest of their lives, makes him feel warm all over.
“Good morning petal.” before he can even realize it, his boyfriend is landing in front of him, wings flapping lazily and blowing gentle gusts of wind on his face.
“Morning f-” Touya doesn’t get to finish that sentence, soft lips greedily claiming his in a chaste kiss that still manages to knock the air out of his lungs. He hums, tilting his head to the side when Keigo’s hand moves up to caress his cheek, thumb slowly rubbing the healed skin of his jaw. The only thing preventing Touya from touching him back, is the fact that he can feel his fingertips sticky from the juice of all the vegetables he was precedently cutting.
Shouto groans next to them, but his voice is faint, Touya’s brain too focused on the absolute bliss of Keigo’s lips on his own to actually care about his brother’s disapproval. Still, he feels a small chuckle bubble in his stomach, lips slightly parting to let out the laugh, but his boyfriend has other plans, taking advantage of the situation to sneak in tongue between Touya’s parted lips, deepening the kiss.
And Touya, well… he’s a weak man, so he gladly accepts the intrusion, letting himself melt into the heated kiss and reciprocate it with just as much enthusiasm.
“Ew, stop- seriously, stop!” Shouto protests, elbowing Touya in the back.
How he ended up with his body leaning back, almost resting against Shouto’s, Touya doesn’t know, but the kid moves away with a huff, almost making both Touya and Keigo fall for the sudden lack of support. That manages to make them break the kiss, both of them laughing breathlessly as Keigo recovers from the almost fall and pulls Touya up. “You two are seriously gross!” Shouto protests with an offended frown, hastily fixing his clothes, but every single person who witnessed the scene seems to be amused by his outraged expression.
After finally catching his breath, Touya places another kiss on Keigo’s lips, a playful peck that makes both of them smile.
“Why didn’t you wake me up before leaving?” he asks, gesturing for Keigo to sit next to him with a nod of his head.
“I wanted to, but you looked tired.” Keigo whispers in his ear, pulling Touya closer and placing his face in the slot between his shoulder and neck, rubbing the skin with the tip of his nose. Strong arms sneak around Touya’s body, holding him in place as Keigo starts cuddling him, seeking warmth. “I thought that I’d be back before you’d wake up, but the trip to the city took us longer than expected.”
Touya hums with a smile, tilting his head to the side to leave Keigo more room to move, his eyelids falling just slightly as he enjoys his boyfriend’s gentle touch.
“And yet you left me a note.” he grins. He feels Keigo smile against his skin.
“Well, it was a wonderfully written note, don’t you agree?” he whispers, leaving a kiss on an almost faded hickey on Touya’s neck, making goosebumps form all over the area. Touya hums, pretending to think about it. “Don’t be a smartass, petal. I know you loved it.”
“You do, now. And how would you know that, exactly?” Touya teases, as if he doesn’t still have Keigo’s note in his pocket and as if he doesn’t plan to keep it, just like he kept every single thing his boyfriend has written him since he learned how to put his words and thoughts onto a piece of paper without Touya’s help.
As he turns his head to send a quick glance at Keigo, Touya sees the way his boyfriend is grinning mischievously. His eyes land on the scar on Keigo’s cheek, the skin slightly darker than his normal complexion, the mark being the remainder of what Chisaki did to Keigo on their last night in Hakata.
True to Chiyo’s words, her quirk managed to heal Keigo’s burned back, leaving just barely visible scars on him, his skin still as soft as it was, just a little darker than the rest.
“ Once you’re done with your healing sessions, we can match! ” Keigo had told him a long time ago, when Chiyo had started taking care of Touya’s burns, four years ago. It took her four months to take him to the point of getting rid of every single staple holding his skin together, and three more months to heal him to the best of her capabilities.
It was not an easy process, Chiyo had warned him before starting. Touya remembers the constant feeling of exhaustion, the way he would fall asleep even in the middle of the day and the complete inability to walk for more than a few kilometers without having his legs giving out completely, but he had Keigo, Shouto and the rest of his family by his side, and that alone made the whole process way easier.
So here he is now, the healing sessions long finished, and he feels like a brand new person. He’s not constantly in pain anymore, he doesn’t need to live his life carefully, he can shed real tears and, most importantly, he can feel . Touya hadn’t even realized how much sensitivity his skin had lost after the fire, how faint the feeling of being touched on his scars was and, needless to say, the first time he made love with Keigo after getting better, well… it was nothing short of mind blowing.
