Chapter Text
Touya POV
We’d only been with Aizawa and Yamada for three days when they called us all to the kitchen and sat us at the table. This was it. They had realized our potential and were going to start training us. I had already started stealing food for this. I’d have to figure out a way to get the less trusting younger ones to come with us. Maybe I can bribe them with food or Fuyumi could-
“Do you guys want to go to the mall?” The question from the blond man shocks me so much that I can’t even answer. I just stare at him with a blank look.
“What?” Natsuo says what I’m thinking.
“The mall? You guys don’t have much, me and Sho’ thought you guys might like to go pick out some new things- clothes, maybe some decorations for your rooms, probably some school supplies, too. Do you guys want to do that?”
I just stare. I have to be hearing this wrong. This has to be a trick. I scowl and narrow my eyes. “What’s the angle here, then? Huh? You want to take us out and put us in your debt so you’ve leverage over us? Is that it? Or are ya just wanting to show off that you have the kids to the number two now? Hmm? Want some publicity?” I’m not even trying to hide the skepticism in my voice.
“What?” Yamada cries out. Now it’s the adults turn to stare at me in shock.
“Kid, I don’t know what got that thought in your head, but you can get rid of it right now.” Aizawa has a harsh tone that has Shoto and the twins taking a step back. Cairo’s wings pull around him, making a cocoon. Aizawa forces himself to take a deep breath. “We just want to help.”
Fuyumi rushes to the front of the group with that apologetic smile she always used on Dad him when he was getting upset. “The mall! Of course! That sounds fun!” Her tone is sweet, but I can see through it. This is just her putting herself in the line of fire in hopes of calming down the situation. I pull her back and get in front of her. I will not let my siblings suffer any more.
“No one helps us just because they want to. What’s the catch?” I say. I feel Natsuo flank me and risk a glance away from the adults. He’s got a matching scowl. Good. Let them know we won’t stand for anything.
“If we didn’t want to help, then why would we have taken all of you in?” Aizawa asks. A guilt trip attempt maybe? Not the tactics I’m used to but I can work with it.
“Publicity obviously. And it’s not like we asked you to do this.” I state. His eyes narrow. I let the heat start to crawl down my arms. Always be ready.
“Couple things kid: One I’m an underground hero, I don’t want publicity. Two, no one knows where you are staying. If we were only helping for publicity, do you think that would be the case?” Aizawa asks. I don’t know how to argue against that. It can’t just be that they want to help. I just can’t figure these two out. The heat retreats as I fumble for a thought of an argument.
I’m still trying to figure them out when I’m buckling up in the van. With no argument, there wasn’t reason to not go. They are right in that we need some new clothes at least, all of ours went up in flames in the fire, so we might as well get some- even if it does put us in debt to the heroes.
Aizawa POV
These kids are something else. Three days and I still haven’t figured them out. We’ve fostered sibling groups before, but not more than two or three. Seven is… a lot. I didn’t want to do this, but Nezu has some scheme cooking up in his chaotic head and he insisted that ‘Zashi and I would be perfect for this. He even used school funds to relocate us to a much (emphasis on the much) bigger house to accommodate the large upgrade in people. I admit, I fully expected all of them to be pampered brats who would have no manners. To say I’ve been shocked by their habits would be an understatement. It has definitely been adjustment, both with ‘Zashi and I moving and having seven kids and not a single one of them trusts us. I think the only ones fully settled in are our cats, Sushi and Mochi.
The two oldest boys- Touya and Natsuo- are constantly sending us wary glances. If I move too fast or try to use a firm tone, they tense up and put themselves in front of the others. Fuyumi keeps trying to cook and do all the house chores, looking nervous anytime we tell that she doesn’t have to. Far different from how savagely the nurses and doctors say she was in the hospital. Shoto is monotone any time he answers us and he keeps all of his emotions off his face, so finding out how he’s adjusting to all of this has been difficult. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen the twins- Alec and Alex- separate from each other. They go everywhere together and I’m pretty sure they’re sharing a room. I’ll have to check on that when we get back and see if they want me to move one of their beds to the other room. And then there’s Cairo.
The youngest Todoroki is one of the more worrisome, to say the least. Someone has to find him every time we have meals. I know he can hear, so it’s not that he doesn’t know that we’re calling him. And he scarfs food down anytime it's given to him, so it’s also not that he’s not hungry. He spends all day in his room, and anytime I go in there, he’s hiding under his bed or sitting on the windowsill. He startles so easily. The first day with us, he hid behind the couch for twenty minutes because he spilled some water. It took forever to coax him out and then he stayed in his room until dinner. I haven’t heard him say a word since we picked him up from the hospital either. I want to ask one of the other kids about it, but I’m a little worried about how they’ll react. Maybe Fuyumi would tell me without a fight.
