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He knew he wasn't supposed to listen to other people's conversations, but he'd heard his name. So he leaned against the door and tried to hear what his siblings were saying.
"You have to tell him," Fuyumi repeated. "You can't just disappear like Mom did."
"Mom didn't leave of her own free will," Sosuke snapped. "I'm trying to make this as painless as possible."
"It's not fair to him," a new voice said quietly. If even Ryou was there... why wasn't he?
"I see you've finally moved on from the belief that everything is his fault."
"Don't patronize me–!"
"I meant it sincerely. That'll help you. Shouto already thinks things are his fault and we're not allowed to tell him otherwise. The less people blame him for stuff the better."
Ryou said something he couldn't hear. There were footsteps and someone sighed.
"...Alright, I'll tell him I'm leaving," Sosuke continued. "But I won't give him details. He's too young to understand. Maybe one of you can explain it to him when he's older."
"He's not as young as you think," Fuyumi said. "He understands a lot."
"Just... don't make me say goodbye to him."
"Alright," Fuyumi said after a brief silence. "I'll tell him some other time."
"Thank you. Ryou, get up and help me take this bag downstairs."
"Boss me around while you can," he grumbled. "I won't miss that."
Suddenly the door opened and Shouto found himself falling. Fuyumi gasped and Sosuke hung his head.
"How much did you hear?"
"Where are you going?"
"Fuyumi, take the other bag. I... need to talk to him."
She didn't say anything but did as she was told. Sosuke gestured for him to join him on the bed and he jumped up.
"I'm going away for awhile. I'm going to stay with a friend."
"Like a sleepover? 'Yumi talks about them sometimes!"
"Sorta."
"Cool! When are you coming back?" he asked excitedly. "I'm sure I'll be better at using my quirk and Dad will let me hang out with you more! Then you won't have to avoid me."
The older boy drew back. He really did know more than he let on. "I... I don't know when I'll be back. While I'm gone, I need you to be good to Fuyumi and Ryou. For me, okay?"
He cocked his head to the side. "What's going on? You're coming back, right?"
"And promise me you won't let him break you. Don't lose that spirit of yours."
"I promise."
He laughed without humor. "Thanks. I'll see you around."
"Sosuke?" He slid off the bed and followed him downstairs.
"Don't make this hard, Shouto. I just can't live like this anymore."
"Sosuke!"
"Shouto, please–"
He wrapped his arms around the boy. "I made a promise to you so you have to make one to me!"
"Let go," he snapped.
"Promise me you'll come back!"
He pried the boy off and took his things. "I'll see you at school and such, 'Yumi. And I'll try to keep in touch but I don't know how I'd go about that without him knowing."
"If you need anything else I can bring it to school," she offered.
"Thanks."
"You have to promise me!" Shouto cried.
He didn't look back as he got in the car.
"Sosuke!"
"Shouto, come back inside. It's freezing out."
"But he's–!"
"He'll be fine. This is better for him."
He tried to run after the car but Ryou picked him up and dragged him back inside. "Dad won't care if he goes missing, but if you disappear he's going to kill all of us. C'mon, I'll spar with you or something. What do you want?"
"I want Sosuke to come back... he didn't even promise me."
"He's never been very good at keeping promises when he makes them at all. Don't take it personally."
He still glanced out the window one more time, hoping to see his brother walking up the street.
The first month was difficult. Shouto found that his brother was more irritable than usual and he often woke up to arguments between him and their father. Enji knew what had happened but didn't speak of Sosuke again.
Then things began to settle down. Shouto stopped getting excited every time there was a knock at the door. Ryou didn't pick as many fights, and tended to roll over to avoid confrontation between his father. Fuyumi slowly stopped bringing home stories about Sosuke and took more and more of his belongings to school until his room was barren.
One month became two. Two turned into four. Four soon became a year. Time passed quickly and Shouto lost count.