“Because I know you stared at it for way too long and even said that you love me too.” he replies, his hand moving to ruffle Touya’s hair and pulling out a little red feather from between the messy white locks. “You didn’t actually think I would leave you alone, right? Need to always keep an eye on my petal.”
The revelation makes Touya roll his eyes, taking the little plume between his thumb and index finger and playing with it carefully.
“More like keep a feather on me.” he mumbles, but honestly he feels impressed. It’s not the first time Keigo plants a feather on him, but he thought he had gotten pretty good at finding them. It’s been a while since the last time his boyfriend managed to keep a feather on him without Touya noticing for more than ten minutes.
“Keigo, leave Touya alone, would ya! Those vegetables ain’t gonna chop themselves on their own.” Rumi approaches them with her hands placed on her hips, one of her thin eyebrows lifted in a scolding expression. “You two can talk about how grossly in love with each other you are some other time.”
Rumi doesn’t even wait for a reply. She swiftly grabs Keigo by the neck of his vest and effortlessly lifts him up, making him lose his hold on Touya. As she carries him away as if he weighs nothing, Keigo flaps his arms, legs and wings helplessly, whining like a petulant child.
“Rumi c’mon! Put me down! Let me at least sit next to him!” he screeches like a harpy, making Rumi scowl in annoyance and finally she lets him go. The moment his feet touch the ground, Keigo bolts back towards Touya, his desperate expression gone in a second, replaced by a satisfied smile as he once again wraps his arms around his boyfriend.
“The way you two are completely unable to stay away from each other for more than a few hours is… concerning.” Eijiro mumbles.
“I’d say romantic!” Mina butts in with a sigh, bringing one hand to her chest and tilting her head to the side. “You two were, like, predestined or something.”
It makes Touya chuckle.
“Predestined, uh? I like that.” he whispers, turning to look at Keigo, who immediately looks back at him with a big smile tugging at his lips.
“Chop chop, veggie boy!” Rumi claps her hands, sending a warning look right his way.
“Why am I being relegated to chopping duties anyway? It should be Shouto’s turn.” he groans, but takes a carrot and his knife and goes back to cutting anyway.
“Maybe you were too lost in your sappy little world with Keigo to notice, but Shouto is otherwise occupied right now.” Oboro butts in with an amused chuckle, but he’s not looking at Touya, but rather at something behind his back.
Curiosity gets the best of him, so Touya turns to look as well, and what he sees makes him grimace.
Shouto is scrunching his nose, cheeks red as cherries as Izuku plants kisses all over his face, the freckled kid smiling blissfully as he holds the taller boy close. A few steps away from them, Katsuki is observing the scene, his cheeks red as well, even though they’re not as dark as Shouto’s, and arms crossed over his chest.
When Izuku officially became part of their family (he left Hakata to join them a year and a half ago), Touya thought that their only way to get their hands on news about their old home and family was gone. But, surprisingly, they ended up receiving more letters, written and mailed by none other than Shimura Tenko.
Apparently the young man never managed to forget Rumi and always watched with interest every time Izuku would sit down to write his letters to Shouto, shyly asking him to ask how Rumi was doing and whether she was eating well.
When Izuku came to them with Shimura’s first letter in his pocket, he had said that his brother had written it for Rumi, hoping for a reply. The woman tried to act nonchalant about it, but the slight flush on her cheeks when she turned the letter between his fingers was a clear indicator of how flustered she truly felt. That night, Keigo revealed to Touya that Rumi had asked him to read the letter to her.
Since then, Rumi has been learning how to write, assisted by Touya and Chiyo, determined to, one day, be able to write a letter to Tenko all on her own, without having to ask for help.
“Why does he get all the attention, uh?” Katsuki huffs, his tone just as annoyed as usual as he glares at his two boyfriends. It makes Izuku chuckle softly, stopping in the act of kissing Shouto’s nose and turning to look at the blond boy with a smile.
“Don’t be greedy Kacchan, we can kiss you too if you want.” he says warmly, stretching out his hand to encourage Katsuki to get closer. The blond boy rolls his eyes, but steps forward eventually, wrapping his arms around Shouto’s waist and resting his chin on his shoulder.
