Archive of Our Own ^beta

Dabi didn’t know how to feel waking up in a hospital room post war. His body was destroyed, and he was living in an oxygen chamber, yet he was alive. He was the sole survivor of the League of Villains. 

His leader was dead, along with all of his comrades. He failed in his mission to destroy hero society. He didn’t even get to kill his father or get him to look at him. In the end the one to bring Dabi down had been the masterpiece.

If he had any healthy tissue left in his eyes, he thinks he’d be crying. 

How utterly pathetic. 

The once nightmare-inducing vile villain Dabi couldn’t even wipe his own ass. He relied on hundreds of tubes and wires to simply keep him functioning, but even so, he could feel his body slowly breaking down. His organs were all on the brink of failing, and he didn't have any healthy skin left. He often wondered why the staff even bothered to keep him alive when he was clearly dying. Maybe this was his punishment for taking the lives of thousands. Instead of going to prison, he was going to spend the rest of his days rotting to death alone.

Because that's what he was, utterly alone. 

He thought his mother would at least come to see him, maybe even Fuyumi or Natsuo. At the very least, Shouto. What did he say when he beat him? That he wanted them all to be family again? So much for that bullshit. He hasn’t seen anyone in all the months he’s been stuck here. 

Well…except for him.

His father has been at his side since the moment he regained consciousness. The second he opened his eyes, there was his father, tearfully apologizing and spouting endless promises. 

“I’ll make up for all the wrong I’ve caused.”

“I’ll fix everything, I promise.”

“You won’t ever be ignored again, Touya.”

He thought it had all been a lie, considering the man he knew to be his father, but it wasn’t…well, at least not at first. 

In the beginning he had been there through every bandage change, every new prescription, and every single new experimental treatment. His father had been right at his side holding his hand through everything. He took all Dabi’s cursing, crying, and screaming straight at him without batting an eye. 

Then his condition took a turn for the worse. The main doctor responsible for keeping him alive was urgently needed in America due to a large-scale villain attack. His quirk, Stasis, had been the only thing keeping his organs from rotting. With him gone, it started his sharp decline. The doctors had let his father know that Dabi would likely only survive a few weeks at most and let him know his options. They suggested taking him off life support, but his father had blown up on them, demanding they still care for him. 

He was gone a lot after that, but he still managed to come see him at least once a week, looking more haggard and stressed each time. Each day the staff pumped him full of drugs so he wouldn’t feel his organs actively dying, but he could tell from looks his father gave him and the poorly hidden stench of rotting flesh. He was going to die soon.

Or so he thought.

The day after his kidneys failed, his father burst into his hospital room with a disgruntled Eraserhead, a small white-haired little girl he vaguely remembered, and a tall woman he didn’t recognize. His father explained that they were here to save his life. 

Eraserhead reluctantly stepped forward with the girl. “This is my daughter, Eri. Her quirk is called Rewind. She is able to reverse the state of a living thing to a previous point in time. Her quirk can be unstable, so I am here to help.”

“She will be reversing your body back to before the incident.” His father added.

“I’ll have to grow up again?” Dabi thinks he'd rather die than go through puberty again, though maybe growing won’t hurt as badly without the scars and staples. 

Endeavor pointed to the other woman. “No, that’s why she’s here. Her quirk is called Age Restore. She is able to restore a person back to any age they've already been. She will restore your healed body back to adulthood.” 

“Before you even start, I gotta ask. Am I going to Tartarus after I’m healed because I’d rather die now than spend the rest of my life in a cell?” The question had been weighing on his mind for quite some time. 

“No, you will not be going to prison. You will be rehabilitated and placed under house arrest under my watch.” Endeavor answered.

Dabi scoffed, “So what, just because I'm the number one hero’s son, I get special treatment? Figures nothing has changed.” 

“No, the government was originally petitioning for the death penalty, but I argued that your actions were a direct result of my failures as a parent and that I should be the one to take responsibility for your crimes. I also proposed that losing all of your comrades in war was punishment enough and that the best route for you now would be rehabilitation.”

