Archive of Our Own ^beta

Touya hated to open up, he hated being seen as weak and hated when people felt pity for him.
Usually, when something made him emotional enough, he didn't have a problem holding back his feelings.
He can dismiss it to go unnoticed, avoid the topic and change it, anything but showing his vulnerability, exteriorizing what he feels had only brought more trouble after all, and, in his own opinion, he's an expert at it.

No one had ever put Touya Todoroki and emotional in the same sentence the last few years, it's a contradiction to even think about it.
Nothing left of that kid that used to hurt himself and cry for hours for his father's attention as the man's stoic eyes didn't show a blink of empathy.
In front of people, he can put on an almost perfect facade.

Almost, because Tenko Shimura, who happens to be his boyfriend, has a very sharp eye that could see behind the thin cracks of his mask.
“Touya,” he called, his voice not giving a clear emotion, but the sound of the metal spoon bumping repeatedly against the already empty teacup on his shaky hand was already starting to disturb the black-haired boy, maybe Touya finally annoyed him to madness. “Are you okay?” If it wasn't Tenko asking, that question would have made him leave the room in a second.

The flinch went all over his body after being pointed out, why do his eyes have to be so expressive? The crimson red on him felt like being under a microscope, he was looking at him like he was trying to be careful enough to not break him. And that made Touya's anger start to boil.
“I'm… fine,” he struggled to say, the familiar feeling from years ago is back, the anger on his chest shifted into a knot on his throat.
With Tenko, he couldn't just ignore it, he could feel how it closed. He's struggling to breathe straight as he tries to hold his boyfriend's gaze, it wasn't judging at all, why did it feel so weird then? He tried to give a more convincing answer, he really tried, every excuse sinking behind the knot before reaching his mouth. His uneven breath didn't go unnoticed by Tenko, he gave him what he saw as a reassuring smile and took the cup he was holding to leave it on the nightstand.

Touya was munching the inside of his mouth, but that couldn't stop his lips from trembling.
His whole shelter was broken, every wall he had built transformed to dust, his eyes that had been trying to tell Tenko there was nothing to worry about were burning from fighting the urge to start tearing up. He didn't want to give an excuse anymore, anything he could form was whines that died if he even intended to form a sentence.

His partner sat next to him on the bed and brought him closer in a gentle hug, Touya almost threw himself at him, all his body wanted was comfort. He started choking on his own tears the second he reached the embrace.

He wasn't sure for how long he stayed there. Tenko didn't ask for any explanation, he caressed Touya's back, his hair, his face, sometimes leaving kisses there.
He accompanied him as long as he needed, and it was a long time needed to get all out.
Warm, that's what Tenko is, and he would always be grateful to have him in his life, someone that understood what it all felt like, he could never show him enough how much he appreciates having him.

His head must hurt after that, so Tenko didn't feel any alarm was needed when he didn't answer his text the next day.
But Touya didn't answer the next day, and neither did the day after that.
”Spinner, could you stop decorating the house and help me with the mobs?” As any other night, Tenko was gaming with his online friend, Shuichi Iguchi.
“Damn, you're sensible, what's the problem with decorating the house?” he answered from the other side, chuckling.

Usually, Shimura was the one complaining about their house being too simple, and they agreed they'd have a relaxing time! The whole point of that was having a farm and a pretty house. Since when Tenko hated flowers!
“It's nothing, it's just,” he sighed, “you'll never know him anyways… I'm worried for my boyfriend,” he confessed, he would never tell the things Touya trusts him, but in this case he needed to spit his feelings before they eat him.
“Mh? Why, you've told me he's pretty chill overall.” He couldn't predict where this was going, his objective right now is to listen and try his best to not make his friend go worse.
And if it goes worse? Shuichi can finally discard being a therapist from his future career list.

“Yes, but.. The other day he cried a lot, like full of pain, a lot, and now he doesn't answer. I'm worried he did something stupid, I'm thinking of going to his house to see if he's alive, but his house is not the best either way… It's been three days, a lot could have happened in three days, he has kind of a history of struggle, and I don't know anything, at least I want to know if he's fine if he doesn't want to talk.”
He really needed to express his concern, he didn't even know what was wrong with Touya! And now he disappears, he's been sleeping horribly thanks to it.