“Do it, then.” he scoffs, stubbornly avoiding to look both of them in the eyes. It makes Shouto smile, the kid rolling his eyes and placing a hand on Katsuki’s head, softly petting his hair.
“Shouldn’t you at least ask nicely, Kats?” he whispers, tilting his head to the side in an attempt to meet elusive red eyes with his own.
“Tsk, I am not fucking begging you to-”
“Kacchan…” Izuku’s voice is gentle, but it hides a warning. The blond kid immediately stops fussing, his lips pursing in a pout.
“Fucking- fine.” he finally huffs, holding Shouto a little tighter. “Please.”
Shouto hums, a new smile forming on his lips.
“Please what?”
Katsuki looks on the verge of dying of embarrassment, his face and ears looking red and hot like never before.
“Please kiss me.” he whispers as lowly as he can, Touya being able to hear only because he’s not standing too far away from the three. Keigo and Rumi, thanks to their enhanced hearing, seem to catch the words as well, the two barely holding back their laughter.
Meanwhile Shouto seems very pleased, his smile getting wider and his fingers gently moving to touch Katsuki’s chin, tilting it upwards so he can finally look the blond boy in the eyes.
“Good job, Kacchan.” he whispers and leans forward, kissing Katsuki on the lips.
Touya turns around, gagging, before focusing back on the vegetables. Call him a jealous older brother, but even after all the time that has gone by, he still struggles when it comes to seeing his younger brother be touchy with his two boyfriends. He could handle it when it was just Katsuki, the blond boy was never a big fan of public displays of affection, so whatever lovey-dovey thing going on between them was kept mostly private.
But Izuku? That kid is a straight up menace .
The moment he joined them he made it perfectly clear that he was not going to keep it lowkey, taking every chance he got to be all over Shouto and Katsuki and showering them with affection.
“ He hasn’t seen them in three years, petal. He missed them a lot and he’s excited, things will calm down in a while. ” Keigo had told him one night as Touya whined about the situation.
But at this point, Touya is convinced that Izuku is not going to calm down any time soon, so he just decided to make peace with it. At the end of the day, Shouto is happy. He has been since the day they left Hakata, but after Izuku’s arrival, Shouto reached a new level of cloud nine that Touya didn’t even think was possible. So, even if he enjoys acting annoyed, he’s still glad that both Izuku and Katsuki are here to make Shouto happy.
“That was oddly fascinating.” Eijiro hums, scratching his neck.
“I was about to say ‘disgusting’, but whatever.” Touya replies with a roll of his eyes. Keigo laughs, holding him closer.
“And Shouto even has the nerve to say that we are gross.” he scoffs, amusement clear in his tone.
“That’s because you are.” Jin butts in as he walks past them, carrying an armful of chunks of firewood. The load wobbles in his hold, threatening to fall at any moment. A bunch of red feathers float in Jin’s direction, helping him keep the firewood safe. “Thanks buddy!”
“So, uh- Kei?” Oboro approaches them, scratching his neck. “Where’s Shota, exactly? Because I thought he was gonna arrive right after you guys, but he’s nowhere to be seen.” he asks, turning towards Keigo and Touya, waiting for a reply.
“Oh yeah, right. He told us that he needed to take a few more things and that it was best for Jin and I to come back here and help you guys out with whatever there’s still left to do. So we can leave early tomorrow morning.” Keigo rests his chin on Touya’s shoulder more comfortably, his wings wrapping around both of their bodies to keep them warm. “I think he’ll be back before lunch time, though.”
“If Shota told you to help us out, why don’t you go to the river and wash those dirty clothes we have in the wagon?” Oboro offers, making Keigo whine pitifully, his bushy eyebrows furrowing in what seems to be a pained expression.
“Do I have to? The water is probably freezing!” he protests, shivering against Touya’s body just at the thought.
“You’ll live. Now stop being a big baby and go, lazy bird.” Oboro pinches his ear and tugs it for a couple of seconds, before walking away with a satisfied grin. Touya chuckles as he watches his boyfriend rub his reddened ear with a petulant pout on his lips.
