Chapter Text
It was a cool autumn night, and the full moon offered plenty of light as it hung in the clear sky. The wind carried a kind of cold that offered a taste of what was to come in later months. Overall, it was a wonderful opportunity for a midnight stroll, if one cared little for their health. And the man supposed, that with how often his brother acted in such dangerous and irrational ways, that description fit the poor thing to a tee.
After all, how else could one describe such a hastily done thing as his flight from his home? The fool had barely eaten all week, and had no supplies on his person. He was so erratic with his movements that Hisashi had easily been able to corner him in one of his warehouses, with the help of some of his most trusted people. The building had only one exit, and two of his men were guarding it as he and the rest spread out, looking for the little escapee.
The man walked slow, peeking down a narrow aisle of crates and boxes lining the walls with relaxed movements. He had expected Yoichi to try and leave again. It was what he did the first time, when Hisashi had first placed him in his vault. The little thing would find a way to wiggle out from under his care with the kind of desperation of a rabid animal. But what his panic offered in strength and bravado, it lacked in rational thinking, which was all the better for the elder. It made bringing Yoichi back home much easier.
He would still have to be punished, though. Even if this was expected, it was still a transgression that would have to be corrected. But that would all come later.
Hisashi finished inspecting his part of the building, and was just about to double back and check with his followers, when he heard a piercing noise come the other side of the building.
It was a scream.
His brother's scream.
Instinct and adrenaline had him activating several of his abilities without thinking. His body moved of its own accord, honing in on the source of the sound. The stacks of crates and faceless people blurred around him, as he tried to prepare himself for what he might see.
Within moments, he was on the opposite side of the warehouse, facing Yoichi, who was pinned down by one of his men, who had bent his baby brother's arm in such an unnatural way-
In a second he was behind the man, hand clenched on the back of his neck, fingers digging into its soft flesh. In the next, his former subordinate was hitting the wall next to them with a dull thud.
Blind rage had him stalking towards the crumpled heap of a man in front of him, but the sound of pained, ragged breathing from below stopped him. He turned towards his brother, and had to suppress a new well of irritation and concern at seeing the injured man trying to move away. Crouching down, he gently gripped the shoulder of the smaller man's unhurt arm, ever mindful to not be too harsh.
"Stop moving. You'll only hurt yourself more."
The shoulder was tense in his hold, and he feared that the younger would try to thrash in a vain attempt to flee. Having to restrain him would be difficult as he was now, as Hisashi had no wish to see his brother hurt himself more than he already was. The thought made him almost fraught with nerves, the feeling building in his spine and spreading throughout him, trying to brace himself for the struggle to come.
But blissfully, Yoichi relaxed, and his head lowered itself to the floor as he continued to try and catch his breath.
So it seems his brother had some good sense left within him. Good. He didn't need Yoichi making this worse for himself.
His grip loosened as eyes traveled to the limp arm slung across his brother's back.
Despite his baggy long-sleeved shirt obscuring most of his form, it was rather easy to see how the youngers arm slumped from its socket, and how the bone in his shoulder seem to jut out in such a disturbing fashion. It was almost certainly a dislocated shoulder.
Hisashi sucked in a breath, trying to keep his face from grimacing as the information sunk in. This wasn't a life-threatening injury by any means, but with his brother's condition as it was, it wouldn't be an easy one either. His refusal to eat had weakened him significantly, and he held no doubt that Yoichi would fight him tooth and nail against his recovery, being the stubborn troublemaker he was. It was also entirely possible that surrounding muscles or ligaments had been torn, making relocating the joint now a risky idea. A sling would need to be fashioned, and a doctor would be called over to his nearest base. Pain medication should be supplied there, but he should call in more, just in case. Maybe some mild sedatives, too. And restraints, of course. He couldn't be too careful.
But before all that, there was something he had to deal with.
A look behind him showed that the remaining men in the building were gathered nearby, waiting for his command like the loyal followers they were. He beckoned towards one of them, and the thing all but sprinted towards him, eager to prove himself.
Once he was close enough, Hisashi stood and began relaying a set of instructions, detailing what would be needed once he arrived back with his brother.
"And one last thing," he said, gesturing towards the man he had thrown, who was apparently alive and now just beginning to collect himself. "Tie him up and lock him in one of the rooms. Do nothing else with him until I get back."
