Chapter Text
This had all been Fuyumi's plan.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t completely her doing- the idea of rolling up their half-awake older brother in his own comforter like a deflated burrito and shoving him in the car at 6 a.m. had been Natsuo's idea, after all. But her insistence that all of them drive from New York to Florida for their father's 46th birthday was one-hundred percent her bona fide doing. Well, maybe bona fide in her eyes, at the very least.
The lanky young man next to Shouto evidently disagreed, still not over his self-alleged kidnapping an hour prior. Contempt was written plain as day across his features as his long limbs were awkwardly strewn about in the confines of the cramped back seat, dangerously close to jabbing Shouto in the face on more than a few occasions at present. He had his headphones in, wallowing in his misery as the tempo of the musical soundtrack was just loud enough for Shouto to make out. The teen probably won't have minded being shoved in the back with him, if that said brother hadn't been glaring in his general direction with a gaze like pins and needles, which only came to brief interludes between bouts of rather volatile carsickness. Shouto couldn't decide at the moment which of the two he dreaded more.
Fuyumi had insisted that Natsuo take the passenger seat in the front with her- the perks of having a license and getting to navigate, Shouto supposed. Once merged onto the highway, his sister let out a drawn sigh, glancing at the two through her rear view mirror. It was the first time she's made a sound since leaving the driveway. Touya, in spite of his current predicament, noticed what felt like instantaneously, his glare hoping from his little brother to meet his sister's gaze. Even with his attention momentarily taken from him, the awkward mood shift did little to excite Shouto, and he quickly slipped his phone out of his pocket to send his semi-best friend a text or two. He was likely just getting up for his morning jog- it was barely 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning. But a one-way conversation was certainly more enticing that whatever the hell Touya was about to instigate.
Fuyumi sighed a second time as her elder brother kept on watching her through the reflection in the mirror.
"You hanging in there, Touya?"
"Do I look like I'm hanging in there?" He shot back immediately as he slipped off his earphones, the acute bitterness in his voice causing her lips to purse tight. Natsuo tsked from his lofty position beside her, licking his finger and idly turning the page of the well-marked map book he'd pulled from the glove compartment. He didn't even bother to glance up, interjecting before Touya could throw a retort back at their sister.
"Why didn't you get up early and take any Dramamine before we left?"
"Why didn't you get that I said I didn't want to come, Na-"
"Because this means a lot to mom, Touya. You know that,” their sister quickly interjected.
"You know I don't give a rat's ass about-"
"Language!" She quickly interrupted her gaze darting over to their little brother beside him. Shouto, forfeiting the futile attempt to text Midoriya with all the ruckus, glanded up from his phone.
"Fuyumi, I'm not a damn five year-old."
"See!" Fuyumi tossed a hand off the wheel, giving an exasperated flick of her wrist and causing the car to sway out of the right lane slightly. "You're corrupting him!"
Touya swiftly grasped onto the door handle to his left, his eyes slightly bulging as he slammed his fist to his mouth. He gritted his teeth as he recovered, rolling his eyes at Fuyumi. Their sister gave a frustrated huff. Natsuo caught a chuckle in his throat, quickly playing it off as a cough as his eyes darted back to the map in his lap. After a moment's repose of silence, it was Touya's low, rasping voice that finally broke it. He crossed his arms, give both of his siblings a flat look as nodded his head in Shouto's direction.
"Can Natsuo at least swap places with him?"
Shouto could see the frustration only boil in their sister's eyes from the mirror, and his attention immediately darted back to his phone. Nope, this was not a fight he was about to be dragged into. As Fuyumi's voice jumped up an octave, he could feel Natsuo's weight slightly shift as the back of his seat pressed slightly into Shouto's knees and the rustle of paper as he turned to yet another page of the map. He was jumping ship as well; as least they were fellow comrades in these trying times.
"Him? Your brother has a name, for heaven's sake!" Touya grimaced, folding his arms over his chest and his shoulders constricting. Oh great, there she went.
"This- this right here is exactly why I insisted you all come and why we're driving instead of flying! We all live under the same roof, yet you barely acknowledge your own family. Once- just once- could we just bond a little and get along here? Look, I know Dad isn't a favorite person for any of you, but-"
"Christ, you're not my mom." The tone in Touya’s voice wasn’t just sharp anymore; it was downright dangerous.
"Then stop making me act like her!" Fuyumi was equally at her limit only an hour in, the car swerving much farther towards the middle lane this time- which was nearly enough to force Touya to let go of last night's midnight fridge raid and cause his little brothers to jolt, their attentions immediately dragged back to the situation at present despite their valiant attempts. Natsuo gave a nervous chuckle and grinned awkwardly, folding up the map and slipping it away.
"Hey, Fuyumi? Why don't you let me drive for a bit?"
"I'm fine," the young woman insisted through gritted teeth in a tone that couldn’t have been more unconvincing to each and every one of her brothers.
"Fuyumi," Shouto finally chimed in, his brow twitching in annoyance upon his otherwise neutral features while he locked his phone screen. Fuyumi met her little brother's stern gaze and relented, sighing and turning her attention back to the road. The comity had unanimously voted against her, it seemed.
"Fine. I'll stop at the next exit and we'll switch. Shouto, you can take the front." The white haired young man beside her whined, tossing his head back in protest. He wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about how much further up the driver's seat had been pulled to accommodate their eldest brother’s flailing limbs that morning. "Fuyumi, my legs..."
"Take one for the team, Natsuo," the woman flatly retorted, hands tightening around the wheel. Her brother beside her groaned in defeat, his head plopping back against the headrest on his seat.
Frankly, the moment that their vehicle finally arrived in the back of the McDonald's parking lot could not have come with a moment to spare; it hadn't yet finished rolling to a stop before Touya lost his composure. He threw open the door, and his body relieved itself of the remains of last night's vegan burger. It was unfortunately enough to make a scene, a cashier on their fifteen putting out their cigarette bud and flashing their van a rather concerned, if unamused, glance. Shouto unbuckled his seatbelt and let out a long groan. He threw his forearm over his eyes as the wonderful smell wafted in his direction. Oh, this was going to be a long trip.