“He doesn't answer? In the best scenario, he's just a little depressed, or his phone broke, but you should check on him anyways. I know you're damn anxious and expecting the worst, when he is fine again, you two should agree on a way of showing you're alive when you're not in the mood to talk,” Spinner said, clearly trying to calm his imagination, probably scrolling through how to help a friend posts, he felt so clever with those words.

Tenko heard a notification from his phone, from Touya.
Because he is that guy, Touya has a different notification sound.

He almost jumped out of his chair to grab his phone, his heart was on his chest, but when he opened the message, it was a post, an image of two cats hugging that said “us”, he liked the message.
“Us my ass!” He shouted, leaving Shuichi confused. “This fucker disappears for three days and instead of explaining himself, his comeback is sending me a damn cat meme! This Man very impulsive in 3 days he could be fucking dead or joined a cult, or made a cult himself! He can't just disappear like that without explanation, for three fucking days, mind you, you know what? I'm not worried anymore, he can do the shit he wants. I don't care. I was death worried and now he is just scrolling on his stupid phone.” He could feel the anger from the other line.

“I mean, sending memes doesn't mean he's totally fine” maybe playing devil's advocate wasn't the best right now.
“But he's alive! And not answering, at least a message! “I'm sorry, I'm not in the mood to talk, but I'm fine, don't worry,” something!” Tenko’s impression of his boyfriend sounded more like a brainless zombie, Shuichi had to cover his mouth to not laugh.
“Maybe that's his way of saying it, I would be mad too, honestly, but hey man, Jesus also resuscitated at the third day.”
“I'm not, I'm just! Ugh Why do I have to love him so much?” he whines again, his avatar on the game has been standing still for a good while, the flowers Shuichi arranged mocking him from the screen.

On his side, Touya really wanted to answer, but he couldn't bring himself to.
He already bothered Tenko enough, he doesn't need his explanations, it's too long to tell years of character development, as his nerdy boyfriend would call it.

Anyway, he is fine now! It's not needed.
If he was feeling so bad, could he be sending cute kittens? To remind him he's fine, he's occasionally sending memes, that should be enough to announce it.
No one wants to receive a text explaining why he cried for hours in his arms full of his family drama, he would tell him the next time he sees him… hard to plan it if they're not talking, tho.
But what is he supposed to tell him? Hey, I'm more irritable than usual, so I've been fighting with everyone in my house and now I feel like the worst person on earth.
He'll do it eventually, just not now.

He's overwhelmed, that's it.

He's been acting stupid, he even picked on the old man, everyone knows that would end up horribly! As his mind rushed on how he's only a waste of oxygen, he threw himself on his bed, hiding his face on a pillow, he didn't feel like doing anything.
But someone knocked on his door.
“I know it's my turn to do the dishes, I'll go in a minute,” he mumbled, expecting his sister to scold him for not eating lunch that day, but the hand that reached his shoulder was tiny.
Fuyumi isn't that tiny anymore.

He looked up, and there he was, Shoto’s massive eyes staring back at him.“Hey” is all he brought himself to say, Shoto blinked a few times and gave him something he had on his little hand. A teeth.
“And what do I do with this?” he looked at it uninterested, is he directly asking for the money? Touya was about to search for his wallet and hand him a card when Shoto’s voice interrupted.

“Is… is it normal?” he heard the confusion and almost fear in his trembling voice.
“Yeah? Nobody has told you?” He took a deep breath and sat on the bed, he wasn't prepared to go into brother mode! Can't a guy be depressed in peace anymore? The emo values are getting lost in this generation!
“See, at your age kids' teeth get loose and fall, because those are their baby teeth and now you have to grow your adult teeth that are gonna be more strong.”

Shoto kept staring.

“Do you know what to do with it?”He shakes his head in no, why did no one tell this kid all the fairy tales? He is the older brother he should be traumatizing him, not telling him the magic part.
“Now you gotta put this under your pillow and at night a mouse will come to pick it up and leave you money for it”
Shoto's eyes started to fill with tears.
“What's wrong? You're attached to your teeth?... I think there's a song for kids with teeth attachment.” He smirked, at least he's not the only one sensible today.

