REVISED (YYYY/MM/DD) : 2020/09/29

CHAPTER SEVEN - PART ONE

Hazardous Friend's Family Dramas

"You're good."

It doesn't make him feel happy to hear that from Endeavor, the hero hellbent on surpassing All Might, the Number One Hero.

"Thank you," he said politely.

"Now spar again with your quirks!"

"That!" Denki spoke up loudly. "I can't do that!"

"Denki!" Shouto exclaimed in alarm. There were many bruises from their earlier spar.

Denki looked to Shouto and he bit his lower lip. The man didn't want to have other spar other than one beating another until he called stop. Denki didn't know he could feel so angry.

"I don't want to. I will spar with Shouto with quirk when I want to. Besides, why are you the one fired up, ojisan?" He pointed out in annoyance. "I'm here because Shouto wants to try sparring with me. It's supposed to be an arrangement between us two to do in our leisure!" He shouted.

It was as if a thunder had struck behind the man.

"Go away, ojisan! We promise to play safely and not kill each other! Ojisan should do what ojisan does instead of bothering two six year old kids!" Denki screamed, breathing heavily while pointing to the dojo's door. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked like he was ready to pounce on the man.

Honestly, fury took over Denki and he was full of adrenaline. It's why Denki can be so suicidal.

He surprised himself when the man really did leave after that, shocked and stunned beyond belief.

*clack*

*silence*

Denki laid down on the wooden tiled floor.

"Um, Denki?" Shouto spoke up nervously. He was sitting seiza next to his head and he was looking to Denki from that position.

"Did I just kick out the owner of the house from his own training room, Shouto?" Denki asked quietly, evening his breath.

"... you did."

"... I lost it when he wanted another round of beating each other. I'm really sorry."

"... it's okay. I'm sorry for his treatment too. You're supposed to be a guest. You're my only friend. Please don't hate me."

"... you too. Please forgive me for yelling at your father. I didn't know what was up with me."

"... can I tell you a secret, Denki?"

"... what is it, Shouto?"

"... I don't know why, but I feel refreshed. I was shocked and surprised, but I didn't hate it. I'm a mean person, aren't I?"

"... no you're not. Or maybe you are. But even so, that'd make me a mean person too because I also feel refreshed. I'm really sorry."

"... hahaha"

Shouto laughed.

"Ahahaha!" *sob*

"Shouto?" Denki spoke up in concern, sitting up. "Is it the bruises?"

"N- no, it's not. I don't know why… these tears… I don't know too… It's just… I've always been scared of Otousan… training with him is really hard and tiring and painful… being around him feels like my insides being clenched and twisted… but after you yell and scream at him… that you won't do what you don't want to do… and him leaving like that… I don't know why… but I…

"I feel so relieved i- inside!" Shouto sobbed, clutching to Denki tightly. The boy's arms were around Denki and Denki returned the embrace just as fierce. He felt bubbling anger and fury inside. "I f- felt lighter… and tears just… tears just…!"

"Okay. I heard you loud and clear. Just focus on letting it out for now, Shouto. I got your back," Denki said, resting his chin on the other boy's shoulder.

It's like the gates suddenly broke apart and crumbled. Water flooded in and it was unstoppable. Tremors filled Shouto's tiny body and it was only because the boy had buried his face on Denki's shoulder that his sobs were successfully muffled. They stayed like that and Denki said nothing. He simply provided warmth, presence, and a steady hand on the boy's back.

'Well… this sure made me remember the time I thought Tousan was a kidnapper…' Denki thought to himself.

Now that he thought about it, each family has their own problems that outsiders had no clue about. Like Izuku with his nonexistent father, like the hazardous Mitsuki and Katsuki… just because they are all smiling and all happy outside doesn't mean there isn't something going on underneath.

Then again, nobody probably has it worse than the children of Endeavor. Rei is meek and a pushover while Enji is self-absorbed as ever.

'What a family…' he thought wearily, rubbing Shouto's head.

"Why… are you rubbing my head like this?"

Shouto's voice was shaky and trembling and he was still crying, but he was no longer sobbing and his body wasn't heaving fast and heavily like before. He wondered if it was because of the head rub.