He was eventually going to kill him, his punishment could be nothing less. But he wanted to collect back the quirk he had lent the man, and he didn't want to take it now. The thought of leaving his brother alone, or leaving him in the company of his followers while unattended, made something in the pit of his stomach gnaw at him in revulsion.
The man had nodded his understanding and turned to leave, when a voice rang out, stopping him.
"WAIT!"
Looking down, Hisashi saw Yoichi, now sitting up, trying to find his way to his feet, looking directly into his own eyes. Despite his voice being slightly hoarse and pained, it was still full of the same fire and conviction he always spoke with.
"Don't hurt him, brother. I don't know what you plan to do, but he doesn't deserve it."
Oh, of course he was doing this. He couldn't even be surprised by it. Begging for the life of the person who harmed him was just like his brother, who was so prone to his childish ideals of heroism. That naivety could never quite be shaken out of him, and though it was ever so endearing, it was just as much a great danger to his self. That's why it was the responsibility of Hisashi to keep him safe, from the world, and from himself.
The elder, without turning his gaze away, dismissed his subordinate with a wave of his hand. As the man went to carry his will out, Hisashi then knelt down, reaching to hold the shoulder of his defiant brother in front of him.
Yoichi backed away from his reach, but still held his stare with unwavering certainty.
"He was just trying to hold me down, but I kept struggling. I just tugged too hard in the wrong direction, and it came out. He didn't mean to hurt me."
A smile stretched across the taller man's face. Such a blatant, obvious lie, it would almost make Hisashi laugh, if not for the rage it instilled in him. Did his brother truly think he was that stupid, or was he that desperate to save that man, that he would lie to the face of his only family?
Carefully, ever so carefully, he reached out once more, and cupped the side of his brother's face, fingers finding their home in white hair. The younger tried to detach his hand, but his hold was firm.
"Do you think it matters? Whether it was caused by your struggles or not, it's of no consequence. He should have known better than to let such a thing happen under his watch. His punishment is inevitable, and I will do whatever I see fit to him."
He watched as his little brother's eyes, slightly hidden behind his lengthy tresses, grow panicked for a moment, before returning to their hardened state.
"Don't kill him, brother. He doesn't deserve it. Not over this."
He could feel his smile grow sharper, as he very so deliberately made sure his grip did not tighten.
In any other moment, he would have relished such a wonderful victory. Seeing his prideful, obstinate little brother beg was a rarity he scarcely was allowed to enjoy. But something in the way Yoichi had grown so concerned over such a stranger, and was willing to choke down his own pride for such an insignificant man's life, soured such feelings. He had spent so long trying to reason with his most precious little brother, to get him to submit and to understand. No matter how much time Hisashi spent with him, trying to get him to see reason, or how much he punished him, taking all but the bare necessities away, his brother wouldn't yield. He would stand on nothing but his own supposed morals and still fight like he could still win.
But for the sake of a man who tried to kill him, he would fall on his knees and beg.
Yoichi continued, resolute but obviously worried, as if he still thought he could change the situation.
"Please. I'll come back quietly, just don't hurt him."
Please.
How long had it been since he heard that word from his dear brother's mouth?
His fingers curled in the other's long hair, perhaps a bit too forcefully. But any type of force was too much for his brother, wasn't it? Too much and not enough, all at once.
"You don't need to worry about him anymore, my dear little brother. I'll take care of everything."
As he always would.
This only served to make the younger stare at him with only the most distrusting look. He was about to open his mouth once more when Hisashi beat him to the punch.
"We shouldn't linger here. You need to get your arm treated, after all."
The other's face contorted slightly in confusion, trying to carefully weight his options. Obviously, he was debating between another escape and quiet compliance, but only one of which his simple little brother thought could save the man. Hisashi knew what he would do before he had spoken.
With a slight nod and averted eyes, his brother consented.
Hisashi let go of the others face, and took off his suit jacket, fashioning it into a makeshift arm sling, to minimize the limbs movement. Not a word was spoken between them.
It was fine. Once his brother was treated, he would go back in his room, where he would eventually forget about that man. He would throw a tantrum, at first, wanting to know of that lowly criminal's state. But it would be ignored, and eventually fade from both of their minds as new, more pressing matters came to be. After all, once Hisashi found the quirk he was looking for to give to his brother, Yoichi would have until the end of time to forgive and forget everything that had and would happen between them.