Touya sat on a white, hard plastic chair in the waiting room of the hospital, his leg bouncing up and down, hands fidgeting with anything they could get a hold of. He bit his lip nervously, eyes constantly flickering to the door on his right in anticipation.
It had been almost half an hour since he arrived in the back of an ambulance with his father and Shoto, and only ten since he'd called Tenko. He knew they lived only around fifteen minutes away, but it still felt like forever.
The room around him had white walls, gray tiles, a few windows here and there, the receptionist desk on the back wall, and a few doors littered along the walls. The sounds of typing from the woman behind the desk tapped at his ears, along with the whispered conversations of the multiple other people around the room.
The familiar smell of mint brushed his nose, that, due to his multiple times visiting here for burns from his quirk, he knew came from the air freshener the receptionist kept at her desk to help with the common smell that lingered in this section of the hospital.
But right now, the scent did nothing but burn and make his eyes water slightly, reminding him that this wasn't just another minor burn from his fire. And he wasn't sure all the mint in the world could block out the horrendous smell of burnt flesh.
He wasn't sure he'd ever forget Shoto's ear piercing scream or his mother's frantic apologies and panicked state. He didn't know if the sight he'd seen when he ran into the kitchen, being close enough to arrive before his father or siblings, would ever not be burned into his eyes.
The tea pot on the ground, knocked over with still steaming water underneath. His mother's wife, erratic, wrecked gaze. His brother's cries and pleas. The red, raw, boiling skin around eyes that screamed louder than his voice ever could.
A chill racked Touya's body up and down just remembering it.
His father had ran in soon after, followed by Fuyumi and Natsuo. An ambulance was called and Touya had insisted on coming with Shoto and Endeavor to the hospital. He'd been allowed only on because there was no time to argue, he knew.
What he hadn't yet realized, in too much of a panicked state trying to help his brother and his mother however he could, was that Endeavor had also called the mental hospital on his mother.
He'd forever regret going to the hospital and never getting a chance to say goodbye to his mother before it was too late. Because that morning was the last time he'd see her for many years to come.
His head snapped up at the sound of a door opening, first looking to the door on his right that the doctors had taken his brother and father through. When that was still closed, he looked to the front door where he heard footsteps rushing closer.
"Touya!"
In an instant, Tenko was in front of him, crouched down and looking him over with wide, worried red eyes. "Are you ok? What happened? Oh man, you look terrible. Have you been crying? What happened? Is everyone ok? Are you ok?"
Touya hardly registers the ramble of questions, instead standing up and choosing to wrap his arms around Tenko, hurrying his face in the boy's shoulder. If he looked weak and like a pathetic child, he didn't care. He needed a hug right now.
After only a second's hesitation, two arms wrapped around him as well and they stood there for a long moment. Touya didn't cry, he didn't. Not again. You don't know what you're talking about.
He wasn't sure how much time passed before he finally, slowly pulled away, and Tenko let him. He kept his eyes down, embarrassed as what he'd just done sank in. "Sorry," he sniffed lightly.
"Don't apologize," Tenko smiled at him, eyes filled with worry but pushing that aside for the sake of Touya. Touya gave a small smile back.
Tenko lowered into the chair next to the one Touya'd been in, and Touya hesitantly sat down again too, only just now realizing Hisashi sat a few chairs down, eyes purposely glued to his phone. Touya was grateful for the man not saying anything.
Touya would die before admitting this to a soul, but over the last few years, with how much time he'd spent at the Midoriya!s apartment, he'd begun to think of Hisashi as more of a father figure then Endeavor ever was. Hisashi felt like what a dad was supposed to be like.
"What happened, Touya?" Touya's eyes flicked back up to Tenko, whose smile was gone and worry pressing hard against Touya's suddenly guilty conscience. "Is everyone ok?"
Touya looked back down at his lap, waiting a long moment before he answered. He tried to piece his thoughts together into words that made sense, but it felt like a puzzle where half the pieces were blurred with colors he didn't understand. Finally, he spoke.
"Mom finally snapped."
There was no noise from either of the near by occupants, but he couldn't practically feel the atmosphere's tension rise.