He woke up one morning to Ryou yelling and tried to ignore it and go back to sleep. He couldn't, of course, and left the warmth of his bed to sneak downstairs.
"I'll bet having him leave was the best thing that ever happened to you besides Shouto's quirk showing itself! You don't even hide that you hate us so having one of us disappear must've been a dream come true!"
"Your brother ran away of his own accord. It was an unfortunate event but there's nothing I can do about it."
"Bullshit!"
"That's no way for a Todoroki to talk–"
"You don't give a damn about me or Fuyumi so don't give me that shit! I'm not worthy to bear your name. You've told me yourself!"
"That's enough!"
He glared at the man and his jaw twitched. "You think you have control over me but you don't. Not after you cast me aside like a piece of trash."
"You were a failure–"
"Fuck you."
"Ryou!"
"You don't get to use my name, asshole!" he called over his shoulder, flipping him off. "Get the hell out of my way, Shouto."
The boy scrambled back, eyes wide. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing you have to worry about."
"Ryou, please don't do anything stupid!"
"Why not?" he snapped.
He stared at the ugly scar on his neck and fought back tears. "I don't want anything to happen to you. You're the only brother I have left."
"Get used to being without any then. If he thinks I'm staying here then he's truly out of his mind."
"Ryou," he whispered. "Please."
"Get out of my room, Shouto."
"At least... At least promise me you'll come back. Please?"
He sneered at the boy. "Unlike the rest of you, I don't make promises I can't keep."
The door slammed open and Ryou made an irritated noise. "That's it! All of you outta my room!"
"You don't have that control," Enji growled.
"No, it's you who doesn't have control. You don't get that luxury when you never acted as my father. Now get out."
"Please," Shouto cried. Then there was a hand in his shirt and he found himself being dragged away.
The rest of the day passed slowly and he found himself never straying far from his brother. Never speaking, never getting in the way, but never leaving his side.
Then it was time for bed. He dragged a blanket down the hall and curled up in front of his closed door. "I won't let you leave," he mumbled.
He didn't know what time he got up the next morning. The first thing he noticed was how quiet the house was. He jumped up and forced the door open, his worst fears confirmed. The room was empty and the window was open. His brother was gone.
He rushed downstairs and found his sister in the kitchen, her glasses off and head down. "Why?" he whispered.
She offered him a hug and he gratefully accepted it, burying his face in her shoulder. "Why does everyone leave?"
"Shouto, I..." Her voice broke. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I'm a terrible sister."
He wiped his eyes. "What's wrong, 'Yumi?"
"I... Remember how we were waiting to see if I got into that school? I was going to be a teacher and help kids like you."
He nodded, too afraid of where the conversation was going to say anything.
"...I got accepted. No, more than that. They've offered to pay almost all of my tuition."
"Fuyumi..."
"I'm sorry, Shouto... I can't pass up an opportunity like this. I'll come home for holidays and I'll always call you back. I promise."
"Don't go," he whimpered. "I can't lose you too."
"It'll only be a few years. I'll even try to get a job nearby once I get my degree!"
"Don't leave..."
"I have to go. But don't worry, classes don't start until August. I'll be here for awhile yet."
He backed up, bumping into the wall. "You... You promised you'd stay."
"That was years ago. Things change."
"Ryou was right. Nobody keeps their promises..."
"That's not true! Promises mean something important–"
"Everyone lies and then leaves. Even you."
"Shouto, please just listen to me–"
He shook his head, heading for the stairs again. "I'm sick of being lied to and abandoned."
"Shouto!"
He shut himself in his room and even iced the lock for good measure. Only then did he break down, barely muffling his screams and hiccuping sobs. Fuyumi didn't even bother trying to talk to him.
I'm so alone. Is there something wrong with me? Why does everyone leave? It's this quirk! It'd be better for everyone if I was born without it!
He grit his teeth and dug his nails into his arm. Why was he cursed with such a powerful quirk? All he wanted was for his family to be together again.