Since my summer officially started, here you go :)

chapter 4: smokescreen

Touya felt warm.

It wasn't a kind of warmth he was used to. Endeavor's fire burned hot and angry like a forest fire - it was something that made him afraid - and his own blue flames were roiling and flared like fireworks. But this warmth…it reminded him of Mom. It was a simmering, sort of comforting heat. His tolerance for colder temperatures had always made her feel warm and soft. He missed her.

Stirring slightly, Touya felt his body ache when he moved. It wasn't as persistent as it was before, and was a lot duller than he remembered. It felt like his burns had been treated and he didn't smell like ash anymore.

His instincts screamed at him to move, to run and look for Endeavor, that something was wrong because why wasn't he dead?—but his body was too sluggish to do anything more than shift and try to hide himself in the blankets that surrounded him.

Blankets..?

His eyes snapped open, and he rolled onto his side when he felt the presence of another person behind him.

Touya was met with a woman.

She was sitting in a plush chair with a kid a few years younger than himself in her lap who was eyeing him warily. He hadn't even felt the kid's presence; it was just like Shouto. The lady was slowly running her fingers through the kid's bluish-gray hair, but her eyes never left Touya's form.

He noticed that the freckles on her dark skin were glowing a soft blue color that reminded him of Fuyumi's ice. Her eyes were concerned—it was something he wasn't used to.

That look was always in his siblings' eyes and he was tired of seeing it when they were only kids, they shouldn't have to be worried about him when he was the eldest and he was supposed to protect them. And…and he couldn't even do that, could he? Instead he had vowed revenge on his littlest brother without a second thought just to get back at their father, and what kind of brother did that make him? What kind of person did that make him? It was just like Endeavor to be as petty as to destroy everything that was important to someone else.

He was more like his father than he thought.

The thought made him sick.

Against his better judgment, Touya activated his fire and rolled off the bed in a practiced movement, springing up in a fighting stance to hold his hand out at the two.

"Who are you and how did I get here?" he asked with a growl, keeping an eye on the two and some of his attention on making sure the flame danced just above his hand. He didn't need another injury when he was already so hurt.

"Tenko- no! the lady shouted, her eyes going wide in fear when the boy that had been sitting in her lap sprung up and charged at Touya, palms up. "Tenko!"

Touya didn't understand her fear, but from the way the kid positioned his hands he could take a guess that he had a five-point Quirk and should avoid his hands at all cost.

Leaping over the bed and heading for the window at the back of the room, Touya was prepared to break the glass when the room lit up in a brilliant blue color that wasn't unlike his flames.

White dots filled his vision and now, blinded, he forced his eyes closed and stumbled on something, his head slamming into the wall and black filling his head.

..

His head fucking hurt; it was like someone took a hammer at it. It reminded him of his training days with Endeavor, back before he could properly block. Wait-

Touya bolted upright, but was immediately pushed back down by hands on his shoulders gently but firmly.

He gasped in surprise when the lady appeared above him, but it was hard to make her out with the wavering colors still in his vision.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" she said, keeping her grip firm.

Touya grunted as he tried to push her off, but his body was still too weak and he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten. His stomach gnawed at itself, begging for food, but he had to worry about that later and figure out how the hell to get out of here.

"You hungry, kiddo?" the lady asked when his stomach growled literally a second later. Touya's eyes finally cleared, and he could see her better.

That same concerned look still lingered in her eyes, but this time there was some annoyance. Touya didn't know what to make of her as she slowly let him up, though she didn't move away enough for his liking. At least she wasn't touching him anymore.

She tilted her head and scrutinized him, not making a comment about his ratty appearance, far too thin arms, and severe burn scars.

"I bandaged you up best I could with what I had, but we were low on burn cream and I needa get some. You're gonna stay here and Tenko's gonna keep an eye on you, and then we'll get you something to eat. Alright?" Touya stared at her. Was she serious? She was just going to let this random injured kid into her house and feed him without a second thought?

"Koko burned the soup the last time I let him in the kitchen, in case you were wondering."

Touya startled. How do you burn soup? "I..wasn't wondering?" he said, but even to him it sounded more like a question.

The lady grinned. "Cool. I'm Julie, and I should be back in a few. Try not to burn the house down in that time or the police'll get involved, and I doubt you want that." He would've blinked at her having an American name, but he was more concerned about the fucking police. What if they found him? What if Endeavor didn't know he wasn't dead? What if he wanted him back? He couldn't go back—he wouldn't go back and nobody could make him. He'd kill himself a thousand times over before ever stepping foot back in that bastard's house, regardless of his siblings. Endeavor would keep working him like a fucking dog and would end up killing him for real next time—he can't go through that again, I don't want to go back-

"Shh, hey, it's okay, you're safe here, I won't let you leave until you're better, okay?" the lady - Julie, his fogged mind provided - said, but it was getting hard to breathe like he had been launched into space. He didn't even realize he was crying until Julie gasped quietly, hand reaching forward to brush against his cheek.

Her fingers came away red.

Screaming mutely, Touya clawed at his face, heart hammering in his chest, the phantom smell of smoke choking his lungs, the echoes of his own screams filling his head as Dad loomed above him, red flames licking his clothes and spreading throughout the training room.

Nothing but a failure, Dad sneered down at him. Too weak to even handle your own Quirk. How do you ever expect to be a Hero when all you do is cry? You can't even defend yourself. You are no son of mine.

