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Touya sat at the top of Sekoto Hill waiting. Waiting while clutching onto the last bit of hope he had mustered together that his father would finally come. That his father would not let him down, not ignore him like every other time since the day his youngest brother was born.
The sun was starting to set however, and with every passing minute, Touya felt the wavering hope start to slip through his fingers. Gradually his body began to heat up with the increasing tension he was feeling, while images of how angry his father’s face looked when he had told him “Come to Sekoto hill! And then you’ll realize I wasn’t a mistake!”
His foot began to tap as his thoughts raced, doubt truly creeping in now that his father was going to disappoint him another time.
Just as he was beginning to truly give up on his father, he began to hear footsteps crunching through the forest floor. Freezing, he strained his ears, facing the direction of the approaching footsteps.
There he was, emerging from the tree line, his father. His face was emotionless as he approached Touya, watching as his child deflated with relief at the sight of his father.
“Dad, you came!” He scrambled to his feet, joy coursing through him as a big smile spread across his face.
“Touya…” Enji began, his expressionless face cracking as his eyebrows scrunched together. He reached a hand out to his son, before it wavered, hesitation sweeping through Enji. His hand lay in between them, hovering in the air, before Touya raised his hand as well, burned and covered in bandaids, and slowly grabbed Enji’s hand. “Dad?”
“I- I’m…” His father stuttered out, sucking in a breath harshly, before falling to his knees in front of his son, “I’m so sorry.”
He pulled Touya down as well, and held him close to his chest, cradling him in a tight hug. Touya stood frozen, not understanding what was happening, shocked by his father’s behavior, “Dad…?”
“I went about everything wrong.” Enji said slowly, into Touya’s newly white hair, not a speck of red left in it. “I didn’t understand… I couldn’t understand why you couldn’t just let the path of the hero go. But now, I think I do.”
“What?” Touya said hesitantly, not completely sure why his eyes were starting to tear up. He pulled back slightly from his father so he could see his face and try to understand what he was trying to tell him.
Enji’s face looked devastated, the most emotion besides anger that Touya has ever seen on his father’s face before. And it scared him. This was something that has never happened before and he had no clue what was to come next.
“I talked with your mother,” Enji began, and Touya stiffened slightly, picturing all the times Enji has “talked” with his mother before. All the arguments, all the yelling. The action did not escape Enji’s notice, but he continued, “I spoke with your mother about what you have said before. About how you can’t do anything else but become a hero…”
Touya nodded, desperate that his father really understand that that was the only path he wanted, the only path he felt would bring any form of satisfaction into his life, yet terrified with where he was going with this.
“I- I understand now Touya. You said that I lit a fire in you. A fire that wouldn’t go out. And now I know that. That this path is what you want. And that I can’t stop you anymore. I will have to find a way to train you were you aren't hurt, but I now know I can't stop you. That your training will have to be with me so you don't hurt yourself further.”
Touya sucked in a breath, looking at his father who now had tears lining his eyes. Enji clasped two strong hands on Touya’s shoulders, looking him dead in the eyes as his demeanor changed, determination shining through in his eyes.
“Touya, I was so wrong to ignore your dreams, to shut you out. And I am so sorry. I have so much to make up for and fix, but I will do everything in my power to never make those same mistakes again.”
Enji breathed deeply, looking down at the ground in shame at how the tunnel vision he had the past few years affected his entire family, crushing his oldest son in the process. How his single goal of having a child that would surpass All Might had ultimately made him into a person that could never do just that.
“I have been blind to how my actions have been affecting you. How I have been ignoring you and favoring Shoto. That my own desire to surprise All Might had poisoned our household, and that this is all my fault. But I promise. That will all stop. I promise.”
With fresh tears in his eyes, but a pure look of determination, Enji looked at his son again, his hands tightening on his shoulders, he spoke.
“And I’ll be damned if I do anything but help you cultivate that fire, my son.”
Touya’s eyes widened at his father’s words. His father was going to help him, his father was going to be there for him.
His father would be his father again.
“Dad…” He sputtered out, tears now rolling down his face steadily. Enji pulled him against his chest again, tight. His hand started to smooth down Touya’s hair, rubbing his back in a circular motion as Touya began to cry harder, sobbing into Enji’s chest, “Thank you Dad. Thank you so much.”
Enji rocked his son softly, murmuring ‘it’s okay’ as he calmed down his son. This was the first time he had hugged his son like this. The first time he has ever comforted his son before. First time he has ever acting like a real father to Touya in years. And it killed him. Destroyed him as he continually realized just how bad of a father he had turned into.
Touya mumbled into Enji’s chest, “I just- I want to be a great hero."
"I want to make you proud of me Dad.”
Pain coursed through Enji’s chest as he realized how much he had failed his son, for his son believed that he would only ever be proud of him unless he became a hero. When he should have already been proud, should have already made it explicitly clear to Touya how proud he was. But he didn’t. So now. He won’t fail. He will not fail his son again.
“I am here for you now. I promise. I am here.” And this time, those specific words had rung true in a way that even All Might had not captured before.