Chapter Text
Of course, he never went back to live at the Agency. There was no reason to and, frankly speaking, he felt much, much safer at… his new home. He was also bonding quite well with his brothers, in his and their free time. They were as tight-knitted as welcoming, probably used to Tsuna bringing in some new family member at odd times.
“How did that begin, exactly?” He asked Aizawa at some point while they were waiting for the brunet to come back from a late-minute mission.
Hitoshi perked up, “we never asked.”
“Right,” Ichigo and Shiro came from the living room to sit on the floor and listen.
Their father sighed, washed the carrots under the water and hummed. “I think he started with me… well, technically, I started with him, because… Uhm, let me go back to the very beginning.” He stopped the water, dried his hands and moved the table chair to sit in front of them, opposite from Touya. “Tsuna started as a vigilante, when he came to this city.” There was hesitation when he chose the last word. “He was too late for hero school, at the time anyway, and he couldn’t let crimes ran rampart right under his nose.”
“I didn’t even want to become a vigilante.”
They turned to the door, where Tsuna was leaning against the wall with a smirk and crossed arms. His husband coughed in one hand.
“But victims talked and he was known. I was appointed to his case and it was by chance that I discovered his identity, at the café where he worked.”
“Soma-san?”
Aizawa nodded at Hitoshi. “He was ready to flee the country when I intercepted him…”
Tsuna chuckled, walking in the kitchen to study what they had been cooking. “With an outrageous proposition.”
“You accepted.”
“Touché,” he smirked, stirring the pot.
“I didn’t want good hero material to leave Musutafu, he was doing good to the city, so I asked him to stay and work with me.”
“Oh,” Ichigo blinked, “that’s why you’re so fixated on rehabilitating vigilantes.”
“Society failed them,” Tsuna shrugged, setting the table, “they deserve a chance, and it’s all they will get. If they fail, then it’s on them and they will be considered outlaws.”
“What’s the success rate?”
“Almost all the vigilantes we came in contact with are abused children,” Aizawa scowled. “They all succeeded and are working for the Agency now.”
Shiro whistled. “Good job.”
“Thanks,” Tsuna beamed.
“Anyway, he accepted my offer and came to live with me, then took the hero license–”
“Wait,” Ichigo blinked in surprise, “live with you?”
Aizawa tellingly blushed a bit, looking away. Tsuna hid by turning to the stove.
Touya couldn’t help but smile, somewhat very smug. “Would you look at that,” he slowly said with a blooming smirk, “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
The brunet came to his husband’s rescue with a very wide smile. “To his defence, we had a few important run-ins and an… ongoing something in the café, so...” He shrugged and kissed Aizawa’ cheek, “let’s say I’m very glad he did.”
“Same,” Hitoshi grinned, “else we wouldn’t be here.”
Touya raptly listened to the tale Shouta and Tsuna took turns telling. They even ate dinner with the story still going. He chose out of gaming that night and simply went upstairs, Leon nuzzled in his head, that was swimming with thoughts, with ideas and with doubts. He found Tsuna waiting for him on the threshold of his adoptive fathers’ room, eyeing him with knowledge that he had become quite familiar with.
“I think you want to ask me something,” he began, closing the door and walking up to him.
Bullseye, as always. “I don’t think you want me asking,” he studied the man’s sad eyes and shrugged, “I’m just curious, it’s not like I need to know.”
“But you do have a right to,” Tsuna hummed, “and the truth is bound to come to light. What about a deal?”
He scoffed with a smirk. “Really? Haven’t gotten enough of those at work?”
“You’re right,” the man chuckled, “but I insist.”
Touya hummed, “what do you want, in exchange for one question?”
“That you listen to a request. Only listen, I don’t want you to carry it out.”
Sounded safe enough. “What request?”
“I want you to consider meeting your siblings.”
Touya blinked, looked away, bit his lower lip. Right. The latest obsession his brain had decided to stick with. His brothers, his sister, finally free from that madman by Tsuna’s words and… missing him, also going by Tsuna’s words.
“Just think about it,” the brunet continued. “No one is forcing you to do anything. You’re free to do whatever you deem right, whatever you feel like you can do, ok?”