The blood roared in his ears and his dad's hand was clamped around his throat; he can't fucking breathe- Dad was going to murder him and no one would ever know and all he could see was red red red, a wave of blood looming over him to come crashing down and choking his lungs and the smell of smoke in the air-

Shouto crying and begging for Dad to stop, Mama curled up on the floor crying—all she could do was watch as her husband hurt her children over and over and over again; Fuyumi screaming, pleading to Dad to leave Shouto alone; Natsuo couldn't do anything but hold back Dad's fist as it swung at Fuyumi, but he was too weak and his hands were too small and he went crashing into the table-

And there was Touya, watching it all happen from behind a smokescreen. Fuzzy and the sound muffled, protecting him and keeping him safe from his father's wrath.

So why didn't it feel like that?

Coward, weakling, disappointment, failure child, not my son, you'll never make it out there-

Strong hands wrapped around him and pulled him into a tight hold.

Panic swirled in his chest and cleared his mind for him just enough to realize that Julie was hugging him close.

"He can't hurt you anymore," she was whispering, and Touya vaguely recognized it as English. "I won't let him hurt you. I'll keep you safe, just like Tenko. You can stay here as long as you like, and- and you can have all the food you want." Touya felt water drip onto his shoulder, and registered that she was crying too. But her tears were warm and salty and not blood.

He wanted to pull away and fight her, scream at her that he didn't want her to touch him, but the hug…it was nice. Touya couldn't remember the last time someone hugged him.

Natsu…Natsu spent as much time in his room as he could so he didn't have to see Da…Endeavor, but that meant he didn't see Touya either. Fuyumi had always been so careful not to touch him after he came back from training with more sores and burns than he could count. She helped to ice his wounds, but because of his tolerance to colds he rarely did any good. And Shouto…

Endeavor never let the rest of him around him. He claimed they would 'taint' him, that he would be a failure just like him. How Touya loathed his father.

So this…this hug was the closest thing he's gotten to positive physical affection since Mom went away.

Touya sighed, and leaned into the hug.

..

"Tenko, make sure the kid doesn't leave, alright? If he wakes again get him some water, would you?" Tenko only nodded mutely as Julie grabbed her keys and money, sending him one last look before closing the door behind her.

Two years ago he would've panicked at the sound of the door locking and being left alone, but he knew now that she would be back like she promised.

She always came back.

Tenko wondered what he would do when she stopped.

He immediately pushed the thoughts out of his mind and locked them in the dark room he kept all his bad thoughts in. The room had shrunk in the time he had lived with Julie, but he knew it would always be there. His nightmares never stopped, after all.

And now there was someone new.

Turning, Tenko slunk into the guest room that the other boy was sleeping in. He had passed out in Julie's arms, but she didn't seem to notice as she hummed a tune Tenko didn't know and put him to rest under the covers. He had tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that pooled in his chest at the thought, but each time it only weighed heavier until it felt like an anvil sat on his chest.

It was annoying.

The boy lay in bed, covered nearly head to toe in bandages and hogging most of the pillows in the house.

He didn't look peaceful by any means, and Tenko knew the burns were as painful as they looked. Thick gauze was wrapped around the boy's lower face and around his head, but when he woke up the second time, the panic attack he had seemed to distract him from it.

Tenko knew what people looked like when someone was hurting them.

Julie said all abusees had to stick together, and that there was no shame in it because it didn't make you weak.

"It's not weak to lean on someone," she always said. "Having the support of others makes you stronger, and maybe one day you'll be healed enough to stand on your own again."

Tenko hoped it was true. The sooner the other boy was better the sooner he could leave.

Tenko took a seat in the chair Julie had been using earlier, pulling out a game and powering it up.

Every now and then he'd send a glance at the kid, but his focus remained on his game. For the most part.

He couldn't help but wonder about him. He looked a few years older than himself, but you wouldn't be able to tell with how skinny his arms were, and he wasn't much taller than Tenko. He wondered ideally how often the kid ate and if his home life was as bad as his had been.

He glanced up again.

No. Those scars were too deep and those burns weren't all new. It had been happening for years. Tenko wondered if the Heroes ever noticed anything wrong at his home.

Another glance.

Heroes don't care, he told himself again. Why would they? It's not like children ever benefited them. They only cared if they got money and fame. There was no reason for them to try and help some abused kid that would probably only get them a brief mention on the news. Maybe the other boy was on the news too.

Another glance.

Maybe he killed his dad too. There was plenty of blood on him. He would probably be dead by now if it wasn't all his.

Tenko looked over at him to see if he was still breathing. Just in case.

He was.

Tenko returned to his game. He wondered when Julie would come home. The store wasn't too far, and the only thing she was getting was some first aid materials they didn't already have and some burn cream, if he heard correctly.

Maybe those burns came from himself, he thought as he destroyed another ship in his game. But- no, that was ridiculous. Quirks couldn't hurt their users unless they went too far. Maybe he had gone too far. It was possible, if his dad wanted him to use his Quirk all the time. But why would he do that? Tenko's bastard father didn't like Quirks at all, and everyone was forbidden from using them in the house. Despite that…he had been enraged when Tenko didn't have one by the time he turned five.

What had the man even wanted from him?

Guess it was a good thing he was gone, he supposed.

The boy on the bed groaned and rolled over, blinking a turquoise eye open and locking eyes with Tenko.

He slowly put the game away, not breaking eye contact with the other kid, like he expected him to vanish into thin air if he looked away first. Maybe he would, considering he was so quick to run for the window.

They were caught in a stalemate, both refusing to blink.

Tenko's eyes began to water at being open for so long as the minutes ticked by, and he ignored the urge to squint. The other boy looked in a similar state, but he couldn't tell if it was because he was tired or not.

Tenko lost and blinked first.

The boy sighed mutely and rested his head back against the many pillows, letting his head loll down so he was looking at the floor, but it looked like he would fall asleep any second now.

"What's your name?" Tenko asked after weighing his options of going back to his game and letting the kid sleep or being helpful to Julie. It didn't take him long to decide.

The boy was already asleep by the time he managed to mutter Touya.