When we get to the mall, I realize how bad this plan was immediately. People are staring and pointing from the moment the kid gets out of the van. Touya glances around and looks annoyed. Then he does something I haven’t seen him do in the three days that I’ve known him: He smiles. I barely overheard him whisper to Natsuo about the paparazzi. The other boy nods and I see him lean over and whisper to Fuyumi. Then she leans over to Shoto, and then every kid has put on a big fake smile. Except for Cairo. He hasn’t even gotten out of the van. He looks terrified. His wings are pulled around himself and he’s visibly shaking. I nudge ‘Zashi and gesture to the youngest boy.
Cairo POV
Everything is weird and I want to go home. I want to go back to my room where everything made sense. I stayed in my room and slept and paced and flew and looked out the window and Daddy brought me food sometimes. And then there was so much fire and I thought maybe Daddy was just really mad, but then there was also smoke and I couldn’t breathe and when I woke up, I wasn’t in my room anymore. There were so many people and noises and lights and they kept talking to me and asking questions and they always got upset when I didn’t answer and none of them would let me leave and go home. They took me to a room with all my brothers and sister and asked everyone questions. And then two strangers took us. They said their names were Hizashi Yamada and Shouta Aizawa but they aren’t family and Daddy told me that I’m not supposed to be seen by anybody that isn’t family. But I can’t find Daddy. And I don’t know how to get home and they keep making me come and eat a table with everyone and I don’t know what to do. And now we’re here. At a place called a mall. And there are other people that aren’t family and I just know that Daddy is going to be so mad and he’s going to hurt me when he finds out that I broke the rules. I’m so scared that I don’t even notice when one of the strangers is in front of me until he’s touching my wings. I pull away and meet his green eyes before quickly looking down.
“Hey there little listener, can you take a deep breath for me?” He asks softly. I like his voice. Except when he gets really loud. I don’t like that. “Little listener… Cairo?” He prompts again. I realize that I haven’t done was I was asked. Oh no. I don’t want to get in trouble, I take a deep breath and risk a glance at him to see how mad he is. Wait- why doesn’t he look he look mad? He’s smiling softly. I didn’t listen. He’s supposed to be mad. I don’t know what to do now, I’m frozen. “Hey, it’s okay. What’s wrong, Cairo?” I can’t do anything. I just look down and try to hide in my wings, but he gently pushes them to the side. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want, kiddo,” Mr. Yamada’s voice is reassuring and I quickly look at his face again, just to be certain that he isn’t upset. He still isn’t. “We need to head on in to the mall, is that okay?” Why is he asking me? I don’t get to choose, I just do what I’m told. Maybe it’s a test. He wants to go in, so I’m supposed to agree with him. I nod my head and glance up to check if that was the right answer. He’s smiles bigger when he meets my eyes, and holds his hand out. Right answer then. “Do you want to hold my hand?” I look at his hand for a moment. I remember I used to hold Fuyumi’s hand a lot before Daddy put me in my room. Maybe holding his hand won’t be bad. I reach out before I can second guess myself and hold his hand tightly. His hand covers mine and he gently pulls me, encouraging me to leave the van fully. I follow him and look around. All my siblings are doing the camera smiles that Daddy told them to do if they ever left the house. He never let me leave, but I used to practice in the mirror a lot so that when I was good enough, I’d be ready and he would be so proud. Should I smile now. I don’t know. I look over at Alec and think about tapping his hand. But I can’t ask him if I’m supposed to smile so it seems pointless. Instead, I move to hide behind Mr. Yamada. I don’t think Daddy would like it if they saw me in the pictures.
“Everyone, just stick together and try to ignore them,” Mr. Aizawa says. He starts walking and Touya follows him, everyone else is walking behind him in a line.
“Come on, little listener, I’m here with you,” Mr. Yamada says with another smile. He starts to follow the others and I go with him, clinging to his hand like a lifeline. We go through big doors that open all on their own. The first thing that I notice about this place is that it is loud. Really loud. There’s yelling and laughing and sizzling and stomping and squeaking and buzzing and too much too much too much. I can’t move and I need to move, need to run, need to hide. Before I can figure out where to run to, Mr. Yamada grabs my other hand and kneels in front of me. “Cairo. Buddy. Deep breaths. Like this, come on, big deep breaths.” He starts taking big exaggerated breaths. I copy him, and I begin to feel calmer. How did that happen? “Yeah, just like that, you’re doing so good, Cairo.” I look at him in shock. Good? I’m doing good? He still has the same smile and he asks gently, “Can you tell me what’s wrong?” Should I answer? I can’t tell him no, Daddy hurt me last time I told him no. I have to answer. How do I answer? Suddenly Alec and Alex are there on either side of Mr. Yamada.