He knew Hisashi knew, Tenko had admitted to him a while ago that they were trying to figure out a way to help him. While he wasn't sure how that would be possible, he was grateful for their efforts, and honestly didn't mind if Hisashi and Tenko were the only people outside of their family to know. They were probably who he trusted most, though Keigo, Rumi, and Inko came close behind.
Izuku was still little, sue him for not trusting a child to keep serious secrets.
Tenko's hand shifted closer to him on the seats, a small movements but an obvious offer to Touya. Touya took it gratefully, grabbing his friend's hand like a life source and desperately holding the tears back.
Gosh he was so pathetic for crying this much.
"You don't have to explain," Tenko offered quietly.
Touya would've happily taken that offer as well. He didn't necessarily want to talk about it, to reopen the wounds he'd only just barely managed to keep from bleeding out. He didn't want to freshen the memories in his head when they had hardly started to fade.
But on the other hand, it had been plaguing his stomach all morning, and a voice in the back of his head told him it'd only get better if he let it out.
It reminded him of something his mom told him a few years ago. She had sat next to him on the couch, running her fingers through his hair after a particularly hard day, and had been trying to convince him not to bottle it all up inside and let her or his sibling in too.
She told him that things like this were like a cut. You can stitch it up, but it might get an infection and come back with a vengeance. You needed to clean and disinfect it first, even though it stings.
"I don't know much," he started, voice near silent and subconsciously leaning into Tenko. "But I think it was Shoto's left side. Mom had been having breakdown while making tea, and Shoto walked in. His left side reminded her too much of dad and…"
He swallowed and finally acknowledged the hand brushing his head, focusing on the touch as he breathed shakily.
"She threw the kettle, Shoto's left side got burned bad around his eye. I ran in after he screamed and saw it, it was-" he choked but made himself continue, ignoring the way the hand had froze. "It made me sick, Tenko. His scream, and she looked so broken, and-"
He couldn't say anymore after that, dissolving into choked hiccups as he desperately willed the built up tears not to fall.
Tenko was silent for a long moment, but finally the fingers started moving through his hair again, even if a bit less steady than before.
No one spoke after that, just Tenko just offering his silent comfort and Touya basking in it silently.
Then Touya's phone rang.
With a groan, he sat up and sniffed, wiping at his wet face as he reached for his phone. It was Fuyumi, according to the caller ID.
He took a deep breath, hoping to make his voice not sound like he'd been crying, when suddenly the phone was quickly, but not hardly ripped out of his hands.
A minute later, Tenko was answering with the call on speakerphone. "Hello?"
"To- wait, Tenko?" Came Fuyumi's confused, but clearly distressed voice, which wasn't unexpected being the mornings events but still had Touya on edge.
"Yeah, it's me. Touya called me to the hospital."
"Oh," Fuyumi sniffed. "Well, could I speak to him?"
Tenko glanced at him. "He can't talk at the moment, but I can pass on a message if you want."
"Oh." Fuyumi sounded hesitant, but sighed. "I guess you already know enough for me to tell you."
A long moment of silence where Tenko glanced at Touya again. He opened his mouth to speak when the phone finally crackled to life again.
"Our dad sent our mom to a mental facility after what happened this morning."
—-
When Izuku woke up to an empty bedroom aside from himself, he decided not to panic. He definitely didn't let out a small whine. Nope.
He was eight now, he was too old to scared of sleeping alone. He was even sleeping in his own bed now!
Tenko was probably just in the bathroom, or had woken up early. Though Tenko never woke up early.
Izuku slid off his bed and out from under his All Might themed comforter, then made his way out of his and Tenko's room.
When he stepped into the hallway, he immediately heard mommy on the phone in the kitchen, and started towards her, rubbing his eye sleepily.
"Alright, thanks for letting me know, Hisashi. Oh, I hope poor little Shoto is ok. Rei too."
Izuku paused outside of the kitchen, watching his mom curiously as she was faced away from him, cooking something on the stove.
What about Shoto? Was he ok?
"Do you think I should tell Izuku? Shoto is one of his best friends."
Izuku blinked.
Mommy sighed. "Thats true, if it scars he'll ask no matter what, and Shoto might not want to say. But Izuku will be so worried and want to know. And he'll want to know where Tenko is…"
Oh, right. Tenko wasn't here. It sounded like neither was daddy, but it was the weekend. Where were they?