“I don't want a mouse to come to my room! They're dirty! And it'll walk on my pillow! And… And why does it want to steal my teeth?” he started mumbling while crying, explosive crying, he has never seen him be this loud. He wasn't in the best place to take care of this, he couldn't make fun of it either.
He texted both of his siblings discreetly as he kept listening.
“How can I know it won't take all the tooth from my mouth!” The kid kept mumbling and tearing up; perfect, neither Fuyumi nor Natsuo were home. That leads him to the only other person he knows that is good with kids and Shoto trusts.

“Tenko, baby, could you please come to my place right now? It's about Shoto, please,” Touya texted with one hand as with the other tried to comfort the distressed Shoto on his lap, caressing his hair should be enough, that's what he remembers Mom used to do.
The kid in his arms was freaking out, he looked like he was about to have a crisis. They're definitely siblings, Touya thought.
He can't handle this by himself, he was supposed to drown in self-hate today, not to make up a story about why it is completely fine to let a mouse take your discarded body parts!

Tenko looked at the message, he wanted to send back a not exactly lovely paragraph, but he used the magic word, Shoto.
“Going” is all he texted back, he would do his best to not insult his boyfriend while being there, he's doing it for the kid, he has an idea of the environment of the house and he's certain the little boy is the one who gets the worst part, he wishes he could do more for them, but for the moment he can only try his best to make it less terrible with things like attending these calls.
“I love you with my whole life” is the answer he gets on the phone, Shimura rolled his eyes, A part of him wants to dump him on the spot if he doesn't apologize on his knees and gives a proper explanation that makes up for how he's been feeling, but on the other hand, he doesn't want to be that, though knowing he's going through a lot, even if he can't list the exact situations, and of course, he's also very in love to just dump him like nothing.

At least Touya can't avoid the topic if they're under the same roof.

Tenko arrived, staring up at that entrance he has seen a million times, he knows perfectly the exterior of the Todoroki House, even if he thinks it can be considered a mansion for its imposing appearance. But this would be the second time he enters it, because his boyfriend prefers to jump the fence than exit like a normal person.
He's not someone to question, he doesn't want Touya to elaborate on what “the old man was feeling like being more of a dick today” actually means in detail.

He calls Touya to open the gate, but it opens automatically right after he ends his call.
He walks across the front yard that had the appearance of a park.
And Touya has the audacity to say they're not that rich.
There, right in front of him, he sees the eyes he wanted to avoid looking at, even though he was fighting the urge to not jump in his arms after seeing he is at least standing in one piece.

“Where's Shoto?” He asks as coldly as he can bring his loving heart to act.
Now that he looks at him, Touya looks destroyed, more than the last time he saw him, eye bags impossible to ignore, his clothes and hair messy but not in his usual effortless hot way but like he actually hasn't changed clothes.
And the first thing he got, his eyes looked… lifeless, he didn't get a cocky response, neither a shameless compliment.
This is worse than he thought.

“In my room, I told him about the tooth mouse and he started to cry his eyes out because rats are dirty” he chuckled, but the smile didn't pass off his mouth.
“I felt like I was going to fuck up completely if I kept talking, so I called you, you're better with kids anyway.”
He hugged Tenko with one arm around his waist, he couldn't reject it.
Trying to act tough was harder than he planned, he is indeed resentful about this whole situation, but the conflicted worries, guilt, and relief in his gut were stronger.
“Of course I'm better,” he smirks, bending in his boyfriend's direction.
“Can't deny”

“Sho, I brought Tenko to you, he's way more familiar with the tooth system because Izuku has already lost 2 teeth, he's clearly an expert.” Touya entered,his cocky smirk irradiating confidence only he could pretend.
“Yes…” Tenko giggles, how's Touya able to think he's bad with kids?
“You should absolutely tell him about what's bothering you about their delivery guys, since Tenko already knows them, he can reach out to them better.” Touya wrapped an arm around Tenko's shoulder, inflating his chest with pride, the boy gave a gentle smile, he can't contradict his boyfriend right now, and his touch felt so warm.
“No! I don't want the mouse to know! I don't want him to feel bad… I'm sure he's amazing at his work.” The kid muttered with his eyes threatening to tear up again, what do you mean he doesn't want the rat to feel bad? Shoto is too adorable to be part of this family.