Losing his first real friends… Even being reminded of the loss was like a stab to the heart each time. It made treatment even more tortuous, leaving Dabi feeling like it was just prolonging his return to them. They were the only ones who liked him for who he truly was. The only ones to ever truly accept him. Now all he has are people chasing a ghost of his past. What kind of life is there even left for him? 

“Touya?”

“Touya!”

“Dabi?” Eraserhead’s voice broke him from his thoughts, Dabi’s eyes flicking towards his tired face. “Do we have your consent to continue?” 

“I—” Dabi’s eyes flicked towards his father before focusing back on Eraserhead, his expression conflicted. Does he even have a choice? He's a criminal. Can’t they do anything they want with him? 

“Listen, kid, you may have been a villain, but you’re still human. You have the right to your own body and are allowed to refuse any medical procedures you do not consent to. If you don’t want to do this, you don't have to follow through.” Aizawa leveled a deadly glare towards Endeavor when it seemed like he might interrupt, adding. “No matter what your father may want. The decision is up to you.”

“Aizawa, may I speak with you outside alone.” His father ordered, voice tight and eyes furious.

The man follows him out to the hall after giving a quiet reassurance to his daughter. 

Everyone inside the hospital room could hear the muffled yelling that followed.

“I would appreciate it if you would stop filling my son's head with suicidal nonsense! Touya is not capable of making such complex decisions for himself!”

“I’ve talked to the kid myself, and he seems pretty competent to me. Who are you to decide he isn't? You're not a doctor.” Aizawa growled. 

“I'm his father! I decide everything for him!” Endeavor roared. “Now do the damn job you were ordered to do and leave!”

“Fine, but this won’t be the last time you hear from me, Enji Todoroki. If I ever hear a whisper that you are hurting your children again, I won’t hesitate to have them taken from your care. Do you understand?”

“Understood, though I hope you understand the precarious situation you are putting yourself in. That daughter of yours isn’t your blood. She can be taken from you in an instant if you're not careful.” 

Inside the room Eri flinched, clearly hearing the older hero's cruel words and taking them to heart. Dabi wasn't faring much better either. What did he mean by incompetent? I mean, sure, his body is failing, but his mind is still wholly intact. It’s not like he got brain damage in the war or is actively suicidal. He can still make decisions on his own.

Can’t he?

Eraserhead did not deign his father with a response, only coming through the door and slamming it after him. He picked up his teary-eyed daughter and whispered quiet apologies in her ear while his father sauntered back into the room. 

“Go on,” he said, with a smug look in his eyes.

Aizawa looked like it was taking all his willpower not to jump over the bed and strangle Endeavor. But he just calmly set his daughter down, giving Dabi a sorry look before motioning for her to begin.

Eri laid a tiny palm on his forearm, her horn glowing a bright yellow. He felt a rush of warmth all over his body. It wasn’t painful, but it felt strange. He watched as the bandages that were once wrapped tightly around him sagged and became loose as his body shrunk. The hospital gown he was dressed in dwarfed his body. 

Dabi could see pink, healthy skin beneath the golden glow of the girl's quirk, but something was off. For some reason she hasn’t stopped; he could feel his body getting tinier and tinier, but no one in the room seemed as alarmed as Dabi was.

“Kid, stop, that's enough!” 

His words seemed to whirl the little girl into a panic.  “I can’t!” She cried. “Your Papa said I have to keep going until you’re even smaller than me!”  Her little face screwed up in distress as her quirk accelerated, glowing brighter than before, blinding Dabi. 

A flash of red light, and then it was all over. The scruffy man picked up his trembling daughter, pulling her into a tight hug. The teacher moved quickly to the side as Endeavor rushed to the bed, picking up the now three-year-old villain and smothering him in affection. 