He nodded, took a deep breath. “Fine, ok… ok, I’ll think about it. My question,” he looked up at Tsuna again, finding a fond smile that made him clear his throat. “Who are you– you know what I mean!” He pointed an accusing finger when his father smirked in mischief.
Tsuna scoffed into a chuckle, “ok, I’ll answer that… but let’s include your eavesdropping brothers.”
Someone fell behind him, Touya face-palmed. “Such busybodies…”
There was a chorus of “ehi!!”
Tsuna manoeuvred them downstairs, where Shouta took one look at them, sighed and set to brew warm chocolate. “Thank you dear.”
“I want in.”
“Of course,” Tsuna smiled, letting them sit on the sofa and falling on the floor in front of them. “You better hurry up then!”
“No need for choco, old man!” Hitoshi yelled, eager and waiting.
Shiro nodded along, “yeah, just come here, been waitin’ long for this.”
Ichigo made space for their father, but he opted to stand against the wall – and the cats took the space for themselves. “Fine. Seems like history night.”
“We should make this weekly!” Hitoshi grinned.
“I don’t have so many stories to tell,” Tsuna pouted.
Shouta cleared his throat, arching one brow. His husband blushed.
“Ok, maybe I have…”
“And we can share our stories, too.”
Touya expected to feel dread at that, instead he felt… peaceful. Right. Content.
“So, who are you, tou-san?” Ichigo gathered his legs beneath him, crossed.
Their father nodded, “right… My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi.” He licked his lips and tapped his fingers against his calves, eyes avoiding them. “I’m… I’m not… Well.”
“Just say it.”
Tsuna looked at Shouta, biting his inner, lower lip, and kept his gaze there as he said: “I’m not from this world.”
They stared.
“I had a friend, he could speak to every version of himself in the different universes. When something bad happened, while I was at work, he sent me in a nearby city.” His eyes were downcast, almost sad, as he played with his own fingers. “I had a brief moment of breakdown, because heroes? My friend thought a world of heroes and villains would give me a more peaceful life?” He rolled his eyes, “I couldn’t picture all of this back then… I searched for a job, and found Akuro. I didn’t want to become a hero, it… just happened.”
“Because we can’t leave a crime alone.”
Tsuna nodded at Shouta, probably unsettled by his sons’ silence. Touya, for his part, was not exactly shocked. Surprised, yes, and with a nagging curiosity.
“What was your job?” He asked, breaking the silence, and the brunet looked at him. “You told me you weren’t on the law’s side.”
“And I meant it,” he bit his lips, looking down. “I was the only alive heir to a Mafia family… the equivalent of Yakuza, but in Italy, basically.”
“Oh,” that explained a lot.
“Uhm… I lived a normal life until fourteen, then a hitman came to train me… in the strangest and most unorthodox ways, of course. And I inherited the title in a few years, the craziest of my life. Crazier than my time here, I assure you… but I met my family thanks to him, I built it and protected it.” He paused, stilling his fingers and drawing a deep breath. “I protected them to my last breath,” he admitted. “I don’t regret dying for them, I regret having to leave without a goodbye… But I would lie if I told you I was happy.” Shouta went to sit at his side, simply leaning against him. “I was content, I was happy for my family… but I wasn’t really there anymore, I wasn’t me. I never wanted that life, meetings, Bosses, power, crimes. At the end of the day, when everyone went to sleep and I finished my paperwork… I was alone.”
Touya didn’t like what he was hearing, neither that Tsuna seemed… small, in that moment. It didn’t sit right with him. Leon thought the same but, instead of trying to comfort his father, nuzzled Touya’s neck, seeking comfort himself. He stilled, suddenly hit by an idea, but decided to keep it to himself. He just softly tapped Leon’s head.
“Well, your friend knew what he was doing, right?” Hitoshi waved his hands around with a smile.
Tsuna blinked up at him, slowly mirroring the grin, “I guess. You wouldn’t say that if you knew him.”
“Why? Was he an enemy-turned-friend or somethin’?”