“mh? What 's the problem?” Tenko asked, sitting next to him to be at the same height, still not understanding the problem.
Why does he have to talk to a mouse and not to the fairy? That's what they told Izuku.
“It's that, Touya told me the tooth mouse will come and take my teeth… but what if he's dirty! I don't want a dirty mouse in my stuff” the kid explained to him with absolute seriousness, if he thinks it's this important, Tenko had to handle it like the big deal it is.

“And.. And why does it want my teeth! it was on my body, why does it have to take it away! What does it do with it!” he added, almost freaking out about that topic, honestly it was a little disturbing.
“Well.. First, let's clarify something: the tooth mouse works with teeth. Have you even been to the dentist? Everything there is so clean you could use it as a mirror! The mouse is a former dentist, he knows being clean is the number one rule, just like the one who cooks in that one movie,” Tenko explained. He's inventing all of this on the spot, Izuku didn't have this many questions. They just have to tell him he could save the money for All Might merch for him to be happy!

Shoto nodded as he looked with attentive eyes, waiting for the rest of the explanation.

“But he has a colleague, the tooth fairy, there's so many kids with fallen teeth and they're so far apart, there can't be only one person doing the job. So usually she goes to kids who live in apartments, she can fly, so it's easier for her, but when it's too busy, she also goes to houses…” Honestly, he had talent, even Touya was starting to believe him.
A subtle smile was starting to form in his face, this time reaching his eyes.

“If you're bothered by the mouse anyways, we could write a letter and ask for the fairy to come for your teeth.” At this suggestion, Shoto immediately jumped to deny it.
“¡No! I don't want him to feel bad,” he pouts. “If he's been doing it for so long, I should trust he's clean,” he said, still not confident, but at least the tears disappeared long ago.

“But what do they do with the teeth?”

He looked up, none of them could think of a non-disturbing answer.
Using them as coins? Weird, a collection? Disturbing, maybe he just has to assume there's no wholesome way to explain this.

“They eat it,” Touya said, getting him out of his rush to form a coherent story.
“What?” Shoto said, equally disturbed as Tenko, who could just stare in disbelief.
“They pay for it so it's fine!” He got a poke on the ribs from his boyfriend.
“You're joking, right?” Tenko's eyes menacing that it's not the moment to contradict him. He was so right; it takes him a few words to fuck up.
“Yeah I am” he chuckled, kissing Tenko's forehead, his eyebrows furrowed annoyed.
“Bless us with your knowledge, love, I give you the mic back.” Tenko had to take a deep breath and count to a hundred to keep calm in front of the kid. At least he's not so depressed as to not be annoying.

“Honestly? They're just weird,” he simply said, the question on Shoto’s face very visible.
“I told you they're former dentists, they like teeth, so they probably have a collection or study it to have more information. Actually, they're very private about it, so the public doesn't have much detail… Have you ever seen the labs who make the investigation for toothpaste? Me neither, so probably it's them who do it and that's why they collect teeth, to help with better products for buccal hygiene.” he changed his explanation midways, noticing how the second one sounds less disturbing.
That seemed to satisfy Shoto’s worry, but he still felt the first explanation was odd.

“It's like Natsuo, he says he wants to be a doctor and he loves looking at bones and muscles, or nurses who tell you your veins are pretty, it's the same, weird, but that's what it is. They study their collection so they can help us.. And they pay for it, so it has its benefit” he adds up finally, seeing how the kid bought the story.

“So they don't eat it?” he asked one last time just to confirm.
“Not at all, that's something Touya made up” He looked at him, his gaze threatening him to say something else, and he gave a nod back.
“So you should go wash the teeth and put it under your pillow,” he smiled, the kid disappeared from the room to do it.

Tenko stand up from the bed, his work was done, so he can finally ask for an explanation and leave.
How could this guy act like nothing? He knows he's depressed, but that doesn't give him the right to disappear, at least not without letting him know he'll do it first! He was barely sleeping for the uncertainty of knowing if his boyfriend was still alive.

Touya hugged Tenko, dropping all his weight over him like he couldn't carry it anymore, he rested his forehead on the boy’s shoulder
.“Thank you,” he muttered on his neck, the ghost of the movement of his lips against it, paired with his tired and raspy voice, sent a shiver down his spine. “You don't need to thank me.” He squished him on his arms.
“You know I'll always run when it's about Shoto… and about you.” Touya kept hidden on Shimura’s neck, his breathing very slow and paused, very different from the last time he held him like this.