Dabi squirmed in his father’s arms, wanting desperately to escape the hugs and kisses, but his body was too weak to push him away. 

“Why the fuck am I so small?”  The squeakiness of his voice was pissing him off just as much as his father’s stupid hugs. After one last weak kick to the stomach, his father let him go, sitting him back on the bed.

“Language, Touya. We needed to rewind you to before your quirk came in, to avoid all possible damage to your body and give you the best chance at a healthy life.” He ruffled his hair, seemingly unable to keep his hands to himself. 

Dabi’s blood boiled; he slapped the hand away, growling. “So what, you're just going to erase your mistakes? You think if you take away my scars that everything will just go back to normal!”

“Touya, please be rational for—”

“No! That’s exactly what you want, isn't it! You want me to just forget all the damage you caused! Well, I won't! Touya is dead! You killed him, and you won't ever get him back!” Dabi hissed, his father’s expression darkened, and the villain’s breath caught in his throat. Dabi hasn't been afraid of his father in years, but that look… It was like he was five years old again, being stared at like he was nothing but a useless failure, waiting for another beating.

His father schooled his expression and turned around to ask the others, “May I have a moment alone with my son?” But he said it more like an order rather than a question. They all quickly filed out of the room. 

His father’s fiery gaze turned back on him, thinly veiled rage practically oozing from his voice. “Listen well and listen now, Touya. Your comrades are dead. The entire country wishes you had died alongside them. I am the only one left that cares for you. I will control what happens to you for the rest of your life. So you will do everything as I say. You will complete your treatment plan. And you will be grateful there is still someone left in this world to love you. Do you understand?”

“I hate you! I wish you had died with All for One… I wish I had died with them.” With his tear ducts restored, there was no stopping the endless stream of tears falling down his face as Dabi screamed at his father. The realization of what was to come was sickening. Being given another chance at life just to be back stuck under his father's thumb. Fate was just too cruel.

A fond, crazed look entered his father's eyes. “I see you're still the same stubborn boy you've always been. Perhaps Touya’s not quite as dead as you think he is.” Then he pushed the page button on his bedside. A single nurse bustled into the room. She didn’t pay a lick of attention to a single one of his screams, only looking at his father.

“Sedate him. He’s not responding well to the treatment and needs something to calm him down.” 

“No! Don't listen to him—” A large hand settled over Dabi’s mouth, tightening in warning.

The nurse looked down at him in concern and then back up to his father. “Mr. Todoroki, I really would not rec—” 

“I said sedate him.”

“I—Yes, sir.” The nurse faltered under his father's cruel gaze.

Dabi thrashed on the bed as the nurse turned to retrieve the sedative. He tried his best to squirm out from his father’s hold, but the thick arm holding him down was too much.

“Um, sir—I’ll need him to be still to administer the sedative.”

His father slides one arm down around his chest and uses the other to hold down his kicking legs. Dabi lets out a feral sort of growl as the needle comes close to his arm, but one small prick and he’s left limp; his body goes lax, and he can no longer fight. The last thing he hears as the world fades to black are bits and pieces of conversation his father was having, but nothing he could fully make out before he fell unconscious. 

“After we're done here… administer the… size him for… five total… prep him for… transport to…”

Dabi awoke with a groan; his body ached, and his head was pounding. He sat up and went to rub his eyes; his arms felt weirdly heavy, but he thought nothing of it, reaching up expecting to feel scars and staples but felt nothing but smooth skin under his fingertips. His eyes shot open in alarm; he looked down to see milky pale arms with thick bands of metal wrapped around each wrist. 

It was only then that he took in his surroundings. He was lying on the floor of a white padded room. He stood up and looked around the room; it was completely empty. There was a swinging door that led to a small bathroom that could not be locked. There was a small tub, toilet, and sink, but no mirror, and for some reason he couldn’t run the water on either the bath or sink. There were no windows in either room, only air conditioning grates that were too small to fit through. His steps felt oddly heavy; Dabi lifted the bottom of the white sweats he was wearing to reveal another metal band. He checked the other leg, and sure enough, there was another one. 