"I feel like it," Denki said nonchalantly. "There there. Feel better now?" He asked, taking off his t-shirt and wiping Shouto's sweat, tears, and snot. Shouto pushed his hand away but Denki insisted. "Blow your nose with it already. It's already wet and dirty."

Shouto looked utterly mortified as he used his shirt to blow his nose. "Sorry…" he was red to his ears.

"No biggie. I can clean it easily later."

Denki didn't expect being hugged tightly again. "Thank you for being here, Denki."

"Me too," Denki said, his gaze softened. "Thank you for letting me inside," he said sincerely while patting the boy's back.

Little did they know that three pairs of eyes had been watching and listening from the start to the end, from when Denki was shouting and screaming to now.

Denki's friendship with Shouto significantly got stronger from his visit to Shouto's house. Shouto's older siblings also treated Denki well, his mother was very welcoming, and although Enji looked miffed and stiff, he didn't try anything after that. Denki froze and cold sweat for a bit when Yuugo asked what happened (he's sharp!) before telling him what happened. He told in detail about the spar and everything he yelled at the patriarch and simply told him how Shouto cried for a bit and what they did afterward. Yuugo keeled over from laughter that he was almost run over by a truck while they were walking. Yuugo cried and praised him.

After that day, Denki made an effort to know more about Shouto, Izuku, and Katsuki. Not just their food preferences but also their hobbies, books and movies they like, and things like that. He talked with them more in general and if there was a right opportunity, he asked about their family. Of course, he shared about himself too when they asked.

Denki went to Shouto's home a lot after that, about twice a week. And two and half years later, Shouto was admitted to the hospital and Fuyumi was the one who picked Denki up from school. "How is he?!" He blurted once he saw the older girl.

The girl only said, "See for yourself, Denki-kun."

She was really really upset so Denki didn't say more. He will see for himself.

.

.

Denki had been power-walking through the corridors of the hospital. He didn't wait for Fuyumi once she spilled Shouto's room number. He wished he could run, he would be so much faster. Upon arriving in front of the room, Denki swung open the door and entered.

His eyes were wide and filled with worry and he had been cold-sweating and feeling sick throughout the day. He couldn't concentrate on his studies at all, his thoughts were so full of Shouto being at the hospital room alone. Being friends with the guy for a few years, he knew how delicate the guy could be at times. And with all of his older siblings at school and Enji being a shitty father, how would he spend the entire time he's awake? What would he be thinking about? It makes him feel sick to his stomach.

Denki saw him first but Shouto reacted faster. Now that Denki has arrived, his mind went blank. Shouto was very pale but his face was unhurt. What should he ask first? His mother? How is he feeling? Shouto beat him to the punch.

"Okaasan threw boiling water at me," Shouto confessed, there was a bitter smile on his lips. His gaze was hollow. "It hit-

"No wait wait, sorry can I say something first?" Denki blurted inside the room but still in front of the room.

Shouto looked toward him quizzically. Denki's lips parted. "I won't have you saying you're done with me and that you don't need anybody to exact revenge to Ojisan, okay!" He exclaimed, panicked. Shouto stared at him uncomprehendingly. Denki's pupils were shaking, his eyebrows were furrowed, and his lips were trembling as he stood there stiffly.

He saw Shouto's lips parted and Denki immediately started speaking again. He has to convey everything before Shouto could say something!

"Don't just kick me aside and decide things on your own okay? If you want revenge, I'll help you plan for it. So don't decide on your own that we should stop being friends! Okay?!" Denki requested, tearing up.

Shouto's lips closed, then opened again.

"Your answer?!"

"U- um… alright?"

Denki felt his legs like jellies now. Holding to the wall next to him, he asked, "Can I sit on your bed on your right?"

His heterochromatic eyed friend nodded. "Sure." When he had made himself comfortable, sitting there, Shouto let out a long staggering breath. "I can't believe you," he muttered.

"Hm?" Denki replied, opening his backpack and taking out his lunchbox. "You want some? Do you have a specific diet from the doctor?" He asked, showing his box of side dishes.

