Bittersweet Misery: DekuTodo

Chapter 30🥀 With Family At Last

Warning! Violence!
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      "Oh...oh my god."

     Rei's legs began to give out under her weight. But Natsuo was quick to grab her in time before she fell to the floor of the hospital room. The entire Todoroki family was shocked. After all these years, right before their very eyes, Shouto was sitting right in that hospital bed bandages wrapped around his head. It felt like hours even though it was only seconds that nobody made a move. And Shouto began to grow anxious because of it. What were they thinking? How did they feel? Were they angry? Sad? Happy? There were so many mixed feelings that he was getting. Especially from his father.

But one person finally made a move.

     "Holy shit...". Touya mumbles. He carefully walks over to Shouto. Looking over him. His eyes sting. He wasn't the type to cry. But he felt overwhelmed by the fact that after all these years his little brother was right before him. "Holy shit!" He leans down and pulls him into a tight hug. Shouto didn't budge. He was so shocked. But soon Natsuo came over and hugged him and then his mother. His eyes burned with tears as he slowly raises his hands to pull them all into that hug. He bites his lip to try to muffle his sobs but he couldn't help himself. He released a heartfelt sob. It showed just how much he had missed his family. How much he missed the security of close loved ones.

He had really missed them.

The three of them pull away. Touya grabs his shoulders and shakes him. Gently of course. "You're alive. You're fucking alive! After all these years. My god." The white haired man looks his little brother over in disbelief. "Shit dude. I...wow."

"Yeah, I know. It's been a long time. I look a bit different don't I?"

"A lot different", Natsuo joins in. "You're not the same quiet kid from your high school days."

Shouto gives him a shy smile. "Hehe. Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Rei tucks a strand of hair behind her son's ear. Tears were still falling from her eyes. "I just can't believe that you're here before my very eyes. I thought I lost you."

Shouto looks down at his hands in guilt. His mood had turned a complete 180 from how erratic he felt earlier. Of course it didn't change the fact that he wanted to get to his baby. But somehow his family's presence made him feel like the shy sweet kid he was all those years ago. "I-I'm sorry. I really am. I just...panicked back then and I—."

"I know", Rei says. "And I understand. But more than anything. I'm glad you're home."

Everyone looks over at the man who created the heavy stomps despite the fact he was carefully walking over. Out of all of them, Enji was the one to be the most surprised. But Shouto couldn't read his facial expressions. And that scared him. "So. You're a father."

"...more like a mother, actually", Shouto corrects.

Enji nods his head as his eyes cast away from Shouto's. Shouto's brothers and mother step aside as the stocky man sits down beside Shouto. He was still the same as the young man had remembered him. Shouto felt intimidated and began to play with his fingers. "I know you're probably disappointed. Or even...disgusted. But–."

"I'm not."

Shouto peeks up at Enji through his bangs in awe. What he saw on his father's face was a small gentle smile. It could've went unnoticed if Enji wasn't beside him. Yet somehow that small bit of gratitude that Shouto was around made his heart thump and his face warm. Enji covers his mouth once it began to tremble and he tried to hold back the tears. "I-I just...wish you had come to us for help. I-I know that I was hard on you. Or wasn't open-minded to who you were. But to l-lose you all those years ago. Having no idea where you were no matter how much I looked into you. It made me realize how I should've been more of a loving father."