He knows he should have been expecting the quirk suppressors, but four still seems a bit excessive, not to mention the fact that they were weighted. He doesn’t think he’d be able to run if he wanted to. Out of curiosity he decided to try to test the limits of the suppressors; he reached out a hand and tried to ignite a small flame. The oval-shaped window on the front of each brace lit up a dull cerulean blue color, but no flame appeared. He tried summoning a bigger flame, but the braces just glowed a brighter blue color. Out of frustration he released the largest flame he could conjure; the oval lit red, and he felt a buzz on his neck, then electricity pulsed through him. He fell to the ground, his body spasming erratically. 

He doesn't know how long he's on the ground, but eventually he hears the door click open. He can do nothing as his father walks in, shutting the only escape route firmly behind him. The man loomed over Dabi, staring down at him pitifully, and cooed. “Oh, Touya, you just don't know what's good for you, do you?” Dabi tries to snarl out a response, but all that comes out is a strained whimper his father dutifully ignores. “No, of course you don't.” A condescending chuckle. “But that's alright, Daddy’s here now. He’ll make it all better. Like nothing ever happened.”

His father presses a button on his watch, and the shocks finally stop. The man picks up Dabi’s limp, twitching body and sits against the wall, cradling him on his lap. The villain was too weak to put up a fight; his limbs felt like jelly, and his head was pounding, black spots clouding his vision. 

“Open up.”

The plastic tip of a syringe poked through his lips when he failed to open his mouth. He gagged as a dose of bubble gum-flavored medicine was shot into his mouth. The sickeningly sweet flavor did nothing to mask the disgusting bitter taste; a large hand covered his mouth before he could even attempt to spit it out.

“Swallow.” 

The villain did not. His father didn’t even explain what the medication was for.  He thought he was healed already.

“Now Touya.” The man growled, taking his hesitation as refusal, pinching his nose until he had no other option than to drink. 

Dabi refused at first, ready to call out his bluff, but after a minute his father still didn't let up. Black dots were filling his vision once again. He didn’t want to, but what other choice was there? 

He drank it.

Within minutes he began to feel fuzzy, like his mind was stuffed with cotton candy. Somehow he didn’t mind being held by the bane of his existence anymore. He turned his head, resting his cheek on the muscled chest, looking up to see his father staring down at him with so much love and adoration it made him feel strange.

This is what he wanted from the start, isn’t it? All his life he strived for his father's attention, so why does it feel so wrong? Why does this love feel so ominous?

It was getting harder to focus. His eyes slipped shut against his will, his body being lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking and rumbling melody of a lullaby he used to know. The last thing he remembers is thinking, 

Something’s not right.

Twice a day every day his father comes to his “room” to administer a dose of medicine and keep him company. He’ll bring a book to read to him or a brush to comb through his hair while his mind gets fuzzier and fuzzier. 

Dabi noticed after the third time his father visited him in his cell, the strange foggy feeling only happened after he ingested his “medicine.” Each time he’s forced to drink that crap, his head feels weird, and it becomes difficult to recall things he should know about himself. 

There's always a struggle; he tries to fight against the man but always ends up pinned down, and his mouth is forced open and shut swiftly with a large hand holding it firmly so no medicine leaks out. Then his father forces him to show him his empty mouth to make sure everything is gone. No attempts to spit it out or hide it in his mouth to get rid of it later work on his father. 

He tries his best to keep track of what he knows, but it's difficult without a way to physically write things down. He knows there are memories escaping him; he can't remember what they are, but he can't shake the feeling that important things he never wanted to forget are slipping from his grasp. Precious and horrible memories alike are being taken from him, and there's nothing he can do about it but try to repeat what he still knows to himself every day and hope it slows down the process until he can escape.