"Ok, I'll tell him once he wakes up. Yes, I know he's a big boy. Alright, love you too, dear. Tell Tenko so too, and Touya for that matter. Sounds like he needs it."
After a quick goodbye, she hung up and went back to stirring whatever she was cooking. It smelled really good from where he was now perched on the chair behind the counter.
"Tell me what?"
She jumped with a gasp and whirled around to face him, then just as quickly jumping in fear of having burned herself or dropped the food. Luckily the food and her hand were fine, as far as he could tell.
She let out a breath and chuckled, turning back to him. "Izuku, you scared me."
He frowned. "I'm sorry, I'd didn't mean to."
She smiled at him warmly and turned back to the food. "I know dear, it's quite alright."
He tilted his head. "What were you talking to dad about telling me?"
She didn't say anything for a while, so long that he considered asking what she was making instead, but he wanted to be sure Shoto was ok.
Finally she sighed and turned to him after sliding the pan off the burner. "Well, Izuku, there was an- accident, at Shoto and Touya's house this morning."
Izuku shifted nervously, not liking where this was going. "Are they ok?"
"Touya's fine."
And well didn't her avoiding Shoto's name make his stomach twist.
He shifted again. "Mommy? Is Shoto ok?"
She hesitated for one second before trying a reassuring smile. "He's- he's alright now. He just…" she sighed and leaned forward. "He's in the hospital."
He straightened, eyes going wide and nervous. "H- he is? What- what happened? He's- hurt? Is it bad? How-"
"Breathe, Izu, baby," she said, cupping his hands in hers.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, not breaking eye contact from her. She looked nervous and worried herself. But she still smiled. "Good."
He bit his lip and stared at her, silently begging for an explanation before he threw up in anxiety.
"He got burned, that's all," she said hurriedly, probably seeing the panic in his eyes. He wasn't sure if that helped or made it worse. "It was pretty bad though, on his face. He'll wear bandages for a while, and after that it'll probably scar, so you'll be able to see it."
He was still horribly worried for his friend, but he felt a bit better knowing what was wrong. A part of him wondered how he got burned if he was fire resistant, but decided against asking, sensing it was personal since she'd avoided the topic.
"He'll be ok?" He asked again, because he reallly needed the reassurance,
She smiled reassuringly. "He'll be ok."
He took another long deep breath, then another, and another, until finally he felt like he wasn't shaking and ready to throw up.
"Can we go see him? That's where Tenko and Daddy are, right?"
She let go of his hands but didn't move away from beside him. "They're with Touya, who's waiting for his father and Shoto. As far as I know, visitors aren't being permitted yet."
He slumped a bit. He wanted to see Shoto, and hug him, and make sure he was ok. He was still scared, and Shoto probably was too.
"But Touya's not gonna leave until he see's his brother, and I doubt Tenko will be leaving him any time soon so," Inko smiled, "we'll hear when visitors are being allowed or Shoto gets released and can head over. How does that sound?"
He nodded, a little bummed at having to wait, but more hopeful at getting to see his friend at all.
Mommy nodded back. "You alright?"
"Yeah. Can I use your phone to text Toshi's mommy to text him?"
She furrowed her eyebrows for a moment in thought, seeming hesitant at letting Izuku tell Hitoshi, but finally sighs. "Alright. I'll guess he'll see the scar eventually anyways."
A few minutes later, Izuku was typing on his mom's phone to Hutoshi's mom's phone, which Hitoshi had.
Inko: Shoto got hurt
Kari: oh no is he ok?
Inko: I think so. But he's in the hospital. Mommy says it's a burn and will scar and we will see what it looks like.
Kari: what happened?
Inko: I don't know. Mommy didn't say.
Kari: are you going to visit him?
Inko: yeah, later. Right now we're not allowed too.
Kari: well you'll have to call me while your ther or just tell me how h is, cus I won't be able to come.
Inko: alright. Mommy needs her phone back, I'll see you later.
Kari: alright, bye Izuku. Tell Shoto I hope he feels better soon.
Izuku:
—-
The moment the door on the right wall of the waiting room opened and a doctor stepped out, Tenko watched as Touya's body went rim-rod straight, a stark comparison to the slumped, defeated posture he'd held before, almost entirely being held up by Tenko's shoulder after breaking down crying for at least the second time that day.