“He doesn’t like loud noises,” says Alex.
“Also, he doesn’t talk, so you shouldn’t ask him questions.” adds Alec.
Mr. Yamada looks back and forth between them before finally looking back at me, “Is that right, Cairo?” I hesitantly nod. He’s going to be mad. I just know he’s going to be mad. But the yelling and the pain don’t come, instead his voice is gentle and he is gentle when he squeezes my hands, “That’s okay, how about we go find a quieter place and then we can find a different way to talk?” I look at him. He looks genuine. I nod my head again. “Great, come on then little listener.” He gently leads me to Mr. Aizawa and tells him what just happened and what he’s doing. Mr. Aizawa looks down at me and I quickly look to the floor. He always seems upset and tired. He’s scary. I don’t want him to be upset. Sometimes he seems mad and I don’t know what to do, so I run. I know running makes it hurt worse later, but he hasn’t hit me yet. I don’t understand why.
Mr. Aizawa and Mr. Yamada are whispering to each other and nodding. I remember Touya said we weren’t supposed to separate. Oh no am I breaking a new rule? I don’t have time to panic fully about it before Natuo is standing over me. I look up at him. He gives me a quick smile and then tilts his head at where my hand is still latched onto Mr. Yamada. Was I not supposed to? I pull away and he smiles and offers me his hand instead. Okay don’t hold Mr. Yamada’s hand, maybe new rule? I can do that.
I want my brothers and sister to like me. Touya makes escape plans with Natsuo and Fuyumi, I hear them at night. I try to listen. I want to be good, I want them to take me with them if they leave. I wonder if they’ll take me back to my room and all the rules will come back… but maybe not the ones that hurt. I like not getting punished. Most of my bruises are even fading away. They’ve never done that before, there’s always new ones over top of them.
Mr. Yamada looks down when I switch to holding Natsuo’s hand. I wait for him to be mad, but nothing happens yet. Maybe it’ll be later when we’re not out in public?
Natsuo Pov
I saw Yamada hold Cairo’s hand while we walked through the crowd, and he kept a hold of him in mall. I eavesdropped when the man started whispering to his husband and heard him say he was taking Cairo somewhere quieter. Alarm bells started ringing in my head. I told Touya and saw him get the same look. He sent me and Fuyumi with Cairo while he stayed with Shoto and the twins.
Which is why I’m now in a shoe store. Yamada didn’t mind when me and ‘Yumi started following him, so we stayed close. I held Cairo’s hand so that the man wouldn’t be able to just take him wherever he wanted. He asks Cairo to sit down on one of the benches. I have a look with ‘Yumi, but let him go. Touya said we have to give them some room to mess up so that we know if we need to run.
I wander the aisle near them, not actually paying attention to the shoes. None of us have ever worried about Ciaro saying something he shouldn’t, he hadn’t really started talking in more than a few random words before Dad locked him up, and we haven’t anything from since we reunited in the hospital. I’m mostly just making sure that Yamada doesn’t say or do something he shouldn’t to Cairo, but staying back enough that if he did want to do something, he would feel more comfortable doing it. This was the plan, we have to give them roon. I have to repeat it over and over as I pace.
I look over at them. Yamada is moving his hands more than his mouth. It takes me a second to recongize the movements as sign language. Back before Shoto was born and Touya was the only one training, me and Fuyumi had started trying to teach ourselves some basic stuff so we could talk without being heard by him. I don’t remember much of it. I don’t realize I’m trying to translate the signs and no longer pacing and acting busy until Yamada looks up and sees me.
Yamada POV
I’d noticed Natsuo wasn’t looking at shoes almost immediately after I sat down with Cairo. Fuyumi is behind me, but anytime I’ve glanced towards she has at least been looking at the shelves. Either she’s better at stealth than her brother or she is genuinely getting shoes. Sometimes it’s hard to tell with her. When I glanced up at Natsuo the last time, he’d completely stopped pacing and had just been watching us. Watching my hands? Does he know sign? I waved him over, it’s best the kids all know it if they’re going to be staying long term anyway. I can’t have my hearing aids in all the time.