Dose 4

My name is Dabi. I fought with the League of Villains in the war against heroes to bring an end to the corrupt hero society plaguing our world. I sought revenge against my father for his vile greed that led to my failed creation. I was born a faulty hybrid of two quirks that were never supposed to be combined. I was trained and abused, then discarded when I was no longer of use. My mission was to kill my father and end all heroes. I failed, but the sentiment remains the same. I hate him and despise whatever it is he wishes to do with me now. 

Dose 20

My name is… Dabi. I fought for revenge against my father with, uh…oh right…the league…to…bring down all heroes. I hate him for…discarding me…abusing me…no…my family for his greedy ambitions. We started a war we could never win…now everyone’s gone. I’m all that's left now..stuck..don’t know where and forgetting everything I’ve ever known… Without my power, escape is hopeless. Ugh, I’m starting to sound like him… I really need to get out of here.

Dose 50

My name is…huh…what is my name? I think my father called me Touya earlier when he came in..yeah… My name is Touya. I hate my father. I’ll never forgive him for…doing…what he did to me. For making me believe I was special…his favorite…then replacing me. I hate him. 

Dose 265

My name is Touya Todoroki. I am the second son of the Todoroki family and son to the hero Endeavor. I am currently in treatment for a grievous head injury I received while on a trip to the supermarket. A terrifying villain was attacking on the street outside the store, sending a wayward blast at the store, causing the roof to collapse in on itself. I was lucky to survive at all; from what my father has told me, it took months of me being in a coma and a ton of different quirks and doctors to put me back together. 

I’m almost done with treatment. I remember everything about my life now. I have three siblings; my eldest sister is named Fuyumi. She works at an elementary school as a preschool teacher. Which suits her very well considering how kind and patient of a big sister she is. I have vague memories of her long white hair with red tips, gentle gray eyes, and warm smile. 

My big brother’s name is Natsuo. He’s currently in medical school studying to become a doctor. He’s cared for me all my life, patching up any wounds or icing bruises, since apparently I was very clumsy and prone to accidents as a child, so I’m sure he’ll be great. His spiky white hair, gentle icy hands, and roaring laughter are the only things I can remember of him, but each time I do, my heart feels warm.

Then the youngest of us is my sweet baby brother Shouto. He was with me during the accident and got severely injured. My fourteen-year-old brother is now more like a toddler than a teenager. The damage caused by the accident left irreparable harm on his psyche. He was reduced to nothing more than a helpless baby. But it's all for the better; my little brother will be safer and easier to protect now. The reason he got hurt in the first place was because he tried to be a hero during the attack, shielding a young woman with his body as the roof collapsed. He should have known he could never be a hero with an incompatible quirk like his. It’s alright, though; he’ll have me to take care of him now. 

My mother’s name is Rei Todoroki. She got sick when we were very young and has been in and out of the hospital pretty much all our lives, but this year she’s become healthy enough to finally come home. I don’t remember much of her except her kind grey eyes and overly forgiving nature, but my chest aches with sadness when I think too hard about her. I must miss her a lot.

Lastly, my father, Enji Todoroki. He’s my hero. He’s been there for me all my life, from my diagnosis of incompatible quirk disorder to nursing me back to health after the accident that almost killed me. My daddy has always taken care of all of us despite our fragile health and weak constitutions. That’s why I want to get better faster to help him take care of Shouto. I know I’ll never be well enough to live on my own again, so I want to ease his burden as much as I can since he’ll be taking care of Shouto and me for the rest of our lives. It’s the least I can do for him.

If someone would have told Enji one year ago that he would have a freshly healed eighteen-year-old Touya staring up at him with those adorable eager to please doe eyes of his, he would have told them they were crazy. But it’s true he finally has his son back. The trauma of the past has been wiped clean with the help of a special quirk. Now all that's left is a sweet boy eager to help his daddy.