"I don't. Can I? You haven't had lunch, no?"

Denki picked up one rolled egg with his chopsticks and fed Shouto. "I haven't. You think I can eat after being informed what happened last night? I couldn't even pay attention to class," he said after Shouto ate it. "I don't have much of an appetite right now so it's okay. 'Sides, hospital food sucks. I'd know. Here, have these chopsticks. I bring another pair."

Shouto didn't complain and took them. "... yummy."

"Thanks. Hey, I'm setting up the table okay?"

"Sure."

Fuyumi arrived when Denki had finished setting the table the patient uses to eat meals, placed all the food containers he brought, opened all the container's covers, and displayed all the food he brought with him. They're all the side dishes Shouto likes that Denki knows of.

Fuyumi stared at the spread. There were three containers of side dishes and one container of rice. Everything was sparkling. "Whoa, these are your usual lunch, Denki-kun?" She remarked.

Denki nodded. "Tousan didn't believe me, but I can cook! Would you like to try, neesan? I'll feed you~"

He thought she would refuse. After all, he was being too casual to the point of rudeness. But she took up on his offer, sitting on the left edge of the bed. "Thanks, Denki-kun," she said after feeding her an egg roll.

"Should we call for the nurse to bring another pair of chopsticks? I only bring two pairs."

Fuyumi patted Denki's head. "The egg roll is delicious but it's fine. I'll try your cooking another time. Eat well, Denki-kun, Shouto-kun."

"Then, itadakimasu~" Denki said before digging into his food. He really didn't have much of an appetite today. He ate a quarter of his rice and not much of his side dishes before wiping his mouth. "Thanks for the food…"

"You're already done?" Shouto asked in surprise.

Denki shrugged. "Mm. I wasn't hungry. Can you finish this all?" He asked.

Shouto looked to the food and nodded a little, his cheeks were pink. His eyes looked less hollow and dark, more alive, and now he can even tell that he still has room for more food. "Can I?"

"Sure," Denki said easily. "Don't force yourself if you can't though. I can continue at home later with more side dishes and rice."

"I'll partake then."

"Yes yes. Take your time~" Denki said before stretching and laying down across the bed by the foot of the bed. He yawned.

"Huh… Denki who is insistent on taking walks after eating is sleeping after eating?"

Denki sighed. "This is the hospital. I'd be a bother if I do that. Besides, cut me some slack please. I didn't sleep well last night. If it's not because I have to go to school, I'd skip classes to get sleep before visiting you. Do you know how much Toya-niisan scared the shit outta me with his text last night?" He mumbled, getting sleepier by the second.

"Oniisan texted you about me? Oi, Denki…"

Denki grabbed the toes that poked his thigh. "Stop that, I'm ticklish," he said tiredly, rubbing his eyes. "What was that?"

"Toya texted you?" It was Fuyumi.

"When did you exchange mobile numbers?" Shouto asked in interest.

"When… the day he taught me how to play shoji, I think," Denki mused. "Yeah, oh sorry, it wasn't a text. It's a voicemail. I went to bed early yesterday and he called when I was already asleep," he explained to the siblings. "I don't know how bad the injury is though."

He rolled over to the side and looked to Shouto sideways.

"Wanna cry?" He asked, letting go of Shouto's toes.

Shouto's mismatched eyes stared at Denki's golden ones. The boy's gaze was then directed to the empty containers, everything had gone to his stomach. He looked contemplative. He looked to his best friend who's looking very comfortable while lying down on his bed.

.

"I think… I was shocked last night, I couldn't really process what was happening. I didn't cry, I didn't feel anything actually." Now, all he felt was full. If Denki brought all the side dishes he liked thinking this was going to happen, his best friend was amazing. "Even now, no tears are falling when they should be."

Denki was still staring at him, waiting because he knew he hadn't finished talking.

"You mentioned you'd help me plan revenge earlier," Shouto murmured. Fuyumi flinched and looked at them in alarm, "But I don't feel anything but resignation. Okaasan snapping was going to happen any day, it was so obvious. I knew, you knew, Toya-niisan too, nothing we did work and we were just waiting for the inevitable. It was Otousan's fault for driving Okaasan to the corner, but Okaasan couldn't even see me trying to fill the void and ease her burden. Both of them were in their own worlds, bathing with their own pain, and seeing only themselves."