“I'm sorry, I know you hate when I don't answer.” He looked back at Touya, he looked pathetic, destroyed. In that second, every insult that was running on his mind on the call with Shuichi faded into worry and understanding.
“Don't do that ever again,” he scolded, squishing him closer in his arms like testing he was real, he was there with him.“If you're going to disappear, at least tell me, I don't love the idea either, but I prefer it” He sat back on the bed, still letting Touya put his weight over him.
“But I sent you memes,” he said, his usual voice shining in between words.
“Don't name that shit, I wanted to strangle you,” remembered squishing him playfully in between his arms.
“No more cats then?”
“That's not what I said.”

“Are you going to tell me?” Right, that was why he was holding to his boyfriend like this.Touya tensed on his arms once again.
Right, he never told Tenko about the scene he did the other day. He took the deepest breath, long enough to choose his words.
“It's been a lot…”
“I know that part, what's a lot.”
“If I tell you everything that's bothering me, I'll have to start from the womb.” Touya had to chuckle because it wasn't an exaggeration, but what started this episode? Right, his mom, and Shoto's new face.

“It all has been downhill since Mom's away, you know? The house feels lighter without her because we all knew she was struggling, and hearing your mom cry is never pretty, but the old man is worse now, you know? He's alone now, so he's irritated because, well, we exist and it's everyone's problem.Have you ever had to hide your baby brother from an angry gorilla that wants to train him to be like him? I don't recommend the experience, 0 out of 10, 1 out of 10 maybe because I learned how to jump the house fence with a toddler in my arms in a minute.” He hugged closer into Tenko, if it was even possible to be closer. He wanted to stop talking, he didn't need to bother him with his tragic life for him to pity, but for once someone looked at him with comprehensive eyes when he needed it. Trying to stop his feeling from flooding felt like wanting to stop a river with a spoon.

“I love Shoto with my whole life, I regret my phase of hating him just because so much, I feel responsible over him now because I was in his spot, I was the golden child and that's the worst spot you could have in this house, he cannot become me, the world doesn't need more Touyas. That's making me feel even worse because I can't cry here! How can I be a safe space if the safe space wants to rip his hair off out of distress! Sometimes I fear they'll approach me when I'm not feeling well and I'll respond wrong and be like him.” He took a pause to breathe into Tenko's neck. It felt weird to do this, opening up, he could feel the silent tears on his eyes, the knot on his throat (several knots, actually) dissolving and letting him breathe.

“And as always, the old man is a point in himself because I already accepted I'd never have anything from him and I'm just his free trial that went horribly wrong, who could say putting a mentally ill child to work on emotionally and physically draining movies to then make him practice at home would end badly! What a surprise, but I know deep down that even if it'll never happen, I still want him to see me, to appreciate me for who I am or at least notice me, I know I shouldn't, but it's hard… You don't have to say anything, it's fine.”

Tenko grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away just enough to look at his teary eyes.
“Thanks for telling me I thought I'd have to live guessing what was wrong, Being a safe space doesn’t mean you never fall apart. It means you care, and you clearly do! Deeply.
The fact that you’re scared of becoming like him already tells me you’re not. You’re allowed to cry. You’re allowed to need someone too.” He kissed Touya's forehead. At that moment he couldn't believe this man was half a head taller than him, he looked so tiny, vulnerable.

“Wanting him to see you doesn’t make you stupid or weak, it makes you human. Wanting love from a parent is instinct, even when they’ve failed you.And you know my opinion about him already, I'm holding back lots of insults… You're a kid yourself and you're taking care of another kid, you're admirable, Touya, I'm so proud of everything you do, I couldn't ask for someone better in my life.”

Tenko's ribs were starting to hurt from how much Touya was pressing them; he couldn't see his face anymore, but he could hear him mumble.
“Thanks for being here, I love you, Tenko, I know I say it a lot lately, but I really mean it.”
“I know you do, I love you too.”
“Also set an alarm for 3 am, we have to play the tooth company, I'll be the fairy, you're the mouse.”
“I won't protest because it's your house.”He said, finally feeling the weight on his chest dimming, Touya was right there, protected in between his arms, and he'll make sure nothing bothers him for at least a few hours.