“You got it,” Shouta scoffed, “not that you had anyone starting off as friend right off the bat.”
The brunet pushed his husband away with a huff. “I had friends!”
“Let me count how many were enemies befo–” A pillow interrupted the statement, but Touya heard it loud and clear.
Thinking about it, it was the same for himself. He’d technically been an enemy and Tsuna had decided that they weren’t, period. He was suddenly thirsty for details, but one look at the tiredness mixed with relief and he knew it would have to wait. Their father probably thought they would have been repulsed or unbelieving. He sent one look at Ichigo, who nodded and followed him in saying goodnight – with an intense, group-hug before actually going to sleep.
If Tsuna thought this would have changed things, he wasn’t actually wrong. Things changed a bit, but maybe for the better, because, if anything, they became more protective of themselves, of their family, and of their father who had gone through so much and yet was still standing, still fighting and still loving.
Skittish was the first word that came to Touya when he met Izuku, just like Leon at the beginning. He expected to be shied a bit, because of his scars and because he gave vibes of wanting to be alone – Hitoshi’s words while he repeatedly acted against said vibes when Touya wasn’t in his room. Instead, the boy respected his spaces while also subtly involving him in the conversations or games whenever he could. His friend Katsuki was more the minding his business type, yet he let Izuku drag him in impossible places time and time again only to witness heroes on action – they both were very careful in fear of getting involved and the consequent wrath Tsuna would unleash on them. Which was exactly how he ended up first row with them and Hitoshi the one time he decided to take their same route home. He blinked at the giant female hero trying to capture a villain that could turn into insects. He massaged his face in disbelief.
“Newbies,” Katsuki muttered.
Izuku tellingly stayed silent and even put away his notebook.
Touya took his phone and sent a message to Yami, who answered he was on his way. The hero was okay, in his opinion, like Memoire. They had hit it off a bit, took coffee breaks together at times.
“Come on, let’s go home. Nothing to see here.” He steered the three away, Hitoshi seemed deeply disappointed.
Izuku sighed when they left the crowd, “I know we’re at the beginning of the curricula, but we are already covering that a hero shouldn’t engage when they’re at a quirk disadvantage. They should stall and call in for reinforcements.”
“Not everyone graduates from U.A.,” Katsuki commented. “Will be a joke to climb the ranks.”
“That’s not why we are becoming heroes, ready for tomorrow’s test?”
The two friends groaned at Hitoshi’s remainder. Touya muted their conversation when it became very technical, something about math, that he hadn’t ever liked. He was glad, somehow, to not be a hero nor a villain. Too complicated a life, too many responsibilities, too much spotlight even when working underground. Poor old man of his, couldn’t escape the reporters for a straight week without encountering and fleeing one. Tsuna was unluckier, but he’d gotten used to it and knew how to outmanoeuvre them. He and his brothers were mostly safe, no one ever approached them and he was quite new to the picture, news had yet to be spread… He wondered what his siblings would think about this development, he wondered what they thought of him, of his escape, of what Tsuna had done…
He had taken time to think about the deal, about meeting them. He wanted to, but he was afraid. He had abandoned them, what would they have to say aside blaming him? For thinking him dead? For letting Shouto get the brunt of it? For fleeing?
… But Tsuna had vouched for them, he’d said they were lovely… and worried. And he wouldn’t have asked this of Touya if he thought it would have been bad so… Maybe… Maybe he should… He wanted to…
“Who’s that weirdo?” Katsuki stopped at his side, making them halt in their steps.
“I think I’ve seen–”
Hitoshi grabbed his friends’ wrists, pale, tugging, “run.”
Touya unconsciously moved in front of them, scared and angry.
“Lookie here, who the winds brought along!”
“Shigaraki.”
“Hellow there, Da-bi,” he sang, hands lifted as if leading an orchestra, and smirked beneath the hand glued to his face. “Found you.”
Fuck. They were still searching for him. Fuck fuck–
“Call dad, now,” before someone else–
A buzzing wave passed through his body, he heard gasps from his brother–
“Ah-ah,” Shigaraki started walking towards them with a shaking finger, “no phones allowed here, we have limited time and a body to collect.”