His firstborn baby is back in his grasp, never to leave again. Well, technically he is now his “third born.” He had him restored to age eighteen instead of twenty-four, making him only three years older than Shouto. What Touya needs is similar to what Shouto needs. To be loved and taken care of like he always should have been. But he also needs a purpose, or else he will become aimless and self-destruct. His new purpose will be to be Shouto’s older brother. He will still be an older brother, but by being the middle child, he will be doted on by Fuyumi as his big sister, and Natsuo will finally have a obligation little brother to come home to.

His plan is coming together perfectly. A few more pieces just need to be put into place, then everything will be perfect…

A gentle knocking roused Touya from his sleep. He huffed sleepily, pulling the blanket over his head, and snuggled into his pillow as he heard the door creak open.

“Touya, baby, it’s time to wake up.”

“Ugh nooo,” The boy whined as the blanket was tugged off his body and he was unceremoniously lifted to sit up. The book he had been reading last night slipped off his chest and onto his lap.

Enji tutted, “Were you up late reading again? That’s the third time this week.” The man raked his fingers through the messy tufts of glistening white hair before sliding down and cupping his son’s face. 

“I just wanted to see if the villain would actually beat the hero in my book.” 

Books are the only entertainment he’s been allowed during treatment. Most of them are tales of heroes beating villains that get pretty repetitive after the third chapter, but this one had seemed promising. The villain had been on the cusp of killing the main heroine of the story, but then her friends showed up and beat him with the power of friendship or whatever blah blah blah. It was honestly a waste of sleep, but maybe, one day, somewhere, the villain will finally win and get their revenge. He doesn't know why the thought excites him so much. 

“Of course not, Touya. There's no point staying up to read something that is never going to happen.” His father cooed, gently tilting the boy's head side to side as if he were agreeing on his own.

“But maybe—”

The grip on his face tightened in warning. “No, Touya. Heroes always prevail. Say it.” 

A chill ran down his spine as he stared into his father’s eyes. An unsettling feeling settling in his stomach. He doesn't know why he feels so scared; his father has never hurt him before. He complies to avoid whatever reaction he may be anticipating. “I know, Daddy. Heroes always prevail, and villains never win.” 

His father's face softened, and his thumb slid in a gentle caress across his cheek before letting go.

“Good boy. Now let's get you ready; today's a big day after all. You’re finally coming home.”

“I am?” No one had told him anything about this. His father had never even hinted that he was ready to leave treatment. 

“Yes, I wanted it to be a surprise. Are you happy?” Enji slid off the boy's pajama shirt, replacing it with a light blue t-shirt and soft white hoodie over top.

“Of course! I finally get to see Fuyumi and Natsuo and Mama and Shouto again!” His stomach turned at the thought of seeing them again. He must be really excited.

“Well, your mother is still in the hospital and will be staying there for quite some time. Fuyumi is currently on a work trip to update her teaching credentials, and Natsuo is busy with finals at med school. The only person at home right now is Shouto.” Enji slid the boy's pajama pants and underwear off, replacing them with a fresh pair and matching white sweatpants. He took the boys' unclad feet and covered them in fluffy white socks with a light blue snowflake pattern.

Fragile, delicate, and soft, just like a snowflake, there was no trace of Dabi left in his son. He was pure as the driven snow. 

“He’s all by himself?” He thought Shouto was incapable of caring for himself; how could his father leave him all on his own? Isn't that dangerous? What if he hurts himself?

“Oh no, he’s being taken care of by an acquaintance of mine; well, he’s really an old friend of yours.” A lie. Hawks was a spy sent to infiltrate the League of Villains, and his contact had been Dabi. The same Dabi who had nearly burnt his wings off. He wanted to come by to see the progress in person. After all, it was with his help that he was able to get in contact with the quirk user who makes their special medicine. Enji is sure he will find the results satisfactory, seeing his enemy turned into something so far from what he once was.