Except the alarm, that woke them both in a heartbeat.

“Wake up, my beautiful mouse, it's time to work,” Touya said while rubbing his eyes, hesitatingly letting go of the embrace. Tenko looked back at him and he felt grateful that man couldn't shoot lasers because he would have been split in 2 right now.
“Why do I have to go? It's not so hard to put money under his pillow and come back.” His voice was way deeper than usual, of course his boyfriend had to be grumpy, he sleeps at least 8 hours.
“Because we love Shoto, now warm up your pretty hands and start thinking of a note congratulating him for his first contribution to tooth science.” He handed him a white sheet, a glitter pen and something he can use as a base.
“And what are you doing?” Tenko asked midways of his letter, a little mad that Touya was on his phone while he had to change his handwriting so Shoto doesn't compare it to the birthday card Izuku made him write last year. Because that kid was clever at connecting dots.
“I'm editing a pic of his teeth on the tooth lab.” The duh is implicit, he showed him the screen of the amateur app, he shouldn't have expected less.

After a while of Tenko searching for appropriate words, ripping pages in two because in his own opinion it wasn't whimsical enough, writing it on his phone to stop wasting ink and paper.
He finally put the final dot.
“Mr. Fairy, gimme your approval, if you don't like it, I don't care, I won't do it again.” Tenko handed him the letter, you couldn't even tell how frustrated he got writing it by its looks.

“Dear Shoto,

We heard about your first tooth.
What a big milestone! That tiny tooth shows how fast you’re growing and how brave you are. Keep brushing, smiling, and being kind, and many more tooth adventures will follow. We’re proud of you and cheering you on as you earn shiny smiles and happy dreams.
We're very grateful for your contribution to tooth science; thanks to you, many more kids would be able to keep a healthy smile.

We hope to keep working together in the future.
Until the next wiggly tooth.

The Tooth Mouse & The Tooth Fairy”

Touya read the note carefully. The boy managed to make his handwriting look like a medieval letter, it was decorated with a drawing of the mouse and the fairy, and many teeth.
He could trust this man to reconstruct his face with a toothpick of how good he was at creating, or maybe he's just in love.
“You're good at this.” Touya grabbed his face and gave him a kiss on the top of his head.
Tenko chuckled, decorating the corners with the glittery eyeshadow Touya handed him for more magic.

Everything was ready.
They had the money, the note, a tiny chocolate he found, and
“We have to print the pic,” Touya remembered, holding his head in his hands.
“Do we really?” he complained, tiredness taking over him again.
“Yes, I already did it I'm not wasting my effort”
The thing is, the printer is in Natsuo's room, a night invasion does no wrong.

Touya and Tenko (who kept refusing, but Touya insisted for him to come too; apparently his presence is absolutely necessary for the printer to work) went as quietly as possible to the other side of the hallway, sneaking into Natsuo's empty room.
How many times does he have to tell him to call when he's not coming home? How is he supposed to defend him and have a good lie if he doesn't know he has to do it in the first place! They left everything needed on the desk so they could go straight to Shoto's room the second the picture was ready.

All that ninja effort was dismissed the second they put the printer to work, how can we have robots but not silent printers? Touya thought to himself as the machine did its thing.
“Thanks for staying," he muttered, trapping Tenko against the desk, putting both hands on his sides. The boy's playful smile grew, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's neck.
Why was he mad again?
“No need to thank me, you know I'm such a good person,” he joked. He can't help but mock the Todoroki’s “I'm the best and I don't care” persona since he started dropping it around him. If he annoyed him for years, why can't he do it back?
Touya didn't have a snarky comeback, he was too focused on kissing Tenko's jawline.

Tenko stiffened immediately, a sharp inhale giving him away before he could stop it. Touya felt it under his hands and smiled against his skin.

Right. Sensitive.