His own, he supposed. It was a bit relieving that they weren’t interested in his brother. Being unable to call for help, he could make sure that the kids were safe and simply give himself up, it was better than–
“I know you.”
… Fuck.
Shigaraki was literally fuming and trembling in rage, “you’re the Sora brat!”
Touya moved so that Hitoshi was completely hidden behind him. “You have a problem with me, don’t be a child and settle it.”
The villain scoffed, throwing his hands in the air, “I decide what to do! You will die and that brat will come with us! Kurogiri, take him.”
A portal opened behind Hitoshi. Hands shot out of it. Touya didn’t think. Blue flames erupted from his arms as he grabbed those hands and held on until they were twigs of burned bones. He didn’t even hear the screams of agony and ignored the smell, let go of the limbs and the portal closed. That wasn’t Kurogiri, the man was too smart to risk his hide. He turned to Shigaraki, lips framing his gritted teeth. The flames were still licking his scars, maybe reopening old wounds, but he did not care.
Touya lifted one hand towards Shigaraki. “You touch them with one of your filthy hands, and we’ll see whose quirk is quicker at erasing the other’s existence.”
He watched how the villain snarled and didn’t think twice before sending a burst of flames high up in the sky, making them explode outwards. His hands hurt, but that was enough of a call for help.
“Kurogiri.”
The hands came for him, this time. With a couple of knives and even a gunshot. His flames covered his entire body, melting the weapons and burning the offenders. The portal closed once more.
“What a coward,” he taunted, wanting to keep the attention on himself, “letting all your followers lose limbs while you stay safely away, huh? Glad I left.”
“Kurogiri!!!”
Two portals appeared behind him, at either side of Izuku and Katsuki. He sent flames through them. They closed. His hands were bleeding on the asphalt. Why was no one around?! Lunch time, right. He wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.
Shigaraki started pulling at his hair and scratching his nape into bruises. Why wouldn’t he just close those fingers around his throat? Would save a lot of time, really.
“You need to die!!”
“Thanks, but I’d rather live.”
“You were supposed to be good and obedient!!”
“Adopt a dog… ah, no, please don’t.”
“Shut the fuc–”
“Don’t use such foul words with the kids! Are you insane?!” If Tsuna heard of this… He shivered.
“Fuck yourself!”
“… very creative. How did you end up leading the League, by the way? Is Kurogiri the leader hiding in the shadows or something?”
“KUROGIRIIII!!!”
There were too many portals. Touya gritted his teeth through the pain and crouched down to set fire all around them. The air was suddenly hot. He panted through the heat and resisted checking on the boys. They were huddled behind him, cowering from the flames. This couldn’t go on. He had stalled enough, it was time to take the offensive, but how? His fire was not protective, if they stayed in the circle they would eventually be devoured.
“Who’s the coward now?” Shigaraki was clearly losing it if he thought that taunt would have worked.
“Izuku,” Katsuki whispered.
“Yeah, I’ve got it.”
Touya listened, hopeful. Hitoshi patted his arm but he didn’t turn, just nodded.
“There aren’t many–”
“The short version, quick,” the blond snapped.
“Building on our left. Next time portals open, we’ll dive for it. Open a way through the fire. We should be able to gain more time.”
“Nii-san?”
“Doable,” he answered in a whisper, swallowing. “I don’t see you walking to me either, coward. You know who you remind me? That one NPC you were playing against, who would just hide behind a corner until the enemy–”
“TAKE THEM!!”
Touya liked playing with fire, apparently. Three portals opened all around them, but farther, and villains poured out.
“Plan discarded,” Izuku quipped, voice quivering.
“No need for a plan.”
They gave a collective sigh of relief. Touya suddenly felt pain, all over his body, and he eyed the open scars, that looked awful. He was in for a good scold, not that it mattered much. His fire died down, the villains were very frozen all around them as Sora completely ignored them, Eraserhead activated his quirk, All Might made some poses and police sirens echoed in the distance. Duh. Overkill?
Tsuna walked up to him, eyes blazing, and softly cradled his hands. He pursed his lips, shook his head, eyed the kids.