"When you said 'Pitiful'. I thought you meant the four of us, being born in this kind of family. But that wasn't it, right? You called Otousan and Okaasan pitiful."

Sadness touched his smile. "I thought about it from when i woke up to now. Yeah, you're right. They're pitiful."

"From when you first visited, I didn't feel Otousan was so scary anymore. He just has an unhealthy obsession with All Might. He wants me to be strong so I can surpass All Might, because he can't. I don't get how it's important at all that All Might get surpassed, but I can see now that it's that important to him. It's important enough that he married someone he didn't love. I still don't get it, but okay. It's important that All Might get surpassed," Shouto repeated.

He saw Denki snorted and chuckled softly. Shouto tilted his head. "You said 'I don't understand' twice hehe." Shouto's face warmed. "Yeah, me too. I don't get how my Tousan thinks too. He stubbornly holds something even if it will cause inconvenience. I'll tell you later after you're done."

Shouto nodded. "Yeah, so you see… after seeing him like that, I find that following what he wants is easier than going against him. I don't care about his obsession, but I want to be a strong hero anyway in the future, so our desires actually aligned. I did take a leaf out of your book and yell at him when I feel like dying. It surprisingly works."

"Should have yelled 'Go take All Might down by yourself if you wanna keep this up!'... you know?" Denki winked. Shouto laughed.

"I'll keep that for emergency," the half-and-half said seriously.

"I see… so no revenge?"

"My revenge is to not be an adult like him. Other kinds of revenge will make me like him and that makes my skin crawl."

"Okay. Whatever. Tell me if you change your mind. I still haven't forgotten what he did to me the first time I visited your home. I want to prank the hell out of him until he runs to his in-laws and begs for forgiveness."

Shouto stared.

"That's… actually tempting, Denki."

"You guys…! I'm still here, you know!" Fuyumi exclaimed, looking exasperated and actually concerned.

"How about obasan?"

Shouto looked at his lap. Fuyumi had tidied up the containers and put away the table.

"Honestly? Being in the hospital is probably what she needs. She was always jumpy or crying or looking like Otousan will materialize from thin air and start yelling at her. Time off from Otousan is probably for the best."

"Do you really think that?"

Shouto looked to Denki and tilted his head. "Yeah. I really think so. Otousan has zero delicacy that there's no way she will relax and heal at home."

"Okay, whatever."

"Don't prank Otousan, Denki-kun!"

Denki looked away, whistling.

Shouto's gaze softened. Truly, he was glad Denki bumped into him and made both of them fall at the supermarket years ago. It was the best thing that had happened to him.

"Ah, you interrupted me earlier. I haven't finished telling you yet."

"What is it about?"

"Okaasan poured boiling water on me, but I managed to cover my face with my forearms like this," Shouto lifted his right forearm and placed it in front of his face, the back of it faced in front of him. "The water hit my left arm and it burnt the back of my forearm from the wrist to nearly the elbow. The worst one is near the wrist."

Denki's lips parted. "Ah… I see…"

Shouto huffed, pouting. "That's not enough reaction, Denki. Do you know how much it hurts?"

"I know…?" the blonde spoke up. "Did you forget I went through it too?" He asked, lifting his left hand, showing his uneven palm and the remnants of burn scars around said hand. The skin on his palm, the back of his hand, and the area around his wrists looked really different compared to his right hand.

Shouto forgot. He really did.

"I think I've told you that I got burnt by a friend's explosion quirk really badly that it wasn't just the skin that got damaged but the bones also got hit a little," Denki said. "Be prepared, Shouto. The worst part is not the pain, but when it's drying. It was so itchy I felt like dying."

The mismatched haired and eyed boy gulped. "Please don't scare me like that, Denki."

"I wish I'm just scaring you, Friend."

Author's Note: Look forward to your Follow, Favorite, and Reviews~ See you in the next chapter!