“I’m not a lazy bird.” he huffs to himself, slowly getting up. As he does so, his body seems to already miss the heat radiating from Touya, because goose bumps immediately form on his neck and wrists (probably on the rest of his skin too), and his wings puff, doubling in size, feathers ruffling in a desperate attempt to fight off the cold. He might not be a lazy bird, but he sure looks like a vexed little canary. “I’m gonna freeze my feathers off, I’m sure of it.” he grumbles, before turning to Touya, his pout morphing from annoyed to pleading. “Wanna come with me? Please petal, please!” he begs, bringing his hands together in front of his face, as if he’s praying. “You can help me wash the clothes, it’ll be faster if we do it together!”
Touya smiles at him, endeared by the sudden switch in his boyfriend’s expression.
“Should I remind you that I need to finish cutting these vegetables? Rumi will kill me if they’re not ready by lunch.” he says, even though he’d rather go to the river with Keigo than sit here, stuck with chives, carrots, onions and cabbages for who knows how long.
“Rumi can cut them herself if she’s so adamant about it.” Keigo grins, tilting his head to the side. Suddenly, Touya feels something pulling him upright, his legs struggling to sustain his weight and making him stumble, chest bumping against Keigo’s. He’s about to thank his boyfriend for catching him, when he notices the amused grin on his lips and two small feathers flying back to their rightful place on Keigo’s wings.
“Don’t use your feathers to manhandle me!” he scolds, lightly slapping Keigo’s chest and getting up properly, taking a step away to stand up on his own.
“Oh? But I thought you loved it when I use my feathers to manhandle you…” Keigo whispers as he leans forward, eyebrows rising a couple of times playfully. Touya rolls his eyes, his cheeks getting warmer.
“Just- shut up and go take the damn clothes.” he mumbles, averting his gaze. Keigo flaps his wings excitedly, leaving a peck on Touya’s red cheek, before running off towards the wagon to take the dirty clothes and the rest of the stuff they’ll need to wash them.
A collective groan can be heard when the rest of the group realizes that Touya is tagging along with Keigo.
“You two better actually wash the clothes instead of running off somewhere to make out!” Himiko shakes her head, making Ochako chuckle next to her. “Otherwise, the clothes won’t have enough time to dry.”
“You know they’ll definitely get all handsy the moment they’re alone. They have no self control.” Ochako whispers, leaning to the side, her forehead gently bumping against Himiko’s, the two of them laughing together.
Touya huffs, annoyed, crossing his arms against his chest.
“You really have no faith in us, uh?” he protests with a scowl. “We are not brainless beasts, we can coexist in the same space without feeling the urge to shove our tongues in each other's throat!”
—
The half full basket of dirty clothes lies abandoned a few steps away from them as Keigo pulls Touya close, feeling the warmth of his boyfriend’s body pressed against his chest.
“Feathers…” Touya sighs against Keigo’s lips, trying to pull away to speak, but the winged man immediately shushes him with another kiss. It’s stronger than him, he can’t help it. Kissing Touya is like a drug. “Feathers, the clothes-” Touya tries again, using his hands to keep Keigo still by the shoulders. “We only washed half of the load.”
“It’s fine, we have time to wash the rest later.” he whispers, pressing one hand on Touys’s nape and pulling him closer, kissing him once again and sliding his tongue between his half parted lips. The moment their tongues touch, Touya lets out a soft sigh, melting into the kiss and bringing one hand between Keigo’s messy locks, fingers flexing lightly as he carefully pulls them. The feeling makes him shiver, goosebumps forming all over his back.
In their defense, they lasted longer than Keigo was expecting. They had spent at least half an hour dutifully washing the clothes in the freezing cold water, when Keigo begged for a break, his fingers feeling so cold he was sure he was going to lose them.
Touya, being the nice person that he is, wiped his wet hands on his pants and took Keigo’s hands in his, focusing his inner flame in his palms, using the heat radiating from them to warm Keigo’s hands up.
From there, one thing led to another and before they could realize it, they were kissing, both of them out of breath and unwilling to break the kiss.
We really do have no self control… Keigo thinks, feeling a little amused, despite everything.
As he holds Touya tight, he can’t help but feel the need to touch his boyfriend’s soft, inviting, and most importantly warm skin, so before his better judgment can get the best of him, Keigo grins against Touya’s lips and sneaks one hand under his clothes, fingertips slowly gracing against his spine.