“It’s ok now, we’ll be home soon. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” Touya said, catching his attention and his anguish-filled eyes, “guy’s got an anger issue, but I think they’ll flee now.”
Tsuna nodded once and let him go to turn around and glare at Shigaraki. The villains were trying to slowly go back through the portals. They were smart enough to understand what Sora being there meant. Eraserhead and All Might had already brought some down, though.
Touya allowed a look behind, checking on the boys. Hitoshi was gripping his shirt, but wasn’t pale anymore. Katsuki was snarling with a worried frown aimed at his wounds. Izuku’s eyes were avidly taking in the fights. They seemed fine.
He caught a movement with the corner of his eyes, a gleam shining off of metal. He moved before he could think. He grabbed the knife with his hands, further injuring himself, and held on when the weapon was tugged at. He burned the wire attached to the hilt and followed the trail to the source, then to the objective. He filed the information for later and tucked the knife away.
Shigaraki was fuming when a portal opened at his side and he left. Many villains were apprehended and the ones still standing decided to surrender. Tsuna was then immediately all over him, hands glowing a soft yellow hue.
“I’m going to heal you, ok?”
Healing had never felt so warm.
“He’s an idiot, by the way.”
Touya arched a brow at Katsuki in silent questioning.
“Every time he goes against Tsuna, he loses a handful of followers and is defeated.”
“Not last time,” Hitoshi sighed, laying on the carpet of the living room, “he did uncover tou-san’s identity.”
“At what cost?” Tsuna still wasn’t satisfied that he’d healed every single wound on Touya, he was spreading ointment on the scars and Touya let him. “My identity was bound to be discovered. In a sense, he made my life easier.” He took the other arm and deeply checked it. “I won’t say I wasn’t expecting him to try and get back at you,” Tsuna glanced once at him, “but I’m most curious about that knife you have in your jacket…” He scowled, “take this off, it’s bloody.”
Touya silently did as told and gave up the weapon, patting Leon in the process. “It was aimed at you, and attached to a string. They tried to take it back.”
His father’s fingers closed around the hilt and his eyes shone. “He’s impulsive, more than stupid, I think.” He studied the blade, that was non-descriptive except for a single engraving of a heart on the pommel. “And the ones hiding in his shadows have quick thinking. This is more than meets the eye.”
“What do you mean?” Izuku leaned over in curiosity.
“They wanted something. This was aimed at me, which means they wanted to hurt me, but they can’t kill me with a cut. They wanted back the blade… My blood? But why?”
Ichigo hummed from the armchair, “maybe they want to find your blood family? Through DNA.”
“Good luck with that,” Shiro scoffed.
Tsuna stayed silent, standing and going in the kitchen. Shouta let him through, but briefly eyed him, then moved his attention to his family, checking they were there, safe. Touya felt safe. The doorbell rang, the detective, Kaoru and Small Might came in and settled around the room with a short greeting. Tsukauchi-san smiled at Touya and sat on the low table, right in front of him, with a notebook and a pen in his hands, hat absent.
“I guess you know how this goes.”
He nodded, feeling itchy and needing a shower, but better take care of this first. “Yeah, let’s do this.”
“I need to inform you,” Kaoru interjected from behind the couch, “you are under no obligation to answer any question you don’t want to answer.”
“Thanks, but it’s fine. Go on.”
The detective nodded, “I know what happened today, so I won’t ask about that. First off, do you know why the villains were targeting you?”
“I was part of the League months ago, needed a roof over my head. I left when their leader started invading my spaces, but they sent villains after me. I was saved by Yami and Memoire while escaping them, I think they still want me dead.”
Tsukauchi-san cleared his throat, eyeing Tsuna, who was standing next to Shouta, arms crossed, expression closed off. “Explains a lot. Let’s see… What do you know about the man that attacked you?”
“Shigaraki, if he touches whatever with five fingers of one hand, it’s destroyed. He’s a kid, thinks of the world as a videogame filled with NPCs. Mental, if you ask me, something’s wrong in his head. The portals were the work of Kurogiri, don’t know much about him, he minds his business and reins in the kid. There are more, they keep recruiting but, with Sora’s Agency and the frequent raids against organized crimes, people are more inclined to try the legal ways to survive. I haven’t interacted much with them.”