Even though I waved him over to me, I am surprised when he actually comes and sits beside us. Sometimes the older three act so much older than they are that it’s easy to forget that they’re all still so little. Fuyumi and Natsuo are just preteens, Touya is only thirteen. Despite the fact that they all act so much older than that, they are just kids, kids who are traumatized and don’t trust anyone but each other. Natsuo looks eleven when he sits on the floor beside us, legs crossed, eyes focused on my hands. He looks curious, he looks like an inch of trust is being given to me and I know I can’t do anything to jeopardize that.
“Do you know any signs Natsuo?” I ask, hoping that he won’t back off just because I addressed him directly.
He shrugs, looking down. “A little… I can finger spell my name. And ask what hurts.”
Anger and sadness well up in my chest. Anger at whoever made it so that having to ask where it hurts was an important enough thing for him to have to remember, sadness that he had to go through it. That any of them had to go through it. “Can you show me?”
He nods, looking at his hands. I watch him closely. His face and his hands. His nose scrunches up as he focuses. He wants to do good at this. N-A-T-S-O-U. Hurt what? He looks up at me when he finishes his name.
“Good job, that was perfect.” I praise him. He doesn’t tamp down the emotions on his face fast enough for me to not see them. A smile splits across his face and he looks down about a half a second after tears start to bubble up. I quickly make a mental note that Natsuo responds well to affirmation. It makes sense, especially if he’s been neglected with Fuyumi the longest with little to no parental involvement except to punish them. He sits with me and Cairo as I keep going over the basics. I’ve been showing Cairo question words and having him show them back. He’s been doing good, he also responds well to praise. A few minutes after Natsuo settled beside us, Fuyumi also sits down. A stack of boxes in her arms. She pulls out a pair and silently hands them to Natsuo. He looks away from the lesson to quickly try them on. He keeps glancing back up to watch my hands. He’s eager to learn. I can work with this, I am a teacher after all.
I pause our lesson so that the boys will focus on the shoes. Fuyumi pulls Cairo to her, sitting him in her lap. She works with the speed of a mother, which again makes that well of anger and sadness well up. She shouldn’t have to be the parent. Natsuo and Touya shouldn’t have to be the protectors. The younger brothers shouldn't know how to hide their emotions like walls of stone. Cairo shouldn’t panic at the slightest thought of social interaction.
I watch Fuyumi change Cairo’s shoes, she has a pair of sandals for him, which I at first think is odd because all the other shoes appear to be sneakers. But then she takes off the sneakers he’s wearing and I see talons unfurl. I blink. How did we not notice that. I know he’s hiding most of the time but has he really never taken off his shoes? The littlest boy looks at me with a panicked face and begins to struggle in his sister’s arms.
“Cai, it’s fine. Calm down sweetheart. These will make your feet hurt less,” She tries to soothe him, but he whines. He’s twisted so that he’s facing her, hiding his face against her neck. “Cairo, it’s okay. He won’t hurt us, and Touya will be with us at the house.” The words are whispered but I hear them anyway. I don’t think I was meant to. Is that why they’re getting closer now? Because we’re out in public? I probably should correct her now, but the moment has already passed because she has Cairo’s shoes on and has him walking around to test them out. Actions speak louder than words though, we can teach them safety.
Touya POV
We spent at least five hours at the mall. It was actually nice. We walked around with Aizawa and picked out clothes, I made sure to grab stuff for the group that went with Yamada. I think I saw Alec smile at one point, holding a soft sweater and petting it. Shoto was picking things out, he still had his face blank, but I knew it was his way of trying to connect with us. Aizawa hung back, letting us get what we wanted. When we met back up with the others a couple hours in, Fuyumi had a pair of shoes for each of us to try on. We ate lunch after that, then walked around a couple more shops. By hour four my pain was getting to a level I was having a hard time handling. But I boxed it up, put it to the side. I leaned a little more against Nat when I could get away with it, he must’ve realized what was up, because he started staying closer to me. I’ve told Yumi and Nat about the way the scars still hurt, how the pain tugs at my energy until it’s hard to stand up right. I don’t like admitting weakness but it is important to our plans to run away. If I have to use my quirk, we won’t be able to get as far. I can’t run as far as I used to. We’ll have to make camps more often. I can still go further than Cairo might be able to, even I carried him to the whole way. But I couldn’t go for more than eight hours I don’t think. I’ve been trying to build up my tolerance, exercising in my room when everyone goes to bed. But still, by the end of the mall trip, I’m exhausted. We’re loading up in the van again, I try to buckle Cairo into his car seat but my hands are shaking. Fuyumi glances at me and then at the adults and quickly takes over the task before they can see. I smile at her gratefully. I sit in my seat, hearing the near silent whispers of the twins as they talk to each other, Shoto’s occasional input. Nat and Yumi settle beside me. I don’t realize I’m falling asleep until I’m already gone.