Touya’s reaction is immediate: he jolts in Keigo’s lap and immediately breaks the kiss, grabbing Keigo’s hand by the wrist and pulling it out of his shirt and away from his skin.
“Don’t you dare do that again or you’ll be roasted chicken.” he fake threatens, still holding Keigo’s wrist. His displeased pout makes Keigo laugh, leaning forward to leave a playful peck on Touya’s pointy nose.
“But you always say you like warming me up?” he teases, tilting his head to the side.
“Yeah, but what I don’t like is having ice cold fingers sneaking up my clothes without warning.” Touya fires back, lifting his eyebrow in a fake annoyed expression that makes Keigo’s heart flutter.
“You’re mean.” Keigo huffs, bringing one hand to his chest overdramatically.
“And you’re annoying.” Touya sticks out his tongue at him, before shaking his head and resuming the previous task of washing the clothes, dipping a pair of pants in the water and rubbing them with his hands to scrub the dirt away.
Keigo lets himself observe his every movement, his brows furrowing in concentration, white hair dancing unruly with every blow of wind, muscles (hidden by the clothes) flexing with every sharp movement of his arms.
If there’s one thing that Keigo loves doing more than anything, is looking at Touya. He is breathtakingly, undoubtedly and unfairly beautiful. He has always been in Keigo’s eyes, since that first time he saw him in the middle of the night as he secretly sneaked out of his window to check if his flowers were alright. That night Keigo saw in him a beauty that even Touya couldn’t see in himself, but he was as beautiful as he was in pain. Every scar, every staple, it was a pang of pain that Touya had been forced to endure for years.
But now, many rounds of Chiyo’s healing later, Touya looks like a new person. Not because he looks different per se, nor because he looks “more handsome now”, like he often likes to say, but because he looks… happy. Keigo started to see the change even when Chiyo’s healing was far from being over, even though Touya was exhausted, he had a sparkle in his eyes, a barely contained happiness and newfound confidence that made him glow. It was refreshing to see the person he loved being so carefree, so comfortable in his own body. A body that didn’t ache at every movement anymore.
“Maybe I am annoying.” he whispers, shifting on the humid grass of the riverside to get closer to Touya. “But you love me anyway.”
“I do now?” Touya asks, moving his head to the side just enough to send Keigo a rapid side glance. The little smile on his lips betrays him, though. “I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you.”
Keigo lets out a whine, shuffling even closer, uncaring on the muddy soil that’s probably dirtying his pants as he does so, and wraps his arms around Touya, holding him close.
“Petal! Don’t say stuff like this, my poor bird heart can’t take it!” he wails, rubbing his cheek against Touya’s back, making the fire user laugh. He turns around, placing the drenched pants down and petting Keigo’s hair with that gentleness that makes Keigo’s heart flutter.
“You know I love you, feathers.” he whispers softly. Keigo stops whining immediately, lifting his head to look Touya in the eyes, gold meeting turquoise.
“Yeah, but I always like it when you say it.” he grins playfully. It makes Touya smile as well, his eyelids falling shut as his smile grows bigger.
“Of course you do.” he whispers fondly, leaning in for a kiss.
Keigo can already feel on his lips the sweet taste of Touya’s mouth, when their blissful peace gets interrupted.
“Kei! Tou! Stop being two lovebirds, you were supposed to wash the clothes!” Mina yells at them from a distance, one hand near her mouth, trying to make her voice sound louder, while the other is waving in the air to catch their attention.
“We're just taking a break! Also, why are you even here getting in our business? It’s too early for lunch!” Keigo screams back, mimicking Mina’s hand pose, but placing both hands around his mouth, his voice echoing so loud Touya needs to cover his ears.
“You need to come back to the camp! Shota’s back and- listen, just take everything and come, you need to see this!” she replies, still screaming her lungs out, before running away, pink curls bouncing on her head as she jogs back towards the camp.
Touya and Keigo exchange glances, confused and worried.
“You think something bad happened?” Touya asks, getting up on his feet and moving to the side to fetch the basket with the dirty clothes.
“I sure hope not. Mina didn’t seem worried, so let’s not get anxious over nothing, okay?” Keigo reassures him, some feathers detaching from his wings and floating around, lifting all the damp clothes he and Touya had already washed and carrying them effortlessly.