“Oh, alright then, are we going now?”  A small eager smile broke out on his face. While he doesn't mind the four white walls he's gotten accustomed to waking up in every day. It was quite monotonous and boring staying in the treatment room with nothing to do but read. Not to mention lonely, his father only comes twice a day for an hour at a time. Even just spending time taking care of his baby brother would be better than struggling to remember his life here all alone.

“Patience Touya, I haven't even brushed your teeth yet. And look at your hair; it's a complete mess.” He brushed his fingers through the messy white locks, watching in delight as his son’s cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment. The boy was so docile now, letting himself be guided and moved any which way. He didn’t protest when Enji picked him up nor when he sat him on the counter of the sink and began washing his face, pushing his bangs up and using a wet towel to wipe the sleep from his skin. Opening his mouth obediently, letting Enji brush his teeth, and rinsing and spitting when told. 

“Alright, Touya, we’re leaving now. Close your eyes.” He picked up the boy, placing him on his hip, tucking his face into his neck. He was so small, he didn’t even compare to Enji in muscle mass nor height. Without his scars or burnt vocal cords, Touya lost all intimidation factor; he looked so soft and small, exactly like his mother. 

Enji locked the room behind him, walking up the basement stairs and pushing up the trapdoor that led to the main house, which was carefully hidden beneath a large rug. No one knows of the rooms he had built beneath the house after the war, and no one ever will.

He gently shook the boy. “Wake up, baby, we're home.”

Touya blinked open his eyes when prompted, completely and utterly confused. “Huh, we’re already here? But I thought we were just—”

“You fell asleep, Touya. Before I even managed to get you into the car. You were out like a light.” 

That can't be right; he was conscious the whole time. “But—”

“Stop arguing with me.” Touya needs to learn that his father’s word is law. Even if what he is saying is improbable or impossible, he has to accept it as the truth and follow in line. He’ll learn to do so with time. He’ll have to.

“Sorry, Daddy.” The boy lowered his face; his lip quivered and eyes moistened at the stern tone in his father’s voice. He didn't like when Father got mad at him or when he had to stand in the corner thinking about what he did wrong. His chest feels like it's being sliced open every time he disappoints the man. 

“It's alright, baby; I won’t put you in time-out this time. Just remember if Daddy is telling you something, it's always true. You don't argue with me. Do you understand, Touya?” The man placed a finger beneath the boy’s chin, lifting his head to look straight into his eyes. His nose and cheeks were flushed pink, his bottom lip was trembling, and big blue doe eyes were wet and sad. Adorable. A bit of discipline was all it took to make the boy cry. Enji’s chest ached; it was like he was looking twenty years into the past. How could he have ever hurt something so small and innocent? 

“I understand; I’m sorry.” 

“Good. Now no more tears; we wouldn't want Shouto to worry.” He pressed a soft kiss against the boy's pudgy cheek. Nothing like the gaunt, hollowed-out face he used to have.

“Right.” Touya nodded, scrubbing his face with the sleeves of his sweater until his eyes felt dry. He couldn’t worry his baby brother. What would he think if the brother he hadn’t seen in months walked in looking like a total crybaby? No, he had to be strong.

His father walked through the home, explaining what each room was and where he could find the bathroom and kitchen. The manor was huge, and Touya already knows he is going to have to be shown it again because he does not remember anything his father said. The final stop is the living room; his father opens the large sliding doors to reveal the large lounge area.

Shouto was seated on a blanket on the floor playing with colorful blocks and other toys while a short blond man was seated next to him. Said man’s head snapped up, staring at them as they walked in. Something in the man’s gaze made Touya uncomfortable, like he was peeling back his skin and staring straight into his soul.

“Dada!” His brother cried happily, arms reaching out toward the man to be picked up. Jealousy stirred in his belly; he unconsciously tightened his hold around his father's neck. Daddy is holding him right now; Shouto can wait. 

“Hi baby, having fun?” Enji sat down near the blanket, trying to sit Touya down next to him, but the boy stubbornly refused, sitting on his lap instead. For a moment Enji stared down puzzled, then it hit him. Touya’s jealousy of Shouto may still be lingering inside of him despite the conditioning. 