It had been strange, to say the least, to see his friend so vulnerable and scared. After learning a the extent of the boy's struggles at home, he had thought the boy could Stan duo to anything if he could his father. He realized now how wrong he was.
He finally wrapped his head entirely around the fact that Touya cared just as much about Shoto as Tenko did Izuku, and Tenko wasn't sure what he'd do if he heard Izuku scream in pain before ending up in a hospital, and then lose his mother in the same day.
So he'd just held Tenko silently, letting him cry and just being there, just like Hisashi had told him too years ago. He as going to be here for his best friend, and he wouldn't let anything happen to him.
"Are any of you Touya Todoroki?" The doctor asked. He was an older, short and stubby man with a white coat, glasses, and almost completely bald aside from a bushy gray mustache.
Touya raised his hand a bit, likely not wanting to speak. Tenko squeezed the hand that he hadn't let go of in who knows how long reassuringly, and Touya squeezed lightly back.
The doctor smiled at him, though Tenko wouldn't have described it as warm or kind, really. "I was told to let you know that Shoto is fully conscious, bandaged, healed as best as we could, and will be released in a few hours. You may go in to see him."
Touya was out of his seat before the man finished speaking, and through the door just as fast. Tenko quickly got out of his seat to follow, and Hisashi stood up after.
As Tenko hurried through the door, he heard Hisashi speak to the doctor behind him. "Which room?"
"211," replied the doctor.
As soon as Tenko was through the door, Touya was turned back around and coming back towards them quickly.
"211," Tenko said, guessing what Touya was running back for.
Touya smiled at him gratefully and spun back around to continue running down the hall. Tenko huffed and started after, at a much slower pace, Hisashi quickly catching up behind.
By the time they finally came up to the door, it was half open and he could hear voices inside. Luckily it seemed like Endeavor wasn't here right now.
Hisashi reached forward and knocked before lightly pushing the door open. "We interrupting anything?"
There were no doctors or nurses, the room was empty aside from the two boys on the bed. Touya was halfway wrapped around his younger brother, and Shoto had his arms wrapped around him in return in a hug.
Bright blue eyes and a gray eye flickered up to them, wide and caught, before they both pulled apart quickly, neither meeting any eyes in the room.
Hisashi chuckled and Tenko smiled as they both stepped farther in. "Mind if we come in?"
Shoto shook his head, slowly looking up to meet both their eyes. It hurt Tenko's heart a bit to see the bandage wrapped all across the left side of Shoto's face, completely blocking out the blue gaze. Luckily the rest of the boy looked like he always did, dull and serious, but betraying some confusion. "I didn't know you both were here."
Tenko stepped over and plopped onto the bed. "Yeah, Touya called us over and told us what happened. Are you alright, Candy Cane?"
Shoto frowned at the nick name, as he always did, much to Tenko's pleasure, but didn't say anything about it. His hand came up to gently brush against the bandages. "Bandages are itchy, and I can't see because of them. But it doesn't hurt anymore."
Touya slumped a bit in relief, and Tenko smiled, reaching to ruffle Shoto's hair. "That's good."
Hisashi stepped closer. "You had us all pretty worried, but you were really brave."
Shoto smiled just barely up at Hisashi, then dropped his gaze, reaching to feel the bandages again. "The doctor said it will probably scar pretty bad."
"I bet it'll be a super awesome looking scar," Tenko grinned. "Like those video game characters who look super touch and cool cause they have scars over their eyes or something."
Shoto lets out a small huff that resembles a laugh, and Tenko grin wider, looking up at Touya who's also smiling.
Then Shoto looks up at Touya, seeming a bit hesitant as he glances at Tenko and Hisashi, but eventually settles on his brother.
"Is mom ok?"
Any smiles fell, and everyone in the room stiffened slightly.
No matter how hard they tried to hide it, Shoto seemed to easily pick up on the shift as he glanced around nervously, curling in on himself a bit.
"It wasn't her fault," he muttered.
Touya put a hand on his shoulder. "We know."
The two teens and the adult all share glances before eyes lock on Touya, silently asking if they should leave. Touya hesitated a moment before shaking his head, looking almost pleading for them to stay.
Hisashi nods and Tenko smiled reassuringly. Shoto doesn't seem to notice the silent conversation as everyone turns back to the small boy.
This was going to be a hard conversation.