“Mh, you’re right. Let’s still hurry, though.” Touya mutters, worry making his brow furrow in a dark scowl. Keigo just nods and lifts him up in his arms, the movement coming easy and natural after all the time he has done it over the years, spreading his wings and rapidly taking off. He doesn’t fly too high, nor too fast, considering their destination is not too far away, but he’d rather fly and get there as soon as possible than walk all the way back to the camp. He knows that Touya feels the same way, even though he’s still not a big fan of flying.
When they land in the middle of the camp, Keigo immediately puts Touya down, keeping one hand on the lower side of his back to support him, aware of the fact that his boyfriend’s legs are always a little weak whenever they land. Touya sends him a thankful smile, before turning around and scanning the area.
“What happened? Is everything okay?” he asks worriedly, his gaze landing on every face, studying every expression. Keigo turns to look at the others as well, feeling his own worry slowly melt when he sees that every single member of their family is here, Shota included, the man standing a few meters away from them with his back facing the group. Oboro is next to him, the two of them talking with hushed tone. Everyone seems to be fine and not only is there no sign of distress on anyone’s face, but they all look almost… giddy?
“We’re okay, it’s just- something happened. It’s not a bad thing, I promise!” Ochako appears next to them, grinning from ear to ear. Himiko approaches them as well, sneaking between Keigo and Touya and taking both of them by the arm, dragging them forward.
“Come, come!” she exclaims gleefully, skipping a few steps. “You’ll love her.”
Touya sends Keigo a perplexed look, a look that the winged man immediately reciprocates.
“Love… who?” he asks, but there’s no need for Himiko to answer because Shota, probably alerted by the approaching voices, turns around. And when he does, both Keigo and Touya stare in surprise at the little girl in his arms, her tiny hands gripping the man’s shirt as if her life depends on it.
She doesn’t seem to be older than six, even though she looks tall for her age. She also looks skinny, way too skinny, silvery white hair long and messy, and considering how knotted it looks, probably in need of a good chop too. As she stares at them with big red eyes filled with fear, Keigo angrily thinks how fucked up is the fact a child so young is so clearly neglected and he wonders why someone would do something like this.
Considering the little horn poking out from the right side of her forehead, he knows exactly why this happened.
Of course it’s not the first time he sees a malnourished kid, Katsuki and Mina were in a bad shape too when they found them, and he wasn’t doing very well himself before Shota and Oboro found him, but still, it’s always enraging seeing a kid suffer only because of the way they were born.
The girl hugs Shota tightly, hiding her face in his chest, and Shota doesn’t waste a second to give her reassurance, gently petting her head with his free hand.
“It’s okay Eri, everything’s fine. They are my friends, they are nice people.” he whispers close to her ear, keeping his tone as soft as possible. The kid, Eri, nods slowly, but still keeps her face firmly pressed against Shota’s chest. The man looks at her for a long moment, still caressing her head, before turning to face Touya, Keigo and Himiko. “Give us a minute. I think meeting so many people at once is overwhelming her.” he says apologetically, but Touya is quick to send a sympathetic smile his way.
“Don’t sweat it, we get it.” he replies, before turning his eyes to address the girl, even though Keigo is not sure she’s aware of that, since she’s still hiding her face. “Take all the time you need, okay? We’ll wait back there with the others.” he promises, before looking at Keigo and Himiko and tilting his head to the side, silently telling them to walk away.
When they reach the rest of the group, everyone standing at a safe distance from Shota, Oboro and Eri, Mina jumps up from her seat and appears next to Himiko, taking her by the ear and pulling.
“Himiko, why did you drag them there? Shota told us that little Eri was scared and he wanted to give her time to calm down before introducing us!” she scolds the blond haired girl with a whiny voice, but Himiko seems to be more focused on her aching ear than the other girl’s words.
“If you keep your voice so loud, you’ll end up scaring her even more.” Chiyo sighs, sitting on a little stool next to the campfire.
“Where did she come from?” Touya asks, sitting on an empty stool and motioning Keigo to do the same. The winged man takes his chance to sit as close as possible to Touya, resting his chin on his boyfriend’s shoulder.
“We don’t know, Shota hasn’t told us the details yet. He arrived a bunch of minutes ago with the kid in his arms, told us her name is Eri and then walked away with Oboro to calm her down.” Eijiro explains.