Well, that just won’t do.

“Come here, Shouto.” The boy crawled to him, a happy smile showing behind his pacifier. Enji shuffled Touya onto one knee and put Shouto onto the other. “You remember your big brother Touya, don’t you, Shouto?”

The boy's face carefully went blank; emotions Touya couldn’t quite put his finger on flashed in his eyes before landing on sadness. The boy's heterochromatic eyes filled with tears as he cried out, “T-touya!” Shouto clambered over their father’s lap, slumping into Touya’s chest, letting out pitiful wails. 

“He missed you.” Enji added when he noticed the overwhelmed look on his older son’s face.

“He did?” Is that why his little brother was crying so strongly?

“Of course, he’s been waiting all this time for his big brother to come home. He needs you. He loves you, Touya.” It's like he can see the arrow strike through the boy's heart. Touya thrives off love, praise, and attention, but he can’t just receive it from Enji; last time that ended in tragedy. An adoring little brother that looks up to him is just what he needs.

“Oh—” Touya’s lip trembled; he had been acting so bratty towards Shouto for no reason. All the boy was was an innocent baby. An innocent baby who loved him and wanted nothing more than to be with his big brother. Touya wrapped his arms around the boy, pulling him further into his chest and resting his chin on his head, voice wavering as he whispered. “I missed you too, Sho.”

Touya flinched as the blond man stood up suddenly; he noticed a set of red wings on the man's back that seemed oddly familiar, like he'd seen them somewhere before. The man had been staring at him so intently the entire time, analyzing his every move.  Like a statue, he had forgotten he was there.

“Well, I see everything is going accordingly. I’ll be in touch. Do let me know if any problems arise with any of them. I’ll see you soon, Endeavor.” With one last glance sent Touya’s way, he was off, jumping out of the open window and soaring into the skies. Something feels wrong about that image, like he knows he shouldn't be able to do that. He shrugs it off; it was probably nothing and turns his attention back to his baby brother. 

Shouto was staring up at him, his grey and blue eyes wide and searching, lazily sucking on his pacifier. “Do you want to play?” Touya asked. 

Instantly the boy lit up; he wiggled off their father’s lap, taking Touya’s hand in his, and led him to the play mat on the floor, showing him all of his toys and babbling about things Touya could barely understand. The only thing he could think of was how easy it would be to hurt Shouto, so tiny and vulnerable he needed to be protected forever.

“You remember your big brother Touya, don’t you, Shouto?”

*snap*

Like a cord being cut, the world came into focus. His true mind comes to him less and less these days, impossible to reach beneath all the layers of fluff in his head. B-but this, this was too much for his other self to understand. 

His big brother was back but so different than before. 

Where were his scars? How did he look so young? And why was he staring at their father like that?

What did that man do now?

The villain Dabi, his brother Touya, neither would ever act like this on his own. 

What happened?

He’s crying now; they think it’s because he missed him. That's kinder than what he really has in mind. I mean, Shouto can't say he is not happy to see him. Of course he is; it settled him a bit to know his big brother had survived, but a life trapped in the same nightmare as he is isn’t worth living. Death would have been kinder. 

A horrible thought, he knows, but it’s true. If they had died together in the war, none of this would be happening. It’s wrong, but he wished it had happened.

All he knows now is that something isn't right with Touya.

Shouto didn't like the look in his eyes; it reminded him of his father. The obsessiveness felt wrong being pointed at him. 

It’s wrong.

Wrong.

Wrong.

Wrong.

“Do you want to play?”

Instantly the fuzziness comes flooding in. He’s losing himself again. He doesn’t know when the next time he’s going to resurface is. If there’s a next time at all, but he thinks finding a way to escape is about to become a whole lot harder with two sets of eyes watching his every move. 

Two down, three to go. Soon everything will be perfect.