He probably should’ve pulled back, but Tenko’s grip tightened instead, fingers pressing into Touya’s shoulders like he was bracing himself.
That was the permission he needed to go down to his neck.
“I missed you so much, I needed this so bad.” Without thinking about it, his grip shifted from the desk to holding Tenko's waist, he could feel the boy already melting under his touch.
“Really? I thought people texted when they missed each other,” he shot back, his voice came out breathier and needier than he meant. Even in that position, he can't miss an opportunity to complain; anyways, his hands were already tangled in Touya’s hair.
He huffles, pouting exaggeratedly, “I already apologized, drop that.” He kisses Tenko's cheek, then the corner of his lips to take that fake frown away.

“You have to apologize way better.” He finally smiled against the kisses, taking Touya's lips like he was savoring every second he missed those last days.
“I could do it right now,” he muttered against his lips, pulling away for a second just to bring them together in a much more needier kiss, paired with his hands sliding under the shirt he gave him.
He couldn't keep it going because Tenko suddenly pulled him away.

“What's wrong?” he asked, confused and annoyed, it's not like they were gonna do it in his brother's room! He has morals.
“Tooth first,” he remembered, pointing at the pic that was already cold from waiting for them.
Touya rushed to grab everything they needed.“We're finishing this in my room,” he added before disappearing into the dark hall.

Shoto’s room was very different from Izuku’s, there were no action figures or posters in the scene. He expected it, considering Touya hides part of Shoto's toys in his closet, but he never thought it looked like a guest room if it wasn't for the child peacefully sleeping there.
Touya dropped the gifts on his boyfriend's hands and even warmed up for the hardest part of it all.

Not disturbing his baby brother's sleep.

Because sleeping problems are in the genes of this family, and once Shoto opens his eyes, he doesn't close them again till he physically cannot be awake.
Tenko decided to stay on the door as his boyfriend searched for the tooth under the pillow, who prayed to every deity and entity to keep his brother asleep.
Even holding back his breath every time he felt the slightest movement on Sho’s expression.

Tenko snapped a quick pic before handing him the letter, the pic and the candy.
With the same care as a Mission: Impossible movie he slid it all under the pillow.
Once Touya stands up, they high-five in slow motion to avoid noises just in case.

Morning comes and Shoto's steps run down the hall to show him what his new magic friends gave him.
Touya was fixing his hair on the mirror and Tenko was already dressed to go back home but was still lying down.
“Touya! Look! They actually came and gave me so many things!” The kid was jumping of joy showing him all the things they made with so much effort last night. It looked like he already read the letter a thousand times and the pic was wrinkled from waving it so much.
Of course, the chocolate was already nonexistent and…

the money? Where was the money…

what kind of kid wouldn't brag about getting money! His brother has always been special and not good at bragging, so he needed to ask.
“Yeah? You have to tell us what that letter says.” Touya first reassured he was listening and then dropped his question, “And? How much did he give you?
Silence, Shoto's big eyes staring up at him, directly into his soul.

“I didn't get any money…” He tilted his head, before he could get more things together and start to cry, Tenko stepped in.
“Don't worry, Sho, when they have busy nights they sometimes forget to deliver it all, also when teeth are special, they need to take them to the lab to calculate their value for paying you appropriately" he invented, Touya wanted the mental agility of his boyfriend.

By the time Shoto nodded, wide-eyed and thoughtful instead of teary, Touya realized the crisis was over, the tooth fairy’s reputation barely intact, and his baby brother was already running off to show the letter to their other siblings.
When the hall was quiet again, Touya turned to Tenko.

He was already smiling softly, sitting on the edge of the bed, patient as ever, like he wasn’t waiting on anything at all, just there.
Touya leaned in, pressing a soft, grateful kiss to his lips, this time slow, unhurried, and full of relief.
It wasn’t desperate or frantic like so many of his kisses had been before.
It didn’t feel like asking. It felt like knowing.

Right there, in that quiet moment, Touya realized that opening up wasn’t that bad. Not when Tenko was there for him every time, steady and warm and real. Not when his words didn’t turn into weapons or burdens, not when his silence didn’t scare someone away.
He pulled back from the kiss, and Tenko greeted him with the same gentle smile, like staying was the easiest thing in the world. Like Touya wasn’t too much, wasn’t broken, wasn’t something that needed fixing in order to be loved.

For once, Touya let himself believe it. Let himself breathe. Maybe they were both kids with lives that had been anything but kind, carrying scars they didn’t always talk about. But at this moment, they were choosing each other anyway. And somehow, that was enough.