UPDATE (YYYY/MM/DD) : 2020/10/04

CHAPTER EIGHT - PART ONE

Hazard of having Family Dramas

Shouto's answers about his parents were everything Denki hoped for that Denki couldn't believe his own ears when he heard. It was truly shocking. It was too convenient that Denki felt like he would get divine retribution. But Shouto did say all that and his ears weren't playing tricks on him.

'Now what? This Shouto doesn't mind using his fire quirk, this Shouto doesn't mind playing along with Enji's desire. What does this mean to the series' Shouto?'

"Touya-niisan," he greeted, jogging to the dazed redhead. "How was obasan… you okay?"

The middle schooler didn't look okay. 'Did something happen?'

The boy looked up to him, startled. "Ah, Denki. Sorry, I was lost in thought. Come, let's go home."

'Home? Whose home? His home? He never addressed his home as my home too.'

Denki was concerned about the older boy throughout the walk back to the Todoroki Residence. His uneasiness was proven nowhere near baseless when ten minutes later Touya was so dazed he became suicidal.

"Niisan, it's the red light for the pedestrians!" Denki called the teen when he walked past the sidewalk. The red headed teen had crossed the road when cars and other vehicles were rushing through. The other people gathering behind him and the ones across the street were starting to become concerned. "Niisan!"

The teen was not listening.

"TOUYA-ONIISAN!" Denki screamed.

The teen stopped walking and turned around. "Denki? Why are you-

It happened like a slow motion to the blonde.

Lightning gathered in his legs and circulated really fast. Then Denki disappeared from where he was standing. His mind had gone white, his legs moved on their own, and there was no whywhenwhatwhoHow. He had sprinted. His hand had shot out to the side. Electricity ran through said hand. In front of his open palm, a large red surface had materialized.

There was no hesitation in his steps as he ran, grabbed the teen by the strap of his backpack with one, and ran again. Only when they had gotten to the other side of the road did the red surface shattered into thousands of pieces, that his other hand let go of the backpack strap, that he climbed up on top of the teen, that his right hand shot out once more. His mind was still white but he knew what he wanted to do, what he wanted to say.

*SLAP!*

"WAKE UP, TOUYA-NIISAN!" Denki screamed, truly frightened to the core. Tears streamed down his golden orbs like no tomorrow.

*SLAP!*

"WAKE UP, DAMN IT!"

He clutched to the teen's gakuran shirt.

"W- What would I do if you had died?! If that truck hit you?! W- What should I say to oneesan, to Natsu-niisan, to Shouto?! W- W- W- What should I say to Rei-obasan when she gets better?! W- W- Why are you being like this, Touya-niisan?! I was s- so s- s- scared!"

Denki was bawling by now.

"W- W- Who will play s- shogi with me anymore?! Huwaaa! Aahh Aahh!" He bawled, his fingers curled like claws on the teen's front shirt. "N- Niizaann you idioottt huwaahh!"

Denki was inconsolable. Shouto's older brother almost died right in front of his eyes. To him, Touya and Natsuo are the closest to older brother figures in this lifetime. Touya especially, he liked him very much! Denki couldn't even express in words how much what occurred just now scared him.

.

.

'Great. It's this man who opens the door.'

"What happened?" The gruff voice was the last thing he wanted to hear right now.

"Huh? Touya-niisan and Denki?"

"Huh, Denki? What are you doing here so late?"

"What are you guys doing in front of the house?!"

"... I almost got run over by a truck," Touya said quietly, uncaring of his family's reaction. He felt so tired that he could barely stand. He was completely emotionally drained. "I didn't see the lights had turned red, I crossed the road, and I didn't hear Denki calling. We were from the hospital…"

"I only realized where I was when Denki was screaming his lungs out. I saw him going blank, used his quirk on his legs, ran after me, dragged me along… he slapped me, screamed at me, cried his lungs out, sobbing and yelling at me, and passed out," Touya said shakily, holding to Denki who while unconscious still didn't let go of him. God knows how much scare he gave the kid.

The look in the boy's golden orbs - pure anguish and despair and Fear - wouldn't leave his head. He doubted it can easily be forgotten.

"I shocked and frightened him so much that he clawed onto my shirt and didn't let go when he passed out. If it's okay… please let him stay over tonight, Otousan. If only to reassure him that I haven't gone anywhere, and to reassure myself that he didn't die in my place after doing something so reckless."

His arms that carried Denki tremble and shudder. Denki's heartbeats were the only thing that anchored him to reality right now.

He didn't die. The blonde haired kid who is besties with his youngest brother, who is cheeky and mischievous, who humors him with shogi all the time, didn't either. He needed to be sure of this.

He bowed deeply in that position. "Please. I will talk to Yuugo-ojisan and beg him and you if I must. Please…"

He didn't see the expression his father had. He didn't see his siblings' shocked and pale faces. He only saw Denki who was still crying even when unconscious.

"No need. Come in already. Fuyumi, heat up dinner. Natsuo, prepare a warm bath. Shouto, lend Denki a change of clothes. I need to make a call."

"Thank you very much, Otousan."

All of the sudden, his sights became blurry, and he fell forward, his hold on Denki was ever firm and secure. Like that, he too passed out.

*THUD*

"-ya! Touya-nii!"

"Otousan, niisan fainted!"

.

On the next day, Touya woke up in his bedroom with Denki in his arms. He noticed the boy's heartbeats and he noticed that their clothes had been changed. Touya's turquoise colored eyes glanced at the time and he extended his hand to Denki. Gentle but steady hand stroked Denki's spiky but soft hair for many minutes, unknowing that Denki had woken up sometime ago before he woke up.

Touya didn't notice Denki's golden orbs being alive as he stared at the ticking alarm clock. The child's breathing was even.

"I'm alive. Thank you, Denki."

Denki closed his eyes and took a nap.

A/N: Last but not the least, thank you for everyone's support and kind words. I can't believe that this story would be followed by so many people! Over 300! Truly, I wouldn't be here and this story wouldn't have survived if not for you guys. Thank you so much for all of your support. *bows ninety degrees*

In any case, the story barely started~ It'd be nice if more people come to like it. I'll be looking forward to more of your comments, like, and favorite. See you later in the next chapter~