“Well, he probably found her back in the city.” Jin shrugs.
“No shit, genius.” Katsuki grunts, his arms tightly crossed against his chest. Keigo observes the way he’s nervously tapping his feet on the ground, and he just knows that his younger brother is as pissed as he feels at the thought of that little girl being neglected for the gods know how long.
“There is no need to be so nervous. She’s in good hands now, and even though she’s scared, she’s going to be fine.” Chiyo intervenes before a fight can erupt because of Katsuki’s bluntness.
“Mhmh, Chiyo’s right!” Himiko nods eagerly, finally free from Mina’s wrath as she sits next to Ochako. “By the way, have you seen how cute she is? She has white hair and red eyes, it’s like if Touya and Rumi had a kid!” she adds, clapping her hands excitedly.
The statement makes Rumi laugh and Touya scrunch his nose.
“Isn’t that a weird thing to say?” she asks jokingly when her laughter finally dies down.
“Yeah Himiko, how gross!” Touya huffs, rolling his eyes. Rumi laughs again, nudging Touya’s arm with her elbow.
“Hey, what do you mean with ‘ gross ’? Don’t go spittin' in the same plate your own boyfriend ate in, fire boy.” she says. Everyone starts laughing, except for Keigo, who can feel his cheeks get ten times hotter, Touya, who maintains his stubborn little pout, and Shouto and Izuku, who look around, visibly confused.
“Wait what?” Shouto says when everyone stops laughing, turning to look at Keigo with eyes wide in surprise.
“Shouto, we’re not talking about this.” Keigo warns him, but the kid doesn’t seem eager to drop the topic.
“Did you and Rumi-”
“I said we’re not talking about this!” he squawks, cheeks feeling impossibly hot as his outburst makes a new wave of laughter erupt from the group.
When he turns around, he notices that Touya is laughing too, eyes squeezed closed and hand pressed over his stomach. Keigo wishes he could feel betrayed by the way his own boyfriend is laughing at him, but the truth is that this is a sight that makes his heart run a little faster and makes him feel like time has stopped around them.
Touya’s has always been the type of person that laughs with his whole body, small tears of glee spilling from his eyes as another fit of laughter escapes his lips and Keigo smiles fondly, embarrassment suddenly gone as he feels like, right here and right now, everything disappeared and only the two of them exist.
Touya turns around to look at him. Whether it’s because he feels watched or if it’s just a coincidence, Keigo doesn’t know. But as Touya wipes away a tear from his eye, their eyes meet and a soft smile appears on his lips, turquoise irises expressing so much love and affection that makes Keigo wonder what good deeds he must’ve done in his past life to deserve such devotion from someone so amazing.
“Is everything okay?” Touya asks in a whisper, probably wondering why Keigo is staring at him instead of faking being mad at their family for making him the laughingstock. But right now, Keigo feels that he couldn’t care less.
As he takes Touya’s hand in his, he presses a kiss on the knuckles, half closing his eyes at the heavenly feeling of Touya’s skin against his.
“Yeah… everything’s perfect, petal.”
Notes:
HERE WE ARE, WHITE PETALS, RED FEATHERS IS OFFICIALLY OVER!!! writing this story was a rollercoaster of different emotions, and sharing it with all of you made me incredibly happy. i know I've been saying this so often i probably sound like a broken record but i must really thank you for the support you've shown me since the prologue. i wish i had the words to express how grateful i am. thank you for sticking by and believing in this story, i hope it was worth your time.
as you know I've already started working on a new project and all the love wprf has received is really giving me motivation for the new story. i wish i could tell you when i'll start posting it, but i don't know. as i said before, i like to finish my stories before posting them, so i can change stuff if i need to or easily fix old mistakes.
but i still wanna share with you a little something: i made a strawpage to put some wips and sneak peeks together, so you guys can be updated on what I'm working on. as for now, you can find the first half of the prologue of my next project there and soon there'll be more. you can either find it here or by opening my strawpage and clicking on the wip button.
if you made it this far, thank you. thank you for reading this whole stream of consciousness and thank you for reading white petals, red feathers. i'd love to know what you think about this epilogue or about the story overall, so leave a comment if you want.
i'll see you soon, take care <3
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