“Ok, that’s very informative,” he scribbled some notes, “do you have an idea about their plans?”
“I know they have their eyes on Sora, but because he’s a threat to them. Their focus is on him,” he threw a thumb at Small Might, who blinked in surprise. “Shigaraki really hates him. Dunno why, but can picture it,” he sent the man a scathing glare, he hadn’t forgotten nor forgiven the way he’d treated Shiro and Izuku. “They hooked me with the promise that they would go through the most important heroes either way, I… have history with one and wanted revenge.”
“Ok, that’s not of much importance,” the detective winked, “no need to mention it in the reports. Now,” he put away his notes and the pen, “we think they won’t stop trying to get you but, at the same time, Sora’s threat will keep them at bay. Tsuna, thoughts?”
Everyone turned to him. The brunet was leaning against Shouta, who had an arm around his waist. Tsuna looked down at his left, arms still crossed, deep in thought. Reborn and Byakuran were sitting tightly around his legs, tails swishing.
“They want All Might, it’s true.” His eyes shone golden, “I… can’t grasp why, pieces missing…” The hue brightened, yet Tsuna’s vision dimmed, “betrayal, abuse, manipulation, vengeance… a past… full of pain… fates intertwined… naivety……”
“Tsuna,” Shouta cradled the brunet’s face, looking in his eyes, “come back, it’s enough.”
The gold shed away to warm brown. His father blinked twice, refocusing on his surroundings with a soft sigh.
“Thank you.” The raven kissed him once, letting him go, and Tsuna swiftly moved his gaze on Small Might, “it revolves around you, so rack out your brain and bring up anything you think is important, everything.”
“B-but–”
“My family is in danger because of this,” Tsuna coldly stated, “I don’t give– I don’t care about your privacy.”
Tsukauchi-san cleared his throat, standing with a small smile, “I agree, it’s important to search all viable routes. This League is dangerous, Toshinori. They are prepared, equipped and have an objective, it’s not our usual small group that’s easily dealt with.”
“No,” Shouta sighed, “this will blow up. Unless we find where they are hiding, or we cut off the head, we can only wait for their move.”
“Oh, right,” Touya hadn’t thought about it, “I can give you the location of the hideout I stayed in, but I think they have long vacated it.”
“I could search them out…?”
The old man shot down Tsuna’s proposition. “Don’t you dare. We don’t know what we’re fighting against. Think about it, is it safe for you to?”
Judging by the brunet’s silence and scowl, not at all. The detective clapped his hands once.
“Our job’s done here, we’ll leave you to rest, let’s go!”
Kaoru and Small Might left with him. Tsuna disappeared in his husband’s hug for a few minutes while Ichigo smirked at the display of affection, planning an endless teasing. Touya shrugged the uneasiness he suddenly felt… they knew he’d been a villain.
“Uh… I’m sorry about what happened… with Shigaraki, when he… kidnapped you.”
Hitoshi blinked up at him from the carpet and Ichigo looked at the ceiling as if he was searching for answers. Katsuki lamented being hungry and dragged Izuku away into the kitchen.
“That’s rich, I don’t want your apologies. Did you kidnap us? No. Did you hurt us? No. Did you protect our brothers? Yes. You’re not what people say you are, so suck it up and accept you’re a good person.”
“You joined the League, if we can say so, because you needed shelter,” Ichigo was still looking at the ceiling, “we can’t blame you for that. They tried to kill you, tried to take Hitoshi, and you stayed with us.”
“Yeah, I’m not happy they found you before us, but it’s fine.”
Touya blinked away the tears, but he saw Tsuna shed a few of his own. A weight was lifted from his shoulders, and he thought, as they set to cook a delayed lunch, that maybe meeting his siblings wouldn’t go as wrong as he thought. It seemed a recurring pattern, to expect the worst and get the best. He liked it. And it was all thanks to a hero that, apparently, was on a quest to adopt left and right.
No one minded.